Of Some Have Compassion

The remainder of the apostle’s letter is positive and encouraging. It is full of help and comfort for the Lord’s people. Jude offers spiritual direction for our wellbeing. Previously, in verse 17, Jude used the title ‘beloved’ to register God’s loving commitment to His church and here, again, he employs it as a reminder of God’s continuing love and faithfulness. Perhaps, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ is foremost in Jude’s mind as he goes on to speak specifically of Christ’s mercy.  

Build and keep

Jude’s admonition to build ourselves up in the faith and keep ourselves in God’s love does not imply creature ability in spiritual matters. Every good and perfect gift is from above and consequently there is no spiritual growth or development except what Christ bestows by grace and mercy. It is Christ who keeps His church and Christ who builds up His church with all spiritual blessings through the Holy Ghost. 

Proof of life

The spiritually alive – as distinct from the sensual who are dead in sin – are blessed with new spiritual appetites, we hunger and thirst after righteousness. Jude’s direction to keep ourselves and build ourselves means always being ready and expectant for new blessings from God. This we do by making proper use of the means of grace granted to the church, such as hearing the word preached, praying, reading scripture and gathering for fellowship.

Our holy faith

Our faith is holy, ‘most holy’, says Jude, because it comes from the holy Lord God, speaks of holy truths, infuses holy principles, tends to holy living and aspires to eternal holiness with Christ in glory. The sensual preacher drives his hearers back to the law for self-satisfying holiness while spiritual men and women embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel first reveals, then bestows, true holiness by declaring righteousness as God’s free gift and giving faith to believe it.

The prayer of faith

Praying in the Holy Ghost is not charismatic babbling but the prayer of faith. It is the prayer of every true child of God to a loving Father, be it audible or inaudible, bold or hesitant. Those who are without the Spirit cannot make this prayer. Those who have the Spirit enjoy open access to God. In coming to prayer we should remember always that God is listening and hears His people. He delights to give good gifts by the Spirit through whom we pray.

The mercy of Christ

Christ’s mercy is an immense topic in itself. It encompasses His eternal purpose in the covenant of grace and peace. It involves His betrothing us to Himself, His coming into the world to bear our sins and reconcile us to God, His daily providential care, His intercession for us in heaven and His promise of glory to come. In all this, Christ’s love and mercy for His Bride emphasises particular grace and distinguishes the church from the ungodly men of whom Jude has previously been speaking.

Engaging with the world

Jude’s pastoral heart is again on show as he excites the church to care for those in need. Once again we can but admire how the apostle distinguishes between those who are to be contended against, on account of their false doctrine, and those who are to be contended for due to their pitiful state. The church in this world cannot tell definitively who are God’s elect and our approach to those who as yet have no faith or profession is to be suitably measured.

Be tenderhearted

Jude speaks of compassion, fear and hatred: compassion for the eternal souls of men and women; fear, on their behalf, of judgment to come; hatred of the sin that outside of Christ will earn condemnation and bring destruction. Christian evangelism and Christian activism is tenderhearted. A renewed soul seeks opportunity to express to others the love and mercy it has experienced from Jesus Christ. 

Seeking Christ’s sheep

Jude’s wise counsel removes any suggestion that believers are reclusive hermits with a holier-than-thou attitude. Christ’s sheep will be found scattered throughout society and the church’s message of grace and forgiveness with God is fit and suitable for the chiefest of sinners. Nevertheless, care should be exercised not to condone or excuse sinful behaviour nor to underestimate the subtle power of temptation.

Amen