I've been meditating on the
Book of Jude lately. When I first opened my
Bible, the Book of Ephesians was my destination, but it was in Jude that I landed.
Twenty-five verses in only one chapter is a quick read. But between the tender greeting (vs 1-2) and the glorious doxology (vs 24-25), there's an urgency in the message and a command: "
contend for the faith."
Eugene Peterson puts it this way in
The Message:
"I have to write insisting—begging!—that you fight with everything you have in you for this faith entrusted to us as a gift to guard and cherish."
And...
"Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin. The sin itself stinks to high heaven."
The problem? Some in the church were promoting "cheap grace."
"Their design is to replace the sheer grace of our God with sheer license—which means doing away with Jesus Christ, our one and only Master."
Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance.
~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship
It's not politically correct to "
not be soft on sin." A double-negative, I know. What I mean is that the prevailing culture would have us believe that being hard on sin - calling evil "evil" and sin "sin" - is hateful.
Even some believers have been persuaded to think it's wrong for the church to call those "
stinks to high heaven" ways of living exactly what they are.
It is love, not hate, that longs for a politically correct culture to know the costly grace and mercy and the
kindness that leads to repentance.
For the church, the urgent command is to contend - to fight, if you will - to go after those who wander and be "
tender with sinners, but not soft on sin."
Photos: A baby rabbit, a baby mockingbird, and mid-June rural Florida wanderings.
8 comments:
This is a beautiful post, Patricia!
When we preach a compromised Gospel from the pulpit we rob sinners of the only truth that will set them free.
Let us contend for the faith with all that we have in us. Anything less than a crucified Christ will not do.
Blessings to you, my beautiful sister.
Amen to what Christina said.Thanks for a very needful post.
Blessings,Ruth
The bunnies, birdies, and flowers are precious, but the words in this post are priceless. Amen and amen and amen. Thank you.
Love, J.
Before anything...
A TRACTOR!!!!
That's a beautiful picture.
:)
Your blog so very clearly makes it clear that Christianity is not a soft state of being....thank you for saying that so eloquently. I've never spent enough time in poor Jude to see that verse. (Always on my way to someplace else in the Bible, just like you were.)
That frazzled baby bird makes me laugh! What is it about them that looks so wise?
xoxoxoxo
Oh yes! Political correctness--a lot of people want a Cheyenne Social Club instead of a church that preaches the Word. People want it their way. Thanks. I still want you to do your series on fear--Satan's best weapon.
Patricia,
Our visiting pastor preached on this today. It was a wonderful much needed sermon and than to come to your blog and see you say the same thing.
God is always leading us to places we didn't think we needed to go. Thank you God for this.
Bless you my dear,
Sandy
Thank you all - for your encouragement in this. It's not my style to be preachy. Nor do I often quote from The Message. For a variety of reasons, I'd left the post in drafts for days before I knew I should hit "publish." Your kind and encouraging words were confirmation.
And Rosie, that series is coming. I need to first bring my "On Trial" series to a proper conclusion and the next installment is in the hands of my critique group as I write. Lord willing, it will be posted late Thursday or Friday.
I love you all! (((Hugs)))
Patricia,
How do I thank you for your writing and photography? I wish I could describe what I feel when I read your blogs. I am touched by beauty and glory and truth in ways that make me want more.
Is this how it will be with us and God in glory? God will be so glorious, so beautiful, so much more than we can imagine - that we will simply want more and more and more of Him.
A heart felt thanks to you for your ministry.
Robbi Cary
www.ToughTimesandPeace.com
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