We have been looking at the first of three truths that must be believed before you can progress into the Higher Christian Life. Believing these three truths provides you with the confidence of knowing that God not only can, but will “present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 24). The first truth reveals how big your God is compared to how big your problems are. And this cuts deep into the object of your faith. Is your faith centered on God? Or is it on your past experiences, both good and bad? The first truth states that “You must believe God is able (He possesses the power and ability) to keep you from falling or faltering in your life of holiness.” Period. Non-negotiable. For an overcoming life of lasting victory over sin, you must believe God is bigger than your sin and your flesh.
Last time we unpacked the beginning phrase of Jude 24, “Now unto Him who is able,” showing God is able (dúnamai – to be able, have power and strength by virtue of one’s own ability and resources) to do anything He desires. Why? Because He is sovereign, the Ever-Present One, the “I Am Who I Am” (Ex. 3:14), and there is none like our God (Is. 46:9). He is God. And as God, His holiness and omnipotence (God is All-Powerful) are some of His key character traits. And the trait of sanctification (holiness) has now come unto us in Jesus (1 Cor. 1:30) and is imparted to us by the Spirit. As we have said, it doesn’t get any better than that.
But nevertheless, some questions remain.
What is God able to do exactly? I know He spoke the world into existence (Gen. 1, Ps. 33:9) and all of that. I got that. But what can He do regarding my inability to live a holy life? How can His omnipotence reach down to me in my daily struggle with sin? Is God only concerned about the big things in life, like creating the world in seven days or parting the Red Sea? Or does His power and grace extend unto the little things in my life, the daily things? What can God do for me and my constant struggle with my flesh? Where can I find hope to live more like Him?
Let’s take a look, once again, at Jude 24, especially the description of what God is able to do.
Now to Him who is able (dúnamai – to be able, have power and strength by virtue of one’s own ability and resources) to keep you from stumbling (áptaistos – from falling, losing our sanctification, no longer being blameless), and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy – Jude 24.
This passage clearly states God is able to “keep me from stumbling” in order to “present me faultless.” But what does “stumbling” mean? Is this a salvation message showing “once saved, always saved”? Or is this a sanctification message, because the end result is my holiness, my being presented “faultless” before His glory? Or is it both?
These are very important questions. Let’s look at them one at a time.
As we have previously discovered, the Greek word translated “stumbling” is áptaistos and means “free from falling, blameless” and is only found in this one verse in Jude. Therefore, we are unable to see how it is used elsewhere in the Scripture. But in secular Greek writings, the word means “sure-footed as a horse that does not stumble.” So it appears, “stumbling”...
