Read with Me
Jude 24-25 (HCSB)
Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless and with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.
Listen with Me
Jude ends his brief letter with encouragement in the form of a doxology, a song of praise to God.
He begins with the encouraging note that even though the dangers he has been outlining in his letter were very real, false teachers busy perverting the true faith, undermining the confidence of many solid brothers and sisters, and completely leading others astray, there is hope. God is able to help to keep anyone from stumbling and falling if they will simply follow Him closely.
God will also keep their souls safe all the way to the end, so that each of His faithful servants will be able to stand in His presence blameless, and with great joy. This is the promise He holds out to all who will stand firm in their faith and who will refuse to follow those who are teaching a different gospel (Galatians 1:8-9).
Jude then recognizes God’s glory, His incomparable majesty, His unconquerable power, and His divine authority. All these attributes make God worthy of worship by His people, as well as making Him worthy of their complete confidence. If God is for us, those who are against us are of no consequence at all.
Finally, Jude recognizes that all this access to God’s help and to His overcoming power and authority come to each believer through faith in Jesus, the Messiah, and the Lord of every person who trusts in God through Him. It is only through that faith, that trust, that anyone can be a powerful conqueror over the forces of darkness that are intent on taking him or her out. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit, who comes into our lives through faith in Jesus (Acts 2:38-39), that each believer can successfully run the race all the way to the finish line.
Pray with Me
Father, this good news at the end of Jude’s letter, so full of bad news and cautions, is vital. We are often surrounded by darkness that is so thick, so troubling, that we can barely see. It is in these times, times such as many are facing today, that we need to cling to You and to Your true word most strongly. Only then can Your light break into our hearts, helping us to see the way. Only then can it shine through us so that the people of the world can see a way to break free from the darkness that threatens to overwhelm them and can find the path that leads to eternal life. Lord, help me to shine today in the midst of our dark world, so that everyone around me can see Your light and rejoice in You. Amen.