Jude 1:24-25 ESV
“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, 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.”
In context, Jude was writing to the church, the body of
Christ, and he was cautioning them and warning them against people who were within
the gatherings of the church who were ungodly, but who were most likely putting
on a show of righteousness on the outside. For it says that they had crept into
the gatherings unnoticed, not that the people could not physically see them,
but that the Christians did not realize who these people were in character and
in purpose. And some were the shepherds of the flock.
For, in character and in practice, these people were ungodly
people who were perverting the grace of God into sensuality and were denying
our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ, by their words and by their actions.
For they were teaching most likely what so many are teaching today which is
that we can make a one-time profession of faith in Christ, have all our sins
forgiven, and be on our way to heaven, and that nothing can take that away from
us, and regardless of how we live. But that is not biblical.
So these people are like Cain, whose deeds were unrighteous,
who killed his brother whose deeds were righteous. And they were sexually
immoral, shepherds feeding only themselves, who followed their own sinful
desires. But they were also loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain
advantage. And they were scoffers following their own ungodly passions. And
they were those causing divisions in the gatherings of the church, etc.
So, when it says here that God is able to keep us from
stumbling (or from struggling in sinful addiction) and to present us blameless
(morally pure), this is not speaking of a status of righteousness. For in 1
John 3 we read that those who are righteous in the sight of God are those who
make righteousness their practice, who walk in righteousness and in holiness
and in obedience to our Lord, and not in sin. It is not saying we will never
sin (1 John 2:1-2), but sin should no longer be our habit (deliberately).
And this is why we need to read these two verses in the
context of the whole book of Jude, which is just one chapter, because the
context has to do with those who are not living righteously, and who are living
ungodly lives, and who are living in immorality, etc., and who are under the judgement
of God. And so this is an encouragement to us that, if we are truly in Christ,
that God is able to keep us from deliberately and habitually sinning against
him, but we have to cooperate with him in doing what he says to do.
And what God says we need to do is we need to die with him
to sin, not just once, but daily, and that we need to follow him in obedience
to his commands under the New Covenant, and that we are to live holy and godly
and upright and self-controlled lives in the power of God. In our flesh we can’t
do this. We will fail every time. But in the power of God, if we cooperate with
him, and we do what he says, we can live in victory over sin and Satan and we
can live holy and godly lives to the glory of God.
Video Talk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KycbgAB02yg
Caution: This link may contain ads
Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh,
to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This
is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly
I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus,
Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh,
to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving,
forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping
the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking
the wandering sinner to find.
O
to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy
and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly
enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing
to suffer others to save.
O
to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour
out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make
me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit
me for life and Heaven above.
Oh,
to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd
Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come
in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp
Thine own image deep on my heart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg
Caution:
This link may contain ads
No comments:
Post a Comment