Jude 1:24-25

Speaking from, reading from the book of Jude, verses 24 and 25 tonight for our text and study. 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 to the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. God blessed to us is sacred and holy word this evening. There were some tourists that were visiting a West Virginia coal mine, and they were preparing to go down in the mine with a guide. And one of the ladies was wearing a very dainty, pure white dress, and the other, people in the party said, you’re surely not going to go down to that mine with that white dress on, are you? Well, she asked the coal miner who was going to lead the excursion if it was all right for her to wear her white dress down into the coal mine. And the coal miner said there’s nothing to keep you from wearing your white dress down into the coal mine, but there’s a considerable amount for you to come back out with the west, the dress still white. The Bible portrays this vile world as a dirty place. So it’s our duty to keep ourselves unspotted from the world. And yet it has to be admitted that this task is sort of similar to the lady going down to the coal mine with the dainty white dress on. It’s impossible not to get smudged. In some fashion, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, as 1.J.1.8 indicates. But what a wonderful thing to know that Jesus Christ preserves his people? And one day, we will be presented faultless before the throne. of God, robed in the perfect, pure, white righteousness of Jesus Christ. I want to talk about preservation and praise from these two verses tonight. Preservation in verse 24 and praise from verse 25. So you owe your preservation to God’s power. 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. Now your preservation in your present state is stated this way. He is able to keep you from falling. Now, we see our weakness here as we look at this text of scripture, we’re liable to fall. We’re liable here to fall into various sins, doctrinal air, and even to be carried away from some basic gospel truths, which we see the Galatians were at one point. Indeed, were it not for the fact that we are preserved in Christ Jesus, as verse one indicates to us, you might finally and totally fall away. You may cast aside your face. You may perish if it were not for the fact that you are preserved by God. Adam, you remember, was in the perfect environment of paradise, and he fell. Nor could the angels who served in the very presence of God keep themselves, but verse 6 tells us, and we studied this previously, they did not keep their original state. They kept not their first estate, left their own abatation, fell in the sin. Now, if this is the case with Adam and the angels who at one point were in a perfectly holy state, what must it be for you and I as sinful people in an evil world to be kept from sin and falling? We certainly can’t do so. And so the power of God is absolutely necessary to preserve us. At one point, you recall Mr. Christian, as he’s traveling to the celestial city of heaven, he has to pass through the valley of the shadow of death. And the path was exceedingly narrow, and it seemed to get more narrow as he went along. He had to be very careful by every step he took. On the right, there was a very deep, ditch into which many had fallen in all ages and perish miserably. He said, on the left, there was a marsh so dangerous that even if a good man fell into it, he had to be sucked down, and that would be the last we would see of him. There was no bottom to it. If that wasn’t bad enough, it was all so dark as he went through that place. And while he tried to avoid the marsh, He almost fell headlong into the ditch. So he said it was like, you know, it was sort of like walking a tightrope. Every step had to be carefully made. He never knew whether his next step might not be his last. Also, if that wasn’t bad enough, there were evil apparitions that brushed up against him with such force that he feared that they would push him one way or the other. And he would drop into the depths of hell and be lost forever. Mr. Christian was about to give up. He realized it was impossible for him to survive this terrible ordeal. He would surely perish. However he resolved to go on, and he shouted into the darkness, I will walk in the strength of the Lord. And, of course, that sustained him. And this is the key, really, to us being preserved. We have to walk in the strength of the Lord. He held one up. holds us and keeps us from falling. So you have your weakness here. You’re capable of falling. But Christ here is your keeper. Now, unto him that is able to keep you. It is Christ’s work as the mediator and representative of his people to preserve them. They have been given to him by God the Father. His duty is to keep them safe. the elect we’re given to Christ from all eternity, and he’s going to bring many sons the glory, according to Hebrews 2.10. He’s able to do it, for he is the mighty God. He is the creator and abholder of all things, and none of his elect people shall perish. The great shepherd never loses one sheep. Oh, sometimes he has to retrieve us out of the mouth of lions and bears and wolves, whether there be false teachers or dangerous situations or whatever comes our way. But he tells us in John 10, verses 27 and 28, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. A piece of my hand. may be sifted by Satan. And he may end up denying even knowing the Lord, but Jesus Christ prays for him. His preservation, his recovery, his repentance, his restoration to service, and of course he is restored. He is preserved. David may fall into the sin of adultery, but of course Christ sends a rebuke and brings him to restort. repentance and restores him. A