Contend Earnestly for the Faith

Transcript

GR 802
11/13/1988
Contend Earnestly for the Faith
Jude 1:3,4
Gil Rugh

The Book of Jude in your Bibles, the little Epistle of Jude. The Book of Jude is given over in its entirety to a discussion of the subject of apostasy. When we talk about apostasy and apostates it's important to keep in mind uh what is the subject. An apostate is a person who professes to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. A person who in much of his actions and activities or teachings may appear to be a true follower of Jesus Christ. But an apostate is someone who has no relationship with Christ, that's key. We're not talking about believers with whom we disagree. We're not talking about fellow Christians who have doctrinal disagreements. When we talk about an apostate we are talking about a non-believer, someone who has no relationship with Christ. But it's important to recognize an apostate is someone who professes to have a relationship with Christ.

And that's why we say it can be a person who in many ways looks like a believer, who in many ways can sound like a believer. But as they are carefully analyzed in life and teaching, in light of the Word of God, they are found to be false. I plan perhaps in our next study to take some time to look at some modern-day apostasy and apostates. Some of those things, those teachings which are perhaps most dangerous to us in the Church of Jesus Christ today.

Now Jude began this very crucial little letter by a warm reminder of our security in Christ. We're here to talk about apostates, and he's going to talk very strongly about the condemnation of apostates. The danger is that his readers begin to wonder. Perhaps I'm an apostate? Perhaps he thinks that I have departed from Christ and never belonged to Him? Maybe I have lost the salvation that I once had. Jude reminds them: We are secure in Christ. We are the called, the beloved of God, and we are kept in Jesus Christ. So as those who have come to trust in Christ, we are secure.

Secure for eternity because of God's faithfulness, God's keeping power. Now there's a difference between being secure and being complacent. Being secure and being indifferent. Being secure means we belong to Him in an eternal relationship. But I do have responsibilities. Expectations are placed upon me. And the fact of the matter is, if my salvation is real, there will be certain things happening in my life that identify me, both for myself and for others, as a child of God.

With verse 3 James begins to talk about the purpose and thrust of his letter. He had one intention. When he sat down to write, he intended to write about our salvation, some general information, evidently, about what has happened to us in Christ. But the Spirit of God impresses upon him a message of urgency. And so he writes rather about the danger confronting the church, and he gives a call to believers to battle. We are called to become engaged in a struggle and in a warfare with those who are opposing the faith.

You'll note verse 3 begins with the word beloved. That's the third time in this epistle. The first 3 verses we have the word love used in one form or another 3 times already. In verse 1, they were called the beloved in God the Father. In verse 2, may mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you.
Now, verse 3, beloved. Those who are the objects of God's love. Those who are to experience God's love in their lives day by day in an overflowing way. They are the ones that James writes to who are the objects of his love as well. We love one another because of His love for us.
Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

He's motivated by his love for them, and that has been used of the Spirit to bring about the message he's going to be writing. While I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation. There was a diligence.

Every effort. Wants them to know that he was applying himself with diligence to address what he felt was an important subject, that subject being our common salvation. The salvation which we have in common. Again, Jude identifies himself with these readers. He doesn't set himself apart and say now I'm writing to you and you're the ones threatened by apostasy. You are the ones in a different position. No, we have a common salvation. There is only one salvation. There is only one name given among men whereby we must be saved, the Book of Acts tells us in chapter 4 verse 12. There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. It's the gospel of Jesus Christ which is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, Jew and Gentile alike. So there is only one salvation. Anyone who is going to heaven, anyone who is going to have forgiveness of sins and a personal relationship with God will have it through this one salvation. Salvation provided in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Those who believe in Him have that common salvation; those who do not, do not have salvation.
So I was making every effort to write about this uh common salvation. Perhaps he was formulating in his mind what he wanted to say. He was sitting down pulling together his thoughts before God on this subject and he says, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly. I felt the necessity. That is a statement in effect of the intervention of God in preparing him. When he says I felt the necessity, another way to say that is, the Spirit of God moved me to address a different subject. I felt the necessity translates it well. There was a compulsion placed upon him. We know as we analyze other Scriptures that that compulsion is the moving of the Holy Spirit to direct in the writing of the Scriptures.

