Now to Him who is able to keep 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, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Jude 24-25
This beautiful doxology (declaration of praise) from Jude’s letter is packed with awesome Facts—qualities of our amazing God, realities about our salvation, and certainties regarding creation. And, as is true about all of God’s Word, these two little verses could be studied for weeks on end, each phrase unveiling deeper understanding and bringing us closer to the Lord.
But let’s do a flyover, of sorts, to glean some insight and be encouraged. Every concept in these verses can send on us a spirit-filling scavenger hunt, of sorts, so hopefully you’ll be navigating around your Bible while you read. [Side note: Whenever you read a Christian blog, hear a podcast, or watch a sermon, I hope you are holding up those messaging against the plumbline of God’s Word. As the rest of Jude’s letter warns, there are a LOT of heretics and false teachers out there, so we must be diligent about testing what we hear—and not just go with what tickles our ears (2 Timothy 4:3).]
First, and foremost, He is able. God is omnipotent—all-powerful. Throughout the Old and New Testaments, we are reminded about the Lord’s power and ability. Nothing is too difficult for the Lord (Genesis 18:14; Jeremiah 32:27; Ephesians 3:20), and, with Him, all things are possible (Job 42:2; Matthew 19:26; Luke 1:37).
God is able to do anything, but what is Jude talking about specifically here? Point 1: God’s ability to keep us from stumbling. As we walk through this world—in it but not of it—it’s easy to trip over the cultural trends, false teachers, and lies of the enemy. But through prayer, study of God’s Word, and the Holy Spirit’s guidance, God can keep us walking steady.
Point 2: God’s ability to make us stand in the presence of God, blameless and with great joy. This is truly astounding. Friend, we are all sinners—no one is righteous. But when we accept the gift of salvation, the Great Exchange, we trade our unrighteousness for the righteousness of Jesus. He paid the penalty for our sin, taking on the shame and wrath we deserved, so when God looks at us, we’re forgiven, faultless, blameless. And there is immense joy in this Truth. (The joy of our salvation is another blog altogether, but I highly recommend a Bible search on this!)
Jude then goes on to praise God by calling out several of His attributes: glory, majesty, dominion, and authority. Again, what a deep dive we could do! But suffice it to say, God is great—He is the greatest. He created everything, owns everything, and has control and authority over everything. And everyone. And we must submit to Him and His Word—that’s why He gave us His Word, so we’d know Him and His will for our lives. And understand who’s in control.
Finally, we see the mic drop: the eternality of God. “In the beginning, God…” (Genesis 1:1). He is the Alpha and Omega—first and last (Revelation 1:8). God has always been, is now, and forever will be. And, friend, you can bask in his glory forever. Just turn to Jesus and accept His amazing grace.
Lord, You are great and awesome—nothing and no one else is worthy of our praise. I am thankful to rest in this Truth, knowing You are in control…and You win.
encouraged by grace 