Our hope, our trust, our faith, our EVERYTHING must be in Christ!

I just had to go back to these two verses, the last in the book of Jude.


Jud 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Jud 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.


We really need to remember this-live this- breathe this-


HIM that is able to keep you from FALLING.
HIM that is able to present you FAULTLESS.


We don't keep ourselves from falling, and no one around us keeps us from falling, there is only ONE that can keep us from falling.


We can't present ourselves faultless, our friends can't present us faultless, there is only ONE that can present us faultless.


We try so incredibly hard - we really do and that's not altogether a bad thing. We are to strive against sin, we are to sin no more, we do have our part to play but that's just it- it's a part of submission. Our striving, our sinning no more is a work of submission to the ONE that can keep us from falling. Our egos fueled by our flesh, encouraged by Satan and His minions, demands that WE keep in control of all aspects of our lives, that we submit to no one and if we do submit it's because it serves our egos to do so. We are to submit those egos to our Savior. Our desires are NOT to be paramount. Our needs are NOT to be first and foremost.


Here's something to think about- are you rich? I can imagine the majority will answer no to this question. We have some idealistic, perverted idea of what being rich is. Yet by whose standards are we rich or not- the world's or God's?


What is God's standard of being rich? Is it the same as ours? In my country I'm considered to be living at poverty level. But this exact same poverty level given to another in a poorer country would be considered RICH. Seriously, we don't often think about being rich in this manner. We look at man's standards forgetting God has much different standards. The Bible tells us that it is easier for a camel to fit through an eye of a needle than a rich man to get into heaven and why is that? Why did Jesus tell the rich man to go and sell all he had and follow Him? What do our possessions do to us that keeps us from following our Savior? They serve self. They allow us to have comfort and ease, they entrap us in selfishness and they feed our egos. I'm not talking on the scale of Donald Trump, you can be rich and not possess any where near the fortune of Donald Trump or Bill Gates, or Steve Jobs, or mega movie stars and famous athletes. Our idea of rich is seriously skewed and Satan loves that because as long as we don't consider ourselves rich we don't sense the possible danger we might be in. When our possessions however meager we consider them to be keep us caught up in them- then we are in great danger. We consider people CRAZY who give away their possessions, their fortunes. CRAZY we call them, and yes, with capital letters. It frightens us to even imagine having to give up our possessions. We tell ourselves God would not want that. God doesn't want a bunch of destitute people. God provides and He's provided all this for me so He must want me to have it all. Jesus isn't around today to follow about here and there, having Him provide food for us miraculously so there is NO way Jesus would tell us today to sell all we have and follow Him. Hey, we don't even use camels for transport today so we don't have to worry about any needle for that camel to go through. Jesus didn't say it's easier for a Mercedes to go through an eye of a needle than a rich man to get to heaven, things change you know.


I do know. I know that ANYTHING that keeps of us from living in Christ, from living selflessly, will keep us from heaven. If we cherish one possession more than we cherish our Savior, if we cherish even one person more than we cherish our Savior then we put ourselves at risk.


Of course now the thought creeps in- there is NO way I can do all that is required of me, no way at all. And then a sense of depression raises it's ugly little head and despair is right behind that inkling of depression ready to pounce and devour. But you know what, no matter what place we are in - rich or poor, we need to SUBMIT to Christ. Maybe we aren't to be called to give up all we have- Christ didn't tell Nicodemus ( a very rich man) to give up all his wealth. We are called to submit to Christ, that wherever we find ourselves, in whatever state, we are to KNOW, to BELIEVE, to have FAITH only in Christ for salvation! You could give away everything you have to the poor and become a homeless, poor person yourself and still be caught up in selfishness, still believing that YOUR actions will save you, that you've saved yourself by becoming poor so now it will be easy for you to get into heaven. It's Christ's actions that save us. It's our submitting to Christ that saves us. What does Christ ask us to do?


Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.


Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.


Joh 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.


1Jn 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
1Jn 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1Jn 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.


1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.


2Jn 1:4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
2Jn 1:5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
2Jn 1:6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.


We need to OBEY our Savior fully, unconditionally obey Him.


The rich man kept all the commandments but lacked one thing- obedience to the Savior. Anything the Savior asks of us we must be willing to do. No, Christ isn't walking upon the earth today giving us direction but we have His word and we have the Holy Spirit that will guide us into all truth.


Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.


Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?


Rom 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.


Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,


2Ti 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.


Jud 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Jud 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.


Our hope, our trust, our faith, our EVERYTHING must be in Christ!


If you are at a crossroad in life, if you have something you are conflicted about, if you feel the conviction of something weighing upon you the pray, pray…pray asking for Christ to keep you from falling, asking for Christ to present you faultless before Him, ask Him to deliver you from every evil work and preserve you to his heavenly kingdom and keep trusting in Him.


REMEMBER…

Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ


Our eyes have to be upon Jesus, not upon ourselves.


All to Jesus we must surrender.


By His amazing LOVE!


In His mercy, by His grace, through HIS righteousness!


Amen.