In the letter of Peter, Second Peter chapter 1, verse 21, we are told that the Old Testament was written by men as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Thus, what we have in the Old and New Testament is not the ideas of men, but the message of God communicated through men. And the accuracy of that message is guaranteed by the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. So what James has to say here comes as a result of the compelling moving of the Holy Spirit in his life. And it's an appeal; it's an exhortation. That word appealing to you, uh para kaleto, the paraklete in the Gospel of John? A name for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the paraklete, two words: para and kaleto. Para, alongside of; kaleto, to call. The Holy Spirit is the One called alongside to give help and aid in whatever way necessary. And here we have a message that comes as an exhortation. Something that will give us the help and the encouragement that is needed in the conflict that we are going to be engaged in. Appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith. Like it or not, we as believers are called to struggle. And here we are called to contend earnestly for the faith. This is the call that James has. The rest of the letter will develop why we have to be involved in this battle, in this conflict, in this contest, if you will. But the first thing we ought to recognize as believers is, it is a draining, consuming task that we are called to. Contend earnestly. This is the English word, we've, word we've carried over into English, agony or agonize. Now that gives you something of the idea of the word, even though uh obviously our English meaning doesn't give us the full sense of the Greek word. It was an athletic word originally, that you would struggle or be engaged in an athletic contest. We'll look at some parallel passages. Now here in Jude he puts a preposition on the front of it which intensifies that word. So that's why we have it contend earnestly. That you agonize strenuously, the emphasis being that this is a life-draining kind of contest or struggle that we are called to. And I don't know that we can stress that too much. It's easy for us to get some idea in our mind as believers that the Christian life ought to be somewhat easy or smooth. I've come to trust Christ for forgiveness of sins, for the taking care of all problems, so that I can have peace and happiness and joy until I go to heaven. And there is an element of truth in that. I do have His peace within. I do have His joy within. But that does not mean that life is easy. That does not mean that life is without its trials and difficulties and problems and struggles. And it's so easy for us as believers to get disheartened, disillusioned and discouraged because there is conflict in battle. And we say the last place I need this is in my Christian life. And I come to the Word of God and say that's the first place I can expect to find it.

Because here Jude writes, being compelled by the Holy Spirit and He calls me to become involved in an intense struggle. This word was originally an athletic metaphor, then with the passing of time it comes over to be used uh in a broader context and is a metaphor for military conflict or battle. Anything that draws you out in an intense and serious way. That's the idea here. It's a present tense. To be continually contending earnestly. I need to be reminded of that, because I don't mind thinking, well, there's a struggle here. There may be a battle over there. Then I want to put it behind me and get back on the smooth road. What Jude does is call us to an ongoing battle of intensity. Because the apostates won't go away. Satan's character does not change. His opposition to God, the people of God, the Word of God, the church of God, does not change. Now that does not mean there are not lulls in the battle, times when the battle comes more intensely, some when it seems to ease off, but we ought not to be deluded as believers. We are called to be in an ongoing, continual battle for the faith. This is the only place where this word is used in its intensified form. The word to contend or to agonize. But the basic word is used several times. And the idea in a number of passages.

Look back in First Timothy chapter 6. First Timothy chapter 6. Paul writes exhorting Timothy, and note what he says in verse 12. Fight the good fight. First Timothy 6:12. Fight the good fight of faith. There's that basic word. To agonize, to struggle, to contend. Struggle the good struggle, wrestle the good match. The idea. Battle the good battle. See there is no delusion here. And you get the idea from Paul's letters to Timothy that maybe Timothy had a little bit of difficulty facing up to the ongoing, intense battle that we are called to. That's why over in chapter 1 of Second Timothy, verse 7, Paul reminds Timothy: God has not given us a spirit of timidity, of cowardice. We're called to battle, to warfare, to an intense struggle. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of eternal life to which you were called.

Second Timothy chapter 4 verse 7. Paul comes to the end of his life. He stands now facing his personal execution. Second Timothy being his last letter. He writes in verse 5: But you, be sober in all things. Endure hardship. Do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry. Look at verse 7: I have fought the good fight. There's our basic word again. I've fought the good fight. He says it now as it's over, why? He's going to be executed. That's when you know that your earthly battles are over. When you exit this life. And right up until the end Paul talking about the battle that he was in. Later on in this chapter, he'll say as he stood to defend himself, nobody stood with him. He had to go through his final battle alone. The mighty Apostle Paul, abandoned by his friends, abandoned by supporters. No one would support me. But he stays true. It's a battle to the end.

Now I have fought the good fight. I have kept the faith. Henceforth, the reward is set up for me, laid up for me. Picture of an athletic kind of contest and the intensity of that battle and that struggle. We see it as we watch sporting events where those involved give every ounce of their strength during that contest, to the very end, and then there is the reward given for victory. Now for you and I, it's this life that is the battle. It's easy for me to look at this particular conflict and say, that is it. No, it's my life on this earth that is the fight, that is the contest.

