1 / 12

Intro

THE EPISTLE OF JUDE Pt. 2 : Contending Earnestly For The Faith Text: Jude 3-4 Scripture Reading: Eph. 6:13-18. Intro . Jude 3-4

orsen
Download Presentation

Intro

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. THE EPISTLE OF JUDE Pt. 2: Contending Earnestly For The Faith Text: Jude 3-4Scripture Reading: Eph. 6:13-18

  2. Intro Jude 3-4 3. 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 handed down to the saints. 4. 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. • That men “crept in unnoticed” should give us pause! • That such could happen, despite the many warnings given by Jesus, Paul, and Peter, is scary! • How much easier, then, for this to happen today when we live in a time far removed from those initial warnings! In light of this, Jude's call to “contend earnestly for the faith” becomes even more relevant for us today! It is “the need” and “the how” that we will focus our attention on! THE EPISTLE OF JUDE Pt. 2: Contending Earnestly For The Faith

  3. THE “NEED” TO CONTEND EARNESTLY FOR THE FAITH Jude 3 3. 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 handed down to the saints. • Some will deny the all-sufficiency of the Scriptures • Revelation was not to be repeated, nor was there more to be revealed later • God has revealed all that He would have us know and is • evident from such statements like… • Acts 20:27: Paul said he proclaimed “the whole counsel of God” • II Pet. 1:3: Peter said God gave us “all things that pertain to life and godliness” If we have “all things,” and if we have the “whole counsel of God,” what else is there? The Scriptures, which contain the faith delivered “once for all,” contain all we need to become what God wants of us! (II Tim. 3:16-17) THE EPISTLE OF JUDE Pt. 2: Contending Earnestly For The Faith

  4. THE “NEED” TO CONTEND EARNESTLY FOR THE FAITH Jude 4 4. 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. • Some will pervert the doctrine of grace • Their doctrine of grace gave them excuse to sin! • So much so, that they engaged in that which was openly shameful (Eph. 5:11-12) • Perhaps they said: “Let us sin so that grace may abound!” (Rom. 6:1-2: “May it never be!”) • There are some today who pervert the grace of God… • Many say: “God is too loving, His grace is too wonderful, to condemn us when we are so sincere (or, happy)!” • Those who “contend earnestly for the faith” will be ever • mindful of what the grace of God truly teaches • Titus 2:11-12 THE EPISTLE OF JUDE Pt. 2: Contending Earnestly For The Faith

  5. THE “NEED” TO CONTEND EARNESTLY FOR THE FAITH Jude 4 4. 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. • Some will deny God’s authority • “Lord” = G2963 kurios [koo'-ree-os]: Related to the word kuros (supremacy). “Supreme in authority,” that is, (as noun) controller; by implication Mr. (as a respectful title): - God, Lord, master, Sir. • Today we often face people denying the authority of God • and Jesus… • Lack of respect to the Word of God (synods, convention, council, creeds and/or manuals; pope, bishop, minister, or their own person) • Those who “contend earnestly for the faith once delivered • Will recognize the authority of Christ – Mt. 28:18; Eph. 1:21-22 • Will recognize the authority delegated to His apostles – Jn. 13:20; I Cor. 14:37; I Thess. 2:13; Acts 2:42 THE EPISTLE OF JUDE Pt. 2: Contending Earnestly For The Faith

  6. THE “NEED” TO CONTEND EARNESTLY FOR THE FAITH Clearly the need to “contend earnestly for the faith” is present, for just as there were those in Jude's day who: Denied the all-sufficiency of God's Word, Perverted the doctrine of grace, & Denied the authority of God and Jesus...So there are such people today! THE EPISTLE OF JUDE Pt. 2: Contending Earnestly For The Faith

  7. THE “HOW” TO CONTEND EARNESTLY FOR THE FAITH Jude 3 3. 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 handed down to the saints. • We must “contend earnestly” – How then shall we do it? • G1864 epagonizomai [ep-ag-o-nid'-zom-ahee]: “Contend earnestly” and is related to the English word “agony.” • The term is associated with strife and combat of a most vigorous and determined variety. • The present tense of the verb indicates that the Christian struggle is to be continuous. (Believers' Study Bible) • The use of such an expression therefore suggests: • The matter is serious; we are at war! • Paul describes the nature of our warfare – II Cor. 10:3-6; Eph. 6:10-13 (Spiritual) We must contend with vigor, even to the point of agony, for “the faith once delivered to the saints!” THE EPISTLE OF JUDE Pt. 2: Contending Earnestly For The Faith

  8. THE “HOW” TO CONTEND EARNESTLY FOR THE FAITH Eph. 6:10-18 10. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15. and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16. in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, We must use the weapons at our disposal (Spiritual Weapons – Eph. 6:10-18) THE EPISTLE OF JUDE Pt. 2: Contending Earnestly For The Faith

  9. THE “HOW” TO CONTEND EARNESTLY FOR THE FAITH We must use the weapons at our disposal (Spiritual Weapons – Eph. 6:13-18) THE EPISTLE OF JUDE Pt. 2: Contending Earnestly For The Faith

  10. THE “HOW” TO CONTEND EARNESTLY FOR THE FAITH • We are to use these weapons in “the meekness and • gentleness of Christ” – II Cor. 10:1-6 • Make sure that we are first “spiritual,” and then displaying gentleness and caution – Gal. 6:1 • Refrain from quarrels, applying with gentleness, the Word (Sword of the Spirit), with patience and humility correcting the opposition – II Tim. 2:24-26 We need to “contend earnestly for the faith” firm in truth yet in an attitude of meekness and gentleness! THE EPISTLE OF JUDE Pt. 2: Contending Earnestly For The Faith

  11. Conclusion • The call to “contend earnestly for the faith” is not a license to engage in “contentions” (offensive) and • “outbursts of wrath” – Gal. 5:19-21; I Cor. 3:1-3: • It is a call to vigorously contend with all the weapons at our disposal... • First and foremost, with the Word of God, applied first to self and then to others. • But also, with the Christ-like qualities that are “divinely powerful” (II Cor. 10:4) to win people over to obedience to Christ. It is a battle for souls: whose side of this battle are YOU on? Have you submitted to Him whom God has made both Lord and Christ? THE EPISTLE OF JUDE Pt. 2: Contending Earnestly For The Faith

  12. “What Must I Do To Be Saved?” Hear The Gospel (Jn. 5:24; Rom. 10:17) Believe In Christ (Jn. 3:16-18; Jn. 8:24) Repent Of Sins (Lk. 13:35; Acts 2:38) Confess Christ (Mt. 10:32; Rom. 10:10) Be Baptized (Mk. 16:16; Acts 22:16) Remain Faithful (Jn. 8:31; Rev. 2:10) For The Erring Child of God: Repent (Acts 8:22), Confess (I Jn. 1:9), Pray (Acts 8:22)

More Related