The Doxology of God and the Security of the Believer

Because he keeps us from stumbling, he will present us “without blemish.” Being unblemished means we are faultless, irreproachable. The same idea is applied to Jesus in 1 Peter 1:19, where he is said to be “an unblemished and spotless lamb.” In the same way that God looked on his sinless Son, whom he placed on the cross as our sacrifice, so he will look on you and me. He will see us as sinless, faultless, and clothed in the imputed righteousness of Christ. But now note the place of this presentation: “in the presence of his glory.” We will not simply stand faultless; we will stand faultless before the presence of the glory of God. Because of his promise to bring our salvation to completion, we will see his glory. We will know his glory. We will enjoy his glory forever. This will be our joy.

Jude says in his presence, as we see and experience his glory, there will be great, exceeding joy. There will be a celebration with rejoicing and exulting. In Revelation 19 we catch a glimpse of this joy in the marriage supper of the Lamb. Four times there is the shout, “Hallelujah,” and verse 7 tells us why: “Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself.” What a promise of security!

JUDE 25

Eternal security has its source in the person and character of God. An intimate, personal, and biblical understanding of God will aid our assurance and confirm our confidence in the Lord who saves and saves completely.

He is the only God, the monotheo. Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 1:17 he is “the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God.” Jude is quick and concise. He is the only God, the only Lord, the only Sovereign to whom and with whom we must reckon and give an account. All will stand before him. None will escape. He is our sovereign. But, for those who know him, he is more still.

Jude tells us this God is “our Savior.” Our God is a saving God. He is a saving Father, saving Son, and saving Spirit. The Father saves us, the Son secures us, and the Spirit seals us. God did not save me to lose me. He saved me to keep me. That is the kind of God he is.

JUDE 25

Jude brings this short but powerful letter to a close with a doxology, a word of praise to the only God who is our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. A fourfold acknowledgment of the greatness and awesomeness of God is made. A quick look at each is instructive, especially since Jude charges us to recognize these truths about our God “before all time, now and forever.”

“Glory” is doxa in Greek, from which we get our word doxology. Glory is the honor rightly ascribed to God for who he is and what he has done. It is the outshining of his character and nature. In one sense glory is not what God has but what God is. James Merritt well says,

Glory is an attribute that is inherent and intrinsic to God. Glory is as essential to God as light is to the sun, as blue is to the sky, as wet is to water. You do not make the sun light, it is light. You do not make the sky blue, it is blue. You do not make the water wet, it is wet. Likewise, you do not make God glorious, God is glorious. You do not really give God glory; you acknowledge the glory that God already has. (Unpublished sermon notes for “No Doubt about It: Jude 24-25”)

Glory is indeed the outward manifestation of the inner essence and character of our God. It is what he is, and we will spend eternity extolling him because of his glorious goodness.

“Majesty” is megalosune in Greek. It speaks of our Lord’s greatness, his awesome and marvelous transcendence, his status as the King and Sovereign over all. It is his greatness being loosed and spread throughout all of his creation.

“Power” or dominion is kratos in Greek. It speaks of his control over all creation. Our God is omnipotent, capable of doing anything consistent with his character and attributes. He is not limited by might, space, or time. The past is his, the future is his, and the present is his.

“Authority” is the Greek word exousia. Moo says it is God’s “intrinsic right to rule all things” (2 Peter, 301). It informs us that all things are in his hands. It is humbling to think that the same truth that children learn in Sunday school—“He’s got the whole world in his hands”—will inspire us to worship for eternity.

God’s authority means the world is not running willy-nilly out of control, in a course with no direction, with no one at the helm. Human extinction is not a possibility because he has all things in his hands. Nuclear annihilation is not a possibility because he has all things in his hands. Evangelistic defect is not a possibility because he has all things in his hands. Missionary failure is not a possibility because he has all things in his hands. Losing my salvation is not a possibility because he has all things (including me) in his hands.

In the end our God wins! He is glorious and majestic. He has dominion and power. For his glory he will keep me. In his majesty he will keep me. Through his power he will keep me. By his authority he will keep me. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

I conclude with a word of practical application. It’s worth considering why people lack assurance, doubting their eternal security. I believe there are at least five possible reasons this is such a troubling issue for many Christians today. There may be

What can we do to help people settle the issue and gain the security they should experience in Christ? First, we must look to the cross and use God’s Word, remembering two crucial truths: by his work on the cross Jesus obtained my salvation, and by his work in heaven Jesus maintains my salvation. Second, we can ask questions about their experience of the Christian life. These questions are not complicated theological tests but the basics of the normal Christian life:

Someone who is walking with Christ and trusting in his gospel has good reason to rest in the preserving grace of God. Augustus Montague Toplady said it beautifully:

My name from the palms of His hands eternity will not erase;

Impressed on His heart it remains, in marks of indelible grace.

Yes, I to the end shall endure, as sure as the earnest is giv’n;

More happy, but not more secure, the glorified spirits in heav’n. (“A Debtor to Mercy Alone,” 1771)

Psalm 37:23-24 provides a fitting final and encouraging word:

A person’s steps are established by the Lord,

and he takes pleasure in his way.

Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed,

because the Lordsupports him with his hand.

Secure in him. Secure forever.