"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,” verse 24.

The first word of this verse indicates that Jude is drawing his letter to a close. Having communicated to the people who “are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called,” as the Holy Spirit describes true Christians in the opening verse, Jude is ‘NOW’ about to conclude.

We employ this word most commonly when we are about to conclude a conversation and must withdraw. ‘Now, it is time I went home . . .’ ‘Now, I must go for it is late . .’ 

I. AS JUDE COMMENCED HIS EPISTLE, SO HE ENDS IT.

Jude’s epistles is all about stopping believers falling, verse 3! He shows what the Lord is now doing for us. 

1. We ought to ever have the Lord before us, understanding what He is doing for us. David said: “Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD,” Psalm 25:15. “Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us,” Psalm 123:2. The servant stood watching awaiting for the slightest indication of a signal from their master and immediately complied. So ought we to watch, through reading our Bibles, for instructions from the Lord.

2. Consider the title Jude gives to the Lord. ‘Him that is able to keep you from falling.’ Doubtless, Jude felt that what he had just disclosed to the believers, concerning the devil’s attack upon them by the ‘creepers’ and their lies and false doctrine might leave them fearing that they could not survive such an attack and would ‘fall’! Falling means ‘stumbling, losing your footing, falling down to the ground and hurting yourself.’

3. Well, the Lord is able to keep us! The word ‘keep’ suggests that the Lord is standing ‘guard over us’. He keeps ‘an eye upon us’. That phrase is used by us when we speak of safeguarding and looking after someone or something! So the Lord ‘looks after’ us CONSTANTLY! “The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand,” Psalm 121:5.

II. LOOK AT WHAT AWAITS THE CHRISTIAN.

“And to present you faultless before the presence of his glory.”

1. The word ‘present’ indicates the glory that awaits the Christian. The word first appears in Matt 2:9 and it refers to the star that led the wise men to the Saviour and stood (same word in the Greek) over the place where the Saviour was. We will be brought to stand and shine as stars in the presence of the Lord. “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever,” Daniel 12:3. Is that what lies ahead of you? Are you one of the ‘wise’? It is the gospel that makes us ‘wise unto salvation’, 2 Tim 3:15.

2. There is a day when every Christian will be ‘faultless’. ‘Present you faultless.’ The word appears in  seven places translated by different English words or phrases. ‘Without blame’, Eph 1:4. ‘Without blemish’, Eph 5:27. “Unblameable’, Col 1:22. ‘Without spot’, Hebs 9:14. ‘Without blemish’, 1 Pet 1:19. (This refers to Christ’s purity). ‘Without fault’, Rev 14:5. 

There is wonderful power in the blood of the Lord Jesus to cleanse us from ALL SIN!

3. That which was beyond the experience of the most holy of men, will be ours one day. Moses asked to see God’s glory but he was told that he could not!  The Lord answered, “Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live,” Exodus 33:20. 

But one day all who are saved shall look upon the glory of the Lord for we “shall see his face,” Rev 22:3.

III. ONE LITTLE WORD DESCRIBES THE ETERNAL EXPERIENCE THAT AWAITS US.

“Joy” We started our study today looking at the first word of our text and finish by looking at the last word!

1. There is little joy here in this world. The Psalmist said,“My tears have been my meat day and night,” Psalm 42:3. There is much to even cause the best of people to weep. Holy Jeremiah said: “Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” Jeremiah 9:1. BUT one day the Lord will “wipe away tears from off all faces,” Isaiah 25:8. 

2. The joy that awaits the child of God is exceeding joy! There are times when we have joy here in this world BUT it is short-lived, girls and boys! Yes, often is “our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing,” Psalm 126:2, BUT equally,  the reverse takes place. Laughter is turned to weeping! But there is a greatness of joy awaiting us that is beyond our imaginings!

3. The future joy is endless! Yes, joy here sadly lasts but a short time. But our JOY in heaven, like all things heavenly, is without end. We shall “be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end,” Isaiah 45:17. This was promised to Israel but it is ours also. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life,” John 5:24.

ONE QUESTION girls and boys! Have you heard God’s Word and have you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ? If you have, then all that I have spoken of this morning will be yours MOST CERTAINLY one day!

But if you are not trusting in Christ these blessings you will never have!

Heed the warning today and come to Christ in repentance and faith and be saved.