“Contend for the Faith”...the Wayfarer 4/29/14
“Contend for the Faith”
4/29/14
4/29/14
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the
common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that
ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the
saints.
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before
of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God
into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(Jude, vs 3 & 4)
Gospel or gossip? This is the subject
of both this missive written by Jude, brother of James and passed through the
ages to both those of his and our own time, and the message I attempt to deliver through that scripture today.
Dogma, or Doctrine? This is perhaps a
better way to define what I attempt to clarify to the best of my poor ability as
I continually attempt to separate the teachings of Christ Jesus and the love
given that provides that common salvation shared by those who are able to
comprehend it from the teachings and laws of mankind which have no honor or
obedience to either that love or the laws of God that were being perverted even
during the time of Jesus that required the very sacrifice given by Him for the
sins caused by that perversion.
Jesus warned of those whose love
would weaken and wax cold as time progressed taking gossip over gospel,
condemnation over love, choosing to promote the teachings of men and men’s
concepts over the absolute and total truth delivered by Christ during his
ministry, even attempting to pervert the very teachings of Christ to mean
things other than what was given, as they were given.
“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax
cold.”
(Matthew 24:12)
This warning is
followed by the promise that that common salvation mentioned in Jude’s missive
would still go on unmolested despite all attempts to nullify and deny it!
But he that shall
endure unto the end, the same shall be saved,
And this gospel of the
kingdom shall be preached unto all the world for a witness unto all nations;
and then shall the end come.”
(Matthew 24:13&14)
Jude continued on in
delivering his warning of what was to be
readily seen, easily recognized and the reason for it to be taken seriously by
the true believer because of the damage it would do to the true believer, and
the unbeliever who would see only the self –righteousness of those professing
that they knew what was given, but by their very lives showed a complete lack
of comprehension of the love demanded by Christ, that provided that common
salvation, clinging only to precepts and laws of men instead of that which was
taught by Christ.
“I will therefore put you in
remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the
people out of Egypt afterward destroyed them that believed not.
And the angels which kept not their
first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting
chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the
cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and
going after strange flesh are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance
of eternal fire.
Likewise also these filthy dreamers
defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
Yet Michael and the archangel, when
contending with the devil, he disputed about the body of Moses durst not bring
against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
But these speak evil of those things
which they know not: but what they know naturally as brute beasts, in those
things they corrupt themselves.”
(Jude vs 5-10)
Gossip or Gospel? Again that
must be the question asked when listening to the teachers claiming their own
unique interpretation of scripture derived not from that scripture, but derived
from the teachings of association, denomination, or any organization created by
men for men, taking the teachings of those very organizations over the
teachings of Christ, whose message of love and salvation was extended to all, and
was meant to be proclaimed and honored until His return to judge the things
attempted to be judged through the eyes of those organizations of men.
It was and is His judgment
that stood, and stands, above and beyond the laws and teachings that continually
divide even believers who fail to differentiate between the ones teaching the
concepts and laws of man over those of God himself!
“Woe unto them! For they have gone in
the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward and
perished in the gainsaying of Core.
These are spots in your feasts of
charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they
are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without
fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
Raging waves of the sea, foaming out
their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness
for ever.”
(Jude vs 11-13)
Many profess Christ, many
preach the need to follow the gospel, and the teachings of Christ, many use this
as a means to gain popularity and enrich themselves, ignoring the very teachings
they profess to teach.
Great chapels, great temples,
great followings are created that clothe and provide for the lascivous wants of
those perverting their own teachings by failing to follow that simple
commandment left by Christ to love one another as he loved us.
Excuses are given of poverty,
while copious displays of wealth abound with the needs of those we were told
to serve ignored.
Pride of self, pride of
position, proclamation of righteousness is given, while refusing to acknowledge
that sin is inherent in all, and that the first that needs be judged by each is
the one faced in the mirror daily.
Proclamations of faith abound,
requests are given for OTHERS to donate to the needs of the
most needy are given, while those donations are taken and used for the purposes
of organizations, and the needs and the wants of those running those
organizations taking the place of what is intended to be used for God’s purposes,
instead abound in the very putrification of those proclamations.
These will be judged, not by
their denominations, not by their associations, not by their unique
organizations but along with those things done, by the ONE TRUE JUDGE, as will all of
mankind when God has had enough of both denial and pretense, calling the sheep
from among the goats, making the final, and just judgment in accordance with
hearts, not words!
And Enoch also the seventh from Adam,
prophesied of these saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his
saints,
To execute judgment upon all and to
convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they
have committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have
spoken against him.’
(Jude vs14 &15)
All those perverting the
teachings of Christ, in any manner, in any way will be called into account for
having done so.
All those building the great
followings, the Cathedrals, Chapels, organizations and cults that deviate from
the TRUTH
of Christ’s love, and the simple message preached by Him of redemption through
repentance and the need to seek that redemption by ALL will face that
judgment, without excuse, without advocate, with intercession no longer
available, because of their choice of man’s teachings over those of God.
“These are the murmurers, complainers,
walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words,
having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.
But beloved, remember ye the words which
were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord, Jesus Christ;
How that they told you there should be
mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
These be they who separate themselves,
sensual, having not the Spirit.
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves
on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Keep yourselves in the love of God,
looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life,
And of some have compassion, making a
difference;
And others save with fear, pulling them
out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”
(Jude vs 16-23)
The murmurers and complainers
teach mankind’s laws, mankind’s interpretation of God’s intent for us, having
no concept of what that true intent is. These use fragments of scripture to
justify what they teach, no matter how perverse, no matter how contentious it may
be with the actual intent, and concept that was taught by the only authority to
whom I am able to give honor and serve, the only one worthy of judging any
human being, the only one capable of cleansing that putrification taught by
mankind and replace it with the love He Himself commanded, Christ Jesus.
The admonition given by Jude
not to separate into the deviations created by men, but to glorify only the
teachings and laws given by God must be taken seriously by any who would truly
claim to follow the Savior sent by Him.
Keeping ourselves in that
love, having that compassion to teach the TRUTH to the teachable, to reach
those still reachable despite all teachings contrary to what Jesus taught, to
what he preached in that message given from the day of his baptism by John till
today to;
“Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand!”
Living those teachings that
show that compassion and proclaiming the necessity of the fear of GOD’s
condemnation, not mankind’s
is the mission of all who would preach the gospel, not the gossip, teach
true doctrine, not dogma, provided only through the interpretation of a fallible
organization, instead of through the infallible scripture given by our God.
Jude concludes his missive
with the following words:
“Now unto him that is able to keep you
from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with
exceeding joy,
To the only wise God our Savior, be
glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”
(Jude vs 24 and 25)
There is only one who may
present us faultless before God. It is to Him we owe our allegiance, to Him we
owe our obedience, to Him we are accountable.
It is His glory that we should
seek, not that of ourselves or that of other men who seek that glory for
themselves instead of Him.
It is His majesty that we must
constantly fear and be in awe of, not that of any man, no matter how powerful
or influential on this earth.
It is His dominion that we
must bow to. It is His teachings that must be observed in both spirit and in
truth, not only in words at gatherings of men, but in our daily lives and
actions, keeping constantly in mind that the measure by which we are measured
is his, not our own.
It is His power to both be
feared, and to give joy to those who have accepted his message of the common
salvation intended for all mankind, still ignored and denied by for to many.
I close once more in prayer
that all professing Christ to truly BE who and what they profess;
I remain also that same
soldier chosen to earnestly contend for the faith given me, that that faith be
given to others as well, those still reachable and teachable.
2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)
12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer
the Wayfarer
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