Barnabas may be carried away with doctrinal error and separate from the Gentiles, but Jesus Christ sends a rebuke by the Apostle Paul. Can corrects the man. And on and on we could go. We see your preservation in your present state. Christ is going to preserve his people. Now, secondly, we see your preservation in your future. future state because he says here that Christ is going to present us faultless before the presence of his glory. You will be presented in a faultless state. The presence of his glory probably has to do with his final revealing and when he comes in the eternal state and so forth that we find spoken of in scripture. When Christ, who is our life shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory. Colossians 3.4. It is true that when you die, you as a believer, go immediately into the presence of the Lord. But this seems to indicate some type of an official presentation, which includes the resurrection and glorification of your body. And then the whole church, in a sense, is presented at that point, at the end of time. So when the son of man shall come in glory the sheep, his elect shall set on his right hand and he shall say to them at that point, come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Matthew 25 tells us that. Versus 31 to 34 gives us the information. we need. So this presentation will be to Christ himself. As Ephesians 527 says, that he may present to himself a glorious church. He laid down his life for the church. He loved it, laid down his life, that he may present to himself this glorious church at the end without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Perfectly glorified. Now what is wonderful here is this condition. that you will be presented as one of God’s people in a faultless state. Faultless. Even though you inherited a corrupt and sinful nature through Adam and have been guilty in your lifetime of many, many sins, if the Lord marked iniquity who could stand, as the scripture says, And yet you will be presented here in this unblemished state. Even though you carry this body of sin and death to the grave, it will be raised a glorious body so that it will not have any of the corruption associated with it any longer. You’ll have a body like unto Christ’s glorious body, Philippians tells us. though your sins were once a scarlet stain that covered you, yet you shall stand before the Lord is white as snow, pure and cleansed, and all the iniquity gone. So you were presented in a faultless state. Now, notice also, your presentation will be a day of great joy, because of your present it in a faultless state. he says here with exceeding joy. You will be static with delight because what you have been delivered from, from sin and sorrow and Satan and every enemy. And you will be overwhelmed with joy and rejoice to be with your Lord and Savior in that glorious abode of heaven. The holy angels, since they rejoice at the conversion of every sinner, certainly we could think them of them rejoicing at the completion of the work of salvation when now we all stand before the Lord in that glorified state. The Holy Trinity will rejoice to see the final stage of the everlasting covenant plan from all eternity come to fruition. God delights and always works, especially those that involve his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And here we are, as I think Ephesians puts it, were sort of trophies of His grace. lasting monument to the grace of God and how he saves sinners. So your presentation will be a day of great joy. Now let me throw a practical thought in here that as we look at this, it should be a great encouragement to us as we go through this life that God keeps us, in spite of the multitude of false teachers, the world that might allure us, away from Christ all the dangers that we face in this life. The Son of God is able to keep you from stumbling into fatal air and perishing eternally. When can you consider your own weakness and your own corrupt tendencies, in the allurements as I said of the world, you realize it is utterly hopeless for you to keep yourself it’s an impossible task. Is it not? But Christ honor is associated with keeping his people. And his power is present to enable you to overcome all the obstacles on your heavenly trek. What a relief to know that your God is all powerful and is working out every detail in your life for His glory and for your good. What a blessing to hear Christ’s promise. us. And this is the Father’s will which has sent me that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing. John 639. I should lose nothing. Wonderfully, not only does Jesus Christ get you to heaven, but when you get there, we find that he presents you in a faultless state. I’m reminded of the prodigal son. He comes home and tattered clothes, penniless, humbled by this terrible sin that he had fallen into and so forth. But when he gets home, what does the father do? Get him the best robe. Put my ring on his finger. We’re going to have a fat. We’re going to have a celebration. My friends, if we get to heaven, we’re also going to have a celebration because the Bible talks about the wedding feast. When the bride and finally is completed, the wedding feast of Christ, that we have with Christ, the budding feast of the lamb, that’s going to occur. I had a Christian friend that had a poster on the wall of his home. And it was called Footprints in the Sand, you see, two sets of footprints on the shoreline. And they’re walking along the shores. All you see is the footprints. But there’s a little, like, story underneath. And the believer is complaining that, to the Savior, why did you leave me during that? difficult time in my life. And the Savior replies, I never left you. Those single footprints are mine. That’s