Kept by God’s Power

 

The Bible tells me to “take the helmet of salvation” and use the truths of the gospel to protect me from the lies of the devil. He uses many ways to cause doubts.

For instance, when I’ve disobeyed God in some way, he put these thoughts in my head: “You are not a Christian. Why would God save you anyway? You don’t deserve His mercy. You’re not good enough. How presumptuous to think God could ever use you!” As MacArthur says, these doubts are common when I focus on my performance rather than on God’s power. This is not only an error in thinking but idolatry — worshiping myself as the one who keeps me good. If that were true, I would not need Jesus.

Today’s devotional warns about the folly of being quick to acknowledge God’s power to save me but slow to rely on His power to keep me. This can result in thinking salvation can be lost, and living in fear of falling away. It can also result in self-effort to the point of losing sight of grace and falling into a works-righteousness mentality something like that of the Pharisees.

MacArthur says, and I agree, that my performance doesn’t determine my standing in Christ; my standing in Christ determines my performance. God created me to do good works, but saving and keeping me is God’s work.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8–10)

Nothing could be clearer. He does the saving so that I can walk in ways that please Him. And with Jude, I can say:

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory 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)

In this passage, “able” speaks of His power and “keep” about being guarded, held secure in the midst of an attack. “Stumbling” is about falling into sin and ruin. This is what God saved me from — not for. It is His work and His power that keep me. No matter how intense Satan’s attacks might be, Jesus lives to protect and cleanse me  until that day I see Him face-to-face and will be like Him. In the meantime:

If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness . . . . My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (1 John 1:7–9; 2:1–6)

PRAY: Jesus, the truths of the gospel are my helmet. You gave it to protect me from the Liar’s attempts to have me believe something other than You saved me and keep me. It is in knowing You that I can obey You. You are at work in my life. You keep me in Your care. I could not save myself. Without You, I cannot keep myself, but I am never ‘without’ You for You promise to never leave me or forsake me. I am Your child and I praise You for Your saving and keeping work and for all that You do in my life.

PONDER: Jude 24–25 and continually bless and worship my only God and Savior who keeps me and will present me blameless in the presence of His glory with great joy.

 

Reserved for darkness . . .

 

 

READ Jude

On Valentine’s Day, someone gave us another helium-filled balloon, this one shaped like a heart. We remembered the first one, thirty-seven years ago. It was metallic silver and shaped like a star with helium inside keeping it on the ceiling, at least for a while. That star began to wander and as it became partly deflated, air currents sent it gliding through the house, searching for a place to rest, but never seeming to find it. It was a bit eerie watching this star floating aimlessly, sometimes hiding behind doors or under the leaves of our giant silk palm plant. It made me think of a verse in today’s reading . . .

Jude uses “wandering stars” to describe people who understand the gospel, that “Jesus died for their sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures,” (2 Corinthians 15:3,4), but have said “no” to that message. They are described as “willful and presumptuous” with meaningless lives. They complain and speak evil against Christ. They are motivated by evil desires and have no spiritual goodness. Worst of all, these “wandering stars” have reserved for them the “blackness of darkness forever.” (Jude 13)

Jude wanted to write a different message, but the Holy Spirit motivated a warning about these wanderers:

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (Jude 3–4)

Today I notice that they were “designated for this condemnation” and my heart felt pain as I thought of the many people who are currently in this category. Am I praying for some who are without hope? Jude went on to describe these people in his time:

These are hidden (blemishes) at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever . . . . These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage. (Jude 12–13; 16)

This reminds me again of that balloon. It wandered around our house, went downstairs, then came up the stairs from our son’s bedroom. Who knows where it went before getting hung up on a palm leaf in the living room. Years later, that gas-filled star is still a vivid illustration of people who deny Christ. They do not have enough substance to keep down-to-earth, nor do they have enough of the right stuff inside to rise to any heights. They just keep moving, tossed about by outside pressures and inside emptiness.

That image sticks in my memory as has Jude’s point concerning “wandering stars.” No one wants to have a life without purpose or direction. Jude reminds Christians to stick to our purpose — to love, serve and glorify Jesus Christ and to stay aware:

But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. (Jude 17–23)

Jude ends with the positive reminder that is in great contrast to wandering stars and nearly deflated balloons. He says, “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory 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) For this, I rejoice!