Before the Presence of His Glory

Before the Presence of His Glory

Pastor Robert Zemke


God is Love. He loves us so much that he wants us to grow into maturity; therefore, he gives warnings. Parents love their children and warn them of the dangers of making poor choices. This warning is best when parents model godly behavior, set boundaries for them (this is compounded by social media entering the home), and love them well. The goal is to shepherd their heart so they desire to do the right thing and warn them about the consequences of poor decisions. God, our Father, does something similar, only perfectly.

 

The Lord warns us throughout his word, but I wonder if we believe it. Sometimes scripture sounds too severe or intense for our taste. We are studying Jude with the youth of the church. False teachers have infiltrated the church, and Jude (Jesus's half-brother) is warning them. Jude summarizes the nature of their disobedience. He uses examples in the Old Testament and compares Israel, angels, and Sodom and Gomorrah as having tremendous benefits yet were disobedient and received a judgment from the Lord. “Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones” (Jude 8). Jude goes on to say, “These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever” (Jude 1:12-13). Here, Jude addresses the false teachers in the church who were feeding themselves, not the flock. Also, immorality occurred at these love feasts that were initially the gathering of believers for communion (1 Corinthians 11:20). 

 

We are concerned about the wickedness of our nation and the world, as we should be, but God reserves the severest warning and condemnation to the church that has ignored, distorted, or walked away from the commands of Christ. False teachers pervert the grace of our God, assuming godly behavior is not required as they promote the gospel. People today can think we do not have to love our enemies because we are God’s agents of change. We will all have to stand before God. Let’s be discerning and take his warnings seriously as we pursue his love and justice in the world. We need not be anxious about meeting the Lord but trust in him, as Jude affirms in his often-repeated benediction:

 

"Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen" (Jude 1:24-25).