Stumbling

Jude 1:24 … "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling …"

As I look back into the history of man in each of the dispensations or periods of time, I find that man has always had a problem with … "falling."

Adam, in the dispensation of Innocence while in the garden, after walking with God, could not keep himself from falling. In the dispensation under Law, King David, a man after God's own heart could not keep himself from falling.

Even the Apostle Paul living in the dispensation of Grace as we do stated that he was the chief of sinners, meaning he also could not keep himself from falling.

I'm not speaking of falling as to the fact that "all have sinned" as Romans 3:23 states. I'm speaking of believers walking with Christ, doing all they can to keep themselves from falling.

All the people of God are liable to fall into temptation, into sin, into errors and mistakes today just as man has from Adam's day on; we are not able to keep from falling. Imperfect sinful men cannot keep themselves; we lack the power to do it … in and of … ourselves.

But here in this short letter, Jude closes with this promise that even though we are not able, Jesus … "is able to keep us from falling …"

What He keeps us from is … from falling through temptations; not from being tempted by Satan, that's going to happen; but from sinking under his temptations, and from the dominion that sin can have in your life.

This word "falling" (aptaistous) occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It literally means … "not stumbling" … as a horse would stumble. Therefore, I not only believe that Jesus can keep me from the dominion of sin in my life; but also that Jesus can and will keep me from "stumbling" … from being tripped up by sin. But only if …

If I allow God, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, total free access to my heart, my mind and my spirit; and I give Him the reins of my life, like leading a horse; He can then lead me around things or away from things that would cause me to "stumble" and fall.

My translation of this verse would read … "Now unto him (that's Jesus) that is able to keep you from not stumbling …"

All of us, even as believers … fall into sin … that's a fact. But … we don't fall completely. Why do I say, "We don't fall completely?"

It's basically because of this one fact; we are not holding God's hand, He is holding our hand, and God won't let go, even when we stumble. We don't fall … all the way … we don't fall completely.

Jude goes on in this verse and reminds us that not only will Jesus keep us from falling; He also presents us faultless before God.

Jesus Christ is able, and He is as willing as He is able … "to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless" … not as though we never have had faults or sin in our life, for what has once been done can never be undone, even by God Himself; but rather …

He presents us to the Father as those whose faults … shall not be imputed to them.

Our salvation depends upon Christ's keeping power, not ours.