Something I seldom do and that is switch to another translation of the Bible. This morning I will be using the English Standard Version rather than the New King James Version for our text of Jude 24-25 because of the differences between the different versions based on different Greek manuscripts. Though they all basically say the same things in these two verses, I will be using the ESV because I believe it more clearly states (especially verse 25) the intent of Jude.
Steve Scheibner is an American Airlines pilot. On the American Airlines aircrew scheduling website, he scheduled himself to pilot an American Airlines Boeing 767, from Boston to Los Angeles - AA Flight 11. The afternoon before the flight, a more senior pilot and completely within his rights, bumped Scheibner from the flight. Senior pilots get to take the flights they want. Instead of working, Steve stayed at home.
The date of that scheduled flight was September 11, 2001 and Steve was safe at home when terrorists hijacked AA flight 11 and crashed it into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. It was late in the day on September 11, while checking the American Airlines aircrew scheduling website that he realized that the jet that crashed was his flight, and that another pilot was in the seat that was originally reserved for him. His testimony is that for the second time in his life, someone died in his place. The first time, it was Jesus, who died for his sins. The second time another pilot took his place, giving him an opportunity for life. “Now I must live my life as if I am on borrowed time, because I am.” Since that fateful day Steve Scheibner says: He has committed his life to making a difference.[1]
Many Christians, myself included, often forget how we were saved from certain death. We forget how much we deserved certain death, eternal death, yet we were snatched from eternal fires of hell, because Jesus took that penalty of death on Himself, Today’s passage in Jude deals with just that. Jude had warned the church that evil men had crept into the fellowship, bent on destroying the church, spreading heresies and other false teaching. Jude’s oringinal intent on writing was to talk about their common salvation:
Jude 3 (NKJV) Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
Turning to these last two verse of this little letter, Jude does talk about their common salvation by giving a doxology – which is a praise to God.
Jude’s doxology is a fitting conclusion to his letter/sermon. He has warned the church of a serious and threatening outbreak of false teaching. He has called believers not simply to “batten down the hatches” and ride out the storm, but to reach out redemptively to those who are falling away. Believers can do that because their position with the Lord is secure: He has the power to preserve them intact until the Day of Judgment.[2]
These two verses are broken down into two parts: The first part, verse 24 and the first few words of 25, tell us who gets the glory in the second part, the end of verse 25. We understand that God gets all the Glory, but in context of this letter, we need to comprehend a partial reason why. God gets all the glory anyway, just because He is God. But from a more personal view, let’s examine these verses
Jude 24 (English Standard Version) Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,
Who is the “Him” here? None other than Jesus. Jesus is able. “Able” here is the Greek word dynmeno, meaning the power to act. Jesus, being the God, is all powerful. He has to power to do all He wills to do. Let's look at a few examples:
Jesus is able to save:
Hebrews 7:25 (NKJV) Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Jesus is able aid in our temptations:
Hebrews 2:18 (NKJV) For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
Jesus able to keep us in perfect peace:
Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV) You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
Jesus is able to keep us to that Day – that Day of His coming:
2 Timothy 1:12 (NKJV) For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
Jesus is able to do more that we can ever ask:
Ephesians 3:20 (NKJV) Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
And Jesus is able "to keep you from stumbling"
The NIV says “Falling.” In the context of this letter, Jude is warning about those who have fallen from the faith, apostates, who are speaking heresies and seeking to draw in with them others. Those that are in Christ, those that are truly saved, though they may be drawn to false teachings, Jesus is quite able to keep them from falling. All of you are truly saved, will not fall, to become an apostate like them.
But this is the world we live in. All around us are false teachers. Jesus said:
Matthew 24:24 (NKJV) For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
The elect, those that are in the hands of Jesus, Jesus says no one can ever take them from His hand (John 10:28). The elect will not be fooled. How does that work? First, we must be assured we are in the faith, We must insure we are safe in the hands of Jesus.
2 Corinthians 13:5 (NKJV) Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
Making sure our call. To examine ourselves.
2 Peter 1:10 (NKJV) Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
If We confirm our faith, we will not be drawn away. Back a few verses Jude tells us:
Jude 21 (NKJV) keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
The Holy Spirit enables and empowers us to remain in the Love of God. If we are not remaining in the Love of God, we need to examine our lives. A person who calls themselves a Christian, whose life looks like the rest of the world, should be concerned.
