Jude 1:24 To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy.
Like everyone else on this planet, I am a sinner in need of saving. I try to be a good person, but usually there are moments each day when I succumb to temptation. Perhaps it’s when someone else upsets me, or something that I selfishly want. Maybe it’s something I’ve neglected to do, or someone that I’ve offended. Whatever the circumstances, I end up with a list of sinful things that I need to confess at the end of each day.
There are even times when I’m too busy or too tired to really pray. I end up taking God’s grace for granted and cheapen Christ’s ability to forgive me. In fact, as I’m writing this, I realize that I’ve forgotten to ask forgiveness for something that happened yesterday. I need to stop what I’m doing and make amends with the Lord right away.
We daily try to be Christians and some days are better than others. We wrestle with life and struggle to be faithful to Christ in all things. It’s never easy, but it can frequently be joyful. I like what Jude has to write at the end of his letter. He refers to Jesus as the One who keeps us from falling and who presents us before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy. We all may be great sinners and make mistakes each day, but we have a Great Savior who will forgive us for everything. That’s what makes our faith a joy to experience. That’s what makes Jesus so wonderful to follow.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for allowing us to confess our mistakes, repent of our sins, and receive Your forgiveness. We know that we are imperfect, foolish, and selfish at times. We praise You for being Perfect, Wise, and Gracious. In Your Holy Name, we joyfully pray. Amen.
John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.
Today’s image is one of John’s sunset drawings of Pawley’s Island in South Carolina. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1217/4608181438_01d3daf318_b.jpg
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