Called By Love


I just began to read the book of Jude, not looking for anything in particular, just because I wanted to read it.  The first words in it grabbed my attention. It reads, “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.

To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: Mercy and peace be yours in abundance.”
It’s just the greeting. Maybe it’s the New Testament version of “To whom it may concern.” But read it again. “To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ.”

I was reading Jude, just to read it. I love the last two verses, the doxology, so much and for whatever reason, was drawn just now to read the whole book, which I will do in just a few minutes, after I think about these words above that stopped me. “To those who have been called.” That’s me! My guess is if you are reading this, that’s you!

We have been called by God the Father and are kept by Jesus Christ and if that isn’t fantastic enough, back up to, “who are loved by God the Father.” Called and loved by God!
Some days I take it all for granted. I belong to God. Of course, I do, right? Wrong! God is not pushy. Revelation 3:20 says, “Here I am I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come in and eat with him and he with me.” He will knock and unless we open the door to Him, He will stand outside! God, the one true God, I AM, will knock and wait! God the Father called (knocked) but beyond that, gave me (and I again, I suppose you) the wisdom and humility to answer. The scary thing is I could have said no thanks.

We hear the Gospel referred to as Good News. The word gospel, we are told, means, good news. What could be better news than to know that Jude’s letter, written to “those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father” means us?
There are various greetings, written to various people groups in all the epistles but the fact is, every word from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 was written for us and to us. In those pages is everything we need to know, in those pages is the person of Jesus Christ, by whom we are kept.

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