Sermon #37 Jude Sermons

Title: “Faultless Before The

Presence Of His Glory”

Text: Jude 1:24

Subject: Christ Presentation of His Elect

Date: Tuesday Evening — August 2, 2005

Tape # Jude #37

Readings: Larry Brown and Larry Criss

Introduction:

It seems that almost every day I read or hear of some new evil that has crept into churches professing to believe the gospel. Yet, the evils are not new at all. They are just old snares, laid by the wicked one, with new bait. As in Jude’s day, slithering serpents have “crept in unawares…, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

At present, there are four or five men who claim that they alone are truly preaching the gospel. They have slithered their way into local churches and are doing everything they can to portray faithful gospel preachers as heretics. They are, to use Jude’s words, “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Claiming that they alone are preaching righteousness by Christ alone, that they alone truly preach the gospel, these modern deceivers, seeking to lead away disciples after themselves, like Diotrephes, boldly and loudly assert that…

· Our Lord Jesus Christ was not really, as the Lamb of God, “slain from the foundation of the world.” What does God say?

(Revelation 13:8) “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

· God did not really mean to say that all his elect were both justified and sanctified in Christ from old eternity. What does God say in his Word?

(Romans 8:28-32) “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (29) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (31) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (32) He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

(Jude 1:1) “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:”

· God’s elect were not blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ and “accepted in the Beloved” before the world began. What does God the Holy Spirit say about that?

(Ephesians 1:3-6) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (4) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (5) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (6) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”

· The Lord Jesus Christ was not made sin for us when he was punished for our sins at the cross, but that he was simply treated as though he were made sin. — That would be a matter of horrid injustice in any court, especially in the court of God, who declares, “He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord” (Pro. 17:15), and condemns as evil all who “call evil good and good evil” by justifying the wicked and taking away the righteousness of the righteous (Pro. 24:20-23). But the Word of God asserts that our blessed Savior was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Cor. 5:21).

· There is no sense, really, in which believers receive righteousness and justification by faith in Christ (Rom. 3:24-28; 4:16-17; 5:10-11).

(Romans 3:24-28) “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (25) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (26) To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (27) Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. (28) Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”

(Romans 4:16-17) “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (17) (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.”

(Romans 5:10-11) “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (11) And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”

· The believer is not made “partaker of the divine nature,” righteousness is not imparted to us, and we are not made new creatures in Christ by the new birth.

Because these wicked men, hell-bent on making a name for themselves, deny that Christ our Substitute was made sin for us, they must also deny that we are made the righteousness of God in him by the new birth. Again, I ask, what does God say in his Word?

(2 Corinthians 5:21) “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

(2 Peter 1:4) “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

(1 John 3:9) “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

The fact that these things come to pass should not surprise us. “For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you” (1 Cor. 11:19). Besides, Jude tells us that such wicked men, by their pernicious doctrine, only prove their own reprobation, “who were before of old ordained to this condemnation.” As Peter puts it, Christ, the Foundation Stone upon which we are built by grace, is to them “a stumbling stone and rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto they were appointed” (1 Pet. 2:8).

Yes, some will follow the craftiness of these slithering serpents. And we must watch and pray that we “may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36), “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” But is there any security for our souls in the midst of these and all the other prevailing evils by which many who profess faith in Christ are turned from him and turned out of the way? Is there any assurance that we shall not also fall? Indeed, there is. It is this blessed assurance to which Jude directs our attention in the closing two verses of his epistle.

(Jude 1:24-25) “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 for ever. Amen.”

Divisions: Tonight, I want us to take another look at verse 24. In this one sentence Jude declares that our Lord Jesus Christ is able…

1. To keep you form falling.

2. To present you faultless.

3. To present you faultless before the presence of his glory.

4. And to do it with exceeding joy.

That One of whom Jude speaks, who is able do this is the Lord Jesus Christ, our omnipotent God and Savior, Jehovah’s righteous Servant, our Mediator and King, who has all power in heaven and in earth, all power over all flesh, to give eternal life to whom he will.

Proposition: That which he is able to do, he is willing to do, and he will do.

I once heard Bro. Todd Nibert say, “Faith is not believing that God can do anything. Faith is believing that God can and will do anything he has said he will do.” Jude is here calling upon us to believe that God our Savior will keep us from falling, and present us faultless before the presence of his glory, and that he will do so with exceeding joy.

“Keep You”

First, Jude here assures us that Christ will keep us. He “is able to keep you.” The word “keep” means to guard with watchfulness, to protect with vigilance, and to deliver in spite of the dangers and enemies that surround us.

