JUDE 1
Who was Jude? The probable answer to that question is interesting. Jude 1:1 identifies Jude as the brother of James. This appears to be a reference to the author of the book of James, not to the apostle James, who was John's brother, who was killed by Herod according to Acts 12:1-2. The James who Jude refers to became a prominent leader of the church in Jerusalem after that. In Galatians 1:19, Paul refers to James as the brother of our Lord. Some Bible translations use other names for Jude, specifically Judah and Judas. These names seem to be somewhat interchangeable. Matthew 13:55 lists the brothers of Jesus as James and Joseph and Simon and Judas. Mark 6:3 names the brothers of Jesus as James and Joses and Judas and Simon. So it would seem that Jude was not just the brother of James, but the brother of Jesus himself. He may have been the youngest of Mary and Joseph's children. He was probably at least one of the youngest. Since Jude is referred to as Judah or Judas by some Bible translations and Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, Jude was probably named after the tribe to which he belonged.
Yet Jude makes no claim of a family relationship with Jesus. This may be partly because John 7:3-5 says that during Christ's earthly ministry, even the Lord's brothers did not believe in him. But the primary reason why Jude does not refer to Jesus as his brother is because whatever relationship they may once have had, Jude is now the servant, or bond servant, depending on the translation, of Jesus Christ. The meaning of this term implies complete slavery and subjection, not the normal competitive brotherly relationship my two sons have. James also refers to himself as a servant of Jesus Christ in James 1:1. He also prefers to acknowledge Jesus as his Lord, rather than claiming a family relationship.
The book of Jude is very similar to 2 Peter chapter 2, so much so that some commentaries spend time worrying about whether Peter "borrowed" the material from Jude or Jude "borrowed" the material from Peter. It seems irrelevant to me which was written first. For those of us who believe in the inspiration of scripture, what matters is that much of this material is presented twice in the New Testamant, as many of the stories in the gospels are, which makes this a point of emphasis.
The primary purpose of this book is to give a stern warning to those who profess to be Christians and participate in the external life and ministry of the church, yet they commit sexual sins, despise authority, and they habitually complain and grumble, instead of giving thanks. They refuse to repent and humble themselves before God, even when they are surrounded by people who do.
Based on God's holiness and the eternal consequences of unconfessed sin, it seems reasonable that we who are Christians should hear warnings from time to time about the consequences of lust, gluttony, rebellion, etc. Unfortunately, we rarely hear warnings like this from the pulpit today. In some cases, it may be because those who give sermons don't want to talk about sin because they have a lot of unconfessed sin in their own lives. In most cases, however, it is probably because they are afraid of declining church attendance or smaller offerings in the collection basket. Perhaps some are afraid their preaching will be perceived as self-righteous. Preaching has fallen into such disrepute in the United States that sermons about sin automatically generate a cynical response such as, "What are you hiding, preacher?"
God won't allow anything to be excused or hidden forever. None of the four gospel writers omitted Peter's denial of Christ prior to the crucifixion of Jesus. All of our sins may be forgiven, but none of us should expect them to be hidden. God has no history of hiding even the sins of the patriarchs of the faith, and there's no reason we should expect him to do it for us.
Luke 12:2-5 (NKJV) says:
2 "For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.
3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
4 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!"
In Matthew 10:28, Jesus also gives us the same warning. Every Christian should attend a church where the consequences of disobedience are taught. Fearing God has always been part of the gospel. Jesus taught it, and we can't afford to ignore it, just because we want to hear something more pleasant.
When Paul met with the elders from the church at Ephesus for the last time, this is part of what he said:
Acts 20:26 (NASB) "Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
27"For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.
28"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
29"I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
30and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
31"Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
32"And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified."
The key point here is that Paul declared the whole counsel of God, not just the most pleasant parts of it. When I listen to today's megachurch pastors on TV, it sounds as if they're serving second helpings of dessert, but not vegetables. I generally like what they say, but it's what they won't say which concerns me. However, only God is qualified to judge anyone. They are certainly not my servants. My point is not about any individual, but only that we need a complete and balanced spiritual diet, which includes the message in this short book.
