It's time to fight for our Faith

I have to confess, I don't think I have ever read the Book of Jude. So, I had to study the words and read a number of times over. It is stunning how appropriate this book of the Bible is to the times in which we live.

Jude's letter focuses on apostasy— when people turn away from God's truth and embrace false teachings. The author of this book is begging the people to fight against these false teachers.

Dear friends, I've dropped everything to write you about this life of salvation that we have in common. I have to write insisting—begging!—that you fight with everything you have in you for this faith entrusted to us as a gift to guard and cherish. Jude 1:3 (MSG) 

Take a look around you. Consider the media for a moment -- we are inundated with false teaching. We are governed by empty promises of happiness and joy if we only follow the ways of the world.

What has happened is that some people have infiltrated our ranks (our Scriptures warned us this would happen), who beneath their pious skin are shameless scoundrels. Their design is to replace the sheer grace of our God with sheer license—which means doing away with Jesus Christ, our one and only Master. Jude 1:4 (MSG) 

Consider what many people think of our beliefs when we proclaim that Jesus is the only way to salvation. We are called narrow-minded fools. The very heart of Christian faith and practice is under attack every day. One study book on Jude says: Unless those who are grasped by the truth of the gospel do their best to maintain it, those who are heading in another direction are going to take a lot of people with them.

Something to ponder: If someone asked you, "What is the greatest danger facing the church today?"--referring to the church in your own area of the world--how would you respond?


Jude

If Jesus, then only Jesus

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “... Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”  Acts 4:8, 12

Salvation is found in no one else?  Oh, come on, Peter!  You’re so narrow-minded!

You know, the whole “narrow-minded” accusation is just that – academic bullying that intimidates us from examining or embracing the truth of a matter.  And I use “academic” loosely, for how broad is the mind that dismisses without examination the possibility that Peter was right?

If the Bible were just a philosophy by which we made our way in the world around us, then perhaps we could lump it in with every other religion and validate them all as elaborate coping mechanisms, lofty thoughts that make us feel good.  But if its claims are true, it is not the narrow mind, but the sound mind that accepts them.

In Leviticus, God told Moses that “the life of a creature is in the blood,” and therefore “it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s sin.” In other words, it takes the sacrifice of one perfect life to pay the penalty for the sin of another.  And this is exactly what Jesus did for us.  Now, if Jesus were human but not God, his death would save no one but himself.  If, however, he were God but not man, there would be no human atonement for us.  But he was fully both, and his death and resurrection means life – abundant and eternal – for us.  How selfless he is!  If Jesus, then only Jesus.

Through Isaiah, God foretold Jesus’ suffering, sacrificial atonement, death and resurrection.  “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wound we are healed.  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”  If all sin has been laid upon Jesus, then atonement has been made for all.  There is no other name by which we even can be saved, because it’s already been done.  As it is, we are forgiven and need only to accept this gift of grace in faith.  How loving he must be!  If Jesus, then only Jesus.

To his disciples, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  If he were just another man, we should not only dismiss Jesus’ bold exclusivity claim, we should repudiate it as non authoritative, dishonest and even a little crazy.  But if he is God, we can, in faith, rely completely on him.  What comfort we have!  If Jesus, then only Jesus.

We needn’t be intimidated or misled by hollow accusations.  Nor should we hold grudges against those who utter them, for Jesus atoned for the sins of all – theirs and ours.

Instead, take courage!  Jesus is who he says he is.  He has done what he said he would do for a world he loves.  Freedom is ours, a gift.  And that’s a good thing.

Jesus.  Only Jesus.

[Click here for the daily reading in Acts 4:1-14.]