Continuing our look at some of the last instructions in the Bible, some of which have to do with the Second Advent, I promised a look at Jude’s letter. It’s just one chapter and much of it has to do with false teachers and just plain lawlessness in the culture (see 2 Peter 2 and Jude, verses 1 – 16). There’s also that judgment-filled Second Advent, which we saw in 2 Thessalonians.

But he closes that section with this:

But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. (Jude 1.20 – 23, ESV)

My responsibility? 

• Build myself up in the faith
• Pray in the Holy Spirit
• Keep myself in the Love of God
• Wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ
• Have mercy on those who doubt
• Save others by snatching them out of the fire
• Show others mercy being careful…

There’s a lot of bad stuff going on in our society right now. Some of it appears to be right out of Romans 1, which closes this way:

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. (Romans 1.28 – 31, ESV)

But Jude makes our response to these conditions clear: while we wait for Christ’s mercy, we are to show mercy – mentioned twice!

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3.17, 18, ESV)