²⁴ To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy— ²⁵ to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
(Jude 24-25 NIV)

As we wrap up our time in the book of Jude, let’s do a quick review.

Jude identifies himself, offers an introductory blessing, then quickly gets to the point of the letter – to identify and deal with false teachers that have crept into the local churches.  Jude then describes some identifying traits of these false teachers, as well as the judgment that God has historically brought down upon those who know the truth but defiantly disobey Him.

Jude then turns his attention back to his audience – those who still follow the Lord.  Jude reminds them that the arrival of these false teachers should not catch them off guard – they had been warned by the apostles, especially Peter.  Jude then reminds them (and us) of our responsibility to keep grounded in God’s Word, to pray, and to keep an eternal perspective – the opposite of what the false teachers were promoting.

In addition, Jude reminds us that we have a responsibility beyond keeping ourselves connected to the Lord. We are also to reach out to those who are confused by, convinced of, or committed to these false teachers, their sinful beliefs, and evil practices.

Today, Jude ends as he began – with a positive note and a blessing to his readers.  Verses 24 – 25 are a doxology to the Lord and a great reminder of God’s faithfulness to his brothers and sisters in Christ (which also includes us!).

Jude begins by reminding his audience that God is able to provide for and protect them during their perilous times.  This was not an idle boast, but a living reality.  Being “able” means to have the power to make something happen.

And what does God have the power to do for us?

• to keep you from stumbling
  We all need someone to “keep” us, don’t we?  The Lord describes us as sheep, with no defenses to sustain us against the spiritual attacks that come against us.  The “stumbling” is when we give up or give in to those attacks, and the enemy of our souls wins the battle.
  Jude tells us that God has the power to guard us and protect us – the question is whether we will willingly submit to His plan and put ourselves under God’s protection, or will we tell God that we want to do life on our own.
• to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy
  Jude reminds us again that God has an eternal perspective on our lives – we are not all about the “here and now”.  God continues to refine us as we submit ourselves to Him in order to present us before Himself redeemed (our sins paid for by His Son, Jesus – our account with God wiped clean!).
  Jude reminds us that God does not perform this redemptive and sanctifying work out of duty or obligation.  Instead, God does this so He can present us with great joy!
  Do you long to hear God say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant”?  I know I look forward to that day.

Jude ends his letter with praise to the Lord, reminding us that only God is able to save us, and He alone is worthy of all glory, majesty, power, and authority.

And who holds all this glory, majesty, power, and authority?  Jesus Christ our Lord.

And how long is Jesus’ glory, majesty, power, and authority in effect?

• before all ages (before time began – eternity past)
• now
• forevermore (after time ends – eternity future)

Looks like God has the entire span of time, from eternity past, to now, to eternity future covered.  There has never been, and never will be a time when God is not sovereign or in control.

May we be reminded of God’s protection and provision, and of our need to humbly put ourselves under His care.

May we have God’s wisdom to identify truth from error, and false teachers from those who teach God’s truth.

May we remember that God cares for us, not out of obligation, but out of joy.  He bursts with delight and loves spending time with us.

May we sense God’s His presence and pleasure with us as we go about our day.

Blessings,
~kevin