where I carried you through that hardship. And that sort of captures how the Lord preserves us. Even though there are times we might think, where is he? He’s there. He’s present. He’s working. And he’s keeping us and preserving us. So you owe your preservation of God’s power. both present and future. Secondly, you owe praise to God for your preservation. Verse 25, To the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty and dominion and power both now and ever. Amen. Now let’s talk about the God you praise here. The only wise God, our Savior. Now, man-made idols and images are classified in Scripture as deaf and dumb. They can’t speak. They can’t answer prayer. They can’t predict the future. They’re powerless and they’re useless. There’s only one true God and that God is spoken of in Scripture as a wise God. If you ever read anything about some of the heathen God. Some of them were foolish. Have you ever read some about the Roman or Greek gods and what some of those things, those supposedly gods did, they were foolish, but God’s wisdom stands out. He’s a wise God. Now God’s wisdom is distinct from his knowledge. There’s a sense in which God knows all things. But the fact that he has ordered and arranged all things, things, according to his wisdom, is what we should understand. There is an eternal plan that’s unfolding. And God has designed that plan. God’s wisdom we see in his creation. According to Proverbs 319, the Lord by wisdom have founded the earth by understanding hath he established the heavens. When we think about the order and the structure of our universe, we see the wisdom of God. You can’t help but see divine wisdom in the plant and animal kingdom and even in human beings. When we see the fact that of the reproductive cycle, we see the greater and lesser lights in heaven, when we see our own human body and how it functions, we see the wisdom of God. God’s wisdom is seen in his providence because he works all things after the council of his own will, Ephesians 111. We could say that the entire history of man is actually like a jigsaw puzzle that God has designed and is piecing together in each age to make the total picture at the end. He knows exactly where he’s going. He knows where every piece is supposed to be. And of course, God’s wisdom is seen in the salvation of sinners. Christ’s redemptive work is called the hidden wisdom of God, in a mystery. Who could have planned such a marvelous salvation except the all-wise God? Where God would retain his justice and holiness, while at the same time showing mercy and grace. However, the focus of our text here is upon Jesus Christ, and I think this is important that we see this. Now, some of the Greek manuscripts, mostly the Egyptian ones, have the phrase here to the only wise God through Jesus Christ, that through Jesus Christ our Lord has been added. It is not there in the original. This would make the words God, our Savior, refer to God the Father, rather than God the Son. Now, without getting into a long argument over the Greek manuscripts tonight, let me say this. The passage favors the words God, our Savior, referring to Jesus Christ and his deity. The whole book, as we’ll see, emphasizes this. It’s interesting that a clear reference here to the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ is once again corrupted by those manuscripts that come from Egypt where the Gnostic heresy prevailed. should always be suspect of any can anything good come out of Nazareth? Can anything good come out of Egypt when it comes to the manuscript? No. So the focus of the text here, I believe, is on Jesus Christ. He is the only Savior, therefore he is the all-wise God that’s spoken of here. How do we know this? Who is the one who preserves us, according to verse 1? Isn’t it Jesus Christ? So if we’re praising the one who, preserves us here in verse 25, it’s Jesus Christ. You notice the our Lord here is spoken of in scripture. Look at how many times the word hour is used. Let me just point out a few. Look at verse four. Where there are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God, unto lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord is, of course, Jesus Christ. Look at verse 17, if you would. But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 21, keep yourselves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. to the only wise God, our Savior, I think, is referring to Jesus Christ too. We noticed that Christ return is in view. We mentioned it in verse 24. Also in verse 21, we’re looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ when he comes. We talked about that in a previous study. Christ presents himself, presents us to himself. So the presentation, that we read of. According to Ephesians 5, is Christ presenting us to himself as a glorious church. Notice, our Savior is called the wisdom of God in 1 Corinthians 124. And in Colossians 2.3, we read, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And then if you would, just look at first, or Titus, excuse, me, Titus chapter 2 and verse 13. Looking for that blessed hope in the glorious appearing of the great God and our Lord Jesus Christ. So who is the great God here? But our Lord Jesus Christ. Look at 2 Timothy 110, if you would also, along this vein. But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who have abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. He’s our Savior. And so I, we could go on and on, but I think if you look at the text here in Jude carefully, if you look at some of the other passages, I think it’s clear that Jesus Christ is the God that we are praising here, in particular, is Jesus Christ the Son. Now, what is the praise you’re to ascribe to Christ here? we are to praise him in the sense of, to