"Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints." ( Jude 3 )
Jude's words ring as true today as they did to the first century church, as the young wheat became entangled with weeds and the sheep vulnerable to predatory wolves in wool wardrobes. Not outside the sanctuary, mind you, but sitting within the pews and even preaching to the flock. Jesus warned us before he left that this would happen. ( John 10 )
"Ungodly people who pervert the grace of our God," and "deny our Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." Strong language from Saint Jude.
There are many ways the grace of God can be perverted and the beauty of Jesus's atonement denied, and although the cultural problems have changed down through church history, it is the same enemy with the same battle tactics, fighting on the same fronts. Christianity is a fighting faith, not in the physical, but spiritual realm. And Jude reminds us that we must contend for the faith - the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.
So I would like to continue contending for the faith this morning against one of the western church's worst enemies, the prosperity gospel, and share another November devotional from the late Dr. Keller.
He brings clarity to the true Gospel of Jesus Christ concerning our money. It is important that folks investigating the claims of Jesus and looking into the Christian faith have the correct facts. I feel like most can see through the false teaching of the word of faith/prosperity gospel preachers we see on TV, whose books litter the bookstands of retail stores, but we can not assume they can. If Jesus told his sheep to be on guard against the wolves, then I believe all of us are susceptible to fall prey to their deception.
One thing I've learned is that not all wolves know they are wolves. Many actually believe the slop they are spreading. I used to believe that hog wash also; although I look back at myself more of a naive sheep than a wolf. Whatever the case may have been, I ask God to forgive me and keep my wandering feet on the path of life. Anyway, here's Dr. Keller with some very wise counsel from the Scriptures for those looking at the Christian faith from the outside and lest we on the inside fall back into the pit again.
"The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor." ( Proverbs 22:9 )
The Blessing of Generosity. The generous will themselves be blessed when they share their food with the poor. Of what does this blessing consists? Generosity that breaks the power of money over you may make you wiser in your financial dealings.
But the blessing here is surely the increase in the true wealth of love.
Even at the level of common sense, we feel the most rich when we most love and are loved. Radical generosity is an act of love toward God and toward others that exponentially increases love.
It moves us from seeing money as a currency of status and power to instead seeing it as a currency for loving God and others. We love God with our money when we treat it as his, not ours, and send it out to the things he loves. We love people with our money when we heal and repair lives with it.
And in the Bible we are blessed the more like God we become. God originally gave us our own lives, then he gave us his Son's life. The more we give away, the more like our God we become. And that is blessed."
God's Wisdom for Navigating Life ( 307 )
"We love people with our money when we heal and repair lives with it."
"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." ( Ephesians 5:1-2 )
I think that is a beautiful word for us this Monday morning.
Gospel clarity.
Contending for the faith.
"Keep yourselves in the love of God." ( Jude 21 )
Give radically.
Happy Monday! 🌍
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