Defending The Faith Sermon I: God Needs No Defenders But Our Christian Faith Does Series

. . . Defend the faith in the spirit of God’s love and mercy - Jude 20-23 . . .

To be told “it is what it is” should in no way deter you and me from pressing on toward that mark of our high calling in Christ Jesus . . . persevering all the way to the conclusion of our sojourn on planet earth. And if defend the faith we must, let us do so in ways that please God our Father and honor Christ our Lord. Thus:

Our best defense is a good offense: building ourselves up in the faith - making sure our foundation is Jesus Christ and our lives show we are set apart unto Him as Lord . . . praying in the Holy Spirit - making sure we test what we want to say to a sinner to see if it meets God’s approval and, if it does, to be endued with power to speak the truth in love . . . keeping ourselves in the love of God - making sure our aim in helping someone is for their good and God’s glory . . . looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life - making sure our motive is the salvation of the lost and the restoration of the fallen.

We who have received mercy make a difference in the lives of scoffers and unbelievers by defending the faith in love - with compassion that does not berate nor condemn to hell fire but seeks to rescue from harm or danger just as a fireman rescues a victim from a burning building or a pet animal from a pit into which it has fallen.

Jude 24-25 - “Now unto him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen!”