Jude 24Now to the one who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy
The closing verses are a doxology and a prayer. Jude ends his letter with confidence in God’s ability to keep his readers strong in the faith to which he has called them. The substantival participle the one who is able (dynamenō) shares the same root as “power.” The English word “dynamite” comes from this root and expresses the awesome explosive power of gunpowder. Keep (phylaxai) can mean to guard, protect, or preserve. Jude merges a negative sense and positive sense in this verse. God is on guard to protect us from stumbling and falling when temptations come, while also presenting us blameless, without any stain of sin, purified by the blood of the Lamb. Our goal is to be able to stand before his holy presence, and the only way we can do that is when we ourselves have been made holy. Our holiness comes as a gift of God’ grace.
God is the only one who can give us complete and lasting victory. The condition is that we let God do this. We express our hope and confidence in God through faith evidenced in prayer and obedience to God’s will. When we place ourselves at God’s disposal, we will be changed and made holy through Jesus Christ our Lord. This cleansing and purifying will make us holy and enable us to stand in God’s presence (Hebrews 12:14). Our faults and sins will be removed through God’s grace, and our hearts will be filled with joy as we are finally complete. We will be able to walk in the garden with our Creator, like Adam and Eve, without separation, guilt, or shame.