Stories fuel the imagination. That is one of the reasons I use stories in sermons and in writing. As a child, I was captivated by stories. Some were stories I would hear in the Sunday School while others were stories I would hear at school or listening to a grown-up tell. I never got past enjoying a telling or reading that was told with vivid descriptions and great enthusiasm. I still enjoy it. The Bible is full of stories, and many are extremely vivid like the little book in the back of the New Testament, Jude. This book was written by the half-brother of the Lord Jesus. He writes about the desire to discuss the common salvation but was compelled to write about contending for “the faith.” He writes about men, who are apostates, that creep into churches seeking to destroy the people of God. He reminds his readers of stories from the past like Sodom and Gomorrah, and their destruction. He paints the picture mentally of Michael the archangel fighting against the Devil for the body of Moses. With all this imagery he has packed into this little letter, perhaps my favorite verse is found at the end. Take a second and read this little book. It won’t take five minutes. When you finish, go back, and read the last two verses. These verses are called a doxology. There are several of those in the New Testament, but this one has always been my favorite because of the security it has given me since becoming a Christian. John Philips is a favorite preacher of mine. He is in heaven now, but his sermons and writings have helped me personally through the years. His definition of a doxology is “The appearance of a magnificence that attracts the gaze and holds the eye.” I want to share with you three things today from this doxology in Jude.

  1. God’s Power is Unmatched. There is not a person or being dead or alive that was ever more powerful than God. It is this very God that keeps you and me from falling. I never think or read this verse without being overwhelmed with comfort that I am eternally saved, not because of what I do, but because of God and His strength. My salvation is secure because of Him and His ability, not my own. If you read these verses slowly perhaps you picked up on the tense of the verse. It doesn’t say He was able or that He will be able in the future. It says that He “is able.” It is a present tense. That means right now, what you are experiencing is no match for our Lord.
  2. God’s Purpose for Us. Each of us has a purpose in the work of God. He has a job for you and he’s working in you to make you victorious in your walk. What is the ultimate goal he has for us? He plans to present us “faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.” He’s making you into the image of his dear son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you ever think, “What is God doing with everything that’s happening in my life?” That is a normal thought. Biblically, the answer is He’s working on me and you to conform us to the image of His son. He will not be deterred. Take comfort in this truth. What is the result of this purpose? It is to be in God’s presence with “exceeding joy.” If you truly wish to be a happy, joy filled believer, don’t fight against the Lord. Just submit to the working of God in your life. He always knows and does what is best for us.
  3. God is to be Praised Universally. “To the only wise God our Savior…” The word for God in this verse is El Shaddai, “the mighty one.” The wisdom and power of God are unmatched. Is it any wonder that John Philips said of doxology about the Lord, “The appearance of a magnificence that attracts the gaze and holds the eye.” When we see the Lord God in all of His glory we simply gaze. Our hearts are filled with admiration, wonder, reverence, and worship. Jude closes his letter with what could be called triple doubles. Three descriptive pairs close this little book. He speaks of God by using “glory and majesty”, “dominion and power”, and “now and forever.” There has never been a God like our God. It is this God that gives His children everything they need. When you read Jude, don’t start fading before you get to the end. The end lets you see how magnificent God truly is.