Contending for the Faith Once Delivered

by David A. DePra

     If you travel around this country, and take notice as to what is

going on in churches, you will be alarmed. Despite the claims that

we are on the brink of some kind of revival, many churches are far

from it. In fact, there are many churches today who are denying

the very Person of Jesus Christ, and yet claiming to be Christian.

     I have before me one such example. It is an "advent" devotional

intended to be used this Christmas. It was issued by one of the

mainstream denominations in this country. So what we read in this

was not only written by a minister of that denomination -- this is

stated at the end of the piece -- but it was approved by those who

are in authority of that denomination. This article is therefore one

that was well-thought out, reviewed, and then presented as the

Truth.

     I quote from the devotional:

"We know that December 25 was not the literal birthday of Jesus,

just as we know that virgin birth was a common motif in many

ancient religions. In Babylon, Ishtar was called the virgin mother,

Isis in Egypt was the virginal mother of Horus, the god who lived,

died, and rose again. Yes, these are truths. But the deeper truth

of Christmas is, more than all else, the felt spirit of a Presence that

recalls us to the nature of love and of truth. It is the spirit of

Emmanuel -- God with us."

     The article is the devotional for December 24th. It is about a

page and a half. Not ONCE does it mention the name of Jesus

Christ. Not once. But notice from the above quote what it really

does say. It says that the virgin birth is myth -- no better than the

myths of ancient religions. And it suggests, almost in passing, that

the idea that Jesus was born, died, and rose again, is likewise a

myth. All of this in a Christian denominations devotional for

Christmas.

Nonsense

     First of all, someone needs to explain to me why, simply because

there are myths which mimmic what the Bible says -- that this

automatically means the Bible is a myth as well. Explain to me why

the myth of the false god Horus -- that he lived, died, and rose -- why

THAT proves the claims of scripture must likewise be myth. Am

I to believe that the only possible way that the Bible can be true is

if we have absolutely nothing in history that mimics it?

     I was always taught that the existence of a counterfeit pretty much

pointed to a genuine article somewhere. The Truth is, the ancients

knew of the promise of the Saviour right from the beginning, in Gen.

3:15. So it would be MORE surprising if there were not ancient gods

and myths which claimed to be the fulfillment of this promise.

There is, however, a bigger issue here. Once we deny the virgin

birth, we suggest Jesus was born of two human parents. And that

simply means that Jesus was NOT God incarnate.

     Get that. It is vital to see. The only way Jesus is God is if He

existed AS God before His human birth. This mandates that when

He was born as a human being that God the Father was HIS Father.

It precludes the possibility of Jesus having two human parents.

     There is more. Once we say Jesus was born of two human

parents, we deny the very Redemption which saves us. Why?

Because if Jesus were born of two human parents He was born

WITH the sin nature. And this, in turn, means He could not have

died for OUR sin. He had His own to die for.

     Of course, it is almost always a fact that those who deny the virgin

birth likewise deny that we even have a sin nature, or that we need

a Saviour. They MUST deny these truths as well -- for the logic I

have given mandates it. Once you deny the virgin birth you have

NO SOLUTION for sin in Jesus Christ. He cannot be Saviour.

Getting Serious

     It is amazing the answers you sometimes get when you ask

people why they believe certain things. Especially when it comes

to the things of God. I mean, we are, after all, talking about what are

supposed to be the most important issues of all. They have

eternal ramifications. Yet we take them so lightly.

     Many people, when asked about God, say, "Well, it doesn't

make sense to me that God exists." Or they say, "I don't FEEL that

God would make only one way to Himself through Jesus Christ."

Of course, they don't base these statements on a single fact or

upon any kind of sane thinking. They haven't arrived at those

conclusions through prayer. It's just sort of the way they "feel."

They are presently comfortable with this and don't want to be

disturbed.

     Which of us can afford to be wrong about whether we need

salvation? Or the means of it? Yet we act as if these things are

merely a matter of opinion. Whether Christianity is the Truth is

going to determine my eternal destiny. One would think I'd look

into it a little more, instead of setting for "how I feel" about it.

     With regard to so-called Christian leadership, it is clear from

scripture that being so cavalier about these serious matters is NOT

acceptable. The Truth is, if I am in a position of telling others about

God, it is not just ME who is being affected. I am affecting lives, and

eternal lives at that. In effect, God tells me that I have NO

BUSINESS being wrong about Him on essential Truths.

