‘Mercy to you and peace and love be multiplied.'
The threefold description of their state (called, beloved and kept) is followed by a threefold prayer for mercy, peace and love to be multiplied to them. This idea of the multiplication of God's blessings is found also in 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:2.
‘Mercy.' Jude stresses the mercy of God. Here God's mercy is seen as ‘multiplied' towards us. God does not just give, He multiplies His giving. It is only because of His continuing mercy that we can continually be forgiven and can walk with Him. And this mercy reaches out into the future for we are told in Jude 1:21 to ‘look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life'. And in Jude 1:22-23 he will stress that in return God's people must continually show mercy towards those who are going astray, by seeking to win them back from the position into which they are falling. But the mercy being described here in Jude 1:2 is a present continuing mercy, and it is from God.
Mercy is the continual need of the people of God, for we are an awkward and rebellious people, and are ourselves often so unmerciful. But the Scriptures tell us that we have received mercy (Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3), and continually receive it as it multiplied towards us, and so we must show mercy (Jude 1:22-23), for it is the merciful who will finally enjoy mercy (Jude 1:21; Matthew 5:7).
‘Peace.' Peace is ever central to the Christian message. Having obtained peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by being accounted righteous by faith (Romans 5:1), we can continually experience His peace, ‘peace from God', in our hearts, the peace which passes all understanding, which guards our hearts and thoughts sin Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). And thus we can be at peace one with another (Ephesians 2:14-18).
‘Love.' Mercy and peace result from God's abundant and multiplied love, and are to produce love within us. So Jude emphasises His love for us. And that is why we are to keep ourselves in the love of God and thus we shall enjoy the full experience of His mercy (Jude 1:21).