The following passage is from the NIV translation:
Jude 1:3: "Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.
4 For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord."
In this context, Jude is talking about contending for the faith inside the church, not outside in the secular world. Anyone who doubts the potential impact of godless men on the church should read Joshua 7, in which a man named Achan took silver and gold which was supposed to be destroyed. His sin caused the men of Israel to flee from a small group of enemies, and it caused Achan his life. God has not changed, and it is reasonable to assume that a church which tolerates sin is trading God's priceless blessings for curses, judgment, and perhaps even for the ultimate destruction of some of its members.
The following passage is from the NKJV:
Jude 1:5 "But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.
6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;
7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."
God expects continuing faithfulness from us. We should remember, but not rely on spiritual experiences from the distant past.
There are three examples of God's judgment here. Numbers 13 and 14 tell us that Moses sent men from each of the tribes of Israel to Canaan to examine the land. Because ten of the twelve men who were sent refused to believe God could give the land of Canaan to Israel, and their unbelief spread throughout Israel when they returned, a generation of men and women wandered in the wilderness for forty years until they died. Unfortunately, for them, their exodus from Egypt was just the beginning of another tragedy.
We're probably all familiar with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, which is told in Genesis 19. Angels came to Lot to warn him to get out of the city. While they were visiting Lot, the men of the city tried to break down Lot's door so they could get at the angels and have sex with them. The men of Sodom assumed the angels to be men like themselves. Apparently this was how they treated anyone who was new in town, which makes me wonder what Lot's experiences with them were, and why he was still there, but scripture doesn't answer that question. Though translations vary somewhat, this one says the men of Sodom and Gomorrah went after strange flesh, and other translations refer to sexual immorality. The implication here is that something happened at Sodom and Gomorrah which is completely outside of God's will and purpose regarding sex.
What does verse 7 mean when it says, "in a similar manner to these"? It is comparing verse 7 with verse 6, which says that some angels did not keep their proper domain. Specifically, it is saying that the men of Sodom and Gomorrah in verse 7 did something like some angels did in verse 6. Consider the Amplified Bible's translation of Genesis 6:1-6.
1 "WHEN MEN began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them,
2 The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair, and they took wives of all they desired and chose.
3 Then the Lord said, My Spirit shall not forever dwell and strive with man, for he also is flesh; but his days shall yet be 120 years.
4 There were giants on the earth in those days--and also afterward--when the sons of God lived with the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination and intention of all human thinking was only evil continually.
6 And the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved at heart."
We would not be surprised if the preceeding passage referred to "the sons of men and the daughters of men". But by saying "the sons of God and the daughters of men", it seems to imply an apples and oranges instead of oranges and oranges comparison. I believe this means that some fallen angels had sex with women, just as the men of Sodom and Gomorrah attempted to have sex with angels. Because this is contrary to God's will, these angels have been put in chains. These unions produced giants, most notably Goliath, who David killed, though Goliath may only have been one of the descendants of these unions. Note that in Numbers 13:31-33, the Hebrew spies said they seemed like grasshoppers to the inhabitants of the land.
Though Jude only touches on this subject, without commenting further on it, it's worth noting that God has always had a plan of redemption for sinful man, but no plan of redemption for fallen angels, who have sinned, even though they have been in God's presence. It seems that Satan attempted to thwart God's purpose for mankind by having angels interbreed with humans. We don't know at what point God stopped this activity, but we do know that part of what the people of Israel were to do was to destroy the giants in the land of Canaan. Obviously, this isn't a major point of doctrine, or something to have a dispute with anyone about, but it does explain some of the historical passages in the Old Testament.
Jude 1:8-19 is fairly similar to 2 Peter 2:10-22. It declares God's judgment against those who defile the flesh (indulge in sexual immorality), despise authority, and revile even heavenly beings. These sins are the result of pride and a lack of self-control, pride because some people believe they should be more important than they are, and they consequently believe those who have positions of authority don't deserve them, and self-control, because they use their bodies for gluttony, drunkenness and unchastity. All of these are in contrast to God's will for us. We ought to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, according to Romans 12:1, respect people in positions of authority, according to Romans 13:7, and to give thanks to God, as Philippians 4:6 says.