At the conclusion of my life here, then the reward will be given for faithfulness in the conflict.
Back in Colossians chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1. Paul says in verse 28: We proclaim Him, Christ, admonishing every man, teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ. You know that our goal is everyone in the body brought to maturity. Three times, every man, every man, every man. Verse 28. How is that accomplished? Verse 29. For this purpose also, I labor, striving according to His power which mightily works within me. Again, same idea of the contest, the intensity of the battle. Words here, one to labor to exhaustion. The other, the intense agony and struggle that he goes through. But he realizes he doesn't accomplish it by his own efforts and struggles and labors. It's God's power that works mightily within him. But don't get the idea that just because it's God's power that works in you, that the contest is easy.

Paul labors and toils to exhaustion in this intense struggle so that the power of God might work in him for the accomplishing of His purposes. And you ought to take hope. We sometimes think that the smoother the road, the easier things are, the more God is working in us. And often it's just the opposite. The more intense the battle, the more difficult the struggle, the more mightily the power of God is working in and through us.

Look over in Second Corinthians. Paul has left us an example when he talks about I labor and I strive you get an idea of what he does. In Second Corinthians chapter 11 he gives a testimony. Second Corinthians chapter 11. And we'll just pick up in verse 24. Five times I received from the Jews 39 lashes. That's serious punishment. Five times. Can you imagine what his back looked like? Five times 39 lashes.

The Jews were allowed to give 40. They always gave one less, because if you gave one more you were liable for uh having gone beyond the law. Five times he got 39 lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Romans beat him as well. Three times beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. A night and a day I've spent in the deep. Three times his ship went down. He knows what it's like to hold on to a piece of debris for a night and a day, looking for someone to rescue him.

I've been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren, there's the apostate. False brethren. Those who profess to be brethren that aren't. They posed a danger for Paul as well. I know, verse 27. I have been in labor and hardship through many sleepless nights. In hunger and thirst. Often without food. In cold and exposure. And those are only the external things, he says. Then I have all the internal pressures of concern for the churches, the next verse. Now you ought to circle those verses and go back and re-read them when you think your life is getting difficult. When I think, Lord, I've suffered so much for you. Is it any wonder, as he writes at the close of the Book of Galatians, that he says to the Galatians, I bear in my body, this physical body, the brand marks of Jesus Christ. He says, these are the brands that identify me as belonging to Christ. And we think, oh, we suffer so much. I wonder. Paul, if Apostle Paul was going to be here and he says well let me see your brand marks as a suffering people for Jesus Christ. I mean, you're really laboring and toiling and suffering for it, let's compare brand marks. That's what he tells the Galatians. He says, don't let anybody trouble me. My body is full of the brand marks. Anybody who questions my genuineness can look at me. I'm branded for Christ. That's an interesting way to look at it. You know if it was one of us and we got beat and scarred, we'd look and say, oh my, how am I going to run at the athletic club? Look what they've done to my body. Uh. Paul says it's a brand. It's something to be worn proudly that identifies me with Jesus Christ. Why? They're not my sufferings, they're his sufferings. Because I've suffered for Him.

Now all of this to help us get some kind of concept. When James calls us as believers to contend earnestly for the faith, we need to put it in biblical perspective of what earnestly contending for the faith may well involve. We've lost any concept of this. We think any little rough spot in the road mean God doesn't care anymore. That something's wrong. That everything ought to be smooth all the time.

I like verse 27. I've been in labor and hardship through many sleepless nights. We think oh, what's wrong. I have a sleepless night. Well, sometimes pressure in serving the Lord brings sleepless nights. That doesn't mean you're not spiritual.. Paul testifies here. I've had many sleepless nights. And I share that as part of my testimony of what it is to be involved in the battle for Jesus Christ. We're talking about something that consumes us here. We do other things on the side. Paul made tents part of the time, and many of you have other jobs, but we're talking about being consumed in the battle. And that's what Jude talks about.

