Peace in Christ.
We must earnestly contend…struggle … for THE faith that was delivered unto the saints once and was supposed to continue with us.
This is not about the word of our “common salvation” but about the “how” of our salvation…..the truth of the gospel (good news)….the truth of Christ.
The good news of our salvation is being preached by men….but the knowledge/understanding of how it saves us IS NOT. All men (gospel preachers) do not have THE faith that we are to contend for so that others may hear the truth of the true Christ.
The truth of the gospel…THE faith of the true gospel or our mortal salvation in the here and now… was to continue with us….but is being held down (suppressed) by unrighteous men who are denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude 1:3-5 KJV
(3) 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 should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
(4) For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
They perish in their mortal bodies because they believe not. They do not have the faith of the truth of the gospel. They are not preaching the gospel with the true understanding of it to any of their followers who are perishing in their mortal bodies along with them.
(5) I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
The Word of Truth….the gospel (good news) of our salvation (our mortal salvation)….is not being preached by those “certain men” who have crept in among our gatherings of worship unawares (while men slept).
Eph 1:13 KJV
(13) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
The gospel (the truth of the gospel) is being hid from the eyes of their understanding so as they are not preaching the gospel with understanding. They do not believe truth of the good news because they do not have the faith as they do not have the understanding of it.
It is hid to those who are “lost”…that is, PERISHING away in their mortal bodies while they handle the Word of God deceitfully as they serve for their own belly. They are preaching themselves and not the true Christ Jesus the Lord.
The minds of them which do not believe the truth of the gospel (the faith that we are to contend for) has been blinded because of the serving for their own belly as they run greedily after their pay for “service”….just like Balaam did. They are feeding themselves and not the sheep.
2Co 4:2-6
(2) But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
(3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost (PERISHING):
(4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
(5) For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
(6) For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Their end is destruction….the destruction of the mortal body…as they preach (serving for) their own belly to fill. The “god” is their belly as they are serving for it and are only minding earthly things (what to eat, what to drink, what to wear).
Php 3:18-21 KJV
(18) (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
(19) Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
They are not looking for the Savior to change our humiliated bodies (this mortal body) to be fashioned like unto His glorious body.
The “working” is the keeping of His “daily sacrifice” in our mortal bodies which will keep our mortal bodies alive with His life until that moment of the change from mortal to immortal. The power of the cross keeps us mortally alive in this earth until the redemption of our mortal bodies: being changed from mortal to immortal.
But those who are perishing away in their mortal bodies….who are the enemies of the cross of Christ… are denying that power (the power of the cross) because they do not have the faith in it through their not understanding of the good news of our mortal salvation.
(20) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
(21) Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
All men do not have THE (definite article) faith.
We are to be delivered from them….from the “unreasonable” (out of place) and wicked men who do not have THE faith that we are to contend for so that the Word of the Lord has free course and be glorified.
2Th 3:1-2 KJV
(1) Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:
(2) And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.
We must keep ourselves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto “eternal life”….the age-lasting life to be had in this mortal body.
Jud 1:21-23 KJV
(21) Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
(22) And of some have compassion, making a difference:
We must contend for the faith….struggling to get the truth of the gospel out against the “preaching” of those who do not have the faith (who are not preaching the truth of the gospel)…so as to pull some “out of the fire” of God’s wrath that they are still in.
We must hate the “garment spotted by the flesh”….the teachings of the commandments of fleshly-minded men that many “wear”…the keeping and serving of them.
(23) And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
The false prophets are preaching a false light (false knowledge) for Satan himself is transformed into an “angel”…that is, messenger…of light….of knowledge.
2Co 11:13-15 KJV
(13) For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
(14) And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
(15) Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
We must earnestly contend…struggle … for THE faith that was delivered unto the saints once and was supposed to continue with us.
This is not about the word of our “common salvation” but about the “how” of our salvation…..the truth of the gospel (good news)….the truth of Christ.
The good news of our salvation is being preached by men….but the knowledge/understanding of how it saves us IS NOT. All men (gospel preachers) do not have THE faith that we are to contend for so that others may hear the truth of the true Christ.
The truth of the gospel…THE faith of the true gospel or our mortal salvation in the here and now… was to continue with us….but is being held down (suppressed) by unrighteous men who are denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude 1:3-5 KJV
(3) 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 should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
(4) For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
They perish in their mortal bodies because they believe not. They do not have the faith of the truth of the gospel. They are not preaching the gospel with the true understanding of it to any of their followers who are perishing in their mortal bodies along with them.
(5) I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
The Word of Truth….the gospel (good news) of our salvation (our mortal salvation)….is not being preached by those “certain men” who have crept in among our gatherings of worship unawares (while men slept).
Eph 1:13 KJV
(13) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
The gospel (the truth of the gospel) is being hid from the eyes of their understanding so as they are not preaching the gospel with understanding. They do not believe truth of the good news because they do not have the faith as they do not have the understanding of it.
It is hid to those who are “lost”…that is, PERISHING away in their mortal bodies while they handle the Word of God deceitfully as they serve for their own belly. They are preaching themselves and not the true Christ Jesus the Lord.
The minds of them which do not believe the truth of the gospel (the faith that we are to contend for) has been blinded because of the serving for their own belly as they run greedily after their pay for “service”….just like Balaam did. They are feeding themselves and not the sheep.
2Co 4:2-6
(2) But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
(3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost (PERISHING):
(4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
(5) For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
(6) For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Their end is destruction….the destruction of the mortal body…as they preach (serving for) their own belly to fill. The “god” is their belly as they are serving for it and are only minding earthly things (what to eat, what to drink, what to wear).
Php 3:18-21 KJV
(18) (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
(19) Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
They are not looking for the Savior to change our humiliated bodies (this mortal body) to be fashioned like unto His glorious body.
The “working” is the keeping of His “daily sacrifice” in our mortal bodies which will keep our mortal bodies alive with His life until that moment of the change from mortal to immortal. The power of the cross keeps us mortally alive in this earth until the redemption of our mortal bodies: being changed from mortal to immortal.
But those who are perishing away in their mortal bodies….who are the enemies of the cross of Christ… are denying that power (the power of the cross) because they do not have the faith in it through their not understanding of the good news of our mortal salvation.
(20) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
(21) Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
All men do not have THE (definite article) faith.
We are to be delivered from them….from the “unreasonable” (out of place) and wicked men who do not have THE faith that we are to contend for so that the Word of the Lord has free course and be glorified.
2Th 3:1-2 KJV
(1) Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:
(2) And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.
We must keep ourselves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto “eternal life”….the age-lasting life to be had in this mortal body.
Jud 1:21-23 KJV
(21) Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
(22) And of some have compassion, making a difference:
We must contend for the faith….struggling to get the truth of the gospel out against the “preaching” of those who do not have the faith (who are not preaching the truth of the gospel)…so as to pull some “out of the fire” of God’s wrath that they are still in.
We must hate the “garment spotted by the flesh”….the teachings of the commandments of fleshly-minded men that many “wear”…the keeping and serving of them.
(23) And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
The false prophets are preaching a false light (false knowledge) for Satan himself is transformed into an “angel”…that is, messenger…of light….of knowledge.
2Co 11:13-15 KJV
(13) For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
(14) And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
(15) Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
