Why is it Necessary to Contend for the Faith?

 There is an urgency by which we as God's people must contend for the faith! There are spiritual charaltans that are on social media who hold "Contending for the Faith Conferences" by which they appear to defend the faith of the gospel but hide behind the cloak of the Bible to perpetuate such Afrocentric Christianity. They place so much emphasis upon race, culture, and ideology that it explicitly deny that of the core of the gospel message. (Rom. 1:16) There are other facets by which the gospel of Jesus Christ have also been denied as well: that of the law and the gospel by which it is mutually exclusive. How is it possible for people who are saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ can possibly live by the law in order to demonstrate perfect obedience to Christ? When it comes to legalism it is all about performance and how well people are able to perform. If a person cannot live up to the standards of rules and regulations of such a legalistic system either they are no longer saved by which to questioned a person's salvation experience. We are not saved by works; it is by grace alone through Christ alone that we are saved. In so many words we are saved by the grace of Christ without any human merits nor human achievement. (Eph. 2:5, 8-9)

The urgency by which the church must contend for the faith is striving contend earnestly for the true faith. (Phil. 1:17, 27) As the apostle says as one man for the faith of the gospel. (v. 27) When it comes to contending for the faith is that of its ongoing struggle by which to defend the faith of the gospel. The faith of the gospel is not some kind of dogma nor set of man-made rules and regulation nor is it based upon a particular set of beliefs and traditional doctrine. It is that of the purity of the true faith based upon true message of the gospel of Christ. There are other numerous biblical beliefs that are in conjunction with defendin the faith. (1 Jn. 4:1, 2-3; 2:22-23) There are many sects and cults who deny the Person of Jesus Christ embodied in human flesh. (Jn. 1:14) When it comes to the appearance of Christ's that many Gnostic systems will contend that it is impossible for the Christ spirit to reside in the Man Jesus: that Jesus is not the Christ; He was just only a Man by which He had to be "anointed" to do miracles. Also, Jesus is not some spiritual Avatar by which to dispense such spiritual knowledge ("gnosis"). Jesus Christ is the fount of the knowledge and wisdom of God by which the church posssess such "true" spiritual knowledge while Gnostics posssess such "fleshly" knowledge. (Col. 2:18) The apostle Paul warns the church against theological mysticism in how it have in fact greatly impact and influenced the church today.

Also, when it comes to contending for the faith is our commitment to maintain the integrity of the true faith. We are to defend the faith of the gospel in the faces of those who will deny the true faith. There are spiritual assailants in the professing church today who deny the essential of the Christian faith. They will questioned the integrity of the true faith when it comes to the authority and inspiration of scripture, the triunity of the Godhead, the Person and work of Jesus Christ, salvation by grace through faith by which to guarantees a person's salvation, the Fall of Adam and the reality of sin by which it have ruin the human race, and other vital doctrines. When it comes to defending the integrity of the true faith is based upon what it is doctrinal and theological; not what is social reforms. 

The reality of defending the faith of the gospel is not some "picnic" in the park but it is a lifelong career by which those who are defenders of the faith must have such superhuman strength by which God enables to task upon such a difficult task. There are some who are "built" for the task of defending the faith by which there are many challenges by which the church is being challenged. There are old as well as circulating heresies and false doctrines that will appear on the scence by which to revive itself in various forms but nonetheless are the same age old message. Even though many of the heresies are wrap in a different package but it is a "recycling" of its message by which it remain the same. 

Therefore when it comes to contending for the faith is that the approach of the church is both a defensive and offensive approach in defending the truth of biblical Christianity. (Phil. 1:27; 2 Tim. 2:16, 17-18; Jud. 3-4) It is the church's obligation to defend the faith of the gospel or the faith that was once for all entrusted to God's people. (Jd. 3) It is a once-for-all-faith. There is only one true faith; not many faiths. When it comes to the offensive approach of perserving the purity of the true faith is to have such a holy outrage when it comes to false teachers perverting the truth of God's Word by which many have been led astray. (2 Pet. 3:17) We must fight the good fight of faith. (2 Tim. 4:7) It is a fight by which to preserve the purity of the true faith or to defend the faith of the gospel. The truth of God's Word and the lives of people are at stake. It can lead into terrible consequences and tragedy. There are many of people within the professing church today whose faith have become spiritually shipwrecked by which they lose faith in the Bible and God altogether. I have seen the devastating effects of how people's lives have been influenced by false spiritual leaders and the impact of false doctrine. There are some who will bounds back by which there are many who have fallen through the cracks of life never to return. Fighting the good faith of once again is to preserve the purity of the true faith: that of the once for all faith that are entrusted to the church. (Jd. 3)

When it comes to the true faith it is important to know by asking the question, "What is the true faith? or the faith of the gospel?" The true faith is (1) the body of revealed truth. (1 Tim. 4:1; 1 Jn. 4:1, 2-3; 1 Jn. 2:22-23) (2) It refers to the Person and work of Jesus Christ and the whole of the Christian faith. (1 Jn. 2:22-23; Jn. 7:16-17) And, (3) the gospel in itself: those of us who are saved we are saved by the power of the gospel. (Rom. 1:16) The core of the gospel message is that of the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:1, 2ff) Without Christ dying for our sins there is no hope of salvation; without Christ's burial we will yet remain to be our old Self by which it is not crucified with Christ; without Chist being resurrected there is no hope of eternal life by which we spend eternally with God. Without Christ ascend back to heaven by which to sit on the right hand of God there will be no interceding on behalf of God's people by which we are accused of Satan.

In conclusion it is important that the church knows what it really means to contend for the faith (Phil. 1:17, 27; Jd. 3; 2 Tim. 4:7) There are an array of false doctrines and heresies that challenges the faith of the church by which the church is being challenge. It is a life-long struggle by which to defend the truth of biblical Christianity. It requries that God enable His people with such superhuman strength by which to fight the fight of faith. The truth of God's Word is at stake by which people's lives are hanging in the balance. When it comes to the essential of the Christian faith there is no negotiation. We must maintain our commitment in perserving the integrity of the true faith of the gospel. Our approach towards maintaining the integrity of the true faith is both an offensive and defensive approach regarding biblical Christianity. The true faith is not some set of dogma nor religious beliefs that are contrary to the truth of God's Word; it is the faith once for all delievered unto God's people. (Jd. 3)