Jude and verse 3. It's so easy for me to read this and say to contend earnestly for the faith and breeze right on by. I have to go back and remind myself, to contend earnestly for the faith can be a very costly thing for us as believers. It's the faith that we're contending for here. And the faith refers to the revelation God has given. So this is not just contending to be contentious. Not contending just to get my way. But we're contending for the faith. That has to be the focal point. The Word of God is the issue. Everything may not be done the way you like it, everything may not be done the way I like it. We're not to contend for our own ideas. We're not to be a contentious people, but when it comes to the Word of God, we draw the line, we stand, and we do battle. Whatever the cost, whatever the price, we contend for the faith. And it's described for us. It's the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. There's a finality about the revelation of God. When God speaks, that is eternal truth. Heaven and earth shall pass away; My Word shall not pass away. When the eternal God speaks. He speaks eternal truth. And that truth has been once for all delivered to the saints. Do you know what the responsibility that is carried in that? God has given His word to us. To the saints, not to the world, to the saints. Now the saints communicate the truth of the Word to the world. We proclaim the gospel so that the world by the grace of God through the ministry of the Spirit might be saved.

But the revelation is given to the saints. To the church of Jesus Christ. And we are responsible to preserve it, to protect it, to defend it and do battle for it. It's been once for all delivered to the saints. What an honor. God has given us this treasure in earthen vessels so that all the glory might be His. But I am responsible. God's given me a trust. His Word. Now I'm responsible to defend it, to proclaim it, to be involved in the intense struggle to proclaim its purity and to protect its purity.

Why is all this necessary? Well, verse 4 tells us why. Here's the explanation. For, and you ought to underline that. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed. Those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation. Ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only master and Lord, Jesus Christ. The presence of apostates within the professing church makes it of utmost importance that we as believers engage in the battle for the Word of God. Already, first century hasn't passed, all the Apostles haven't died, and already the church of Jesus Christ has been infiltrated by false believers, false teachers, and they are having an impact.

For certain persons have crept in unnoticed. Crept in means to sneak in. Uh. They have come in unnoticed. They have very craftily worked their way in among believers, and have been accepted among believers, already. The church is losing its discernment, and we still haven't left the first century. Men have crept in unnoticed, and they should have been noticed. That's going to be the rebuke. James condemns them. Uh. Verse 12 he'll tell us, they partake of the love feasts. They're there at the communion service, accept it. And he rebukes them for their lack of discernment. They have crept in unnoticed. And the tenor of the letter indicates they haven't been noticed, but they should have. You know what has happened? The church has not been as careful in scrutinizing, in evaluating in light of the Scripture. And so these men have coming in, come in, taken root among believers, so to speak, and now are disseminating what they have to say, and they are causing chaos in the church of Jesus Christ. Remember, when we started Jude, we looked at Matthew chapter 7, verse 15, and Jesus says, beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. So we have to be careful, just cause he walks by and says oh it looks like a sheep. We're responsible to look more carefully, to analyze more closely both the life and the doctrine to see if indeed it is genuine.

Acts chapter 20, verse 29, Paul warned the Ephesian elders: From among your own selves men will arise speaking perverse things, seeking to draw away the disciples after them. Two things to note there: number one, these false teachers arise from among your own selves and two, they prey upon believers, seeking to draw away the disciples after them. That's the danger that we're talking about here. From false teachers, apostates, those who pretend to be genuine, they prey upon believers and seek to draw them after themselves.

Look back in First, uh Second Peter chapter 2. You're probably aware that Second Peter chapter 2 is very, very similar to the Book of Jude in its content. They say basically the same thing in the same way. Second Peter, Peter writes as though this is yet future. Jude writes as it's already happening. Note verse 1 of Second Peter 2. But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you. Where do the false prophets come from in Israel and the Old Testament? From among Israelites. The false teachers will come from among you. That's where the danger is. Who will secretly introduce destructive heresies. So here you see the apostates. They have disguised themselves well. Paul wrote to the Corinthians and said Satan masquerades as an angel of light, then it ought to be no surprise that his servants also masquerade themselves as angels of light. We're talking about going to need some real discernment here. Because when Satan puts on a disguise he's very good. But these false teachers will be among you. He does not say may be among you. They will be among you. And they will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, Jude's going to mention that in a moment. Bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Now note this: And many will follow. Many will follow their sensuality. Because of them the way of truth will be maligned. See that happening even in our day? People who have professed to be teachers of the Word, but have gotten involved in sensuality and now even the unbeliever maligns the truth of God. And the church of Jesus Christ stands accountable; they should have been more discerning to begin with.

