Warning: To contend for the faith
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Necessary change
Necessary change
Last week we started into this short letter of warning and the original intention of Jude changes in our passage.
Author Jude, bond-servant of Jesus Christ (v.1)
To the called, beloved, kept (v.1)
Mercy, peace and love be multiplied (v.2)
Let’s look at the passage together now (Jude3-4)
3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
What was the intention originally (v.3)?
What was the necessity (v.3)?
4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
What is the reason for the change (v.4)?
For a time was coming and a time has come that many did not adhere to the warnings of Jesus (Mt7:15), Paul (2Tim4:3-4), Peter (2Pt2:1) or John (1Jn4:1) that the false teachers, false prophets would come in, sneak in, creep in unnoticed to the church.
So, think about this for today how easy it would be for this to happen. We are far from the original warnings. All the more why we should know we need to contend for the faith. So, this evening we will look at
The need to contend identified
The way to content magnified
The need to contend identified
The need to contend identified
As Christians we need to know the enemy and the enemy tactics, even if they are very subtle and slow. We need to be sober and alert (1Pt5:8) so that they cannot sneak in. We want to identify the enemy as Jude calls for the church to contend.
4 What has happened is that some people have infiltrated our ranks (our Scriptures warned us this would happen), who beneath their pious skin are shameless scoundrels. Their design is to replace the sheer grace of our God with sheer license—which means doing away with Jesus Christ, our one and only Master.
Well, that is an interesting way to say it, but I think in this case we are going to go back to a more traditional look
4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
They were ungodly men (Jude4; 2Tim3:2-5)
Ungodly in their words
Ungodly in their living and thinking
Paul told timothy like this.
2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
Holding onto a form of godliness, but denied its power for it is fake godliness!
They are deceitful (Jude4; Gal2:4; 2Pt2:1)
They crept in, slipped in unnoticed, or unaware. Some can even come from within
4 But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.
Peter stands with Jude on this
1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
So, how does this happen, happen within the body, the body of believers? - - -
The soldiers of Christ did not arise and put their armor on. They have fallen asleep during their watch. What is the armor? It is Faith, but it is also the sword, the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. Many are not putting, or sharpening the word in them so to be able to see the enemies that are sneaking in unnoticed, unaware.
The spiritual leaders of the church have grown comfortable and complacent no longer wanting to raise an alarm or make waves. People like John the Baptist, Stephen and the rest of the Apostles, minus John, were all killed for their faith and their boldness. Today we get worried about offending people and being called intolerant or judgmental vs speaking the truth of God’s word calling sin, sin.
They are enemies of God’s grace (Jude4; Gal5:19-21; Mk7:21-22; 2Pt2:13-14, 19; 2Cor10:4-5)
turning the grace of God into licentiousness. Oh wow, what a word, a word that should be defined
1. (a.) Lacking moral discipline or restraint, especially in sexual conduct; passing due bounds; excessive; abusive of freedom; wantonly offensive; as, a licentious press.
2. (a.) Unrestrained by law or morality; lawless; immoral; dissolute; lewd; lascivious; as, a licentious man; a licentious life.
A person who wantonly acts from self serving, self satisfying pleasures, operates within the flesh
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
It is from within that defiles a man, the evil desires of the heart as Jesus says (Mk7:21-22)
I love the way Peter states it
13 suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children;
They don’t try to hide it, they don’t do it under the cover of night, but revel in the daytime, revel in their deceptions
19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.
Deception, promising freedom which is not freedom at all.
These enemies of God’s grace are trying to promote and defend their false doctrines. - - - - as soldiers of Christ we need to go through basic training on how to use the spiritual weaponry provided
4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
They deny God’s truth (Jude4; 2Pt2:1; 2Jn7)
Denying the Lord that he came in the flesh.
7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
Denying the truth that the Lord bought them
1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
Jude is affirming the Christ, the deity of Christ. Many come and say “he was a good man,” “he was a good teacher,” but not say that He is the eternal God who came in the flesh.
This is a central fact that anyone who denies that Christ came in the flesh is one who is marked out for condemnation and is antichrist.
They are marked out (ordained) for judgment (Jude4)
God did not make them apostates, licentiousness people. They chose it They are responsible for their actions and are marked out for judgment according to God’s word.
Why marked out, according to (v.4) they deny Jesus Christ.
Why marked out, the deceive innocent people (babes in Christ who don’t know any better); also deceive unbelievers with a false gospel that will not save. - - - - so we need to contend for the faith, the faith of the truth of God’s word, faith of the gospel that is the power of God unto salvation.
