CONTEND FOR THE FAITH

 

 My Mom passed from this life September 21, 2023. She was taken quickly out of this world by an aneurysm and was ushered into the presence of Jesus. We were very close, so I am sad for me because this life will never be the same. But I am happy for her because she is in the presence of Jesus, the One she lived her life for. She has reached the goal we all should be striving for. Mom was a prayer warrior, and she prayed on a daily basis for many of you who receive this newsletter. She was the one who led me down the path where I could meet Jesus. She was also the one who proofread, folded, stapled and stamped all these newsletters. She had a desire for every lost soul to be saved and prayed diligently every day toward that end. I thank God for what she taught me and what she brought to my life. She was a voice in this world proclaiming truth, grace, righteousness and faith in Christ Jesus. She proclaimed it in her conversations and her life. She proclaimed it in the poems she wrote. She even proclaimed it on Facebook. Now she has her eternal reward.

Most of us are willing to take a stand for the things we really believe in, the things that are of great importance to us. But it’s not always easy. We are not always popular when we stand for God’s Word, but truth is truth, and we cannot afford to hide it from others. Everyone needs to know. We are called to be a voice that proclaims Him. But are we? Are we really a voice to this world that proclaims God’s truth, grace, righteousness and faith in Jesus Christ?

 If we want to gain a reward that will not fade away, and if we want to bring others to Jesus, we need to learn how to work together as the people of God for the faith of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to be His voice in this world. His voice is very unwelcome among many, but Truth still needs to be proclaimed. There are those who will hear and welcome the good news. There are those who will hear and reject. Proclaiming the gospel isn’t just with words. It is also through our lives and actions. We can show people the gospel message by how we act, how we respond to them, and how we love. Those first Christians had a great love for one another and were one in Christ. They were the body of Christ in this world who shared the pure message of the gospel without adding or taking away from what the Lord had first spoken to them. They received a lot of opposition, but their message was more important than the opposition against them.

            Philippians 1:27-30 says, “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.”

            Paul wrote that to the Christians in Philippi as well as to you and me today. He preached truth. He made sure it was available to everyone he spoke with. He underwent great persecution because of the message of Jesus Christ. But he continued to strive to make Truth known to as many as he could reach.

            What does it actually mean to strive? It means to make strenuous efforts toward any goal. And what more worthy goal than the gospel of Jesus Christ? It also means to contend in opposition, battle, or any conflict. It takes effort and determination. We must strive, because if we retreat, who will teach others the Truth? How can people hear without someone telling them? Jesus told us to go and make disciples. That means to teach others the Word of God and the ways of God. We cannot afford to retreat. We must continue to move forward. No soldier ever won a battle by retreating. We don’t have to be afraid of those who oppose us. Our job is to make the truth of the gospel known. Then others can choose to accept salvation (a state of final spiritual bliss) or perdition. (a state of final spiritual ruin). So you can see that the reason we are to strive is because eternal souls are at stake. We can’t force anyone to follow Jesus, but we can make sure they have knowledge so they can make their own choice.

Jude wanted to write about the joys of the salvation we share, but God had a different message for him. So he wrote, “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” Jude warned them that everyone does not teach the truth of the gospel and they needed to be aware of those who taught false doctrines. We need to know Truth and stand for it.

Paul wrote to the Christians in Galatia, “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert [distort] the gospel of Christ; But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” [Galatians 1:6-9]

There are those who try to change the Word of God, but they cannot. They can write their own gospel, but God’s Word is Truth and Truth never changes. It remains absolute…complete and unadulterated. That’s why we need to contend for the faith, the Word of God. To contend simply  means to struggle in opposition; to exert oneself vigorously. If there was anyone who contended for the faith, it was the apostle, Paul. He struggled in opposition with those who tried to pervert the gospel of Jesus Christ. It wasn’t a physical battle, but a spiritual battle. Paul wasn’t a fighter in the physical sense. Physically he seemed to be constantly being beat up because he taught the Scripture. Look at 2 Corinthians 11:24-28. Here Paul outlines a few examples of the opposition against him. He said, “ Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.” But he never quit being the voice of God in this earth until he was beheaded and received his reward in heaven.

What kept Paul from getting burned out and leaving the ministry? His love for Jesus Christ, his disregard for himself, his passion to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit even when he stood alone in dangerous territory, his stand to follow Jesus rather than do what everyone else was doing. I can’t imagine him following the notion of ‘church as usual’ with its form and lack of God’s Spirit. He didn’t have a goal he had set for himself. He had a message that burned in him and the world became his pulpit. He even said, “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship.” [1 Corinthians 9:16-17] Even with all the trials Paul endured, he said, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” [Philippians 4:11-13] When he was on the top, he was content. When he was on the bottom, he was content. When he was in the middle, he was content because his contentment was in Christ, not in goals he had carefully crafted out. We burn out when we get our eyes on what we are doing instead of Who we are serving. We get burnt out when we go through the form that is expected of us instead of following the leading of the Holy Spirit burning inside of us. One is focusing on pleasing people. The other is focused on pleasing God. Paul wanted to please God, so he followed what He said and let God handle the consequences. His experiences taught him that even in the worst circumstance, Jesus was with him.

“Striving together for the faith of the gospel” is a concept we may find strange. But every true believer in Jesus is part of His body today. We are His hands, feet and voice. If we as the people of God do not strive together and contend for the gospel of Jesus Christ, who will? 

In all the ups and downs in our lives, we can strive together for the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can stand together and make a difference. And Jesus promised He would never leave us or forsake us.