Contending For The Faith

PASTOR SOLA OGIDAN

JUDE 1:1-5, EPHESIANS 2:8

There is a need for contention for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. Nobody can come into salvation unless the grace of God is ministered unto him. The faith we have in grace was what saved us. It was by the grace of God that Jesus was able to finish the work of salvation on the Cross. Salvation is a gift of God.

TITUS 1:4:”  To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.”,

TITUS 2:11-12: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,¹² Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Titus talks about a common faith while Jude talks about a common salvation. If faith is really a gift why then should we contend for it? The idea of contending for the faith shows that we have some work to do. The common faith is a gift that was given to us in the book of Titus but the book of Jude said we must contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints. Not everything in God can be obtained by Divine benevolence. There is a faith and a salvation that is open to all. However, there is a dimension of faith that is delivered to the saints which requires contention.

HEBREW 3:18: “And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?”

All the people that got delivered from Egypt did not enter Canaan. They got deliverance from Egypt on a platter of gold, but they had to contend to get into Canaan. Since most of the Israelites were not able to contend, they perished in the wilderness. There must be a need and urgency in us to contend for our precious faith. There is a faith that was once and for all delivered to the saints. We must fight for and understand the substance of this faith.

OBADIAH 1:17: “ But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.”

There are three phases of our journey in the Christian faith, namely Deliverance, Holiness and Possession. Deliverance is initial salvation which can be likened to freedom from Egypt. Holiness is total consecration unto God. The wilderness is designed to make us holy. Holiness is required to prepare for the last stage which is the Possession. God brought us out of Egypt so that He can bring us into Canaan. The wilderness is in-between to get us ready for Canaan on our way from Egypt. There is no possession if people are not made holy. We cannot get into our possession if we are not holy, consecrated and sold out to God. Holiness is not about externalities. Holiness is an inner configuration that can help us accommodate God.

JOHN 15:3:”³ Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.”;

JOHN 17:17″Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

There are so many things that are associated with our being born again, like healing, prosperity, etc. The cleansing of our souls also accompany salvation. The ministry of the word cleanses us. God will not make you born again and leave you the way you are. When you get born again, there are so many things that should naturally get out of your life. Before you became born again you have been struggling with so many things that should leave you by default when your spirit man is quickened. The salvation experience opens us up to God to be made holy.

ACT 1:2: “Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:”

When we get born again, work has just started. We are always expected to yield to the Holy unction inside of us so that we can be made renewed and made holy. If we consistently disobey the Spirit of God that comes to reside in us when we get born again, we will shut down the Holy Unction and we cannot be made perfect.

We have been saved to be saved and the ultimate salvation is only made possible when we are constantly tutored and transformed by the Holy Unction within us. The tutelage of the Spirit within is more important than the workings of the Spirit upon us. The Spirit within helps us to build character and capacity that we need to sustain the Spirit upon us.