God Is Able to Keep You from Falling (When You Have Failed)

09/28/24 • 2 min

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Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling...

Jude 24

This doesn’t mean that when you become a Christian you will never fail. We all fail in many ways. But God is able to keep you from falling.

When Jesus was going to the cross, He said to Peter, “Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:31-32). Peter did fail. He denied the Lord three times. He called down curses upon himself. But the prayers of Jesus were answered. Peter's failure was not final.

If you have fallen into serious sin, you need to know that this is not the end. Imagine two climbers scaling a sheer cliff face. They are roped together. As they are climbing, one of them slips and falls. If he was climbing alone, he would have fallen to his death. But he is roped to his friend, and his friend is in a secure position.

Being a Christian means that you are roped to Jesus Christ. If you have fallen you need to know what kind of Saviour you have. If you fall, He is able to hold you. Your fall will not overwhelm Him. He will not cut the rope. He will not let you go.

Maybe you can picture yourself dangling. Get back on the rock face, and start climbing from where you are. Failure is never final in the Christian life. The Saviour looks down and He says, “Get back on the wall and follow me.” That’s what Peter did after his big failure, and God used him in wonderful ways. God is able to keep you from falling when you have failed.

Are you focused on some failure of yours right now? Will you get back on the rock face today and follow Jesus?

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling...

Jude 24

This doesn’t mean that when you become a Christian you will never fail. We all fail in many ways. But God is able to keep you from falling.

Are you focused on some failure of yours right now? Will you get back on the rock face today and follow Jesus?

Previous Episode

God Is Able to Keep You from Falling (by Saving You)

To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Jude 25

Jude says that there is only one God, and this God is the Saviour God. Now if God is the Saviour, what does this saving look like? There are three dimensions.

1. God is our Saviour from sin's penalty. When you came to faith in Jesus, God forgave your sins. He freed you from guilt, condemnation, and hell: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). This is the beginning of your salvation but is not the end.

2. God is our Saviour from sin's power. When you become a Christian, you are no longer under sin’s power: “Sin will have no dominion over you” (Rom. 6:14). Think of it like a boxing match. Before you came to Christ, sin was your master. Your hands were tied and you were blindfolded. You were defenceless. You were in no position to fight back. But now, in Christ, God has put you in a position to fight. He takes off your blindfold and frees your hands. You are on an entirely different footing. Though you will bear the scars of battle, in Jesus Christ you will prevail.

3. God is our Saviour from sin's presence. Imagine yourself in the ring. You have been sparring for ten rounds, and you’ve landed some blows, but your opponent just won’t go down. He just keeps coming back. That’s a picture of your battle against temptation. The longer the fight goes on, the more you long to see the enemy hit the canvas. One day he will. When Jesus comes again in glory, sin will be knocked out. Your battle will be over, and you will receive the crown of victory.

God is our Saviour. He saves us not only from sin’s penalty but also from its power, and one day He will save us from its presence. Which of these is clearest to you now?

Next Episode

God Is Able to Keep You from Falling (When You Are Tempted)

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Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling...

Jude 24

God is able to give you victory over the power of temptation. Do you believe this?

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Cor. 10:13)

What temptation do you think Jesus is not able to deliver you from? This goes to the heart of whether we believe the gospel. Some of us simply do not believe that Christ can break the power of cancelled sin and set the prisoner free.

Think about a boxing title fight. There is always a great deal of “trash talk,” and nobody was better at this than Muhammad Ali, who said about himself, "I float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." Imagine his challenger saying, “He is much bigger and faster than me. He punches harder. And, besides, he’s the champ. I don’t really have a chance.”

This is how some of us talk when it comes to sin. It’s the language of unbelief. You need to make up your mind if you believe in the God who is able to keep you from falling. Many people believe that Jesus can forgive their sins, but they’re not convinced that He can give them victory over temptation.

We sometimes say, “You can talk the talk, but you have to walk the walk.” That’s true, but here is a new spin: “If you want to walk the walk, you have to talk the talk.” Don’t talk defeat before you even get in the ring. Sin shall no longer be your master. The Spirit of God lives in you. God has put you in a position to fight, so use the power He's given you. Fight!

Are you fighting your sin? Or are you trying to walk the walk without talking the talk?