What does it mean to contend earnestly for THE FAITH? Does the word faith always mean justification by faith? Or does it actually mean something else? The answer is right there in the text. Jude 1:3-4 3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our COMMON SALVATION, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the FAITH WHICH WAS ONCE AND FOR ALL DELIVERED TO THE SAINTS. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the GRACE (salvation) of our God into lewdness and DENY THE ONLY LORD GOD and OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. (NKJVS) So what does faith in the context mean? It refers to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jude was fighting to protect the Gospel of Jesus from being infiltrated by false teachings that promotes licentiousness and denies the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. The only anti-God and anti-Christ doctrine in that day was the doctrines of the scribes and Pharisees. Yes, they were anti-God because they deny the true laws of God by establishing their own. Their rabbinical laws promotes licentiousness. Matthew 23:25-28 25 “ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self- indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 “ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead mens bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (NKJVS) They were anti-Christ because Jesus came on the scene and exposed their false religion and taught the people the perfect law of God thus destroying their false religion. This is the reason the Talmud contains numerous insults on Jesus which I will not elaborate. So what was Judes solution against these false teachings? Jude 1:20-21 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your MOST HOLY FAITH, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. (NKJVS) Judes solution for all believers is to ground ourselves in the Gospel of Jesus Christ; understand it thoroughly so that we will not be moved by winds of doctrines. Dear friends, Remember to always read for yourselves after you hear any sermon. Test all teachings even the posts I put up. Do not allow anyone to smoke you with the word of God. Amen! 2 Corinthians 2:17 17 You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us. (NLTse)
Posted on: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 16:46:25 +0000
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