History of Redemption: Blog Post 47
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless 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 NASB
These are the final verses in the history of redemption series. This year for me has been blessed by God in so many ways, and one of those has been the opportunity to commit myself to walking through this series with those of you reading. Last week we heard about the great restoration that will soon take place, as God restores the earth to the way He created it. Words alone cannot describe how wonderful it will be.
The history of redemption ends with the above call from the book of Jude. It is a call for the perseverance of the saints. This is one of the doctrines of grace that we at Redeemer hold firmly to, that it is God who is able to keep us from stumbling, and it is God alone who makes us able to stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy. Wayne Grudem says of this glorious doctrine, “The perseverance of the saints means that all those who are truly born again will be kept by God’s power and will persevere as Christians until the end of their lives, and that only those who persevere until the end have been truly born again” (Systematic Theology). I hope you find great comfort in these words, and that you are able to fully trust that you will be kept by God’s power and that you will one day “stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy”.
I love lists. I love to-do lists, grocery lists, terrorist watch-lists .... really any kind of list. If you don't believe me, ask my wife. I love the clarity and cohesiveness that a good list gives to any subject. I probably love lists more than is healthy. But I feel that in light of the conclusion of the history of redemption, I am left to ask myself, "How now should I live?". We get tremendous guidance to answer this question throughout the bible, but the preceding verses in Jude give us particular insight, which I will outline in a list below:
1. We are called to remember what we have heard. "But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jude 17).
2. We are called to build ourselves up in our faith and to pray. "But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit" (Jude 20).
3. We are called to remain IN His love: "keep yourselves in the love of God" (Jude 21).
4. We are called to wait upon Him: "waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life" (Jude 21).
5. We are called to be missionaries, proclaiming the gospel to those who are perishing. "And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire" (Jude 22-23).
6. We are called to act mercifully toward those who are suffering: "to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh" (Jude 23).
7. And we are called to worship: “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 25).
Let us now continue on this journey, remembering always what the Lord has done for us , and what He is today doing for us, and what He will one day do for us, His chosen bride. And let us “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). We have been saved! To God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ be glory, now and forevermore. Amen!
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star” (Revelation 22:16).