Of Some Have Compassion...

     It's been a little bit since I last posted, but we'll pretty much just pick up where we left off last time.
     We're in the middle of studying Jude 20-25. Like I said in the previous post, this is one of my favorite passages regarding evangelism. In this post, we'll be taking a look at verse 22.
     22 And of some have compassion, making a difference.
At this point, we will be discussing one of the most critical truths in regard to evangelism: compassion. I say it is critical because you cannot do without it and be effective in witnessing. If your motive isn't love for God and compassion for the lost, you're doing it wrong. Why? Because we are to emulate our Lord in everything we do (Eph. 5:1-2). Notice that God didn't send His Son to earth because of theology. Christ didn't go to the cross because He was forced to. He came for the sake of His love toward us and His pity toward our condition (Rom. 5:6-8). Looking at God's love doesn't serve to downplay or deemphasize His holiness and wrath against sin. However, love and compassion are integral parts of God's nature that cannot be ignored.
     So why do we as witnesses show compassion? We touched on the first one briefly. It is simply this: we have and show compassion towards others in imitation of Christ. Several times throughout the gospel accounts, the Bible specifically highlights Christ's compassion toward those with whom He was dealing. A few of these are Mark 1:40, Matt. 9:35-36, and Luke 7:13. We are to show compassion simply because Christ did.
     The second reason we are to show compassion is closely tied to the first. Compassion is to play a major role in our lives once we recognize how Christ viewed the lost. This is seeing people through the eyes of God. In the previous point, we see that Christ had compassion. Now, we go a little deeper and see why Christ had compassion. In Matt. 9, Christ had compassion because the people were scattered and without a shepherd. Is. 53 says that we all like sheep have gone astray. Heb. 2:14-15 says that we were under the power of death. When Christ sees someone who is lost, His wrath is stoked by their sin, but His love is activated by their pitiful condition. This is the way we are to view the unsaved: as lost. This love of Christ is one of the major factors that is to drive our witness (2 Cor. 5:14-15).
     Lastly, we are to have compassion for the lost because we know the whole story. God, in His foreknowledge, has revealed to us the destiny of unbelievers. If they do not accept the gift of eternal life through Christ alone, God will not spare them. Once they die, the time for mercy is over. They have rejected the Son of God who gave Himself as their sacrifice. They have rejected the God who sent His one and only Son. God will call into account every thought, word, and action, and they will pay for every one. Read the account of Christ on the cross. Look at His agony in Gethsemane, His cry of "Why have You forsaken me?" That wasn't because of the nails. That wasn't because of the crown of thorns. It was because of our sin. God placed all our sin, past and present, and poured out every drop of His wrath against Christ. Every curse ever put on sinful man's head was heaped on Christ. And here is where the lost come in. If they reject Christ's sacrifice, they will suffer God's wrath for their own sin because they have not come under the blood of the Lamb. They will spend an eternity in Hell receiving the same justice that was placed on Christ. This is the plight and destiny of the lost. Even a casual perusal of the doctrine of Hell should be more than enough to make our hearts ache for those who do not know Christ. And this compassion should drive us to tell them.
     As a final thought, the last phrase in verse 22 of Jude is "making a difference." Compassion makes a difference. People can disagree with every word you say, but if you demonstrate genuine compassion, they will most likely walk away with a respect for you that God can use to reach them later down the road. Also, if we honestly witness to someone with compassion as our motivation, that is a heart whose service God can bless.