Contend for the True Faith

“Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (Jude 1:1-4 ESV)

This letter is from Jude, and it appears that it is a letter written to the church, as a whole, for I see no specific reference in here to any particular physical location. So, the instructions written here should be for the church as a whole yet today. But the church is the body of believers in Jesus Christ who are the called of God to his service who are of genuine walks of faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord (Owner-Master) and Savior. So they should be all who are obeying the Lord and who are no longer walking in sin.

The purpose of the letter was for Jude to write to the Christians about their common salvation and faith in the Lord Jesus. And this faith and salvation are based on the teachings of Christ and of his NT apostles and not on the teachings of humans who are taking Scriptures out of context to make them say what they do not say if taught in the appropriate context, and who then are twisting the words of the Scriptures in order to teach a gospel of salvation which is not of God but is of the flesh of humans. 

Yet that common salvation and faith in the Lord Jesus, Jude mentioned, are defined by the teachings of the Scriptures (in context) and by Jesus and by his NT apostles. And they taught that Jesus died on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out from our lives of slavery (addiction) to sin so that we will now honor God with our bodies and serve Jesus Christ with our lives in surrender to his will and in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living. Sin is no longer to have mastery over our lives.

But sadly we have many men (and some women) serving as pastors of “churches” who are perverting the grace of God for their own advantage, and who are teaching a cheapened and altered gospel of grace and of salvation which makes no requirements for us to die with Christ to sin and to walk in holiness and in righteousness in walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commands. They teach that a mere profession of faith in Jesus is enough to receive salvation from sin and eternal life with God.

Yes, they do teach that we are saved by God’s grace, through faith, and this not of ourselves, not of our own works lest we should boast. But they redefine God’s grace and the faith to believe in Jesus and the salvation which our Lord provided and what the gospel message is all about. And they teach a grace which permits the “believer” to continue living in sin without punishment, and they do not teach the forsaking of our sins and walks of obedience to our Lord as part of saving faith which saves us by God’s grace.

Thus, they are these ungodly people who have crept into the gatherings of the church who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and who deny our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ by their actions and by the lies which they teach as though they are biblical truth. For they teach that we can “believe” (not usually biblically defined) in Jesus, have all our sins forgiven, and be guaranteed entry into God’s heaven upon death, but regardless of how we live. But the Scriptures teach the opposite of that.

For the grace of God, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. For Jesus “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” And “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” 

[Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; 1 Peter 2:24; Acts 26:18; 2 Corinthians 5:15,21; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; John 10:27-30; Galatians 5:16-21; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13]

Just a Closer Walk with Thee  

Hymn lyrics by Anonymous/Unknown

Music by American Melody

“For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you” (2 Co. 13:4 NASB).

I am weak, but Thou art strong;

Jesus, keep me from all wrong;

I’ll be satisfied as long

As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Through this world of toil and snares,

If I falter, Lord, who cares?

Who with me my burden shares?

None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

When my feeble life is o’er,

Time for me will be no more;

Guide me gently, safely o’er

To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.

Just a closer walk with Thee,

Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,

Daily walking close to Thee,

Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6Ks49apflE 

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