That's what Jude says. In their greed, verse 3, they will exploit you. Isn't it interesting that these who are being, who have uh brought disrepute on the Word by their profession and their subsequent sensuality are also identified with greed. Their greed, in their greed they will exploit you with false words. They will exploit you. You. Believers. Where do the vast sums of money for these apostates come from? You. Me. Believers. Who have supported them. Well they say good things. They have done good things. And we have not carefully sifted them through the Scriptures. As a result the Word of God is being maligned in the world today and the church of Jesus Christ is accountable. We have not heeded the admonitions of Scripture. We have not contended earnestly for the faith. We have gone by our emotions and our feelings rather than by the truth. We have been tolerant in an unbiblical way. We have been tolerant where God has not been tolerant. The result? The truth is being maligned. And we say oh, isn't that tragic. Yes, that's tragic, but we've misidentified the tragedy. The tragedy is the lack of discernment among believers to begin with that allowed those apostates to take hold in the church and carry on a ministry. And when we identify them people say, oh, what a lack of love. Why would you attack that person? But then after the sensuality comes out and the Word of God's maligned, then we very piously say, oh, isn't that awful. And we've misidentified the real tragedy in it all. Real tragedy is the failure to discern in the beginning. How did those apostates ever get in? Lack of discernment among the church of Jesus Christ.

Look in Galatians chapter 2. Galatians chapter 2, verse 4. Paul's ministry was plagued by apostates. Galatians 2:4. But it was because of the false brethren. Underline that. Mark in the margin: apostates. False brethren. That's an apostate. One who professes to be a brother in Christ but who is not genuine? False brethren who had sneaked in. They had sneaked in. You see they come in in disguise, pretending to believe something, pretending to teaching the truth. They had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Jesus Christ. In order to bring us into bondage. But we did not yield into subject, in subjection to them, even for an hour.

So that the truth of the gospel might remain with you. Paul says that's what's at stake, the truth. And I wouldn't even give in to them for an hour. Paul had no room, no leeway for these false brethren. You know, we need to be loving people as the people of God. But we need to be truthing in love. Love and the truth always go together. And when you begin to find yourself having to stretch the truth in the name of love, you know that you have departed from biblical love. We didn't give place to them even for an hour. That the truth of the gospel might remain with you. We have whole denominations that have gone the way of liberalism. You know why? People gave in along the way. Well, this is the truth, but we could sacrifice here to maintain our unity. We could sacrifice here to maintain the harmony. We could sacrifice there. Now, a generation or two later, the truth is gone from those groups and they're just a hollow shell going on. Lack of discernment among the church of Jesus Christ.

First John 4:1 tells us to test the spirits, for many spirits have gone out into the world. And it goes on to warn us about the antichrist. We have to be discerning, testing people. That doesn't mean we're not a people of love. We are to be a people of great love. That's why the truth is so important. We love people too much to sacrifice the truth. Why did Paul stand in Galatians 2:5? So that the truth of the gospel might remain with you. So that the Galatians could have the truth. He wouldn't yield an inch on the truth of the Word of God. We need to have that kind of love, that consumes and controls us as believers.

Come back to Jude. These ungodly persons were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation. God had prophesied. He had written beforehand, marked out beforehand, literally, written beforehand. And we don't have time to go back and look into the Old Testament right now.

We in a pre, in our previous study, looked at just a few passages on apostasy. And we'll do that at a later time. There'll be some examples given here in following verses. Old Testament is saturated with warnings about apostates and apostasy. So this is not something new coming on the scene. Go back and re-read Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel. Isaiah chapter 8, Jeremiah chapter 5, Ezekiel chapter 13, just 3 chapters. I picked one from each of those three books. Isaiah 8, Jeremiah 5, Ezekiel 13. Just read those 3 chapters as a sample from each of those prophets to see the emphasis, the warning. Because apostates have been written about beforehand. It's not something new. How can the church be caught off guard? Why is the readers of Jude's letter? How did that church get caught off guard? Those believers? And we've got 2,000 years of additional history with the completed New Testament, and believers in the church of Jesus Christ today are being caught off guard by apostates. You tell me Satan is not a clever opponent.

You tell me that we as believers are not a rebellious people, often. Unwilling to do what God says because we find it unpleasant. To content earnestly for the faith. These are described as ungodly persons. Isn't it a tragedy that believers would tolerate those who are ungodly? Now again, they don't come parading in necessarily this way. But this is what they really are. This is their basic character. You oughtn't to be surprised. You know, it goes on here, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness. Ungodly people, their lives lead to licentiousness. Strong word here for immorality and perversion and sexual activity. Ugly word. That's what they do to the grace of God. They twist it. Somehow within grace now there is an allowance for unholy living. And we see that emphasis today, that holy living is not related to grace.

