by Pat Franklin You are going to be presented SPOTLESS!
The following are my notes from a sermon given by Pastor Brian Lotter, formerly the godly minister of Bethel Baptist Church in Upper Hale, Farnham, Surrey, England, on July 4, 1999. I came across them in an old notebook and am so thankful that Brian delivered this heartening message, and even more thankful that it is true – Jesus really IS going to clean us all up and have a spotless bride! Hallelujah!
The notes are as follows. In South Africa (Brian is from South Africa) there is a wildlife reserve and people are escorted through by two game rangers who walk front and back. They carry .457 calibre rifles which can stop a buffalo or an elephant. When you walk through the game reserve there is danger, but you are safe. The road to heaven is pretty safe too. It is fraught with potential danger, but there is a Guide who will protect and care for us.
But some people are so worried by potential danger that they lose their joy. The letter of Jude tells of a terrible apostasy, but people can become too anxious about this. There is a benediction in Jude’s letter: ‘Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.’ (verses 24,25) Believers often suffer groundless apprehension. The Lord wants us to concentrate on His powerful ability to keep us (v.24). God’s ability is much stronger than any potential danger. He can keep you from stumbling.
If you are a true child of God He will keep you from falling. He says it over and over again. John 6 :39 ‘This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing…’ 1Peter 1:5 ‘…who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’ 1 Corinthians 1:18 ‘…who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Philippians 1:6 ‘…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…’ Psalm 145:14 The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up all those who are bowed down.
We are going to be presented faultless because Jesus never stops short of perfection. The Savior is not going to present us dirty, barely alive. He will keep us safe from falling, and present us faultless. He makes us faultless in three ways. Romans 8:29, 30 * For whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son * …whom He called, He also justified; * …and whom He justified, these He also glorified. We will be glorified, faultless, without blame, presented before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, with exaltation. Zephaniah 3:17 He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you in His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
So don’t be apprehensive, but look at God’s ability to present you faultless. When this sinks in, it should lead to glorious adoration of God our Savior. God planned our salvation. He worked it all out. Glory, majesty, dominion, power and brightness are manifestations of the excellence of God, as the radiance that Paul saw on the road to Damascus (Acts 22:11). The brilliance of God shines and blinds. Hebrews 1:3 Jesus is the ‘brightness of His glory’ and in Hebrews 8:1 Jesus is seated ‘at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.’ God’s influence, dominion, and power is over all the universe, of which He is the divine Author. Jude tells us the attributes of God.
The idea is – let’s stand up and praise Him because our salvation is absolutely sure in Him and He will keep us from falling. If you trust in Jesus - this is a certain thing – He WILL keep you from falling. Have a sense of your own weakness, but a belief in your own safety. By yourself you cannot stand one minute, but since you’re in the Father’s hand, you can never perish and no one will be able to pluck you out of the Father’s hand. The greatest thing you can do is to put down your own self confidence and trust in Jesus Christ.
