Jude 3- I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. The tragedy of our day is that most people who claim to be Christian have very little to no discernment and even more concerning is that the majority of them see no need for discernment. Not only do most professing Christians see no need for discernment, but they view tolerance as a great virtue and I think we must realize that we all have been effected by this modern day tolerance doctrine and stand against it. The Christian life is a battle and if you are not in the battle you are being overtaken! 2 Tim 2:3- You therefore must endure hardship as a good solider of Jesus Christ. The Apostle doesn't leave another option: he says "you must". My friends stop fooling yourself if you are not in a battle you are not living the Christian life. I see two things that Paul exhorts Timothy to fight against and we if we are not fighting these same things we are not in the battle and make not no mistake about it, someone who is not in the battle will be overtaken and most likely will not even know it. "Two things we must be fighting as we see in Paul's instruction to Timothy". 1- We must be fighting sin in our own hearts and I see three things that Paul instructs Timothy to fight against in his own heart. A. Pride 1Tim.6:4. B. The love of money in 1Tim 6:10. And C. Youthful lusts 2 Tim 2:22. Are you fighting against these things in your heart or are you being overtaken? The second thing I see Paul instructing Timothy to fight is false teaching and false teachers. 2 Tim. 3:13-14- But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of. We must fight for the truth. Jude tells to contend earnestly for the faith. I see two things in this phrase. First how are we to fight and second what are we to fight for. The word fight in and of itself implies one who is putting all he has in his efforts. Nobody shows up for a fight or a sporting event half-heartedly and expects to win. No solider would dare show up on the battlefield overweight and unprepared. We are to train and to fight with all that we have in us (given by God's grace) if we expect to preserve to the end. Jude would tell us to fight earnestly or the word means to strive agonizingly. Are you striving with agony, today, for the faith or for those doctrines that pertain to the gospel. We are so quick to take "the gospel" for granted and think that we can fight for other things. No, no my friends we must fight for the doctrine of radical depravity or total sinfulness, we must fight for the doctrine of regeneration, we must fight for the Biblical teaching and reality that God is Holy and that He loves righteousness and hates iniquity, we must fight for the deity and sovereignty of The Lord Jesus Christ, We must fight for the Resurrection of our Lord and let people know that the gospel doesn't end at the cross even know we must preach the cross and the fact that Jesus Christ absorbed the full wrath of His Father. Oh, please hear me, my brothers in Christ, the days we live in are evil, we cannot just sit back and seek comfort and ease, but let us be faithful to our Lord's commands and be men of war: men who first fight the sin in our own hearts, then fight for the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and go and preach it in the highways and byways.
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