God Is Able

Bethel Baptist Church https://thebethelbaptist.church

“God Is Able” – Jude 24-25  

Lead In: I must be transparent with you this morning. This week as I listened to the news and read various internet news clips I became somewhat concerned. Partly because it is becoming so hard to find what is true in the most insignificant and irrelevant discussions. So, as I prepared for today, I asked the Lord for a word of encouragement that I could share with the people of Bethel, and I believe we have found it in the Book of Jude. 

Introduction: Jude is the 4th shortest book in the N.T. (only Philemon, 2 John, and 3 John are shorter). Jude the 65th book in the Bible, it has only 25 verses (no chapters), it is the last of the 8 general epistles. Jude is unique in that it does not specifically quote the O.T. directly, but it does make at least 9 obvious allusions to the O.T. [Within the first 15 verses of the book of Jude there are at least 9 obvious allusions to the O.T. (mentioned are the Exodus (v.5), Satan’s rebellion (v.6), Sodom and Gomorrah (v.7), Moses’ death (v.9), Cain (v.11), Balaam (v.11), Korah (v.11), Enoch (v.14, 51), and Adam (v.14)].   

The writer of the Epistle of Jude introduces his letter with one simple declaration about himself: “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and a brother of James” (v.1). The Book of Jude, which is rendered “Judah” in the Hebrew and “Judas” in the Greek, was named after its author (v.1). Although Jude (Judas) was a common name in Palestine (with at least 8 occurrences in the N.T.), the author of Jude generally has been accepted as Jude, the brother of James and one of the half-brothers of Jesus (Matt 13:55; Mark 6:3).                     

The doctrinal and moral apostasy (defection from the true, biblical faith) discussed in Jude (in vv. 4-18) closely parallels that of 2 Peter (2:1-3:4), it is believed that Peter’s writing predated Jude because 2 Peter anticipated the coming of false teachers (2 Peter 2:1, 2; 3:3), while Jude deals with their arrival (vv. 4: “For certain men have crept in unnoticed,” 11: “Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain,”, 12, 17, 18) of false teachers.  Jude is the only N.T. book devoted exclusively to confronting “apostasy.” Interesting is Jude never commented on the specific content of their false teaching, it was enough to demonstrate that their degenerate personal lives and fruitless ministries betrayed their attempts to teach error as though it was truth.           

Think about the similarities between the times we live in, and the time Jude lived. In his time Christianity was under severe political attack from Rome and aggressive spiritual infiltration from (Gnostics) false teachers who sowed false seeds with the single intention of reaping a harvest full of doctrinal error.  There are many people who live in opposition to God and his followers. They twist God’s truth, seeking to deceive and destroy the unsuspecting. But the fact is God’s truth stands, as it is carried and defended by those who have committed their lives to Christ. Although Jude had earlier rejected Jesus as the Messiah (John 7: 1-9), here when he puts pen to paper, he encourages other believers to stay on course and continue to follow the truth previously taught by Jesus.           When I read the book of Jude specifically v.3, it is obvious to me that Jude wanted to write on a more joyful theme, maybe he wanted to write “about the salvation we share,” but because of what Christians were faced with he was compelled to write a much more somber epistle. His love for these early Christians whom he saw endangered by encroaching conflicts moved him to sound a solemn warning.             

Dearly beloved, it is an important task, an awesome responsibility, and a profound privilege to have this commission. And wherever and whenever there is evilness and darkness in the world, God is always searching the land looking to find at least one person that He can call, commission, and consign to stand as the vision, the voice, and the vocal piece that will speak on His behalf. On this occasion it was Jude who was called on for such a time as this. Jude’s message to Christians was this: Opposition would come, and godless teachers would arise, but Christians should “defend the truth” (1:3). Then he goes on a 20-verse  

  • by rejecting all falsehood and immorality (1:4-19), by remembering God’s mighty acts of rescue and punishment (1:5-11), 14-16); by remembering the previous warnings of the apostles (1:17-19); His readers were to build up their own faith through prayer (1:20), keeping close to Christ (1:21), helping others (1:22, 23), and hating sin (1:23).  

Finally, after 20 plus verses of warnings (about apostasy) about how not to be deceived, Jude relaxes the stroke of his pen and move toward a theme of love which I believe he tried to reach back in verse 3 (when he said, “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith…”). And in the final paragraph (v.24-25), in the last two verses Jude explodes with an elevated and encouraging doxology (a hymn of praise to God), answering that unexpressed question; but who will deliver us from the calamity and the apostasy into which the unsuspecting is lead? Who will?

His answer or proclamation is that we should give praise to the one (Him) who is able to (first of all) “to keep you from falling. Victory is found in Christ.  He is the one who will “keep” us (safe, grounded, in our right mind, etc.). The foundation word for “falling” in the original script was used of both a ‘sure-footed’ horse which does not slip or a man who does not fall into error.

Next, after He keeps you from falling, He is the one who is able to “present you faultless.”  He can make us stand blameless without spot or blemish and therefore fit to be offered to God.  Know that Christ is the one who will present believers without fault. That is why Hebrew 12:2 tell us that we should, “Look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith… Here is possibly the greatest theme of victory to be sounded, the highest note of praise and adoration possible, and the greatest assurance for the redeemed of the Lord.

Jude concludes this epistle with an ascription of glory to the great God. A God who is able, and He is as willing as He is able, to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence of his glory”; not as those who never have been faulty, but as those whose faults shall not be imputed. Before the presence of his glory.”

Finally, when believers shall be presented faultless it will be with exceeding joy. Where there is no sin there will be no sorrow; but where there is perfection of holiness, there will be the perfection of joy. Why with exceeding joy?

It natural to think of entering into the presence of God is with fear and shame.  But through the work of Jesus the Christ and by the grace of God, we can go to God with exceeding joy and with all fear removed. Jude attributes this victory to God not to man, the only God our Savior… glory, majesty, dominion, and power, ascribed to him, both now and forever!  

Closing: If the pressures of this world become more than we can bear, know that God is able to keep you from falling. Now unto Him,

· The one who walked on water and turned water into wine.

· Who was not the expected Savior, so much so some ask if He was the one or should they seek another?

· Who said, Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not my will, but Your will be done.

· Who said, into thy hands I commit My Spirit.

· Who said, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to observe all things I have commanded. Only Jesus.