“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye EARNESTLY CONTEND FOR THE FAITH which was once delivered unto the saints”
These days everywhere we turn to in Christendom, we are greeted with these light messages of the grace and mercy of God. Some have even watered down the message of God’s grace to the extent, people no longer take any responsibility to work out their salvation with fear and trembling as the scripture admonishes us.To these folks, since holiness or sanctification is a work of grace by the help of the Holy Spirit- which is of course, is true- They leave all the responsibility of their righteous walk with God. Confessing righteousness, which we cannot see in manifestation in their lifestyles.
So-called believers, who supposedly are claiming righteousness by faith, are still involved in chronic sexual immoralities, deceit, worldliness and the rest of the kinds…
While I’m not against the message of grace, mercy and righteousness which is of faith-of course, I’m also a preacher of these same gospels. I’m here pointing out by the opening scripture above, that the onus of Holy Living, does not depend solely on God.
According to that particular scripture, it can be clearly seen that in an attempt to keep the original faith, which is the faith of righteousness, the believer has a major role to play…
What Is The Role Of The Believer?
According to that scripture, for the believer to conform to the requirement of the original Faith which was once delivered to the saints, the believer is to CONTEND EARNESTLY. Now contest here, is an action word, which may be interpreted in different ways. It can be interpreted to mean: fight, exertion, struggle and the rest.
The other word that follows is ‘Earnestly’, which means application of energy. So it can be clearly seen that, for a believer to achieve true holiness, it does not only require mere mental assent. And empty confessions without corresponding actions.
If it is of faith, then it must of a necessity, be backed with tangible actions. Because the bible says, faith without works is dead. Now the contest of the believer for the faith of righteousness, is majorly a spiritual one. But being it as it may, the believer, has to undertake the spiritual contest of holiness, in much the same way he contends for other less important things.
What Are These Spiritual Contests?
Now if the believer, is faced with a health challenge, financial challenge, relational challenge etc. What does he do? Of course, he fasts, prays, binds and casts the devil. In much the same way, if a believer is taken in a sinful habit, he has to face it head-on. He has to fast, cry, pray and bind the devil concerning that particular issue until he arrives a victor.
Then The Physical Contests
Then along physical lines also, he is to take specific steps to stop the sinful habit. For instance, if the individual is involved in fornication, after all the spiritual fights, he is also to take physical steps to stop the fornication…
Physical steps like informing his partner to stop visiting him privately. Because the power of fornication is manifested more in the secret. Hence, if he actually wants to stop it, after the prayers, he shouldn’t condone anymore secret meetings with his lover.
If it is an addiction issue, and you really want to stop it, after fasting and praying for so long and you still find yourself still struggling. You can end it up drastically, by making a covenant of righteousness with an oath. Yes, if you actually fear God, You pray that God should smite you with a dreadful and incurable sickness if you ever repeat the habit again.
And of course, according to the book of Hebrews, an oath (covenant) is the end of every matter. As you make the covenant, each time you want to carry out the same sinful habit, you will remember your covenant or oath and desist from doing it. So contend earnestly for the faith. Don’t allow yourself to die in that sin and end up in hell.
I pray the Lord give you the grace to take personal responsibility towards absolute righteousness by faith in Jesus name.
This particular sermon is a sequel to the first sermon posted in my blog righteousfaith.net – It is titled: “The Righteousness of Faith or Faith Based Righteousness”. To get access to it, click on this url – http://www.righteousfaith.net/?p=1
