CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH TO ABIDE IN CHRIST

                                                          Text: Jude

I. INTRODUCTION

There are a lot forces that would want to destabilize our faith. Yet for us to be crowned in the end, we must endure to the end. In order to do this we need to contend against those forces and for the faith delivered to us. We need to do this so that we can join Paul “I have fought the good fight... I have kept the faith’ 2 Tim. 4:7.

II THE FAITH DELIVERED TO US

The basic elements of faith delivered to us are that:

A. God is the Creator.  He is the creator and hence the owner of all. He also loves us by sending   Jesus to die for our sins.

B.  Jesus as the only Saviour. - In being the Saviour, there are certain basic things we need to know and believe concerning Jesus Christ:

* the Pre-creation existence of Christ .

* the incarnation of Christ .. .

* the virgin birth . .

* the vicarious death -.

* the atoning sacrifice- once and for all mankind

* the bodily resurrection

* the imminent return . .

Any declaration, teaching or faith that does not affirm any of the above .issues concerning Jesus Christ must be rejected. I Jn.5.

.C.  Faith in Christ’ and His salvivic- work as prerequisite for salvation John 3:16: Mark 16:16: Acts 13:37-39. That is, salvation is obtained not by any other personal effort and means (medium) other than through Christ and by faith in Him and His work of redemption.

D. Repentance from sin and holy living after conversion - Acts 2:38-40.

III-. FAITH DESTABLISING AGENTS

The devil (Satan) IS the principal agent of destabilization. However he uses people and means in order to achieve this end. These are:

a.  False teachers and false teachings - These teachers are always sent by the devil with half truths mixed with falsehood usually presented as the true and special message, teaching or reve1ation without which one cannot make heaven.

Some of these teachings in the Bible and which is still surface in one form or the other      today are:

1. Denying the incarnation of Christ – 1John. 4: 1-3 tells of false prophets who will deny the deity of Christ. These are messages of the Anti-Christ which should be rejected.
2. Gnosticism - This is the teaching, that there is a special secret .knowledge outside Christ, which a believer must possess in order to be saved. This is one of the heresies in Colosse.
3.  Libertinism - This is the error that since we are now under grace we have the freedom to do as we fee like. We can wear any type of cloth, even the seductive ones since holiness is of the heart and not of the outward.
4. Worship of angels - The heretics in Colosse a1so propounded the theory that

God can not be approached directly through Jesus Christ but through the hierarchy of angels. The worship of angels is clearly forbidden. Col. 2:18; Heb 1:3-14.

5. Ceremonialism - The observance of special festivals, circumcision and special food and drink with the teaching that they are what make us acceptable to God and be true believers. Some of these ceremonies are good but they should not be allowed to shift our focus from Christ, His work and teachings.
6. Asceticism - This is the other extreme of libertinism . It is the roiling out of rules of  ”Do not handle. Do not taste! Do not touch” Col. 2:21. They are good but they lack value in restraining sensual indulgence” Col. 2:23. What is required is true righteous living.
7. Heretics and Wrong ways of life – Some of these heretics also propound ways of life which are wrong and can destabilize one’s faith: Some are:

1. Errors of Cain - This is selfishness without regard for its effect on others. Gen 4:3-4 tells of Cain wanting to be acceptable to God. But when he failed because of his actions were evil (I John. 3: l2), he took step to kill his brother who was accepted. A worshiper of God thus became stigmatized by God. People who covet thing - be it money, material, position or possession without thinking whether it will negatively affect others fail into this error.
2. Way of Balaam (2 Peter 2:15) It is similar to the error of Cain. He wanted to get money and gratification even if it means that the people of God be cursed’

He started as a prophet of God but ended as a practitioner of divination.

3. Error of Korah - Num. 16. This is rebellion against constituted authority.  Any one who is filled with pride and would not want to sit under the feet of leaders to learn or who would rebel against their leadership will’ fall .into this error. Such one may end up derailing from faith.

Young Ones are admonished to be humble, 1 Pet: 5 respect the elders and learn from them and their way of life Heb 13.

IV  FAITH STABILISING AGENTS (Jude 17-25)

a. Remembering and re –affirming the words/teachings of the apostles’ - Acts 2:41. The person who will still stand in faith should continue in the teachings of the Lord as the early Church did.

b. Praying in the spirit - Jude 20 says that we edify or stabilize ourselves by praying in the spirit. That is praying as led by the spirit and in other tongues.

c. Waiting on the Lord -Isa. 40:31 says by so doing we renew our strength and are able to forgo ahead again.

d. hating evil and sin - We should hate anything that is evil, sinful and depart from them.

e. Depending on the grace of God - Jude 24 says that God is the on who can keep us from falling. We should then depend on Him to do this in our lives.

GOD IS ENOUGH!

Not God and…but GOD!  God is enough. God alone. If I have all else my heart would desire, and have not Him, I have nothing.If I have Him and nothing more, I have everything.My heart must be convinced of this. Only then can I live in peace.Otherwise, there will always be something else I need urgently, desperately.And this lack, this urgent need of filling this lack,will forever drive me todistraction and destroy my rightful peace and rest,my quietness and confidence in the Lord. This doesn't mean I don't recognize other things that might be considered needs. It\'s only that, while I may see them as good or desirable if withinGod\'s will and purpose for me, I won't see them as ultimate needs,because God, and God alone, is my only ultimate need.And what He gives me, in the way and time He gives it, is fine with me.For He alone is ultimately enough.  Enough form. Yes, I have what humans view as responsibilities. But only those that are God-given are truly mine.And they are not so much responsibilities as opportunities.Opportunities to serve and please and give pleasure to the Onewho is Himself all I need, and is increasingly, by His grace, all I want.