October 5, 2023: Jude 1-2 - Mercy, Peace, and Love Unto You be Multiplied

“Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.” - Jude 1-2

Jude is the author of this brief but powerful book, the last book before the final book of the Bible, the book of Revelation. He speaks to his brothers and sisters in Christ, and, as we will later read, he warns them of trouble in the church, which had been secretly infiltrated by deceiving imposters. His warning rings true today, for many churches today have become apostate, and we do best to heed his words.

Jude states that he is brother to James, and it is widely thought that both James and Jude are Jesus’ half-brothers, born to Joseph and Mary sometime after Mary gave birth to Jesus, as He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. However, Jude only identifies himself as a servant of Jesus Christ and brother to James. As one Bible commentary noted, when it comes to our salvation, who our relatives are doesn’t matter, for salvation is a choice we all must make for ourselves. Even though Jude likely was Jesus’ half-brother, he wasn’t automatically saved from his sins. In fact, the Bible even tells us that Jesus’ siblings did not at first believe that Jesus is who He said He is:

“After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him.” (John 7:1-5)

Jude obviously thought it more important to identify himself as “the servant of Jesus Christ” rather than as brother of the Messiah. That is so very applicable in our world today when so many people believe that because they come from a family that went to church, then they too are saved. However, what only matters is whether we ourselves are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. Salvation is not inherited from our family but our inheritance is found in Jesus Christ alone, by putting our faith and trust in Him for redemption of all our sins:

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” (John 3:3-7)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith until salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)

At some point in Jude’s life, perhaps after Jesus’ death and resurrection, he came to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and Jude wrote this book that is critical and so very relevant to the times in which we live.

Having identified himself, Jude makes it clear as to whom he is writing this book: all who have been saved by Jesus Christ. Believers in Christ have been sanctified by God the Father, meaning we have been set apart from this world and are not to be like the world but to be holy. However, we don’t come to Jesus only after we are “cleaned up”; rather, we come to Him as we are, and it is through His Holy Spirit who then dwells within us from that point on, we begin the process of sanctification, of sinning less and less and becoming more like Jesus. For some people, including myself, this may take a long time, as we struggle with still wanting to do things ourselves and our way instead of relying on God to guide us and to listen to and obey His direction and instruction.

Believers in Christ are preserved in Him until the fulfillment of our salvation occurs. There are many verses in the Bible about being preserved in Jesus, in God. I have included several below:

“Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.” (Jesus Christ; Luke 17:33)

“The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil; he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” (Psalm 121:7-8)

“For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.” (Psalm 37:28)

Before Jesus would be crucified on the cross, He prayed to God:

“These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:1-3)

In his prayer, Jesus spoke of how He had kept, in God’s name, the apostles and disciples that God had given Him while He was in the world. Jesus also prayed that God would:

“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou has sent me.” (Jesus Christ; John 17:17-21)

The apostle Paul wrote of Jesus and how he intercedes for us:

“Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:34-39)

Whether we live or die, we who believe in Jesus for our redemption of all our sins will never be separated from Jesus’ love for us. The unbeliever cannot say this, for if they die in their sins, they will be eternally separated from Him and from His love, in a place of eternal torment. It will be a place with no mercy, no peace, and no love. Sadly, it will be the place that the unbeliever chose because they rejected Jesus’ free gift of salvation, of His mercy, His peace, and His love.

As the apostles John and Peter wrote, God doesn’t want any of us to perish but that we would all believe in His Son Jesus Christ and be saved:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth in him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:17-18)

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

We all have a choice whether or not be called sons (or children) of God, which only comes by believing in Jesus Christ for salvation of our sins. God gives each and every one of us that opportunity, and it is what he wants for us, but the choice to accept that calling or not is up to us. Most people, though, will reject it.

“He [Jesus] was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:10-13)

After we die, if we spend our eternity in hell, it is not God’s fault but our own, for rejecting God’s gift of salvation of sins through His Son Jesus Christ. A gift can be given, but it is up to us whether or not to accept it.

Jude closes his opening statement to his readers by saying, “Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.” Let us read the words of David who wrote this beautiful psalm, Psalm 34:

“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.” (Psalm 34:8-9)

“The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.” (Psalm 34:15-22)

We who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good have experienced His mercy, His peace, and His love for us and not only for us, but for the entire world. I am so very thankful for His mercy upon me, that He saved a sinner like me. The One who never sinned came to pay the price of all my sins. Once I believed upon Him - Jesus - to redeem me of my all my sins, I had a sense of peace in my life that I never had before, and it was a peace that only comes by knowing and trusting in Him. It is a peace that truly does surpass all understanding, a peace that the unbelieving world does not know and cannot ever know absent of Him. Through the years of knowing Him and trusting in Him, the bitterness and fear that dominated my life for so long have been replaced with His love, a love for those who hurt me, rejected me, and mocked me, and a love for those who are my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. That is what knowing and believing in Jesus has done for me, and I want to multiply it by telling and sharing with people about how Jesus changed my life so much for the better and how He can change theirs too. If there is anyone reading this, I pray that if you get anything out of these devotional posts I write through God’s Holy Spirit who dwells within me, it is that Jesus loves you, so very, very much, and He wants you to turn to Him, and for you to let Him show you mercy, give you peace, and love you like no one else ever could. Will you taste and see that the Lord is good?

“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.” (1 Chronicles 16:34)

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (Jesus Christ; John 14:27)

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:4-9) ✝️