Digging Deeper Days
Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
Today is 2-for-1 Friday!
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The Questions
1) How is God able to keep believers from stumbling from the error of false teachers?
2) What was Jude alluding to when he used the word “faultless”?
3) How can we reflect God’s glory both now and forever?
Jude 1:24-25
Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.
Original Intent
1) How is God able to keep believers from stumbling from the error of false teachers?
When Jude wrote this letter to the Church, false teachers had already taken root in the body of Christ. These false teachers had perverted the gospel of grace, instead fashioning it as a blank check to live a life of unrepentant sin. (2 Peter 2:18-19, Jude 1:16) By turning the gospel of grace into a license to sin, they rejected the idea of the total Lordship of Christ over the believer, often demoting Christ down to an angel and not the sovereign, powerful God of all. (2 Peter 2:1) By reading the word of God we are able to mature in Christ and grow in our ability to rightly discern the word of truth from false deceptions. (2 Timothy 2:15) This exhortation was repeated throughout the early church because it was prophesied by Jesus Himself that false teachers would come in like wolves in sheep’s clothing, appearing true, but carrying deceit. (Matthew 7:15) But Christ did not leave us as orphans under attack! Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would guide the early church into all truth. (John 16:13) It is the indwelling Holy Spirit who kept the local church from stumbling into deceit.
2) What was Jude alluding to when he used the word “faultless”?
The early church endured a minefield of constant spiritual attacks on their faith. Persecutions, temptations, trials, and troubles encountered them everywhere they turned. Yet, through it all, Jude, and others, encouraged them to hold fast to their faith and hope because He who promised is faithful to keep them until the end. (Hebrews 10:23) Therein lies the key, because God is faithful to His beloved bride, the Church can trust He can and will keep them faultless and blameless in the sight of God until the end. The word Jude uses for faultless is the Greek word “amemptos” which translates to without fault; not blameworthy, by omission or commission; hence, above reproach, because morally pure (Strong’s Greek 273). Christ loves His bride so much that He willingly sanctifies and cleanses her from all her sin with the washing of water by the Word of God, that He might present her to Himself as a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:25-27) God upholds all things by the power of His Word, therefore by bathing each member of His Bride, the Church, in the Word of God, the Church purifies her heart and mind to be faultless before the groom.
3) How can we reflect God’s glory both now and forever?
During the time that Jude wrote this letter to the Church, persecution of believers had already begun. False teachers and apostles were spreading lies and corrupting those who were weaker in their faith all throughout the known world. These false teachers were manipulating their way into churches and spreading their provocative lies and gathering followers after themselves, causing conflict, confusion, and disunity. All which went against God’s design for His Church. Yet through it, God’s Church survived and flourished in their weaknesses because God’s Spirit was working in them and protecting them. God’s glory was reflected in the Church even during difficulty, because His strength is shown to be perfect against the backdrop of our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) God uses the weak things of the world to confound the wise. Despite everything the early church went through, God’s grace, glory, and power were continuously on full display for all the world to see.
Everyday Application
1) How is God able to keep believers from stumbling from the error of false teachers?
Just about every woman dreams of her wedding day. It’s the day that seals the culmination of love’s journey between the bride and her bridegroom. Between visions of the dress, and being surrounded by family and friends, to celebrating the long-awaited exchange of covenantal vows, that day is a cherished dream for many. As the bride walks down the path leading to the altar, her father holds her hand to support her as she meets the bridegroom. That walk symbolizes how the father kept her and now he can give her to the one who will cover her under a marriage covenant. So too does the Holy Spirit keep us from stumbling in our walk with Christ on earth before we are finally brought Home into the very presence of God. There are many things from false teachers, to everyday struggles, that try to keep us from the path leading to the bridegroom, Jesus. However, Jesus left us a Comforter, Teacher, and Guide who always points and leads us to Christ. As we walk hand in hand in daily fellowship in His Word, He is faithful and will keep us from stumbling. In order to present us as a perfect bride who has made herself ready to be presented to her Savior.
2) What was Jude alluding to when he used the word “faultless”?
“She is perfect” is the thought running through many a groom’s mind when he sees his bride walking down the aisle. At that moment, there is none more perfect than the woman he will spend the rest of his life with. Sometimes, with all of life’s struggles and everyday responsibilities, we can forget just how much God loves us. We get busy trying to cross off the items on our mental checklist. Be a good mom, work, chores, be a good daughter, be a good wife, oh and be a good Christian too. In so many ways we can stumble trying to live up to that good woman checklist. It is funny how the striving to live up to self-imposed standards can make us feel like we fall short in everything. Especially when it comes to our walk with Christ. But the thing is, God knows we are but flesh, and He has given us provision for our weakness in that Christ’s righteousness is our righteousness. In His eyes, every Believer is perfect because we are covered by Christ’s righteousness, and so He is free to enjoy close fellowship with us even if we don’t deserve it. As His bride, when we walk down that aisle of life towards our eternal Home with Him, He has already made us faultless. Just like a bride is ushered into the presence of her groom that has eyes full of love only for her, so will the Church be presented faultless, before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy! We are faultless because our sins have been washed away by the blood of Jesus and His perfect sacrifice!
3) How can we reflect God’s glory both now and forever?
Have you ever thought about what exactly is God’s glory? The Psalms say, “The heavens declare the glory of God!” (Psalm 19:1) One of my favorite times of the day is the dawning of the sun. Sometimes if I wake up early enough, after pushing my child’s foot off of my face, I can see the dance of colors in the sky announcing the start of a new day. This daily display tells the world. and me, there is a God. In a way, the morning dawn is a reflection of the awesomeness of our Creator. As Christ’s image-bearers on Earth, we have that opportunity to be a reflection of God’s glory. Our lives are a living testimony reflecting the hope of Jesus into a lost and hurting world. We are the reminder of God’s love for others! The funny thing is, as we go through the very worst of times in our lives, those are the seasons when His power and glory is magnified all the more. We are obviously weak and struggling, but our God is renewing us day by day! (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) It is easy to claim glory for ourselves, especially when things go well. People on the outside looking in just assume it was our smarts or talents that achieved our success. However, God strengthens us during our trials and tribulations with His power, helping us endure through the battle. God holds us up, allowing us to stand, keeping our feet from stumbling. When He has brought you through the fire to the other side, everyone looking on will say that was nothing but God! Just like the early church, we, in our everyday lives, in the good and the bad times, can show the world the goodness of God and reflect His glory simply by submitting to His Spirit working in us! Praise God!
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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!
1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!
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Why Dig Deeper?
Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.
In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!
Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.
Study Tools
We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.
Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!
Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))
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