Key Verses: Jude 1:17-22, "17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22 Be merciful to those who doubt"
Have you ever heard the phrase, "Like a fish trying to swim upstream?"
A fish downstream has it easy. A fish's body is designed to make minimal resistance in the water. The current propels it forward. With just the lightest bit of work, it can basically cruise the stream without a care in the world, gliding on the force of the water.
But a fish swimming upstream has it pretty bad. It has to fight twice as hard to get anywhere. The current is working against it, resisting its every move. Everything is working against it. And you can only imagine how it feels when one of its neighbors goes zipping by, headed downstream, just going with the flow...
Read Jude 1:17-22. Jude was written by Jesus and James' half brother. The book of Jude is all about swimming upstream. It is a letter written to Christians who found themselves going against a hostile world. The passage you just read speaks to this fact. Jude said that there will be people who doubt you and make fun of you. (This is what the "scoffers" means). Not only did James say that Christians are to stay strong in the face of the scoffers, he said we are to show mercy to those who question our way of life.
As a follower of Christ in this world, you are a fish swimming upstream. You are fighting the current of a world that will only hate and make fun of you. But Jude said that you couldn't retaliate, you couldn't ignore them. He said you have to be merciful to those who have questions and bring the message of Jesus to those who have not heard it.
This is easier said than done. But as a follower of Christ, you don't have a choice. It comes with the territory. See, God's plan since the beginning of time was for you to lead people to Him. By showing understanding and mercy mixed with the truth of God's Word, you show people the way to life in God.
Swimming upstream might be hard. But it's worth the fight.
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