It is a pleasure to have Gordon Runyan as a Mafia Member! I look forward to working with him here in the Mafia as we continue this ministry. With that being said, I invite you to read these verses and my post:
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. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. ~Jude 3-4
Jude in these verses writes to the believers to contend for the faith because false teachers have crept into the church teaching heresy. It is interesting to note that it says they "were designated for this condemnation" and all that entails, but we will not address that in this post. I will let that soak in the readers mind. We are not to shut up when false doctrines are being taught in the church, we are to speak up. Recently, I have done what I believe is right and have spoken up and out against certain pentacostals on our campus. They have told me that they don't need to study original languages or anything like that because, "the Holy Spirit interprets the Bible for them." I made a bold statement that by saying that, you take a position that is somewhat cultic. I do not believe what I said was incorrect. So what happens when people contend for the faith? Well, in history they get killed. But for me, I was seriously misrepresented. I have been represented as claiming Pentacostalism IS a cult (which I didn't say), that I believe all pentacostals share the same view, and that all of them are going to hell. I was seriously misrepresented by students on campus.
I write this to say when you contend for the faith, people will be upset. When you fight for truth, people will be offended. When you speak out against false doctrines, the relativistic minded Christians who think we should all sit around a campfire singing Kum Ba Yah, will get radically upset. When the persecution comes, keep preaching! When the trials come, keep standing for truth! When the attacks come keep advancing the gospel! Be Blessed!
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"The Fanaticism which discards the Scripture, under the pretense of resorting to immediate revelations is subversive of every principle of Christianity. For when they boast extravagantly of the Spirit, the tendency is always to bury the Word of God so they may make room for their own falsehoods." --John Calvin
Stand strong, there, brother. You have done rightly.
And when you pray about this, I would urge you, in light of the church's prayer in Acts 4, to pray not for escape from the controversy, but for the Spirit-filled boldness to say those very same things again if you get the chance, and more!
Gird up you loins! Stand firm! I second Gordon's comments.
I also look forward to reading more of Gordon here!!
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