Deconstructing Jude 1:20

"But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit," - Jude 1:20

In this context, the phrase "most holy faith" refers to the genuine, pure, and sincere faith that is rooted in God's Word and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

The idea of "unholy faith" might seem contradictory, as faith, by definition, is a trust and reliance on God. However, the Bible does describe various forms of faith that are misguided, incomplete, or even false. For example:

1. Dead faith (James 2:26): A faith that lacks works and is therefore considered dead or inactive.

2. Weak faith (Romans 14:1-2): A faith that is uncertain or lacking in conviction.

3. Shipwrecked faith (1 Timothy 1:19-20): A faith that has been severely damaged or destroyed due to false teaching or sinful behavior.

4. False faith (Galatians 1:6-9): A faith that is based on false teachings or a distorted gospel.

In this sense, while there isn't a direct reference to "unholy faith" in the Bible, these examples illustrate that faith can be misguided, incomplete, or even false. The encouragement to "build yourselves up in your most holy faith" serves as a reminder to cultivate a genuine, pure, and sincere faith that is rooted in God's Word and empowered by the Holy Spirit. 

There is also another part to this scripture which covers how we ought to build ourselves up on our most holy faith. There is nothing that succeeds without the command of the Spirit. The bible makes us to understand that except the Lord builds the house, the laborers labor in vain and also Paul teaches us that our bodies are the temples of the Lord, the house He chooses to dwell in. Profitably building that house, that temple, ourselves therefore entails doing so by the Holy Ghost. In truth, it means, being built by the Holy Spirit and Paul points out that the way to build ourselves up is by praying in the Holy Ghost. Jesus said, He is the vine and we are the branches, He commanded us to abide in Him and He will abide in us. We can only see the fruits or results of our efforts when we labor in the Holy Spirit. God is love and whatever we do as Christians ought to be done in the Love that is God.