Tuesday, September 8, 2020
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. Jude 1:24-25
To Him Who Is Able…When I Am Not
As human beings, we understand our weakness. We know how hard it is to have self-control, to stay on a diet, to not buy things we don’t really need, to save money, etc… When it comes to our sinful desires, it is a struggle we can never win in our own power. Thankfully, we have a Heavenly Father who knows our weakness, and has perfect strength where we are weak. He is able when we are not.
Paul knew this struggle well - I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. Romans 7:15-17 There is no way we can be perfect and we struggle with this our whole lives. Like Paul, we do what we don’t want to do, and don’t do what we want to do at times. But the verse from Jude above says that God has the power to keep us from stumbling. This use of stumbling however, does not mean that He keeps us from giving into flesh at times, which He does Himself and through the Holy Spirit. It means that He is faithful and will keep us from falling away forever. Once we are His, we can never be snatched from His hand and though we fall at times, we never fall completely away. Jude refers to a God that knows that we will fail at times, but He keeps us from falling forever away - and stands us up blameless in His glory.
Our God is holy and He requires those who stand before Him to be blameless, which is impossible for us to do in our own power. We are not able, but our God is able for us! Jude says that He is able to keep us from stumbling and to present us blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy. Blameless means without fault but the bible says in Romans 3:23 that All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. God’s glory and holiness require a blameless soul of those in His presence. In Psalm 24:3-4 the Bible tells us that the only one who has clean hands, a pure heart, and who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear may ascend the hill of the Lord. We will only be able to stand in the glory of His presence when we are covered by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and His righteousness. Only Christ was blameless, and all who are in Him will be blameless before God. He makes us righteous. He gives us righteousness, and with great joy!
May God arise, may his enemies be scattered may his foes flee before him. May you blow them away like smoke — as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.
But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they
be happy and joyful.
Psalms 119:117
