Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Email | RSS | More
In Defense of the Faith
I’ve had a few people ask why I haven’t given a prophecy for the year yet. I’ve been praying and seeking
God because He has shown me things to come. There are surprises coming, and not good surprises.
America’s foundation has been slowly eroded and destroyed and she is fixing to have a mighty fall.
But the church will not be harmed IF we listen to the Lord and obey everything He tells us.
There are things He wants us to hang on to and things that we need to let go, when He says let go-
We need to rid ourselves of anything that is not from God or of God.
You needed to be GROUNDED on the Word of God.
There is a counterfeit spirit, a counterfeit gospel that IF YOU ARE NOT STANDING FAST, you will be
deluded and misled.
There is a gospel of love that’s not a gospel of love, but of pleasure and comfort.
We are being called to be in defense of the faith.
Jude 3 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.
4 For certain men have crept in stealthily [[c]gaining entrance secretly by a side door]. Their doom was
predicted long ago, ungodly (impious, profane) persons who pervert the grace (the spiritual blessing and
favor) of our God into lawlessness and wantonness and immorality, and disown and deny our sole
Master and Lord, Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
The world is closing in the Bible believing Christian more and more.
It wants us to keep silent and just “LOVE”
It tells us we speak “hate” and intolerance.
I am here to tell you church, it is time to Arise and shine!
Isaiah 60:1 Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you—rise to a
new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord
has risen upon you!
God needs us on the front line proclaiming the truth in the face of great and intense opposition.
The faith is more than objective truth.
It is a way of life to be lived in love and purity.
It is a kingdom that comes in the power of the holy spirit.
This word “contend” describes the battle that we must fight in defense of the faith.
It means literally to “struggle, suffer, be under great stress or fight a fight”
WE must exert ourselves to the utmost in the defense of God’s Word and the faith, even though it maybe costly and agonizing.
How do we defend the Faith?
1. To be in defense of the faith you need to hate sin– these false teachers “turn grace into lawlessness”
Acts 17:16
16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was greatly angered when he saw that the
city was full of idolatry.
At the sight of idolatry and moral corruption, Paul became indignant and grief stricken.
His spirit was stirred over people who were lost and in need of salvation.
Paul expressed the same attitude towards sin and its destructive work as Jesus
John 11:33
33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned
in the spirit, and was troubled.
Jesus has come to the tomb of Lazarus.
This word groaned in the Gk picture PROFOUND emotion involving anger.
Jesus was grieved and angered by all the misery resulting from sin, Satan and death.
His soul was not filled with a cold concern, but with an anger against evil.
1 John 3:8 He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this
purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Jesus’ faithfulness to the Father while on earth, as demonstrated by His love of righteousness and
hatred of wickedness, is the basis of God’s anointing of His Son.
Hebrews 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath
anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
One of the surest signs of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives is that we begin to notice how much misery,
sorrow and suffering sin has caused in the world.
An attitude of holy anger toward sin and immorality should characterize all those who have the Spirit of
Christ.
Are you repelled by sin that is offensive to God and deceptively destructive to humanity?
DO YOU HATE SIN?? or are you apathetic?
Are you grieved when you look around at the world today?
Are you grieved by homosexual marriage and the white house flying the gay pride rainbow?
Are you grieved by Bruce Jenner and all the rise of transgender?
Are you grieved by Planned Parenthood and abortion?
Are you grieved by Hollywood and all the new programming?
Are you grieved by all the false religions?
These are not rights, like the lie that the world is trying to sell you. They are sin and its end is
destruction.
Does sin grieve you? It should. It’s end is destruction.
This same holy anger was found in Moses.
Exodus 32:19King James Version (KJV)
And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and
Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
Moses did not shatter the commandments because of uncontrolled passion, but because of a righteous
indignation against sin.
I hate sin. I hate what it did my life. I hate how it almost destroyed my mom and myself. It is ugly and
nasty. The only path of sin is death.
SIN DESTROYS LIVES.
It is not pretty. It is not meant to be toyed with and definitely not glorified.
Right now, the world is glorifying sin and calling it LOVE.
This is not a gospel of God, but it is a gospel of demons.
