Scripture
22And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. Jude 1:22-23
Observation
In the context of fiery Old Testament examples that go all the way back to the first murder with Cain, the judgment on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, the death of Balaam for deceiving God’s people, and the rebellion of Korah who were swallowed up in the earth for defying the leadership of Moses we are told to set up a rescue shop. It would be easy to read of those examples and take the “hide and wait” mindset. There’s no way I’m running in to where the fire is about to fall or the ground is about to open up. Yet, it’s quite clear here that we are to show mercy to those whose faith is wavering, speaking of Christians who are being deceived. Reminding me that the only reason I’m safe and secure is because someone showed me the mercy of Jesus. The next command is even more aggressive and may result in my clothes smelling like smoke and getting slightly singed. This would be a more direct confrontation with those brothers and sisters who are now prodigal and don’t know their way home. The big warning here is that when you set up shop in Sodom and Gomorrah you’d better have your bags packed otherwise you might begin to think like the locals. Making it clear that loving a lost one is not synonymous with approving of their life style let alone imitating it in the name of mercy. Let’s not forget that Lot’s wife was literally snatched from the flames of judgement but her heart was so enmeshed with the perversion of her culture that instead of looking forward to her redemption she looked back to the city where her heart truly resided.
Application
A pastor once shared a quote with me that I’ve never forgotten, “Some wish to live within the sound of the Church or Chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.” This so reflects the heart of Jesus here in the book of Jude. I came to find out later that the minister who shared this quote not only has the coolest name of any pastor ever, but lived a life of faith to match. As a young man, C.T. Studd (see, I told you) left his wealthy family and his pursuit of law to follow Christ to China. He served in China and India for 21 years, came home sick but soon heard the Lord call to Africa at the age of 53. When people told him he was crazy he wrote, “If Jesus Christ be God, and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him...“Let us not glide through this world and then slip quietly into heaven, without having blown the trumpet loud and long for our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Let us see to it that the devil will hold a thanksgiving service in hell, when he gets the news of our departure from the field of battle.”
Prayer
Lord, I’m so inspired by the life of CT Studd, by the saints working the heard ground of Japan and the challenge of Jude. You’ve called me to California and I’m setting up a rescue shop. Give me the strategies to rescue those who are about to fall away in deception and lies of our compelling culture of perversion and sin. Show me any place where I’m getting friendly with the sin I’m supposed to be hating and hating the people I’m supposed to be friends with.
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