him, glory and majesty, dominion, power, both now and forever belong. Worthy is the lamb that was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing, Revelation 512, that is the praise accorded Jesus Christ by the redeemed saints in heaven. Very similar to what? what we find here in our text. He is worthy of all praise and honor that can be given to him by his saints. There was a minister that was about to begin his meal in a crowded restaurant when a man approached him and asked if he could share a table with him because the restaurant was crowded. The minister invited him to take a seat. But as his custom was, the minister was, the minister. bowed his head before he ate and said a silent prayer. When he opened his eyes, the other man said, do you have a headache? Mr. said, no, I don’t. Well, is there something wrong with your food then? No. Are you sick? No? I was simply thanking God before I ate my meal. The man said. The minister said. The man replied, Oh, you’re one of those people, are you? Well, I want you to know that I never give thanks. I earn my money by the sweat of my brow, and I don’t have to give thanks to anyone I eat. I just start right in. To which the minister replied, yes, you’re just like my dog. That’s what he does, too. Natural man is like a beast. He never thinks about God’s providence providing all the abundance of food that he has in this life, and therefore he never gives God. thanks for anything. But we who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ have much to give thanks to the Lord for it. And as a believer, we should be thankful people. Now, we should give him glory. This is the praise and the honor, the love and esteem that is due our Lord Jesus Christ. Majesty, a recognition. here of Christ’s greatness, that he sits enthroned at the right hand of God, that he is the king of kings, that he is the Lord of Lords. Dominion. Here we have the idea of Christ’s sovereignty over all things, that he rules over all friends and falls alike, especially over his holy nation. He has a vast kingdom of peoples, nations, tongues, all serving him. as Daniel 7, 13, 14 indicate to us. Power. Didn’t Jesus say that all power in heaven, earth has been given unto him? Jesus Christ is able to do all his pleasure. None can stay his hand or question what he does. He protects. He defends his people. And he preserves it. In the duration of your praise, Now and ever. Yes, now, but then also throughout eternity, the praise that will be lifted up will be given to Jesus Christ as our Savior. It’s a never-ending praise without ceasing. Jesus Christ deserves to be praised throughout the eternal eons of time, so to speak. Everlastingly, these attributes of Christ, will be acknowledged by his people. And then he ends it with an amen, which means let it be so. Jude gives his hearty consent, this is right. This is the way it ought to be. I trust you agree with the apostle tonight as well. Well, let me close with a practical thought on this point as well. It’s a great encouragement to consider Christ’s wonderful power. and authority. Jude would have you acknowledge and esteem highly the exalted position of your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. How often the only view people have of Jesus Christ is a weak man who ended up dying on the cross, overcome by his enemies, dead and in the grave. What you see as a believer in the grave, what you see as a believer in the cross, Jesus Christ is not only Christ humbly submitting to the Father’s will and thine, but the resurrected Lord, who as we’ve been studying in the book of Revelation, reigns and uses his power and authority to deal with the enemies that are before him to crush them and to protect his people and take care of them. That’s what we should say. When you go through the Gospels and you remember at the end, there’s a resurrection. And remember, when you get to the book of Acts, you see some of Christ’s power being revealed. But in the book of Revelation, you see it in its full tilt in a way, in a more clear fashion. I always say if you don’t get anything out of Revelation, if you go through all the detail and you say, I don’t understand all this, get this point, Christ reigns. That’s the key point. Would you serve Christ with any less effort? than you would a human governor or a political leader. Then consider your service more carefully. Think about what we owe Christ in advancing his kingdom on this earth. Get what an assurance to know that Christ rules in the difficult times of life to protect his own. We would not avenge those who harm his sheep in this life. We not eventually crush all your enemies. Eventually they’ll all be put under his feet. Serve the Lord. Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Or as the psalmist says in Psalm 2, kiss the son lest he be angry and you perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed or all they that put their trust in him. So when you pray, remember the majesty, dominion, and the power of Jesus Christ. He is able to do exceeding abundantly, above all that you ask or think. Well, the young woman who wished to wear that dainty, pure white dress down into the coal mine could wear it down in, but you could have a hard time getting back out that way. As a Christian, we live in this vile word. What a struggle it is to go through. How hard it is to keep unspotted by the world around us. Yet isn’t it wonderful to know that we will be presented one day before the Lord Jesus Christ as perfectly faultless. And, of course, we will be clothed in the precious righteousness of Christ. Until then, Jesus Christ will preserve us. Keep us from falling away. And for all this, he deserves our utmost praise and thanks. Let us close with the word of prayer tonight.