IF THE LOVE BEING PREACHED DOES NOT LEAD TO REPENTANCE, IT IS NOT OF GOD.
Paul preached at Mars Hill a message that most would not today:
Acts 17:29-31
Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto
gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at;
but now commands all men everywhere to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he
will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given
assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Paul spoke of judgment when witnessing, interesting. King Agrippa
In times past, God overlooked much of human sin and ignorance of Himself.
But now that His full and perfect revelation has come with Christ’s appearing, all are commanded to
repent (TURN FROM SIN TO GOD) and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
There are no exceptions. God will not overlook anyone’s sin.
ALL must turn from sin to God or be condemned.
DO YOU GET IT? SIN DESTROYS LIVES! The ONLY savior is JESUS.
A hatred for sin will cause you to have REAL compassion for those deceived by it.
DO you have compassion for those who are lost and deceived by sin?
If not why?
I think sometimes we tend to look at the PERSON, and miss the spirit behind them.
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
There is a REAL spiritual battle going on for people’s souls, they are lost and blind.
We need to come against the real enemy—SATAN, and not the person.
You are going to have to do some spiritual warfare
Back to Jude
17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions which were made by the apostles (the special
messengers) of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
18 They told you beforehand, In the last days (in the end time) there will be scoffers [who seek to gratify
their own unholy desires], following after their own ungodly passions.
19 It is these who are [agitators] setting up distinctions and causing divisions—merely sensual
[creatures, carnal, worldly-minded people], devoid of the [Holy] Spirit.
20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [[d]make progress, rise like
an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit;
21 Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God; expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our Lord
Jesus Christ (the Messiah)—[which will bring you] unto life eternal.
22 And refute [so as to] convict some who dispute with you, and on some have mercy who waver and
doubt.
23 [Strive to] save others, snatching [them] out of [the] fire; on others take pity [but] with fear, loathing
even the garment spotted by the flesh and polluted by their sensuality.
Build yourself up!
We must propagate the faith and at the same time resist false teaching
The more our faith is ridiculed and persecuted, the faster hold we should take and keep of it.
1. Build up yourself in our most holy faith– HOLD ON TO IT.
This requires study of God’s word and a determined effort to know the truth and teachings of scripture.
Be of noble character.
Acts 17:11 Now these [Jews] were better disposed and more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they
were entirely ready and accepted and welcomed the message [[a]concerning the attainment through
Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] with inclination of mind and eagerness, searching and
examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
Now more than ever the Word of God is coming under attack!
We need to judge everything by God’s Word, not judge His Word by the world.
There are people proclaiming themselves as teachers declaring that the Bible is not infallible and that it’s
not for today. Guy on FB
Be aware that you make yourself a teacher now a days when you post on social media
Beware of any version that “adds to” or “takes away from” God’s Holy Word.
2. Pray. Pray. Pray.
Pray in the Spirit. Pray with understanding.
Look to the Spirit to inspire, guide, energize, sustain and help us do battle.
YOU MUST MAKE TIME FOR PURPOSEFUL PRAYER.
Pray for the lost. Pray for the church. Pray for your brother and sister in Christ.
Pray for wisdom. Pray for understanding.
3. Remain in the sphere of God’s love. This involves faithful obedience to God and His Word.
John 15:9-10
I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love [[a]continue in His love with Me].
10 If you keep My commandments [if you continue to obey My instructions], you will abide in My love
and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commandments and live on in His love.
We are told to REMAIN, STAY, ABIDE in Jesus.
Romans 11:20-22 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be
haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22
Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you,
goodness,[a] if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
“His goodness” interesting phrase, meaning “pleasing to God”
As long as you continue to live a life pleasing to God
4. Long for and await the return of Jesus and the eternal glory that will accompany His return.
This is the culmination of our faith. IT is what we hope for. It is what we live for. It is why we have
PURPOSE.
5. HAVE WISDOM
Refute some who dispute with you- distinguish between the weak and the willful
On some have compassion- treat them with tenderness, restore them in the spirit of meekness
Others PULL them out of the fire, DO ALL IN AS IT PERTAINS TO YOU TO SAVE THEM, but with fear,
avoiding all that looks like sin or leads to sin