If you are a true Christian, you are contending against some doctrinal errors where ever you may be living. If everything looks okay to you and there is nothing to contend for, watch it, the possibilities are that you have been deceived. Wrong teachings have become mainstream and dominant in such a way that no true Christian can remain true without fighting hard to retain what was originally given to us by Jesus Christ and His Apostles. The root of this error in many cases has been a corrupted doctrine of grace.
These errors are not new. As early as 90AD, Jude had noticed with grieve of heart that the truth of the faith is being corrupted by some teachers in the Church. He therefore wrote in Jude 1:3-4 (NKJV) "...exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ."
This is a command to Christians of every generation to contend for the truth of the gospel that was delivered to the saints. What does it mean to contend? It simply means to struggle or exert oneself to obtain or retain possession of, the body of Truth of the gospel that was once and for all delivered to the saints. We are not only to contend for the truth but do so earnestly, that is, seriously with sincere and intense conviction without fear nor apology. Some people may say you are judging others when doing this but the word of God says contend earnestly for the faith that was once and for all delivered to the saints.
Why is this contending necessary according to this scripture? Because Satan is using some people to corrupt the Church by distorting the doctrine of grace, turning it into lewdness. Notice that the foundation of the error according to the passage in Jude rest on a wrong understanding and application of the doctrine of grace. In Jude's words, these people are those "who turn the grace of our God into lewdness". How do they do this? Through their teachings. Their teachings about the grace of God motivate in their hearers responses that are inclined to, characterized by, or inciting to lust or lechery, obscene or indecent.
Apostle Peter warned that these teachers will become regular in the last days. He wrote in 2 Peter 2:1-3, 14, 18 (KJV) "1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error."
These people are able to continue in the path of destruction because they choose to remember only the goodness of God. The love and goodness of God is something we must constantly keep before us so the enemy may not deceive us to seek relationship with God based on our merits rather the finished work of Christ. However, the bible teaches us to "Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off." Romans 11:22 (NKJV). In other words, to stay in the truth and enjoy the grace of God without the error of succumbing to lewdness, we must keep before us not only the goodness but also the severity of God. Any attempt to focus only on the goodness of God to the omission of the severity of God will lead to lewdness.
Consequently, Jude said to all who cared to listen, "But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe." Jude 1:5 (NKJV). These things are quoted in the epistles and other New Testament scriptures because they are relevant to us who are in the New Covenant relationship with God. God does not address issues that do not exist. The Times call for you to earnestly contend for the faith or be deceived into condemnation.
These errors are not new. As early as 90AD, Jude had noticed with grieve of heart that the truth of the faith is being corrupted by some teachers in the Church. He therefore wrote in Jude 1:3-4 (NKJV) "...exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ."
This is a command to Christians of every generation to contend for the truth of the gospel that was delivered to the saints. What does it mean to contend? It simply means to struggle or exert oneself to obtain or retain possession of, the body of Truth of the gospel that was once and for all delivered to the saints. We are not only to contend for the truth but do so earnestly, that is, seriously with sincere and intense conviction without fear nor apology. Some people may say you are judging others when doing this but the word of God says contend earnestly for the faith that was once and for all delivered to the saints.
Why is this contending necessary according to this scripture? Because Satan is using some people to corrupt the Church by distorting the doctrine of grace, turning it into lewdness. Notice that the foundation of the error according to the passage in Jude rest on a wrong understanding and application of the doctrine of grace. In Jude's words, these people are those "who turn the grace of our God into lewdness". How do they do this? Through their teachings. Their teachings about the grace of God motivate in their hearers responses that are inclined to, characterized by, or inciting to lust or lechery, obscene or indecent.
Apostle Peter warned that these teachers will become regular in the last days. He wrote in 2 Peter 2:1-3, 14, 18 (KJV) "1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error."
These people are able to continue in the path of destruction because they choose to remember only the goodness of God. The love and goodness of God is something we must constantly keep before us so the enemy may not deceive us to seek relationship with God based on our merits rather the finished work of Christ. However, the bible teaches us to "Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off." Romans 11:22 (NKJV). In other words, to stay in the truth and enjoy the grace of God without the error of succumbing to lewdness, we must keep before us not only the goodness but also the severity of God. Any attempt to focus only on the goodness of God to the omission of the severity of God will lead to lewdness.
Consequently, Jude said to all who cared to listen, "But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe." Jude 1:5 (NKJV). These things are quoted in the epistles and other New Testament scriptures because they are relevant to us who are in the New Covenant relationship with God. God does not address issues that do not exist. The Times call for you to earnestly contend for the faith or be deceived into condemnation.
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