Why Contend?

This blog is intended to:

• Look at current issues and use the Bible as a tool for discernment and to bring clarity
• Fight for certainty in a postmodern/relativistic age
• Shed scriptural light on false teachings and those behind them
• Encourage and Exhort fellow believers

Brothers and sisters, we are living in a time where contending for the faith has never been more important than now. Satan is not asleep; the falsity being proclaimed in the name of God in churches all over the world is ever increasing. Like it or not, we are in a war zone, a cosmic battle between Truth and lies. The growing apostasy will wax greater and greater as we approach the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Knowledge of the Truth is the only thing that will set us free from the bondage of sin and death, and this knowledge is found only in the Word of God. (John 8:31-32)

The banner verse of this blog is Jude 3:

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

Regarding this singular 'faith', Paul warns us in 2 Thessalonians 2:3:

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition

Other versions of the Bible translate 'falling away' as rebellion, or apostasy which means to fall away from the faith. One cannot rebel or fall away from something they were never involved with in the first place, so this rebellion and falling away will happen within the church. This does not mean that one can lose their salvation, only that those who fall away were never truly saved to begin with, but for a time looked and acted like Christians.

Paul again with a similar message to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:1-2 says:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron

And later on in 2 Timothy 3:13-14, he amplifies his tone by calling those who will depart from the faith 'evil':

But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them

To Titus, Paul gives these instructions for elders or pastors in Titus 1:9:

holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

Jesus says in Matthew 7:15-16

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits.

Peter promises that there WILL BE false teachers in 2 Peter 2:1-3:

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.