Mercy Today

"But you, dear friends of mine, build yourselves up on the foundation of your most holy faith and by praying through the Holy Spirit keep yourselves within the love of God. Wait patiently for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which will bring you to the life eternal." Jude 1:20,21

One Greek note here. When you take into full account the full potential meaning of the word for "wait patiently" here, both in the common and classical Greek contexts, that last sentence could more robustly read:

"Receiving favorably the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which will bring you to eternal life" (ie. kind of a picture of our spirits being arms-wide-open for more of His mercy.)
"Admitting to citizenship the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which will bring you to eternal life" (ie. allowing His mercy to come live in us and take full residence in our hearts.)
"Undertaking the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which will bring you to eternal life" (ie. committing to the full-spectrum experience of what this mercy would like to do in us and through us.)
"Guaranteeing the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which will bring you to eternal life" (ie. having our lives stand as guarantor of how good the promises of this mercy are.)
"Expecting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which will bring you to eternal life" (ie. eyes watching the horizon, always ready for a fuller personal experience of His arrival and His mercy.)

In other words, if you and I read the second half of verse 21 as only the eventual promise of Heaven, we are selling the wonders of His mercy far short. There is so much more for us to learn of, and experience, now, today!