Grace and peace to you in the name of Lord Jesus Christ.
Hear the Word of God, from Jude 24-25:
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Here is another dispatch from the “Yes, I Know I’m Getting Old” Department of Life:
How many of you can remember singing “The Doxology” every Sunday in church worship?
It’s possible that some of you still sing it, and that you do so immediately after the ushers receive the offering and carry the offering plates to the front of the sanctuary. It’s also possible that some of you still sing it at the conclusion of worship or other church gatherings.
Current experience teaches me that singing “The Doxology” may be a thing of the past for most who are now growing up in or who have recently become a part of a worshipping congregation. But it will be embedded in my mind and memory forever.
For the record, a doxology is simply a short hymn of praise to God. The term come from the Greek words for “glory” (doxa) and “speaking a word” (logia). Several hymns can and have served as a doxology in Christian worship throughout the centuries, but the most famous of them is “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow,” set to a tune entitled “Old Hundredth” by Louis Bourgeois:
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
I remember that, on occasion, someone in church would say, “It’s time to sing the Doxology.” Usually, that was a reference that had little to do with the need for an offering; often, it was someone’s way of saying that a church discussion that was about to become a heated argument needed to come to a swift conclusion…or that someone was hungry and simply ready to leave!
Truth to tell, there are a vast variety of times when the Church…and individual Christians…need to sing a doxology. Jude was inspired to do so at the end of the brief New Testament letter that bears his name. Doxologies are usually composed of four parts, and, sure enough, four can be found in this passage of Scripture:
“Now to him who is able to keep you from falling…” is a use of athletic imagery: Jude is giving God glory for being the One who give us all of the resources we need we need to keep from weakening and stumbling in the race of life and falling into the ditch (namely sin).
“…and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing…” is a reference to what God has gloriously accomplished once and for all through the cross of His Son Jesus.
As the Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 2.17-20:
“But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
In Colossians 1.21-23, Paul goes on to say:
"And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him— provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven."
In the words of the old hymn, “Count your many blessings, see what GOD hath done.”
“…to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord…” is Jude’s way of reminding us that only God is the true God, and only God is the saving God. No other “religion” offers this understanding of God nor offers a deliverance beyond description through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Yes, Christianity posits an exclusive claim…but it offers a wondrously inclusive invitation!
“…be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” In a time when the world seemed out of control, Jude reminded the early Church…and reminds us…that God as sovereign majesty is Lord over history itself. He was in control before history began, will be in control throughout history, and will remain in control when history is over and eternity begins. Power and authority belong to God…and, through Jesus, we belong to Him, too!
On this Transfiguration Sunday, the Church has traditionally recalled the mountaintop experience of Peter, James, and John in Mark 9.2-9, when these disciples were able to get a glimpse of Jesus in all of His true glory before accompanying Him on His final journey to Jerusalem and to the Cross. We all need regular “glimpses of Jesus’ glory” in life, but, as Dr. Charles Lippse once said in a sermon on Revelation 19.4 (“And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who is seated on the throne, saying, ‘Amen. Hallelujah!’”), “You only get to truly say ‘hallelujah’ AFTER you’ve said ‘amen.’” Jude ends his letter with a simple “amen,” but “amen” is never simple; it’s a Hebrew prayer affirmation meaning “so be it” or “may it come to pass,” and it carries the commitment of the one who says it to the truth of what has just been said. When we sing a doxology, we end with “amen”…and it’s the “amen” that opens the door to a “hallelujah moment.”
Is there ever a bad time to “sing the Doxology?” No!
Has there ever been a better time for followers of Jesus to sing the Doxology? No!
Maybe it’s time to lead your world in singing a verse…
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.
Amen.
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