Truth with Compassion, Mercy with Humility

"But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting expectantly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. Have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy with fear..."
— Jude 1:20–23

We live in a world filled with voices. Everywhere we turn, we're being told what is true, what is right, what is wrong, and how we should live. Jude reminds us that this isn't a new problem.

1. Truth in a World of Competing Voices

Jude's letter begins with a warning about people who have slipped into the church and are distorting the truth of God, taking God's grace and using it as an excuse to live however they wanted.

So Jude tells believers to be discerning. We need to be careful about what we believe and what we allow to shape our understanding of God:

• Not everything that sounds spiritual is true.
• Not every teaching that uses the name of Jesus reflects the heart and truth of Jesus.

And so we have to know God's Word. We have to stay close to Christ, pray for wisdom, and be willing to stand firm when the world—or even people within the church—tell us that God's truth needs to change.

2. Truth and Compassion Together

But I think Jude gives us a warning about something else, too. It's possible to become so focused on defending truth that we forget the people we're supposed to reach with it. It's possible to be right about something and still be wrong in the way we treat someone.

That's why I love the way Jude finishes his warning. He doesn't simply say, "Watch out for false teaching." He says:

• "Have mercy on those who doubt."
• "Save others by snatching them from the fire."
• "To others show mercy..."

Jude holds two things together that we sometimes separate: Truth and Compassion.

3. A Christ-Like Approach to Reaching People

I think this gives us a simple, Christ-like approach to reaching people—even people who may be far from God or struggling with what they believe:

• Discernment: We pay attention. We don't blindly accept every teaching that comes our way.
• Truth: We remain grounded in what God has revealed. We don't redefine God's truth simply because it's difficult or unpopular.
• Mercy: We remember that people are more than the mistakes they make or the beliefs they hold. Some are doubting, confused, hurting, or caught in sin. And Jude says: Have mercy.
• Rescue: If we truly believe that sin has consequences, our response shouldn't be to stand at a distance and condemn people. It should be to reach toward them, love them, pray for them, and point them toward Jesus. The goal isn't simply to prove someone wrong; the goal is to help them find the One who can save them.
• Humility: We should never become so confident in our own spirituality that we forget our own need for mercy.

4. Standing in Truth, Waiting for Mercy

Jude tells us: "Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting expectantly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life."

Notice where Jude brings us. After all the warnings, discussions about false teaching, and encouragement to stand firm, he brings us back to mercy. We stand in the truth, but we wait for mercy.

Ultimately, none of us is saved because we were smart enough to figure everything out. None of us is saved because we were good enough or because we perfectly defended God's truth. We are saved because Jesus had mercy on us.

5. Coming to the Table

And that's why we come to this table. Communion reminds us that we are not standing here as people who have earned God's favor. We are here because Jesus came near to us.

Jesus never compromised the truth, and He never called sin something it wasn't. But He also never allowed truth to become an excuse for withholding compassion. He showed mercy, welcomed people, touched broken lives, called sinners to repentance, and then gave His life to make our forgiveness possible. That's what we remember in the bread and the cup: His body, His blood, His sacrifice, and His mercy.

So as we take communion today, we remember Jude's simple pattern:

• Discernment: Be careful what you believe.
• Truth: Stand firmly on what God has said.
• Mercy: Treat people with compassion.
• Rescue: Point people toward Jesus.
• Humility: Remember that you, too, live by God's mercy.

We stand firmly in truth. We live with compassion. We reach toward those who are struggling. And we wait—not in fear, but in hope—for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because the same Jesus who calls us to stand firm is the Jesus who stretched out His hands for us.

6. Closing Prayer