“Keep me, Jesus, as the apple of Thine eye.

Hide me under the shadow of Thy wing.

Keep Thy hand upon me, lest I die!

Keep me, Jesus, as the apple of Thine eye.”

He could keep us from ever falling into any sin or evil, were that his purpose. He could keep us from the influence of our fallen, depraved nature, were that his pleasure. He could keep us from any fall, failure, or frailty of any kind in this world. But he has chosen not to do so, that we may, as long as we live in this world, live by faith, as sinners in need of mercy, ever repenting, ever needy, ever looking to Christ alone as our only Savior, our only Righteousness, our only Redemption, our only hope. Yet, in the midst of all our inward corruptions, countless falls, and malicious foes, he keeps us from falling and will at last deliver us up to glory.

· He keeps us as a Shepherd keeps the sheep trusted to his charge (Ps. 23).

· He keeps us as his vineyard.

· He keeps us as a Father keeps his child.

· He keeps us as a husband keeps his wife.

· He will keep you from falling for every wind of doctrine.

· He will keep you from falling from the gospel.

· He will keep you from falling out of his arms and his hands.

Weak and sinful as we are, though Satan like a roaring lion seeks to devour us, though we are constantly assaulted by evil and heresy on every side, our great Savior is “able to keep you from falling.” And we have every assurance that he will do so, because…

· He is the immutable God.

· His purpose of grace in election must stand.

· His love is everlasting love.

· His blood has obtained eternal redemption for us.

· His Spirit has sealed us.

· His gifts are without repentance.

· He declares, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish!”

“Present you Faultless”

Second, our blessed Savior “is able to keep you from falling.” But there is more promised here. He is also able “to present you faultless.”

The word “present” means “set,” or “place,” as an artist displays a finished work of art. So Christ will present us “to himself a glorious church” (Eph. 5:27). He declares, “I will set him on high, because he hath known my name” (Psalm 41:14). Now, look how he says he will set us on high and present us. — He will “present you faultless.”

The word here is not “blameless” (άνεγκλήτος), “unchallengeable before the law,” as we read in 1 Corinthians 1:8. The word Jude uses is a different term altogether. This word “faultless” (amwmov), means “without blemish, as a sacrifice without spot or blemish.” It means “internally pure and perfect.”

· Christ has made us unblameable before the law by his perfect righteousness being imputed to us in justification.

· He has made us holy in the new birth by imparting to us his righteousness nature in sanctifying us.

· In the resurrection, when our corruption has put on incorruption, when mortality has put on immortality, he will make us exactly what he is in his perfect humanity, inwardly pure and perfect — “faultless!”

“The Presence of His Glory”

Now, hang on to your seat. Not only are we here assured that Christ will keep us and present us faultless, Jude tells us that he will “present you faultless before the presence of his glory!”

This is what I’ve been working up to. “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory.” O Spirit of God, help me now, as I endeavor to declare this wondrous thing revealed in your Word to the hearts of your people.

Who shall be presented faultless before the presence of his glory? — He shall present you who believe on his name, — you who are washed in his blood, — you who are called by his grace, — you who are kept from falling, — Christ shall “present you faultless before the presence of his glory.”

You who are by nature base and vile sinners, — you who have been plucked by his grace as firebrands from the fire, — you who have nothing in your character to make you fit for such a presentation — Christ shall “present you faultless before the presence of his glory.”

You who are obscure on earth, thought to be of small esteem, “dying,” “chastened,” “unknown,” “sorrowful” (2 Cor. 6:4-9), — you who are much in labours, and watchings, and fastings, and counted worthy of death for Christ’s sake (2 Cor. 4:2), — you who are “coming out of great tribulation,” often “in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness,” with “thorns in the flesh,” and messengers of Satan that buffet you (2 Cor. 12:7, 10), you are “kept” in the midst of all these. — And Christ shall “present you faultless before the presence of his glory” at last “without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing,” — without so much as a trace of sin, or guilt, or shame. Yes, God your Savior shall wipe away all tears from your eyes. You who are kept shall be presented “faultless before the presence of his glory.”

Who shall present you faultless before the presence of his glory? — You shall be presented by him who has kept you, — by “the only wise God and our Savior.” Christ chose you. Christ redeemed you. Christ saved you. Christ keeps you. And Christ shall present you! It is with him with whom we have to do from first to last, if you will allow me to speak of “last” in reference to that glory that is forever. He led us in at the strait gate. He leads us along the narrow way. He leads us into the Paradise of God. And He leads us up to the throne, there to exhibit us as the trophies of his wisdom and power, mercy and truth, righteousness and peace, grace and love.

