Doxologies Word on the Week 3rd October 2020.
A doxology is singing which bursts full of praise to our triune God. It is capable of lifting the spirit into the heavenly places. It goes to the bone and marrow of Christian identity. It seizes the golden chain which links earth to heaven above and the singer is momentarily caught up in the bliss it creates.
Once upon a time we marked the year end by meeting at Grace to recount God’s goodness to us as a congregation of his people. At midnight the ships in the Liffey sounded their sirens and as the sound faded we sang the doxology: –
May his name endure forever;
may it
continue as long as the sun.
Then all nations will be blessed
through him,
and they
will call him blessed.
Praise be to the Lord God,
the God of Israel,
who
alone does marvellous deeds.
Praise be to his glorious
name forever;
may the
whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen. Psalm
72 verses 17 – 19.
Because of the great work that God has done in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the writer to the Hebrew’s doxology asks for the saints to be equipped, both inside and out, to be able to do his work in a way that pleases him: –
Hebrews Chapter 13 verses 20/21.
‘Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.’
Jude
Jude opens his letter by quoting the three tenses of salvation in verse one. Believer, you are called in times past, are now loved by God the Father and kept (preserved) by Jesus Christ. He encourages the faithful to contend for the faith and warns against godless people who have been around from earliest times.
He concludes by mentioning three categories of sinner, requesting his readers to show mercy to the doubters, to snatch others from the fire and save them, and others save, hating even the garment polluted by their sensuality.
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.