Many of us may not feel the condemnation of this passage applies to us, and it may not. But we ought to stop ourselves when we want to grumble or speak evil of others, and we ought to check our attitude, making sure it is motivated by gratitude and unselfishness, rather than complaining and self-gratification.
Verse 9 makes the point that if an archangel like Michael is unwilling even to revile Satan, we ought to be very careful about what we say. A casual reader might not notice that there is no description in the Old Testament of a dispute between Michael and Satan over the body of Moses. This seems to come from an apocryphal source called the Assumption of Moses. Apparently, Michael was sent to bury Moses. Note that Numbers 12:3 says Moses was the most meek and humble man in all the earth, and an angel was sent to bury him. That's worth giving some thought.
Also, note that the passage found in Jude 1:14-15 is not found in Genesis, or anywhere in the Old Testament, but seems to come from an apocraphyal source called the Book of Enoch. I don't know whether copies of either the Assumption of Moses or the Book of Enoch exist anymore, but they are outside the cannon of scripture, and we should not find anything about them necessary, except what is quoted here.
Jude 1:17-19 (NIV) says:
17 "But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold.
18 They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires."
19 These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit."
There are several similar passages in the New Testament, most notably 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV), as follows:
1 "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."
Jude 1:22-23 tell us to have mercy on some of those who are among us. Only after attempting to show mercy to others and warning them about God's judgment are we to refuse to have fellowship with them.
Jude 1:20-21 (NIV) says:
20 "But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.
21 Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."
This passage speaks for itself about our responsibility to build up our faith, to pray, to abide in God's love and to wait for his mercy. I believe praying in the Holy Spirit is a direct reference to praying in tongues, and it would have been understood that way by Jude's original readers. But even if one doesn't speak in tongues, there are many other things which can bring us into the spiritual presence of God, and we should practice those.
Finally, if the book of Jude is remembered for anything, it is remembered for its doxology in verses 24:25 (NKJV), which says:
24 "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,
25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power,
Both now and forever. Amen."
In spite of God's commandments not to sin, it is ultimately God, and God alone, who can present us faultless in his presence. It is beyond our ability, even given our best efforts, but he is able to do it, and for this we should be grateful, today and throughout eternity.
Yet Jude makes no claim of a family relationship with Jesus. This may be partly because John 7:3-5 says that during Christ's earthly ministry, even the Lord's brothers did not believe in him. But the primary reason why Jude does not refer to Jesus as his brother is because whatever relationship they may once have had, Jude is now the servant, or bond servant, depending on the translation, of Jesus Christ. The meaning of this term implies complete slavery and subjection, not the normal competitive brotherly relationship my two sons have. James also refers to himself as a servant of Jesus Christ in James 1:1. He also prefers to acknowledge Jesus as his Lord, rather than claiming a family relationship.
The book of Jude is very similar to 2 Peter chapter 2, so much so that some commentaries spend time worrying about whether Peter "borrowed" the material from Jude or Jude "borrowed" the material from Peter. It seems irrelevant to me which was written first. For those of us who believe in the inspiration of scripture, what matters is that much of this material is presented twice in the New Testamant, as many of the stories in the gospels are, which makes this a point of emphasis.
The primary purpose of this book is to give a stern warning to those who profess to be Christians and participate in the external life and ministry of the church, yet they commit sexual sins, despise authority, and they habitually complain and grumble, instead of giving thanks. They refuse to repent and humble themselves before God, even when they are surrounded by people who do.
