Presenting without fault...you.

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Jude 1:24-25  (NIV)

The good news is that our Savior is able to keep us saved. Our Savior doesn't just forgive our sins of the past. He also deals with our struggles in the present. I think sometimes when we sincerely seek to follow Christ we forget that a closer view of Christ reveals his righteousness and holiness, not ours. He is our righteousness, holiness and redemption (I Corinthians 1:30). We may feel less righteous as we struggle with trials and temptations, but he is able to not only keep us from falling but he is able to present us before his presence without fault! That is good news! 

Imagine yourself being present before God's glorious presence. Without fault...that's amazing grace.

Everybody Needs Mercy

Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

Jude 1:22-23 (NIV)

There is a fine line between being zealous to see people come to know the saving grace of God in Christ and acting like a blind fanatic. I once was in San Fransico and walked by a street preacher standing on a corner preaching away. He sounded pretty right on. On of my friends sincerely said, "Amen, brother. Preach it!" The street preacher turned to us, gave us the middle finger and a few obscenities, turned back and started "preaching" again. I think he kind of lost the idea of, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

I think most Christian know people who they have worked with who were or are vehemently opposed to the gospel. They still need mercy, whether they acknowledge it or not. You can't argue someone into the kingdom of God. You may have to confront (in love) arguments that oppose Christ, but, the love of God shown us all by the mercy of God in Christ is what they need. 

Feed Your Faith

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Jude 1:20-21  (NIV)

My son watches some pretty goofy cartoons. Several of the characters have these grossly misproportioned  bodies. Kind of like guys at the gym who only do upper body sets. 

Spiritually, we need to build ourselves up. Frankly, what you feed grows. If you're reading this, the Holy Spirit is encouraging you to  trust him and grow in your faith. Continue to pray. Continue to read the Bible. Continue to fellowship. Feed your spirit.

The Apostles Told Us It Would Happen

But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

Jude 1:17-19 (NIV)

I am not surprised when I read or hear an atheist discount Christianity. Maybe a bit irritated with the whole "blame a god you don't believe exists for the evils a godless society perpetuates upon itself" diatribe. Annoyed but not surprised.

But when I hear people who call themselves Christians, priests, pastor or Biblical scholars denying the authenticity and reliability of Scripture or the existence of Christ as described in the Bible that alarms and angers me. 

Whenever we try to stuff our understanding of God into the finiteness of our understanding we create a god less than the God of the Bible, the Eternal, Almighty God. Occasionally public television will produce a series on the Bible. Naturally most of the Bible scholars they consult and/or interview are liberal theologians. Liberal theologians are like modern day Sadducees. Neither believe in the miraculous so they always try to explain away anything outside of the realm of their own limited and finite understanding. What will they do when they meet the God who rose Jesus from the dead? 

It's Time to Contend for Your Faith

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. 

Jude 1:3 (NIV)

Amongst the intellectual elite, the press and many average citizens Christianity is considered an obsolete myth. It is also to blame, according to some, for most of the evils of the day. Somehow churches who have always fed and cared for the homeless are evil. Missionaries who seek to love the world in Jesus' name are just part of an imperialistic western world. Telling someone that Jesus loves them and can free them from the chains of sin is an evil of unspeakable terms.

Why aren't we standing up to these lies? I think we just don't really recognize that we have a president that says we aren't a Christian nation and public education is run by people who want to erase Christianity and the rid the world of its' influence. I have interacted with quite a few "atheists" on Google+. They all want to blame the god they don't believe in for the problems they have created. Mankind will shake it's fist at the God who sent his one and only Son to save them from death and sin. It's time for us to realize the world needs to hear the gospel despite it's hatred for God.   

I think most of us will naturally avoid conflict if we can. I understand that. I just don't think we can avoid this conflict any longer. It's time to contend for your faith.