Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
God directed Jude to remind the saints of a very important truth. In spite of the apostates, who were described as brute beasts, and of the warnings from Old Testament men who defied God and were judged by God for it, God is in charge and His children need not be discouraged. There is only one person who is able to keep us from falling. That One Person is presented in the Bible as the Godhead — God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. These three persons make up the Godhead. Christians can be encouraged that if we trust in the true God, we do not need to fall. God is showing us here again, that no Christian can claim that he or she always trusts God completely. Every true Christian must admit that they have sinned and do sin against God. I received a complaint recently from a person who suggested that I believe that I am better than all other people. I have never made such a statement. I certainly do not believe that. I know that I am far from being without sin. When I teach God’s Word, I make it clear that God demands perfection from man. He knows we cannot meet that demand. It is extremely important for God’s people to understand our inability to meet God’s standard. Acknowledging this fact, can help true saints to walk in humility. The Bible reminds us often that God’s people have nothing to boast of. The apostle Paul was directed to write:
Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
The hope of every true Christian is Christ. Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and men. The true saint is justified by faith in Jesus Christ. By God’s grace and His mercy, He does not look at His child alone. He looks at His child through Jesus Christ. When we begin to understand God’s design for salvation, it is humbling and it also helps us to appreciate the great love that God has for us. God has provided THE means for the saints not to fall. God has provided THE means to present the saints faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. Paul wrote about the joy that Jesus Christ had in His sights when He went to the cross. (See Hebrews 12:1-2). It is a blessing to be granted forgiveness of sins through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is without sin, and yet He was willing to take the sins of the world upon Himself, so that all could be saved. Only a few will be saved, but that is due to the many who are too proud to turn to God in repentance and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. God cannot be blamed for the failure of men. In verse 25 we are further reminded of Who we must look to. Notice here that Jude states: “to the only wise God and Saviour”. The Scriptures speak so often of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. The devil has worked hard, and he is still working hard to convince lost people to keep rejecting the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has been very successful in many people’s lives. I am thankful that God opened my eyes to see and believe the truth of Who Jesus Christ is. I am thankful that God was willing to show His mercy toward me and save me and give me eternal life. The true God and Saviour is worthy of glory and majesty. Soon we will meet Him. That will be a great day and also a humbling day for those who are saved. It will be a dreadful day for those who have rejected Him as God and Saviour. Dominion and power also belong to the only wise God our Saviour. Those who are saved need to bow before the true God on a daily basis and praise Him for His goodness to us. In spite of all the attempts of people to destroy God’s blessings to man, the world has functioned amazingly well for about six thousand years now. I am not talking about the lies of the ungodly who want to convince us that driving cars is polluting the earth in a terrible way. I am talking of the bombs that man has developed that are designed to destroy life. The after affects of these bombs have been devastating. And yet, over time, the design of God in this world, has caused the air and the water and the land to recover from the effects of these destructive attempts by man. God is amazing and His dominion and power is beyond question. As we look at the attempts of certain people to put man under their thumb, it is important to remember that the only wise God has dominion and power over all. The apostles understood this. They lived in a time of wicked governments. They obeyed the laws of the land as much as possible. However, they did not allow the laws of the land to stop them from obeying God’s law. We are blessed today because of the obedience of the apostles, to God’s law. We are also reminded here that glory, majesty, dominion and power belong to the only wise God now and ever. Christians in every generation have praised the true God. Christians have exalted His holy name and God has been pleased to use that exaltation to help draw others to Himself. A few people in every generation turn to God in repentance and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. What a wonderful thing that is. Jude was directed to end this epistle with one final word: “Amen”. The Greek word translated here as “Amen” is of Hebrew origin. It means “trustworthy, firm”. Everything Jude has written is trustworthy and firm. The true God and Saviour is trustworthy and firm. Where is your hope and confidence today? Have you trusted in the faith that was once delivered unto the saints. If you have, are you contending for that faith today? Many in our world are not trusting in that faith today. Those that are saved need to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we have been called. Let us choose to exalt the only wise God and Saviour today and every day. Pastor Bartel
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