Earnestly Contending for the Faith
“Holding to the Truth
In the Midst of Apostasy!” # 2
The greatest issue facing the church today is not Calvinism vs. Arminianism, not contemporary vs. traditional, and not King James vs. the New King James translation of the Bible. The greatest issue facing the church today is whether it can survive without truth, and with the biblical foundation of our faith hanging in the balance, and therefore, to some degree, the salvation of the next generation, I believe that question is being answered today in the decline, if not the death, of true evangelicalism.
- God established His Church as the Pillar and Ground of truth. However, as we view the evangelical churches today, the greatest concern seems to be about:
- The style of packaging rather than the substance of preaching.
- The image of the facility rather than the fulfillment of its mandate.
- The impression of success to the world rather than the church’s faithfulness to God’s Word.
- The number of decisions (baptisms) rather than the development of devoted disciples of Christ.
- Building bridges of friendship with the lost world than in the advancement of the kingdom of God.
- Being more relevant to today’s social issues than in proclaiming the truth of the gospel.
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:3-5
- The pronoun, “they” does not refer to heathens who have never heard the gospel truth, but rather to those within the church, who have heard it, who said they believed it, but who, having grown tired of hearing it, want to hear something else.
- Many will move to the church where they can hear what they want to hear. However, some will stay and use their positions of influence to sow seeds of discord, introduce false doctrines, and do their best to get rid of the Pastor who is preaching the gospel.
- Then, because of the lack of doctrinal preaching, the church members do not know how to recognize doctrinal error or to refute it when they do hear it, and they are led to believe they can make their own decision to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior without their confession and repentance of their sins, and without living out the disciplines of doctrinal truth.
- Therefore, what we are witnessing in many churches today is the activities of a religious organization, but it is not biblical Christianity. It is a form of religion, but it has denied the power of the Word of God.
- According to the most recent surveys, less than 10% of those who attend an evangelical church today are true believers.
- Rather than equip the saints for the work of ministry, many churches are focused on doing whatever they have to do to attract the next generation to their particular church, even if that means abandoning the true gospel and the elements of true worship.
“The Church today is suffering from the secularization of the sacred. By accepting the world’s values, thinking its thoughts and adopting its ways we have dimmed the glory that shines overhead.” A.W. Tozer
Even though Jude is the 4th smallest book of the Bible, it spans the history of the whole bible beginning with the birth of Apostasy in Adam’s day, when he and Eve questioned, and then rejected, the truth of God’s Word, and became victims of the devil’s lie.
- Jude reminds us of others – angels and whole societies, such as Sodom and Gomorrah, who followed that same folly, fell for the devil’s lie, and suffered the very judgment of God.
- Jude warns us that such ungodly men are within the church, just waiting for the right time to destroy the body by doubting and questioning the truth of the Word of God!
The Expectation of Truth:
- Through the serpent, Satan tempted Adam and Eve to doubt the truth of God’s Word.
- Because of his sinful disobedience, God condemned the serpent to crawl on its belly and to eat the dust of the ground.
- In Genesis 3:15, which is the “first gospel,” God promised Satan that the day would come when he and his followers would be destroyed.
- The “seed” of the serpent would grow up as the children of the devil, the tares among the wheat, those who professed to be Christians but had never experienced the grace of God.
- The “seed” of the Savior would be the Lord Jesus Christ, the child in Mary’s womb, who would defeat Satan and his legion by His death, burial, and resurrection.
- This battle between God and Satan has raged since that day, as the wickedness of mankind continues to increase with every new generation.
- Even though God allowed the flood waters to wash every living thing from the earth, because of His grace, Noah and his family were preserved – a sign of hope for every sinner.
- God raised up prophets, kings, and other voices to warn His people of the wrath to come for those who denied His Word and to remind them of His promise to send a Redeemer.
- “Thus, saith the Lord, I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain.” (Zechariah 8:3)
The Incarnation of Truth – the Person and Work of Jesus
- In John 1:14, the Apostle said: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth!
- In John 14:6, Jesus said: “I am the way, the TRUTH and the life: No man comes to the Father but by Me!”
- At first, crowds were drawn to His miracles and His messages, and some believed in Him, and were gloriously saved. However, in John 1:11, the Apostle wrote: “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”
- Jesus warned His disciples about the false prophets that would arise and mislead even many of those who had believed in Him. The Apostles warned their readers of the wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing, who were sent by Satan to draw the spiritually weak away from the truth.
The Proclamation of Truth:
- The Book of Acts describes the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the world.
- The Book of Jude says the “seed” of Satan dogged the trail of all the Apostles, coming behind them, entering the churches, and exchanging the truth for Satan’s lies; doing whatever they could to destroy the Church.
The Preservation of the Truth:
- The Apostle Paul told Timothy that he was going to encounter false teachers, but that he was to “Pay close attention to his teachings; persevere in these things, for as you do this, you will ensure salvation for yourself and those who hear you.” (1 Timothy 4:15-17)
The Revelation of Truth:
- The main feature of Revelation is the “apokalupsis.” the second coming of Jesus Christ, when we will be living in the presence of all Truth.
- When Jesus returns, He will establish His Kingdom in Jerusalem, and for 1000 years, He will rule the whole world with truth and grace.
