Jude 1:1-3 - Mercy, Peace and Love

Today, Monday October 25 Mercy, Peace and Love Jude 1:1-3 “Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” We noticed yesterday that Jude is writing this small letter to the called, sanctified and preserved! Certainly those of us who know Christ as our personal Lord and Savior enjoy a unique position. We are called by God to be set apart for God that they might enjoy love with God. While our fellowship with the Father might change from day to day, our relationship as children cannot and will never change. We are "preserved in Jesus Christ." This reminds me of my life’s verse: “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6) Because Jude would write a great deal in this letter about sin and judgment, he was careful at the very outset to define the special place that believers have in the heart and plan of God. The apostates would sin, fall, and suffer condemnation; but the true believers would be kept safe in Jesus Christ for all eternity. Because we are set apart and preserved, God makes us the recipients of God's choicest blessings: mercy, peace, and love. Like the Apostle Peter, Jude wanted these special blessings to be multiplied in their lives (1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:2). God in His mercy does not give us what we deserve. Instead, He gave our punishment to His own Son on the cross. "Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.... But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities" (Isaiah 53:4-5). Because of Christ's work on the cross, we as believers enjoy peace. The unsaved person is at war with God and cannot please Him (Rom. 8:7-8); but when he trusts the Savior, the war ends and he receives God's peace: “Therefore having been justified by grace, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). We can also have the “peace of God rule” (Colossians 3:15), or control our emotions and hearts as we face the trials of life in this world. Jesus promised us in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” We as believers and followers of Jesus Christ also experience God's love. “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). The Cross is God's demonstration of love (Romans 5:8), but His love is not experienced within until His Spirit comes into the believing heart. As we grow in our spiritual life, we enters into a deeper relationship of love. John speaks of this in John 14:21-24, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." Jude said that this mercy, peace and love is “multiplied” to us! In other words, it grows exponentially as we stand up for Jesus and against the apostate teachers and false philosophies of this world. The reservoir of His mercy, peace and love to us will never be depleted!!!! It is my prayer that you will enjoy these blessings today! God bless!