Saving Our Neighbors

Jude 1:22-23

“And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue 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.”

Three things that this scripture asks for us to do:

(1) Show mercy to those who believe in God, but they are of little faith or small faith. When some first believe in Jesus, they have little idea what to do next. They have to be encouraged, loved, taught, and discipled.

(2) There are those who have to be snatched out of the fire, so to speak, because they are walking ignorantly. They are not pursuing the Lord, they are not reading His words, they are not trying to help others. They are blind, or perhaps ignorant that this life is our one chance to believe in Jesus. These need to be snatched out of the fire of death and destruction, these need to be rescued.

(3) Then there are those who are deep in sin, they need grace, and they need mercy, but these have to be reached without getting ourselves into predicaments with them. We try to relate, and we love the sinner, but we hate the sin. We will lead them to Jesus, but we will not be the judge and jury of their life. We will be advocates and stand for the truth, without compromise.

Prayer:

Lord, let me be a light pointing souls to You. Help me to see, hear, know and respond to the weak, to those who are lost in sin, to those who need love and compassion without compromise. In Your name Lord Jesus, open my eyes to rescue the perishing. In Your name Lord Jesus, Amen!