A Nugget from New Life Network
(excerpts from Chris Musgrove of Future Now)
Scripture for the Day – September 6, 2019
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 for all delivered to the saints. 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 1:3-4)
Jude was writing to Christians to contend for the faith. That faith is the apostolic teachings given to believers in the earliest days of the church. It is those teachings that are being perverted and for which Christians must contend.
Contend means to assert, maintain, profess, affirm, or fight for. The Amplified Bible says it this way, “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I was compelled to write to you [urgently] appealing that you fight strenuously for [the defense of] the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints [the faith that is the sum of Christian belief that was given verbally to believers]. For certain people have crept in unnoticed [just as if they were sneaking in by a side door]. They are ungodly persons whose condemnation was predicted long ago, for they distort the grace of our God into decadence and immoral freedom [viewing it as an opportunity to do whatever they want], and deny and disown our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
I told someone the other day that I have recently felt like a lawyer in court trying to defend God when I taught about the “Goodness of God”. I’ve literally had to contend for this belief and the fight has mainly been with so-called believers. I can’t imagine talking to the Apostle Peter, Paul or John and having to argue about whether God is good or not. I would imagine they would just look at me in shock that there was ever any question about this and say, “Well of course He is good!!! There should be no question about that!” And yet there are teachings and beliefs in the Church today that say the opposite. It’s shocking to me!
The corruption of our faith is found in our self-centeredness (doing and believing whatever we want), our sensual lifestyles, and our acceptance of doctrines of devils. These corrupters of the faith are pretenders of the faith instead of contenders of the faith.
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age. (Titus 2:11-12)
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (1 Timothy 4:1)
We are to deny anything that is ungodly and recognize and reject any doctrines or beliefs originating from seducing spirits. Gods’ grace and Word teaches us how to do that. Contenders allow God’s grace and His Word to teach them. Pretenders distort the grace of God and the Word of God to agree with what they want to do and believe. You can’t live the life of a pretender and overcome the devil. You have to be a contender.
