May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you
Jude 1:2
Mercy is multiplied to all Christians in that we live by the gospel, constantly seeking forgiveness for our innate sinfulness and yet always finding it in Christ even before we knew we would be seeking it over again. This is living the gospel and remaining at the foot of the cross such that we do no good of ourselves but the mercy of God is evident through Christ who purifies and sanctifies wicked wretches as we.
Peace is multiplied to all Christians, understanding that living at the foot of the cross we continually and without reservation get that one thing we cannot attain for ourselves of our own efforts: mercy. So peace is multiplied to the Christian in that Christ has actually accomplished salvation for those who are indeed cleansed by His blood. Nothing more is needed, nor will nothing else be accepted. Love is multiplied in the realization that though eternally sufficient in and of himself, God chose to create, and though sinful in our desires God loved to save some, giving His son, indeed giving Himself for the purification of a people who would look to Him and say “Abba, Father.” Love is multiplied to the Christian in the realization that all of creation was completely unnecessary. God would have been who He is, and would have been missing no praise, adoration, glory, etc. if He had chosen not to create and by proxy to save through the giving of Himself for the benefit of His creation.
This all translates to the real world as we live each day at the foot of the cross, preaching the gospel to ourselves, knowing that Christ died once for all sins of those whom he has made salvation effectual. That salvation is efficacious far beyond our actions and so, if by measure of scriptures like 1 John we are truly in Christ, we live in the peace that has been multiplied to us through the reality of the effects of that same mercy. And through the mercy extended to we Christians, in which we peacefully abide, we are the objects of God’s affections not because of merit but because God has chosen all of this before creation, for His glory, none of which he would have been lacking if He chose not to create and save. And so in the end God loves because He chose to. His choice was based on nothing but himself and so was the ultimate display of love, from which all else flows.
3 comments:
What a great point that is that God chose. He didn't need anything or anyone outside of the trinity, but He chose to create, He chose to love, He chose to show us mercy made possible only by His sacrificial death, He chose to make peace possible. He chose. Incredible! Thanks for that Sandy!
One thing that jumped out at me about this verse too is that it doesn't just say....
May mercy, peace, and love be yours. It says may they be MULTIPLIED! Abundant! More than we could ask or imagine! Love that.
Very good points. Thanks, Sandy!
Our school chapel recently left me with an image (which is posted on my personal blog) of our "garbage" the remains of sin left at the foot of the cross. How awesome is it to know we are free to leave it there and that we can receive mercy we do not deserve.
Multiplied. I like that.
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