Revelation 21:19-20 
The foundations of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone:
the first foundation jasper,
the second sapphire,
the third chalcedony,
the fourth emerald,
20 the fifth sardonyx,
the sixth carnelian,
the seventh chrysolite,
the eighth beryl,
the ninth topaz,
the tenth chrysoprase,
the eleventh jacinth,
the twelfth amethyst.
(HCSB)

As we read this list of precious and beautiful jewels in the book of Revelation we may be impressed and interested about the stones which make up the city of heaven but we may miss the sweetness of what is being said here. If you read the 28th chapter of Exodus you will see that these same stones where the stones to be placed on the breast plate of the High Priest of Israel.

Jude is a most interesting letter for our time. It is written to Christians who are surrounded by people trying to destroy them with lies about God. So what did they and what do we need to know in a world that is full of deception and lies and false teaching about God and all things? What is our hope to not be deceived and led astray? Why do I know that I will make it to the end? Because Jesus already ran the race and finished it for you and sat in heaven where you sit. We are called by God, loved by God, and kept by the accomplishments of the Son, stand on this!What is our protection and confidence? Look at what the first part of our passage tells us, we are people who have been called. You see our Christian life is not a volunteer organization full of people who willed their way into it; no we have been called, we have been willed into it by the will of God. “Why is this comforting?” you may ask. Simply this, my friends, the reason why you will not be deceived and lost in this world of deceit and lies is because God in His power called you and you did not call yourself. How wonderful is it that every day as you struggle with your unbelief and as you see how many people promote lies in the name of Jesus you can say, “I have been called!” And since He called me and began this wonderful life with Christ, I will remain here forever in the midst of all the lies. He called me by name!

If we were to get underneath all the things that people are doing, if we were to peel back all of the layers of motivation we would get to one thing, and that is that people are seeking to know love. You see we were made to be loved. He died for you so that He could enjoy and be with you! The cross of Christ is the only place where we can see true love because that is where our perfect lover shows and gives Himself to us. Yes, I know we often hear that we were made to love in a cheap and shallow way, and this is true but it does not set aside the greater reality that we were ultimately made to be loved. To desire to be loved is to be human. But where can we find this love that we crave and strive for so desperately? John tells us that we have come to know love primarily in death. You may be thinking I will come to know love when I become a better person who receives love and approval on the basis of what I am doing and becoming. No! You have come to know love not by being better and getting the stamp of approval on your betterness, you have come to know love in Jesus dying on a cross for your best!

What is most interesting about our passage and about life in general is that our habits and behaviors are truly about relations. Part of what it means to be made in the image of God is that relationships are what is most central and defining of our existence. We see here that the way God changes us is firstly by changing our relationship to the law. Our passage says that we were put to death in relation to the law through the crucified body of the Messiah. Meaning that in order for our lives to change our relationship to the law has to end. What? How could this be? In order for me to enjoy God and be changed by His love I have to have no relationship with the law which tells me to do good? Yes!

If you could summarize Jesus ministry to sinners in a sentence what would you say? Would you say something like what we have in our passage? Who is Jesus? Well according to our passage He is someone who does not throw away broken pieces of grass and doesn’t put out smoky candles. That is to say he is someone who does not cast aside and despise us in our brokenness. Have you ever seen yourself that way, Christian?