He is Able to Keep You

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,
To God our Savior, who alone is wise,
be glory and majesty, dominion and power,
both now and forever. Amen.
Jude vv. 24-25, NKJV

There is an age old discussion regarding predestination and self-determination. Did God choose me, or did I choose God? Is my destiny or fate already decided, or can I make a difference with my own decisions. Is God sovereign, or do I have free will? The answer, I believe, is yes.

That's not a copout. It's not an avoidance. It's not dodging the issue. There just comes a time in certain discussions that we have to realize it is not an either/or matter; it is both/and. God chose us beforehand, from before the foundation of the world. But we have to choose Him in the here and now. God already knows where we will spend eternity, but our destination is determined by the decisions we make in the present. God is absolutely sovereign and does all things according to His will, plan and purpose. But He has given me the ability to exercise my will, presenting me the choices and allowing me the liberty to do as I please.

We cannot sin, and then say, "God, why didn't you stop me?" We cannot make bad decisions, and then ask, "God, why did you let me do that?" We cannot make a mess out of everything and then say, "God, why have you done this to me?" God is not going to violate our will, even if our will leads us to our own destruction.

But Jude says He is able to keep us from stumbling. So how does that compute with the fact that we as believers sometimes do stumble? We falter. We fumble. We fail. And I've got to tell you, I have a way of doing a bang-up job of it sometimes. How can we reconcile God's ability to keep us from stumbling, and our continued ability to stumble in spite of Him?

God gave us His word, which gives us instructions for every day living. God gave us His Spirit, who convicts us of sin and convinces us of righteousness. God gave us His law, which is written on tablets of flesh in the heart of every person. These will keep us from stumbling, if we listen to them. We can deal successfully with temptations, traps and trials if we will live in obedience to what God has said. God does not operate as a restraint; He asks us to exercise self-control God does not reach down and jerk us back by the collar or shove us out of the way; He asks us to be watchful and use wisdom. God does not show up in all of His glory when we are about to take one step too far, shouting at us to stop; He asks us to know His will in His word and follow it.

He is able to keep us from stumbling, if we choose to do what He says. But I'm also glad Jude says He is able to present us faultless before His own glory. He is able to keep us from stumbling, but when we do stumble of our own accord, He is also able to forgive. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He is able to make all things new, over and over and over again, until we finally get it right. He is able to to strip away all the unruly, uncomely things in our lives, and then sanctify to Himself for service. He makes us perfect by grace through faith when we remain penitent. Forgiven is the most perfect I can be in this life, but it is enough!

And to Him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.