²⁴Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, ²⁵to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

One of the great benedictions of the Bible, this final passage of Jude has closed many a sermon on Sunday mornings (for other familiar ones, see Numbers 6:24–26, Rom. 16:25–27). The dictionary defines a benediction as an invocation or calling of a blessing, an expression of good wishes. Benedictions resemble poetry, with rhythm and careful wording, designed to memorably impress on our minds and hearts the final thoughts and sentiments of the speaker or author. In Jude’s benediction, we find the final summation of his desires in writing this letter.

If we understand and respond correctly to Jude’s purpose in writing, we will put God first. Jude encapsulates the security we have in God inside of our focus on Him. He reminds us to glorify Him in all His “majesty, dominion, and authority.” Notice that this benediction’s primary clause is “To Him . . . be glory, majesty, dominion. . . .” Encapsulated within that desire is the secondary clause assuring us of our security in what God does for us. The final word of Jude is the desire that we would live entirely for God’s sake, that He would be known for how great He is. Any benefit we have from God goes to show how great He is. The Giver is always greater than the gift. We must never lose that order of things. Life is all about God, first, foremost, and primarily. To get this order wrong puts our benefits and welfare ahead of God’s glory—an ugly reversal that, as we have seen in Jude’s letter, culminates in an immoral, reprobate lifestyle. So God is to be exalted as the only true God, our Savior. He was glorified through the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, and He continues to be glorified in the ongoing ministry of Jesus Christ in the church. And God will be glorified for all eternity (see also John 17:1, 4). We do not add to His glory or make Him more glorious, but we are to look for His glory, to perceive His glory, and make His glory known to others.

Exaltation to glory requires exalted vocabulary, from which Jude chooses three additional terms. We desire that God be seen in His majesty, that is, the perception of His royal glory (one can easily imagine the regal presentation of God in kingly robes). And we desire to make known God’s dominion as the ultimate magistrate or governor over all creation. Finally, we want His authority or control to be seen with every knee bowing before Him.

Lord, I want my life to be evidence for how great You are.