Today’s thought “Standing up for the faith” (December 20)

In this world where more people are interested in worldly matters, mostly material matters, having not much fertile ground for spiritual matters, it is not always easy for a follower of Christ to stand firm in the faith.

The apostle Jude felt he had to write to his fellow brethren to ask them to stand up for the faith. He reminds the people of that early groups of followers of Christ, that God’s holy people were trusted with faith in One God once and for all time. Though the disciples of the first hour and the apostle Paul noticed that there were many wrong teachings going around and that certain people had secretly slipped in the ecclesiae. Jude warns his friends that long ago it was written that they would be judged. For him it are ungodly people who misuse the grace of our God as an excuse for sexual and other sins.

“3 Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints. 4 For there are certain men crept in privily, even they who were of old written of beforehand unto this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. 5 Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.” (Jude 1:3-5 ASV)

As in the first century, when there were several teachers who liked to have people on their sight, by attiring them with many philosophical thoughts, today there are also many philosophers and theologians who use lots of ancient and contemporary philosophies to attract people to their teachings.

When we call ourselves Christian we should be following Christ and keep to his teachings as well as worshipping the same God as He did, namely the Elohim Hashem Jehovah, Who is One. When we want to be a Christian we should live the Word of God and should try to become like Christ.

For Christ Jesus the Word of God was ‘set apart‘ or ‘holy‘, being so special he took it up deep in his heart and had such belief in those words he was not afraid to trust the Most High God of Israel, even when he would have to lose his life. Jesus asked his God, Jehovah, to do God’s Will and let himself be taken prison and brought unto death at the stake.

Jesus wanted to live according the Torah, Hebrew writings and the prophecies. Like Jesus put his trust and faith in the Holy Scriptures, we should that too. If we believe what the Bible says, then we should live what the Bible says. It’s important that we live for God when we are alone, when we are with others and when we are together making ecclesia.

We as a Christian or follower of Christ should behave according the teachings of Christ (also when we are around people who may not know God the way we do).

It is so important to realize that how you act, talk, and live around people that aren’t leading the same lifestyle as you has a big impact on them. If you say you are a Christian but don’t live at all like a Christian, then you will put a bad taste for God in their mouths. So we need to make sure we are living for God even around people that don’t choose to walk with God.

Jude reminds the brethren that we must be aware of the ungodly people who act on their evil dreams, so they make their own bodies impure. Not only do they not accept authority; they also say evil things, railing against messengers from heaven. (Jude 1:8)
We should see that those deceivers, among the many who say they are Christian (or follower of Christ), despise what they do not understand, and they try to convince the believers they are right. Often belonging to the majority they very well succeed, because most people want to belong to the most liked group.

In this world we can find lots of people, even ones who say they are Christian, who hate people from other regions, immigrants, people with another faith, but also hate people who do not join their way of thinking and are not willing to join their traditions and feasts. Many of those so called Christians also live like atheists, but sometimes even worse, living without reason like animals, reacting only with primal instincts. We should see that their ways are corrupting them. (Jude 1:10)

Jude wants to warn such misleaders or those who cause to believe what is not true. Woe to these chisellers or dissemblers! For Jude, it is clear that they are doomed! They, thinking only of their own benefit, have followed in the footsteps of predecessors like Cain, who sold their souls for profit. (Jude 1:11-12)

Dear friends, keep in mind the past (2 Kings 3:3) plus the predictions and remember what Jesus and his apostles taught and said what would happen.
They knew already what would happen at the end of times. They prophesied already that at the end of time, some will ridicule the faithful and follow their lusts to the grave. (Jude 1:18) For Jude it was clear that there would come wrong ideas out of the ecclesiae or churches they were forming. Already in their time the apostles noticed people who tried to saw division.
They already saw the men who divided friends and were concerned ultimately with this world, being without the right spirit.

Let us follow the Scriptures and be aware of all the warnings in it concerning the times to come. You, however, should stand firm in the love of God, constructing a life within the holy faith, praying the Spirit’s prayer, as you wait eagerly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus the Anointed, which leads to eternal life.

“18 That they said to you, In the last time there shall be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are they who make separations, sensual, having not the Spirit. 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And on some have mercy, who are in doubt;” (Jude 1:18-22 ASV)

Preceding

Looking for wisdom not departing from God’s Word

No insurmountable obstacles to come to know God

Best intimate relation to look for

Today’s thought “Blessed the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly” (January 01)

Memorizing wonderfully 68: Galatians 5:23: Against certain things there is no law