“To him who is able … to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless [faultless] and with great [exceeding] joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.” [Jude 24-25 HCSB]
I do love this doxology that closes Jude’s letter. Yesterday I wrote about our God and His ability to “keep us from falling,” the first praise expression of Jude. But there is a second reason Jude is praising God, and that is God is able to present us before His glorious presence blameless and with exceeding joy.
Blameless/Faultless. The Greek word means simply unblemished, without blame or fault. Have you ever wondered what it will be like to be eternally faultless, no blemish on our soul ever again? Have you ever wondered what it will feel like to be completely, absolutely without shame?
I know that is the way God sees me now in Christ. I also know that is not how others see me, or even how I see myself. In this life, my blemishes and faults are often very visible. And inside my soul I am often reminded I have no one to blame but myself for my choices, my sins, my flaws.
But the day is coming … that day when all my blemishes, faults, shame will remain in the grave and I will exit into the presence of the Lord white as snow. No wonder Jude says that when that happens there will be great, exceedingly great joy!
Thank you, Father, for Christ whose sacrifice makes me white as snow. I long for the day when I will no longer be able to see (or perhaps even remember?) the faults and failures of this life. Amen.
