4/8/18 Jude 1-4
“Now is not the time to be passive”. Start fighting!
We have a salvation in common, which is at the core of our faith and the sad reality is that there has been opposition rising up against the Savior who bought us that salvation since before He was crucified to earn it. With that kind of resistance always at work, we certainly cannot be passive or even reactive. We must be aware of the attacks and be pro-active.
And what does pro-active look like? It means contending for the faith. It means opposing those who come against the faith. It means fighting for truth. It means standing up for the reputation of Jesus Christ.
One might say, “well that doesn’t sound very Christian-like”. And therein lies a problem.
If you’ve answered the call to be a child of God, and if you know you’re loved by God, and you're therefore kept for Jesus Christ until the day of salvation, then you’re job description as a disciple of Jesus already includes such active defense of the faith. And if you didn’t think it did include it, you've been deceived.
We are at war.
We are required to love those who oppose us while fighting for the truth. And the most loving thing we can do is to realize first that the weapons of our warfare are not like the world’s, therefore we must equip ourselves in a very different kind of way. Our weapons are of a very different kind and make-up. We find a description of this equipping in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. And while we all live our lives in the flesh, the weapons with which we fight are not of the flesh or material, but are spiritual. These weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
What kinds of fortresses have been built up in your life against the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Start your fight by asking God to destroy those barricades and fortresses. We must learn how to take the offensive in these areas.
Where does it seem there is no way around the wall that’s been built? Then break through it! The wall is a spiritual wall, so break through it in the power of the Spirit.
We can destroy speculations that come up against a Christian world view. That is in our job description to do. We can break down every lofty idea that is lifted up against a God-centered will for life. Every tactic that is used to erode the knowledge of God, we can destroy - if we prepare and rely on God.
To do it we must take our own thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. We must first submit our own thinking to the will of God, to the whole counsel of God.
We must hide away God’s word in our hearts so it is at our “fingertips” to retrieve as needed.
What keeps you from preparing for this fight that is already at our shores?
In the name of the King we must fight!! This is an urgent appeal.
A good next step is to get a couple of friends and come out to our Biblical World View Institute at Hope CC this coming weekend and get better prepared. That’s a start. And don’t let the impending beautiful weather be a blockade to your training. Get yourself ready to make a stand. No one else can take the initiative for you.
BWVI is Friday April 13, 7pm and Saturday morning April 14, 9-12. You won’t regret it. Register at www.issacharimperative.com
(2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:10-18)
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