Based on God's holiness and the eternal consequences of unconfessed sin, it seems reasonable that we who are Christians should hear warnings from time to time about the consequences of lust, gluttony, rebellion, etc. Unfortunately, we rarely hear warnings like this from the pulpit today. In some cases, it may be because those who give sermons don't want to talk about sin because they have a lot of unconfessed sin in their own lives. In most cases, however, it is probably because they are afraid of declining church attendance or smaller offerings in the collection basket. Perhaps some are afraid their preaching will be perceived as self-righteous. Preaching has fallen into such disrepute in the United States that sermons about sin automatically generate a cynical response such as, "What are you hiding, preacher?"
God won't allow anything to be excused or hidden forever. None of the four gospel writers omitted Peter's denial of Christ prior to the crucifixion of Jesus. All of our sins may be forgiven, but none of us should expect them to be hidden. God has no history of hiding even the sins of the patriarchs of the faith, and there's no reason we should expect him to do it for us.
Luke 12:2-5 (NKJV) says:
2 "For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.
3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
4 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!"
In Matthew 10:28, Jesus also gives us the same warning. Every Christian should attend a church where the consequences of disobedience are taught. Fearing God has always been part of the gospel. Jesus taught it, and we can't afford to ignore it, just because we want to hear something more pleasant.
When Paul met with the elders from the church at Ephesus for the last time, this is part of what he said:
Acts 20:26 (NASB) "Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
27"For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.
28"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
29"I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
30and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
31"Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
32"And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified."
The key point here is that Paul declared the whole counsel of God, not just the most pleasant parts of it. When I listen to today's megachurch pastors on TV, it sounds as if they're serving second helpings of dessert, but not vegetables. I generally like what they say, but it's what they won't say which concerns me. However, only God is qualified to judge anyone. They are certainly not my servants. My point is not about any individual, but only that we need a complete and balanced spiritual diet, which includes the message in this short book.
The following passage is from the NIV translation:
Jude 1:3: "Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.
4 For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord."
In this context, Jude is talking about contending for the faith inside the church, not outside in the secular world. Anyone who doubts the potential impact of godless men on the church should read Joshua 7, in which a man named Achan took silver and gold which was supposed to be destroyed. His sin caused the men of Israel to flee from a small group of enemies, and it caused Achan his life. God has not changed, and it is reasonable to assume that a church which tolerates sin is trading God's priceless blessings for curses, judgment, and perhaps even for the ultimate destruction of some of its members.
The following passage is from the NKJV:
Jude 1:5 "But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.
6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;
7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."
God expects continuing faithfulness from us. We should remember, but not rely on spiritual experiences from the distant past.
There are three examples of God's judgment here. Numbers 13 and 14 tell us that Moses sent men from each of the tribes of Israel to Canaan to examine the land. Because ten of the twelve men who were sent refused to believe God could give the land of Canaan to Israel, and their unbelief spread throughout Israel when they returned, a generation of men and women wandered in the wilderness for forty years until they died. Unfortunately, for them, their exodus from Egypt was just the beginning of another tragedy.
We're probably all familiar with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, which is told in Genesis 19. Angels came to Lot to warn him to get out of the city. While they were visiting Lot, the men of the city tried to break down Lot's door so they could get at the angels and have sex with them. The men of Sodom assumed the angels to be men like themselves. Apparently this was how they treated anyone who was new in town, which makes me wonder what Lot's experiences with them were, and why he was still there, but scripture doesn't answer that question. Though translations vary somewhat, this one says the men of Sodom and Gomorrah went after strange flesh, and other translations refer to sexual immorality. The implication here is that something happened at Sodom and Gomorrah which is completely outside of God's will and purpose regarding sex.
What does verse 7 mean when it says, "in a similar manner to these"? It is comparing verse 7 with verse 6, which says that some angels did not keep their proper domain. Specifically, it is saying that the men of Sodom and Gomorrah in verse 7 did something like some angels did in verse 6. Consider the Amplified Bible's translation of Genesis 6:1-6.
1 "WHEN MEN began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them,
2 The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair, and they took wives of all they desired and chose.
3 Then the Lord said, My Spirit shall not forever dwell and strive with man, for he also is flesh; but his days shall yet be 120 years.
4 There were giants on the earth in those days--and also afterward--when the sons of God lived with the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination and intention of all human thinking was only evil continually.
