The Beloved

Regardless of what country, city, church or family you belong to, there will always be people doing the wrong thing--and sometimes that person will be me or you.  I do not point this out to justify sin or hypocrisy or pride but that these are endemic to mankind.  It takes one to know one it is said, and often this is true.  But no matter how wrong we believe others are, we are called as Christians to do what it right in following Christ's example.  He taught His followers to pray for their enemies, and when He prayed all night it suggests He had a lot of them.

God will someday judge all the ungodly of the earth for their words and deeds against Him, and the ones deemed godly are only by the grace and mercy of God by faith in Jesus Christ.  Jude 1:16-21 says, "These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. ¹⁷ But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: ¹⁸ how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. ¹⁹ These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. ²⁰ But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."

The words of Jude hearken back to what Jesus told Peter when he asked about John:  "What is that to you?  You follow me."  Our prayers can focus on all we see that is wrong with people or the world:  "Lord, there are complainers and arrogant boasters!  There are deceivers and greedy looters!"  To such troubled souls God's Word directs us to introspection and sanctification:  "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."  The ungodly actions and words of others work to prompt us to focus on edifying ourselves in faith in Jesus, prayer, to intentionally walk in love, and look for the mercy of our LORD Jesus Christ.  It is we who have a life beyond this world worthy of rejoicing, for we are not our own.  We are God's treasured possession and inheritance, and no one can snatch us out of His hand.

There will be grumblers but I should not join them; there will be complainers yet you should refuse to be numbered among them.  There will be those who walk according to their own lusts who speak with pride and flattery and cause divisions:  let us walk according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the exhortation of scripture.  Beloved brothers and sisters, let us keep ourselves in the love of God--even when the love of others grows cold.  Being beloved of God we are able to freely love others as God loves us.