TEXT: Jude 1:3 - 4 (NLT)
"Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."
YOU ARE A STEWARD
If something is important to you, you will defend it to the last. Are you a Christian? Is the Christian faith important to you? If yes, then you must defend it as stewards entrusted with the word of life. "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God" (1 Cor 4:1).
WHY DEFEND THE FAITH
Why must we arise and defend or contend for the faith handed to us, Jude 1:4 tells us: "... Some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God's marvellous grace allows us to live immoral lives..." Jude says this is tantamount to denying Christ. The doctrine of once saved, you are saved forever is gaining ground in churches today. Apostle warned against such a doctrine in Rom 6:1-2, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?"
GOD HATES SIN
The children of Israel were delivered from slavery, but those who rebelled against God were destroyed before they reached the promised land. The angels that rebelled against God were expelled from heaven. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were utterly destroyed because of the wickedness of the inhabitants. The people who hawk this doctrine according to Jude, "live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings" (Jude 1:8b).
They do whatever they like, deceive people for money and like Korah, they perish in their rebellion. God hates sin and will not fellowship with anyone who delights in sin.
YOUR LIFESTYLE COUNTS
We see practitioners of this doctrine in our churches today, they will tell you they are saved and born again, speaking and praying in tongue but their lifestyle tells a different story. They are deep in fornication and adultery, lying and cursing, fraud and wild partying. Jude says such people deny Christ by their lifestyle. True Christians need to stand up and defend the faith against these false teachers, prophets and teachings by speaking the truth no matter whose ox is gored. Your lifestyle on earth determines whether you will make heaven or not. After receiving Christmas as Lord and saviour, you must live a lifestyle in conformity to the word of God.
Jude describes them in very sobering language in Jude 1:12,13 ,16: "Shameless shepherds who care only for themselves...clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain... trees that bear no fruit... wild waves of the sea churning out the foam of their shameful deeds... wandering stars doomed forever... grumbles and complainers living only to satisfy their desires... They brag about themselves and flatter others to get what they need.
REPENT
We cannot claim to be in Christ and live a contrary lifestyle. The judgement of God is imminent, but there is still time to repent and live righteously for Christ. If we claim to be followers of Christ, we must defend the faith that was handed over to us by living according to the word of God. Remember, in the last days the Bible says, men would be lovers of themselves and the love of many shall wax cold. Jude 1:18 says: "They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires."
As a disciple of Christ, you must defend the faith against such teachings and rescue as many from this doctrine of Satan.
PRAYER:
Father, all glory to you, who is able to keep us from falling away and will bring us with great joy into your glorious presence without a single fault in Jesus name (Jude 1:24).