What a perversion. Because the grace of God has appeared, Titus chapter 2 tells us, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust we are to live soberly, righteously and godly in the now age. That's what the grace of God teaches us, godly living, holy living. But these apostates, they are godless, and they think grace means now we're free to do as we please. You live under grace. You have liberty, which is really license, as they put it. Paul was plagued by these people. Book of Romans he has to deal with it. Shall we continue in sin that the grace of God may abound? Magonoito! God forbid! We translate it. It's hard to translate it, it's so strong. The very idea, the very thought, is blasphemous and repulsive. That God's people should live in sin because God's grace, of God's grace? God forbid! That's what happens with apostates. They're godless people. It leads to licentious living. We've got examples. Look around. Well how, how does all this sensuality and lust and everything? Godless, licentious, they deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Remember Peter said? Introduced destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them. The heart of it is a denial of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Now they don't come in saying I don't believe in Jesus Christ, but at the heart of it there is a denial of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Note how it's put here: They deny our only Master and Lord. That word Master? English word, we've carried over in English from the Greek word, the Greek word despot. Well one Greek commentator said, the best word for this is absolutism. The stress in it is the absolute, total sovereignty of Jesus Christ. And they deny that He is the absolute, total and complete sovereign. Some of this teaching is infiltrating the church of Jesus Christ today. Very close to home.
People who deny the Master. He is the despot. He is the total sovereign. He is the Lord, the title of honor. He is the ruler. That is His position. So a stress here on His absolute sovereignty as the one who sits as Lord. Jesus Christ, Jehovah Savior, the Messiah. You see all that's encompassed in this? That He is the Sovereign Ruler. He is the One who sits enthroned as Lord. He is Jehovah Savior.

He is the Messiah. There is a completeness here. And yet at the heart of the apostate's message is a denial of that. And their lives reflect it. They are not living as though He was the despot of their life. As though He was the enthroned Lord. We say, well I don't know what's happening to the church of Jesus Christ. All of a sudden one ruler, one leader, one key figure after another is going down. That doesn't mean that believers never fall. I'm aware of that. Godly men like David of the Old Testament. Godly men in our day have fallen. But much of what plagues the church of Jesus Christ today is the revelation of the character of men who never belonged to Jesus Christ in the first place. Any wonder Jude says contend earnestly for the faith. Church of Jesus Christ is losing credibility more rapidly than we realize in the United States of America. Much of it has to do with the activity and actions of apostates. Much of the responsibility for that rests upon the church of Jesus Christ. For their tolerating of apostates. Remember the letters to the churches? Jesus said, I have something against you. You tolerate that woman Jezebel. Permeating the church with false doctrine and licentious life. And I hold that against you the church. Jezebel is going to be punished. True. But I hold it against you as my church for tolerating it.

We want to be a biblical people. A loving people. But tolerance has to be within the biblical framework. When we pride ourselves in our tolerance, in our breadth, at the expense of the truth, then we have become an unbiblical people ourselves.

Two questions. Where are we in our relationship to God. Number 1, you can be here as an apostate. You know what an apostate is? One who professes to belong to the church but really doesn't. One who pretends to have a relationship with God but really doesn't. I can be fooled. Others in this church can be fooled. The Lord of the church, Jesus Christ, is never fooled. I the Lord search the hearts. I try the ways. God knows who you are as you sit here. Are you His child, or are you not? You don't have to tell me, but you might as well be honest before God. You're only playing games with yourself. Have you ever really come to believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for you? Did you ever realize clearly enough that you were a sinner guilty before God, that you knew you needed a Savior and trusted the One that God said to die on a cross to pay the penalty for your sins? That's the most important issue, that any here who do not know Him come to trust the Savior now.

And then for those of us as believers, it's easy to become accustomed and comfortable. God has blessed us in so many ways, and we become like Israel, our blessings turn our attention away from our God. All of a sudden we're absorbed with our blessings and we have less time for our God. I get to enjoying the good life that God has graciously provided, and I don't want to have to do battle earnestly for the faith. I don't want anything that might upset the ease of my world and my plans. Do we, are we really willing to bear in our bodies the brand marks of Jesus Christ? Are we really willing to engage in the battle for the faith regardless of the cost? It doesn't matters family, friends, job, possessions, health, willing to put it all on the line to stand for Jesus Christ, to represent Him, to make Him known, to be true to His Word, that He might be honored in my life. I trust God will make us that kind of church.

Let us pray together.