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Contend Earnestly for the Faith

Contend Earnestly for the Faith. Common Complaint in the Church. “If it were not for preachers or elders there would be no con-troversies and the church would be at peace.”. OT, NT Examples of this Illogic. Old Testament Elijah and Ahab, 1 Kgs 16-18

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Contend Earnestly for the Faith

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  1. Contend Earnestly for the Faith

  2. Common Complaint in the Church “If it were not for preachers or elders there would be no con-troversies and the church would be at peace.”

  3. OT, NT Examples of this Illogic • Old Testament • Elijah and Ahab, 1 Kgs 16-18 • Ahab, Jehoshaphat and Micaiah, 1 Kgs 22 • New Testament Paul • 1 Cor 5, Adultery • 2 Cor 2:3-4, his message not popular • 2 Cor 7:8-9, unpopular, but produced good • “Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” Gal 4:15

  4. Danger of This Kind of Reasoning • Two attitudes • Acceptance of error • Compromise with error • When people are afraid of controversy in in defending the truth they lose the militant spirit vital to the purity of the church.

  5. God’s Word Demands Militancy • Truth is worth defending. • Those who love truth have no choice. • Jude 3-4,contend earnestly • Phil 1:27-28,stand fast, not terrified • 2 Pet 2:1-3,destructive heresies • 1 Pet 3:15,give a defense • Titus 1:9-11,convict, stop mouths • 2 Cor 10:4-6,warfare • Eph 6:10-17,armed for battle

  6. Result of Not Contending • Defenders are often marked for creating controversy • Causing needless confusion and argumentation. • Therefore, they say there is no real issue. • If no real issue, no sincere investigation follows. • Therefore, there is no need to take a stand. • Shift from seeking truth to attacking people • Some don't want to be involved. • Don't want to study to determine what is truth. • Don’t want to discover they may be wrong. • Don't want to take a stand. • Don't want to "earnestly contend for the faith" • Become compromisers. • A compromiser is either too lazy or is a coward • So attack people as a defense of error.

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