1:24 Take a Sad Song and Make it Better

Jude 1:24-25:
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.

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“Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God.” -John Calvin

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I was reading through Exodus recently and came across the time where Moses begged to see the Lord’s glory.

Here’s the text from Exodus 33:18-23:

18Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 19And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” 21And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

Anyone in Scripture who has even come close to God’s presence as been overcome with terror, but Moses took his chances, and pled for the opportunity.

Such would not be possible, though, for no man could survive such Infinite Wonder, not even Moses. Yet in God’s grace, He allowed His servant to catch a glimpse of His back.

In the last chapter of our Bibles, however, John tells believers that in our glorified state, we “will see his face” (Rev. 22:4).

Wow.

Remarkable.

But how?

According to Jude, it is by “Him who is able.”

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Because of our complete trust in God’s Provision, we will be able to stand before the Consuming Fire with “great joy,” rather than with our tails between our legs. Thanks to Christ’s righteousness imputed to us, we have the hope of sharing in His glory without fear.

What an appropriate way to end an epistle written for those who viewed grace as a license to sin, rather than a preparation for glory. It is through this true grace of God that we have any hope of beholding His glory.

Oh, how great our privileges are by the grace of the One True God!

To Him and Him alone, be glory, before all time and now and forever.

Amen.