Where shall we be presented? — The Lord Jesus Christ shall present us “before the presence of his glory!” The glory, you will remember, dwelt in the innermost holy of holies. And into the presence of that glory our Redeemer shall bring those whom he has kept. No outer court will do for such a presentation. The jewels that make up his crown (Mal. 3:17) are made fit by him for his royal palace. No lesser place will do. No place less holy, less heavenly, less glorious will suffice. The sparkling luster of his crown jewels must be laid beside the gold of the mercy seat, above which the glory dwells, — the gems, and the gold, and the glory, helping each to bring out the other’s splendor.

It is his glory before which we are to be set, — the glory of the Only-begotten of the Father; — the glory of the holy of holies. — It is a glory which shall shed down its eternal radiance upon those who are thus kept and thus presented, changing us into the same image from glory to glory! In that realm where all is glory, and from which every trace of imperfection shall have vanished away, leaving nothing behind but what is divinely fair and “faultless.”

Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

· The “tree of life” and the “crown of life” are theirs (Rev. 2:7,10).

· The “hidden manna,” the “white stone,” the “new name,” and the “new song,” are theirs (Rev. 2:17).

· The “morning star” is theirs (Rev. 2:28).

· The “white raiment” is theirs.

· A home in the heavenly temple is theirs.

· Christ’s throne is theirs (Rev. 3:5, 12:21).

· “The holy city,” with its jasper wall, streets of gold, jeweled foundations, crystal river, and unsetting sun, is theirs (Rev. 21:18, 22:1-5).

Nothing less than this is implied in this presentation before the presence of his glory. We shall behold his face in righteousness and be satisfied when we awake with his likeness (Psalm 17:15).

“With Exceeding Joy”

Still, Jude has not finished describing this glorious presentation. I hardly know which word in this sentence is the greatest. — He will keep us. That is glorious. — He will present us faultless. That is glorious. — He will present us faultless before the presence of his glory. That is glorious. Then, Jude tells us that he will do it “with exceeding joy!” — Now that is glorious!

(Jude 1:24) “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.”

This is the fullness of the “joy unspeakable and full of glory.” — “In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:2). Soon, the days of mourning shall be ended, and the eternal day of pleasure shall begin!

In that great day, our joy shall be “exceeding joy.” In that great day…

· Christ shall appear!

· The Marriage Supper of the Lamb shall begin.

· Our great Bridegroom shall have his glory.

· There shall be a blessed, everlasting reunion of redeemed souls!

Then that shall come to pass which is written, “The King’s daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter the King’s palace” (Psalm 95:12-15). They “shall return and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35:10). And the former things shall pass away! — Then the righteous shall shine forth as the sun!

Finding ourselves eternally out of the reach of sin and danger, and having now arrived at an eternity of righteousness and perfection, now knowing Christ in the power of his resurrection, and in the fellowship of his suffering, and being made completely conformable to his image in all things, we shall have “exceeding joy!”

In that great day, every faithful gospel preacher shall have “exceeding joy.” — In that day, you who know my God shall be my “crown of rejoicing.”

(1 Thessalonians 2:19-20) “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? (20) For ye are our glory and joy.”

(1 Corinthians 4:1-5) “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. (2) Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. (3) But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. (4) For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. (5) Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

The angels of God shall have “exceeding joy” in that day, too. — If they rejoice at the conversion of sinners, how much more shall they rejoice when we are glorified with Christ!

In that great day, the joy of our Lord Jesus Christ, shall be “exceeding joy!” — In that day, the joy that was set before him, for which he endured the cross, despising the shame shall be his. In that day, “he shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied!”

What more can I say? In that great day, the joy of the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, shall be “exceeding joy!” — In that day, when the Father’s purpose of grace in election, the Son’s purpose of grace in redemption, and the Spirit’s purpose of grace in effectual calling are all completely fulfilled, — In the dispensation of the fulness of times, when he has gathered together in one all things in Christ and we have obtained that inheritance to which we were predestined, “according to the purpose of him that worketh all things after the counsel of his own will,” the triune God shall have “exceeding joy” forever!

(Ephesians 2:1-7) “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: (2) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (3) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (4) But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, (5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (7) That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

(Zephaniah 3:14-17) “Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. (15) The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. (16) In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. (17) The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

Now, having said all that, just try to imagine this. — All of that is just the beginning of the eternal glory that awaits us!