Polluted Garments vs. Mercy and Fear

Jude 22-23

This passage weighs heavy on my heart with the current events going on in our country. Everywhere we turn, we see people demanding that their sin be recognized as acceptable, normal, and harmless. They call those of us who recognize the sin for what it is bigots and homophobes. So what does the Bible say of these matters when it comes to cloth? It amazes me that even here, God has something to say!

“And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.”

Mercy and fear. What a combination.

Mercy – like God had on Adam and Eve. They sinned and God knew it. He called out to them in their sin to come to Him, but they hid instead and blamed others for their misdeeds.

Fear – Concern for the judgement of God that was going to come because of the bold actions against God without repentance, like with Eli and his sons...he warned them, but could not control them, and God fried them. He warned them out of mercy...they were his beloved sons...but he feared God and knew that nothing would save them if they did not get right with God.

So we are called to be merciful. I see the people around me caught in the web of deception that this particular sin is ok, and I weep. Many are tender-hearted, wounded, and trapped. They were not looking for this, but it found them and warped their thinking. They doubt themselves...if another guy or gal is attracted to me, am I gay? Is there something wrong with me? Would anyone of the opposite sex ever love me? And they doubt God. Did God really say men and women were supposed to marry and only them? If God loves everybody, then shouldn't He love me if I am this way? If He didn't hit me with a lightning bolt, then He must not care what I do, right? Nothing bad happened.

The flames are lapping at their shirttails. We are called to grab them out of the fire. They are hurting themselves and don't see the danger...but we see the spark starting to create the flame of God's judgement and grab them, throw them to the ground and stamp out the flames before they are consumed. That is compassion. That is caring. If we were to stand there and watch them burn when the fire could have been controlled, we would be called heartless and cruel. But when we try to do it on the spiritual realm, we are seen to be that way, heartless and cruel. Au contrar!

The polluted garments...covered with who-knows-what...they are probably festive and colorful and attractive...and though a little charred on the edges, might seem redeemable. A good wash would clean them up, right? But like Achan, we are told to leave them alone. We aren't to desire what these people deemed proper clothing. They were clothed in sin, and we are to be clothed in righteousness. They clothed themselves in fleshly lusts, and we are to deny those lusts and keep ourselves holy and pure. What may look appealing to the eye, harmless and desireable, an be deceitfully lethal.

Those garments are covered in germs and viruses, diseases that are contagious and harmful. Sin doesn't just lie dormant, it multiplies, contaminating everything it touches. We are told that they are a pollution, something that destroys by being breathed in, by exposure over long or short periods of time depending on the concentration. It is like smog or poisoned water...it may kill you quickly or the effects may take their toll over years, but disease, cancer, and death are the results of not removing yourself from the polluting forces, or cleaning the pollution up and removing it from your environment. With the current generation concentrating on cleaning up the external world, they should understand that one needs to clean up their internal world as well.

We are to HATE the garments, the things that are carrying the disease from one person to another. We are to fear the spread, to have compassion and mercy on those who have been exposed and are infected with the disease of sin. To those who knowingly spread the disease, there is a terrifying expectation of judgment (Hebrews 10:26-31). There is fear even for them. I take no delight in envisioning them perishing for all eternity. It is mercy and fear that leads me to warn even them of the consequences of sinning and leading others astray. (Matt 11:20-24) Mercy and fear...the clothing of the righteous in a sin-cursed world.