When people are asked what they fear most in life, many say it is the prospect of standing in front of an audience and delivering a speech, be it ever so brief. They are afraid of misspeaking and incurring the ridicule of their peers. They dread the prospect of being laughed at for making some inadvertent grammatical error. Or perhaps some suffer from a speech impediment, such as stuttering.

Others would say that they are embarrassed by their physical appearance. I’ve heard some say that what frightens them most is being exposed as incompetent or lacking sufficient knowledge about the topic at hand. Then, of course, there is the fear of comparison. They look at themselves in the light of how others come across and are terrified of being viewed as second-rate, worse still, third-rate.

There is a related fear that often paralyzes people when they stand alone and are exposed to a crowd. They are scared by the prospect of their moral failures coming to light. The only thing that prevents them from running out of the room is the realization that everyone else is equally as sinful, perhaps even more so.

As horrifying and paralyzing as these scenarios may strike you, try to envision what it will be like to stand before the infinitely holy, immeasurably righteous, gloriously good God of heaven and earth. I can endure being compared with another sinner and falling short of whatever standard they project. But standing in the presence of the God of glory and honor can at times be simply more than the human heart can endure.

If I’m being judged by other humans, there is always the possibility that I could point a finger back at them and declare, “Yeah, ok, I know I’ve failed. I know I’m weak and broken. But so are you! In fact, there are areas in life where you’ve failed worse than I have.”

But that would be utterly impossible when standing before the judgment seat of God himself. No one could ever remotely think of accusing God of the same sinful shortcomings present in our own lives.

I can always fool another human. I can pretend to be something I’m not. I can portray myself as good and godly and perhaps get away with it. I can hide all my faults behind a mask of my own making and feel fairly confident that no one can see the secrets of my soul.

But God sees through every façade. He knows the heart and soul and mind of every person. There is no possibility of pulling the wool over his eyes. Knowing that he knows me perfectly and exhaustively and is keenly aware of every thought that has entered my mind and every word that has proceeded from my mouth, is truly terrifying. That is, until I read Jude 24-26.

Look with me at what he says in his short, one chapter epistle. He concludes with this doxology:

“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 Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 24-26).

Needless to say, it is one thing to stand in your presence or that of any other human being. Even should it be a great religious leader or political hero or hall of fame athlete, the one thing that strengthens me is the fact that they are as much in need of cleansing grace as I am. But Jude is talking about standing before “the presence of the glory” of God! This is the only God, the one whose “glory, majesty, dominion, and authority” are infinitely incomparable.

Does that scare you? Do you dread the prospect of being exposed in his presence, laid bare in every respect under his penetrating and perfect gaze? You don’t need to be!

The reason is because this God is able “to present you blameless” before him. Did you hear that? Blameless! Without spot or wrinkle. Without the slightest moral defect. Without any lingering sin or stain of guilt. Blameless! There simply will be no grounds on the basis of which he might indict you and judge you and reject you forever. None whatsoever.

That isn’t because you’ve lived a sinless life. It isn’t because you’ve made amends. It isn’t because God has relaxed his standards and decides to let by-gones be by-gones.

If you are in Christ Jesus by faith, God sees you as blameless, sinless, utterly and absolutely free of anything that might put you in spiritual jeopardy. The reason for that is that when you trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior all your sins were forgiven, wiped clean, blotted out, washed away, trampled under foot, cast into the depths of the ocean, removed from you as far as east is from west, never to be seen again (see Psalm 103).

Not only that, but he also reckoned or imputed to you the very righteousness of Jesus. The “blameless” condition in which you stand before God for all eternity is not because of anything you’ve done or failed to do. It is entirely due to the grace of God in clothing you in the righteousness and “blameless” life of Jesus.

But there’s more. What do you think you will feel when this happens, not simply at the inauguration of eternity but forever and ever? Jude says that you will stand in God’s holy presence “with great joy”! Not fear. Not regret. Not apprehension. Not trembling. Not self-righteous arrogance. No. It will be with “great joy”!

Quite honestly, I find that almost impossible to believe. And yet Jude reminds us from the beginning that God is “able” to do this. Not only able, but we learn from other biblical texts that he is more than willing. He rejoices in presenting us blameless in his blameless presence.

So, pause for a moment and try to envision in your mind and heart and affections what it will feel like to appear before “the presence of his glory,” his unmediated beauty, his overwhelming, indescribably deep and rich and radiant splendor.

I can tell you without hesitation what it will feel like for you and for me: JOY! Together we will stand confidently in his grace, clothed with the righteousness and blamelessness of Jesus Christ, and the primary emotion in our hearts will be that of unadulterated joy!

To the one before whom we will rejoice and celebrate and be devoid of the slightest tinge of fear, be glory “before all time and now and forever. Amen!”