6 And the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved at heart."
We would not be surprised if the preceeding passage referred to "the sons of men and the daughters of men". But by saying "the sons of God and the daughters of men", it seems to imply an apples and oranges instead of oranges and oranges comparison. I believe this means that some fallen angels had sex with women, just as the men of Sodom and Gomorrah attempted to have sex with angels. Because this is contrary to God's will, these angels have been put in chains. These unions produced giants, most notably Goliath, who David killed, though Goliath may only have been one of the descendants of these unions. Note that in Numbers 13:31-33, the Hebrew spies said they seemed like grasshoppers to the inhabitants of the land.
Though Jude only touches on this subject, without commenting further on it, it's worth noting that God has always had a plan of redemption for sinful man, but no plan of redemption for fallen angels, who have sinned, even though they have been in God's presence. It seems that Satan attempted to thwart God's purpose for mankind by having angels interbreed with humans. We don't know at what point God stopped this activity, but we do know that part of what the people of Israel were to do was to destroy the giants in the land of Canaan. Obviously, this isn't a major point of doctrine, or something to have a dispute with anyone about, but it does explain some of the historical passages in the Old Testament.
Jude 1:8-19 is fairly similar to 2 Peter 2:10-22. It declares God's judgment against those who defile the flesh (indulge in sexual immorality), despise authority, and revile even heavenly beings. These sins are the result of pride and a lack of self-control, pride because some people believe they should be more important than they are, and they consequently believe those who have positions of authority don't deserve them, and self-control, because they use their bodies for gluttony, drunkenness and unchastity. All of these are in contrast to God's will for us. We ought to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, according to Romans 12:1, respect people in positions of authority, according to Romans 13:7, and to give thanks to God, as Philippians 4:6 says.
Many of us may not feel the condemnation of this passage applies to us, and it may not. But we ought to stop ourselves when we want to grumble or speak evil of others, and we ought to check our attitude, making sure it is motivated by gratitude and unselfishness, rather than complaining and self-gratification.
Verse 9 makes the point that if an archangel like Michael is unwilling even to revile Satan, we ought to be very careful about what we say. A casual reader might not notice that there is no description in the Old Testament of a dispute between Michael and Satan over the body of Moses. This seems to come from an apocryphal source called the Assumption of Moses. Apparently, Michael was sent to bury Moses. Note that Numbers 12:3 says Moses was the most meek and humble man in all the earth, and an angel was sent to bury him. That's worth giving some thought.
Also, note that the passage found in Jude 1:14-15 is not found in Genesis, or anywhere in the Old Testament, but seems to come from an apocraphyal source called the Book of Enoch. I don't know whether copies of either the Assumption of Moses or the Book of Enoch exist anymore, but they are outside the cannon of scripture, and we should not find anything about them necessary, except what is quoted here.
Jude 1:17-19 (NIV) says:
17 "But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold.
18 They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires."
19 These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit."
There are several similar passages in the New Testament, most notably 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV), as follows:
1 "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."
Jude 1:22-23 tell us to have mercy on some of those who are among us. Only after attempting to show mercy to others and warning them about God's judgment are we to refuse to have fellowship with them.
Jude 1:20-21 (NIV) says:
20 "But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.
21 Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."
This passage speaks for itself about our responsibility to build up our faith, to pray, to abide in God's love and to wait for his mercy. I believe praying in the Holy Spirit is a direct reference to praying in tongues, and it would have been understood that way by Jude's original readers. But even if one doesn't speak in tongues, there are many other things which can bring us into the spiritual presence of God, and we should practice those.
Finally, if the book of Jude is remembered for anything, it is remembered for its doxology in verses 24:25 (NKJV), which says:
24 "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,
25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power,
Both now and forever. Amen."
In spite of God's commandments not to sin, it is ultimately God, and God alone, who can present us faultless in his presence. It is beyond our ability, even given our best efforts, but he is able to do it, and for this we should be grateful, today and throughout eternity.
posted by TAPIOCA at 2/02/2007 09:42:00 AM
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