Mercy unto you...the Wayfarrer 12/3/17

Mercy unto you
12/3/17

^{Jude vs.2 KJV}

² Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

In a time when there seems no corner, no nook or cranny untouched by the vile negation and disruption of a world bent on the refusal of all taught by Christ Jesus, all demanded by Him from those He came to deliver from those attempting to negate and disrupt the very Will of God, it is easy to forget the foremost precept delivered by Him, and to whom that precept was delivered.

It is also easy to forget the warning that applied to believer and unbeliever alike in the message delivered throughout His ministry that allows acceptance and compliance with that precept.

Jude forewarned us of that time to come, that is now upon all of the day when both warning and promise would be so difficult for so many to accept.

Some choose to remember only the warning, neglecting the promise and possibility provided ALL through that promise, parsing and dividing the warning from the promise, never seeing the applicability of both to the world at large as well as the meager few they would have the promise made available to, were the choice theirs instead of that of Christ Himself, forgetting or ignoring the reachable and teachable that remain that MUST be reached if they are willing to BE taught and reached.

Others promote only the promise, neglecting and thereby denying the warning that precedes and allows for the fulfillment of that very promise.

Still others promote only a portion of that promise, as it may enhance their circumstance, forgetting the promise itself remains not of this world, but of eternity itself, not of the prosperity, popularity , wealth, temporary and false peace found within the confines of their wishes for the present, but instead through the power of prayer for that coming eternity that awaits all about them as well as themselves.

Mercy, peace and love were asked in the opening of this short epistle for those to whom it was addressed, and indeed, for those reading and comprehending it still.

All of those may be found only through having heard the warning, heeded that warning, then meeting the simple requirement of that warning that grants redemption only through repentance, redemption that once granted by Christ, is for that Eternity for each having met that requirement.

Matthew 4:16-17

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁶ The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

¹⁷ From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

That message, one that still goes unheard, was one for ALL sitting in the darkness that surrounded the world then, and NOW as well.

That message preached from the Jordan river to the cross, and beyond the cross to all who are willing to hear it MUST absolutely be heard and heeded by any and all seeking the promise delivered through Christ before any may lay claim to the promise, that includes each and all who do so.

It is not a promise of prosperity of wealth or peace in a temporary world, but one of the eternal prosperity, wealth and peace provided by the mercy and love of God himself delivered by Christ Jesus.

Redemption for repentance, not a temporary nor a temporal or conditional redemption, but the totality of all that exceeds both the temporal and temporary despite all that is temporal and temporary.

Christ's teachings, His words, His sacrifice were never temporary in the sense of its effectiveness, remaining throughout the expanse of time as seen by men, and eternity as demanded by God.

The promise, well known and summed up in the third chapter of John, was not temporary, nor was the warning that accompanied it that goes undelivered all too often by all too many of those reciting what too often are only words easily remembered, yet unconceived by those reciting them.

John 3:16-21

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁶ 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.

¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

¹⁸ He that believeth on 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.

¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

²⁰ For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

²¹ But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Note that truth is in action as well as in word, and remains a requirement that gives evidence of having heard and heeded the warning that is contained within the promise.

Going back to Jude's words, that ring so stridently on the ears of this old preacher daily, we find the reiteration and continuation of the delivery of both warning and promise, and the necessity for all to hear BOTH as TRUTH in the entirety in which they were given.

Jude King James Version (KJV) 1 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: 2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. 3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. 5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. 10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. 12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. 14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. 17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. 24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Compassion in order to make the difference, when that compassion is accepted, is demanded, not only by Jude, but by Christ as well in the single commandment left us by Him. That compassion is delivered through the mercy peace and love asked by Jude for those whom he addressed, and those still willing to accept those precious gifts that come only through having heard both warning and promise and acceptance of both. The fear that is also mentioned in the 23'd verse is not the fear of men, but the fear of God Himself, and the wrath that accompanies that warning, so long as the promise goes unheard and unaccepted by all failing to be reached or taught the reality of both warning and promise. The concluding verses are reminder that there is none capable of delivering either warning or promise without the power that resides only in He who brought both, warning and promise to a world still holding both in disregard, Christ Jesus alone. Glory, majesty, dominion and power reside only in the hands of God, our Savior. Ours never was, nor will be to choose who accepts the delivery of warning or promise, only to assure the continuation of the knowledge that both remain available to ALL willing to accept BOTH. 2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV) 12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Amen and Amen the Wayfarer