Who Will Do This?

DEVOTION

JUDE

WHO WILL DO THIS?

Jude 22-23

22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear-hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

NIV

This may appear one thing on the surface, but in the context of the whole letter this is about those who know the truth speaking to those who either have been seduced by the false teachers because of weakness imprudence or because of pride and arrogance of their heart and their unwillingness to submit to wholesome discipline. They must have been and still is for that matter people who are led astray by these silver tongued purveyors of lies. Some of them are simply immature in their faith and discern the lies spread by these false teachers. Those we should have mercy on showing compassion not contempt. We need to snatch them from the fire. If a person is in danger through no fault of their own, catch in the clutches of Satan, would we not rush in to save them? Would we not try our very best to show them the truth and help them escape from those who would simply use them? There are also some who are following after those false teachers, because of their message. There is approval for behaviors which God would abhor. These people follow after because of their own evil desires and may well know the difference between the truth and those they follow. They refuse to hear the truth and are arrogant in their beliefs. These are much harder to save from those evil false teachers. Yes, we still need to love them, we still need to show mercy, but it needs to be mixed with fear. We need to see them as children of God led astray, but at the same time hating their sin, being so very careful not to get trapped by their ways and fall prey to their thinking. They are the ones who will argue their case, they will try to intellectually debate the reason for their believing these false teachers, showing them to be the truth and that we are the misguided. They arguments might even sound good and even righteous, but the fact remains they are trapped and they like it. These we need to be very cautious in our efforts to bring them back to the truth. But nevertheless all those who have been seduced by the false teachers are in need of saving. Who will do it, if it isn’t us? If we do take action, we need to remember to be merciful. We cannot allow ourselves to feel the least bit more righteous then them. We cannot allow ourselves to feel superior because we know the truth and have not been seduced by false teaching. Our approve must be motivated by love, compassion and mercy. Who will do this?