Heaven Help Us!

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, Jude 24 NASB

Keep you from stumbling – Sometimes it just feels like we can’t keep going. The weight of living in Babylon, the rejection of those we thought understood us, the solitary struggle to maintain righteousness overwhelms us. We know we are close to falling down—again. We need help from heaven, and Jude proclaims that we can have it. God Himself provides reinforcements. He is able to keep us on track when we are teetering. It’s a great promise, but is it true? Perhaps we need some backwards perspective in order to know.

Most of us are not very good at spiritual discernment in the present moment. We are too preoccupied with the emotional flow to see the larger reality. We are invested in ourselves now. As a result, we lose sight of the greater testimony of heaven’s help. God can keep us from falling. How do we know this? Because we have a history of rescue. We might not see His hand at this precise moment, but we have seen it before and we have a record of those who have also seen it so we have confidence that what He has done He will do again. This moment we suffer from self-inflicted obscurity, but the record of His involvement is not diminished. We just need to adjust the rear-view mirror.

The Greek text contains some pretty strong language. “Who is able” introduces the idea with the verb dynamai, a verb of power. This is about ability and capacity, attitude and action. Even in Greek thought, dynamis is a cosmic idea, the basis for life itself. Greeks viewed this as a natural force. Hebrews viewed it as the presence of a personal God. In either language, it stresses the unstoppable strength of accomplishment. It will be done!

Jude combines this verb with phylasso, “to protect, to watch.” What will be done by the unstoppable power of the cosmic God? Oversight and protection. There is no hesitancy in Jude’s declaration. The God who stands behind all creation is the same God who guards our direction. He is not slow to perform nor unwilling to assist. Just look at His record. Of course, you have to look before it becomes clear. Myopic obsession with your present distress prevents rearview assessment, but it doesn’t change the facts. God acts! He has before. He will again.

Lastly, Jude employs the adjective aptaistous. This is the negative form of ptaio. “Not stumbling.” God’s glorious power is employed in oversight and protection so that you and I will not stumble. Of course, Jude uses the phrase metaphorically. He means that God will do everything possible to keep us from sinning. If God is doing everything possible on His side of the equation, everything that the unstoppable, cosmic Creator can do, then what is left? Just you. Just me. Just our vision and agreement. Just the recognition that our small part has already been coupled with the immensity of the universe placed at our disposal to keep us going forward. So what’s the problem?

Topical Index: able, dynamis, keep, phylasso, stumble, ptaio, Jude 24