God does not promise that true believers will never sin. He promises that he will preserve us from committing apostasy, from abandoning the faith once and for all.[3]
And here is where I am overwhelmed. I am not perfect. I am saved, yet I struggle with sin. With this in mind, Jude further says:
"is able …. and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory"
This is looking to the Day when I meet Jesus face to face. To come into His very presence of the glory of God, and be presented to Him blameless.
The KJV says faultless. The Greek word used here is the word used to denote a sacrifice that is perfect, without spot or blemish.
1 Corinthians 1:8 (NKJV) who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus, for what He did for me and for you on the cross, who has won the victory over sin and death, so that he can and He is able make me without spot or blemish when I appear before God, having forgiven all my sins, past, present and future. No wonder, Jude added,
"with great joy"
When we realize, the holiness of God, how high holy and perfect is God, then to see our inperfect sinful condition, only to be presented to Him blameless, through nothing we did or could ever do, we will be overcome with great joy.
Jesus did it all, All to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, He made it white as snow. (sounds like a hymn!)
Remember in the first part of this doxology, Jude is tells us who gets the glory. And it all starts with God the Father
Jude 25 (English Standard Version) to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
The only God, is a standard Jewish phrase considering they live in a polytheistic world, where there are many false gods that are worshipped.
We too live in a polytheistic world. The gods this world that are worshipped are not heavenly deities like the ancient world, but gods never-the-less.
As Christians we often have these gods, coming between us and the one true God. We fall into the false teachings of worshipping these false gods, the false gods of wealth, power, pleasure, sex, and drugs, and the list goes on. We fall for these things.
But what does the First Commandment say? “You will have no other gods before Me.” Our eyes should only be on Him.
But when we look to God, the only God, as savior, that’s a little odd because we we think of Jesus as savior and He is, but God is the author of our salvation. Look at the old favorite memory verse:
John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
God gave us Jesus:
"through Jesus Christ our Lord"
Everything God has given us is through Jesus. Our only way to God is through Jesus. Jesus said, no one comes to the Father but through Him. And because of what all has been done by God, has been done through Jesus Christ, what was done for us, to us and through us has been done by Jesus. Now we can see that all glory belongs to Him.
"be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority"
glory – Greek doxa, from which we get doxology. The word “Glory” itself is an elusive term, in reference God, it refers to his radiant splendor, the quality of God that makes Him impressive.
Majesty, in the Greek means something of greatness and prominence in the highest order. None is greater.
The remaining two attributes, dominion (kratos) and authority (exousia), are almost synonymous, except that while dominion denotes that absolute power of God which ensures Him ultimate victory, authority suggests the sovereign freedom of action He enjoys as Creator.[4]
Dominion means God is absolutely sovereign over all. Authority means He has procession of all power to rule over all.
All these belong to God. Not just now, but in the past, present and future.
"before all time and now and forever."
Time itself is a creation of God, God always had, before time itself, all the glory, majesty, dominion, and authority
God possess now in the present, all the glory, majesty, dominion, and authority.
And God will always, forever, possess all the glory, majesty, dominion, and authority.
And we need to remember the phrase: "through Jesus Christ our Lord"
All of these things are in and through and for Jesus. And the final word in this letter:
"Amen"
That word is more than just a sign off to prayer. In its truest meaning it means Truly. May it always be.
In Rev 3:15, Jesus calls Himself the Amen.
We have the victory in Jesus. I may lose some of the battles, but the war has been won. I really do have Victory in Jesus.
There are those in the world who are bent on destroying the Church, but He is able to keep me from falling away, from stumbling.
Despite my faults, I will be presented faultless before Him in that Day, the day of Jesus Return, the Day Imeet Jesus face to face.
What joy that will be!
The Question this morning is: Do you know the one that will make you spotless and without blemish. Have you examined yourself to see if you are truly in the faith? Have you embraced the One who took your penalty of death? Do you have Victory in Jesus?
[1] http://www.freshministry.net/illustrations/data/SALVATION.htm#END
[2] Douglas J. Moo, 2 Peter, Jude, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 301–302.
[3] Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude, vol. 37, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003), 491.
[4] J. N. D. Kelly, The Epistles of Peter and of Jude, Black’s New Testament Commentary (London: Continuum, 1969), 293.