Why marked out, the truth had been handed down one and for all. They are trading the truth of God for something else.
The doctrine handed down needs to be contended for.
God committed the truth (1Tim1:11) to Paul; Paul entrusted it to Timothy (1Tim6:20) and called Timothy to teach it to others (2tim2:2)
The doctrine, the truth needs to be protected, it needs to be contended for.
One commentator said:
“You cannot fight the Lord’s battles from a rocking chair or a soft bed!”
“You cannot fight the Lord’s battles from a rocking chair or a soft bed!”
Like a soldier, like an athlete you need to train, you need to focus and you need to engage and be engaged until the end.
We must not look at fighting one another, but when the truth of the gospel, the truth of God’s word is at stake, when it is at risk, when it is being twisted we cannot sit idly by and do nothing. We need to get up and engage!
Charles Spurgeon said “False doctrine is a deadly poison that must be identified, labeled and avoided.”
So, follow the instructions given to Timothy
12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
So, I want to continue a little more on the need to contend.
We need to content earnestly! - For we can know
Contend for some will deny the sufficiency of scripture; and God has given us everything (Act20:27; 2Pt1:3; 2Tim3:16-17)
Paul to the Ephesian elders he preached the whole counsel of God.
Peter said that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness
And that all scripture is God breathed, Hold on let me put that one up.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Equipped to contend for the faith with knowledge of the Word of God, fully equipped for it (Heb1:1; Rev22:18-19; Jude3)!
Some people claim the the revelation is not complete that there is still revelation today, eventhough scripture tells us diff. (Heb1:1) and not to add or take from it (Rev22:18-19) or that the revelation needs to be updated and repeated, but according to our verses today it was once given for all(Jude3)
Equipped to contend for some will pervert God’s grace (2Tim4:3-4; Tit2:11-14)
Paul told Timothy some will want ear tickling, trading for something other than the truth and conviction that brings conversion through God’s Word.
Titus was told this, and I want to keep it is context so enjoy this passage
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,
13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
Those who contend for the faith, who contend earnestly will know what to do, deny ungodliness and worldly desires, and to live sensibly, righteously, godly until our blessed hope appears
Oh wait, don’t forget to purify yourself by the washing of the water of the word and be zealous for good deeds not for faith but from faith.
Equipped to contend for the faith for some will deny God’s authority (Mt28:18; Eph1:21-22; Jn13:20; 1Cor14:37; Act2:42)
4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude is dealing with those who are denying the Only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ! So this is our Lord God and our Lord Jesus. And we know that Lord God gave all authority to Lord Jesus
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
And by that happening then all things are in subjection, have authority over, all things to the church. Paul said it like this
21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,
We, as the believers who are to contend for the faith recognize the authority that Jesus gave to the apostles
20 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”
knowing what they wrote was God given
37 If you claim to be a prophet or think you are spiritual, you should recognize that what I am saying is a command from the Lord himself.
And we should continue to study it
42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
And be devoted to it, contending for the faith because
Many deny the sufficiency of the scripture
Many pervert the doctrine of grace
And many even deny the authority of God and Jesus and in turn His Holy Apostles.
(Transition) stick with me now, we know the who, we know the why, now may we look at the how we are to contend for the faith.
Tools for contending for the faith
Tools for contending for the faith
If you want to accomplish something you need the proper tools and the proper knowledge of those tools if you want the proper results. So, now let’s look at some tools needed and provided.
To contend you need to contend earnestly (Jude3-4; 2Cor10:3-6; Eph6:10-13)
The word earnestly is associated with the word strive, agony. The soldier for Christ must strive, must agonize, meaning it takes effort. It is a continuous effort needed.
For this is a spiritual war as Paul describes in 2Cor10:3-6)
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
Contend with weapons provided (Eph6:10-18)
The weapons, the tools are divinely powerful! Remember we are soldiers in God’s army for the spiritual battle at hand (Eph6:10-13) and have been provided the battle gear needed to contend for the faith as noted too in (Eph6:13-18)
Girded in truth
having our breastplate of righteousness
And our feet shod with gospel of peace
while holding the shield of faith
covered with the helmet of salvation and
wielding the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God!
And one more weapon, prayer!
So, you can’t just know the weapons to help us contend for the faith, but we must use them.
Contend for the faith but not be contentious as Paul noted in not so many words in (Gal5:19-21).
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Don’t let contending turn to outbursts of anger. Be ready to share the Word of faith that brings faith that becomes saving faith!
Let’s contend for the faith together!
(prayer) (Exit)