Thread: "Now to him who is able to keep you from falling 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 24�25).
"Now to him who is able to keep you from falling 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 24�25).
Posted : 2 Oct, 2011 11:49 PM
Devotional
What is the great evil of which the true saints of God most stand in jeopardy, and which their timid, fearful hearts most dread? Is it not secret and outward backsliding from God after conversion? Surely it is, as the experience of every honest, upright, God-fearing man will testify. It is his consolation, then, to know that Jesus is "able to keep him from falling." This is the most overwhelming evil that stares the believer in the face.
Some, but imperfectly taught in the Word, are dreading awful apostasy from the faith here and final condemnation from the presence of God hereafter�believing that though Christ has made full satisfaction for their sins to Divine justice, has cancelled the mighty debt, has imputed to them his righteousness, has blotted out their iniquities, has called, renewed, sanctified, and taken full possession of them by his Spirit, and has ascended up on high to plead their cause with the Father�that yet, after all this stupendous exercise of power and this matchless display of free grace, they may be left to utter apostasy from God, and be finally and eternally lost. If there is one doctrine more awful in it nature, more distressing in its consequences, and more directly opposed to the glory of God and the honor of Christ than another, I think it is this.
Others, again, more clearly taught by the Spirit, are heard to say, "I believe in the stability of the covenant, in the unchangeableness of God's love, and in the faithfulness of my heavenly Father. But I fear lest some day under some sharp temptation�some burst of indwelling sin, when the enemy shall come in as a flood�I shall fall, to the wounding of my peace, to the shame of my brethren, and to the dishonoring of Christ."
Dear believer, truly you would fall if he were to leave you to your own keeping for one moment; but Jesus is able to keep you from falling. Read the promises, believe them, rest upon them.
A simple glance will present to the believer's eye a threefold cord, by which he is kept from falling.
First, God the Father keeps him�"who by God's power are being guarded" (1 Pet. 1:5). The power that created and upholds the world keeps the believer. The eternal purpose, love, and grace of the Father keeps him. This is the first cord.
Again, God the Son keeps him. "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:27�28). The covenant engagements, the perfect obedience, the atoning death of Immanuel, keep the believer. This is the second cord.
Yet again, God the Holy Spirit keeps him. "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will put him to flight" (Isa. 59:19 [NIV marg.]). The tender love, the covenant faithfulness, and the omnipotent power of the Eternal Spirit keep the believer. This is the third cord.
And "a threefold cord is not quickly broken" (Eccl. 4:12).
But along with these promises of the triune God to keep his people from falling, he has also wisely and graciously connected the diligent, prayerful use of all the means which he has appointed for this end.
"Now to him who is able to keep you from falling 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 24�25).
Posted : 3 Oct, 2011 03:25 PM
Jude 24~25 ???....
Its Not wise to give a Sermon on ONLY 2 verses�there is much more in the book of Jude that Jude the Servent and Brother of Christ Jesus warns Us about�
Jude ~
1~ Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
2~ Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
3~ Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
4~ For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
5~ I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
6~ And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
7~ Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
8~ Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
9~ Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
10~ But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
11~ Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
12~ These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
13~ Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
14~ And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15~ To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
16~ These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
17~ But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18~ How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
19~ These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
20~ But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21~ Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22~ And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23~ And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
24~ 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,
25~ To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
*** A Most Excellent Message by Jude that Need Not be Interpreted�xo
"Now to him who is able to keep you from falling 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 24�25).
Posted : 3 Oct, 2011 03:48 PM
My pastor says those two verses to the whole congregation at the end of every service!
I always thought that was a great way to end our worship time together.
