The book of Jude has a single chapter - if every book of the
Bible was this short then our Bible reading project would have been over in
little more than three weeks! Although Jude’s epistle is short, it delivers an
important message, warning us in wonderfully evocative language of the dangers of
false teachers and their teachings: They
are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit
and uprooted—twice dead (v12). Having delivered the warning, Jude moves on
to encourage us to bolster our defences by turning to God: Dear
friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the
Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our
Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life (v20-21). The verses, however,
that stand out for me are 22 and 23: Be
merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to
others show mercy, mixed with fear – hating even the clothing stained by
corrupted flesh. Although the context is one of saving those who may have
succumbed to false teaching, the advice is also very appropriate for
evangelism. By being merciful to those who doubt we demonstrate the love of
God, becoming a living testament to the gospel - but at the same time there is
also a sense of imperative and urgency (…snatching
from the fire… ) and the need to love the sinner whilst rejecting the sin.
(member of the congregation)