     Why? Aren't we all fallible? Sure. And we all make mistakes

in the things we say. But you see, the essential Truths of

Christianity are not things we discover or figure out in the sense

of developing opinions. They are the product of a moral surrender

to God. They are a revelation given of God without which it is

impossible to be saved. Therefore, if someone is in total error

about them -- let alone opposed to them -- we are not merely talking

about fallibility. We are talking about conversion itself. About who

that person in a leadership position calls "Lord."

     You do not need to be able to explain every detail of the

Redemption before you can be saved. We are not saved by

brains. We are saved by faith. But you MUST know you are a

sinner in need of God's grace, and you do need to know WHO

saves you. And you MUST embrace Him. Today, even such

basic Truths are being denied by leaders who call themselves

"Christian." Sorry, but just as you cannot have "water" without it

being "wet," neither can you have "Christianity" without Jesus

Christ of Nazareth.

Real Education

     God never stops trying to show the Truth to people; leaders. But

He doesn't try to show it to them by educating them with Phd's and

Masters degrees. He is trying to show it through a personal

CROSS.

     The fact is, God could not care less how many "facts" we know. It

is totally irrelevant to Him. Indeed, He says, "Knowledge puffs up,

but love builds up." (I Cor. 8:1) Knowledge isn't evil, but it is of a

different realm than is Truth. Truth is moral at it's root. Knowledge

is not. That's why you can hold a wealth of factual knowledge, even

about the Bible, and be totally amoral. Factual knowledge cannot

set you free. It is the moral Truth found in a Person which sets us

free from error and from ourselves.

     In this day and age, even the church has put a wrong emphasis

on knowledge and education. Not once in the Bible, where it lists

the New Testament requirements for leadership, does it mention

a PhD. Not once does it mention education. All the requirements

are MORAL in nature, not intellectual. But we, as a body, have

closed our Bibles and totally ignored this. We have appointed

leaders who DO NOT BELIEVE, and who DO NOT TRUST Jesus

Christ. And then we wonder what is wrong. And these "leaders,"

in turn, have appointed others who agree with them.

     Education can be valuable. We ARE to study to show ourselves

approved -- but not to GET OURSELVES APPROVED! We are

to study so that we might give a reason for the hope already in us

by faith.

     If starting today, every single leadership position in the body of

Christ were eliminated, and we were to start over on the Biblical

basis, we would be shocked at how things would be altered. Many

who are now first would be last, and many who are last would be

first. But there is no chance it will ever happen. The price is too

high for most people. So God is going to have to take care of the

problem another way.

Nothing New

     When asked why he doesn't believe in the miracles of Jesus,

one minister answered, "Because miracles can't happen."

Now, THAT'S an answer. In other words, the miracles of Christ

didn't happen because miracles can't happen. Gee, I never

thought of that. Thank God I am now set straight.

     It is really good to know that there are some sane people out

there who can bring the rest of us back to earth. Thank goodness

that not everyone is dumb enough to simply believe God. Some

people, at least, are smart enough to see that miracles cannot

happen -- well, because they can't happen. And some people are

intelligent enough to see that the Jesus of the Bible is more a myth

than a fact. At last, after two thousand years of deception, there are

people who have come along in this day and age to enlighten us

with this knowledge.

     The minister who made this statement has a doctorate in

theology and Biblical studies. He is an author and a university

professor. That's how he knows miracles cannot happen. He has

studied and learned. Now he is qualified to teach the rest of us.

     You see, there are a group of scholars today, with advanced

degrees, who have figured out how to read the Bible. They have

discovered how to read between the lines. But that is not all. They

have discovered from their vast study that there are other

documents, not included in the Bible, which are equal to scripture.

The rest of us aren't qualified to decide. They are. We don't have

the degrees. They do.

     Of course, I'm being sarcastic. But I'm doing it to make a point.

Now we need a PhD in theology to understand God. Now we need

education to understand what the Bible REALLY says. What the

Bible really means. Or whether it is God's Word at all.

     Did you ever notice how history repeats itself? It's because

human nature repeats itself. Keeps going around in the same

pattern. The world has been through all of this "new enlightened"

stuff before. If Jesus tarries, it will go through it again.

     The cause of all of this really isn't that complicated. God has

NEVER based His relationship with man upon study, knowledge,

or brains. He has based it on a moral accountability, and the fact

that everyone knows enough to at least TURN to God and SEEK

the Truth. So the cause is simple. People won't turn and seek the

Truth. They suppress the Truth in unrighteousness. (see Romans

1:18)

     Someday we are going to learn that WE are not the barometer

by which Truth is determined. Truth is totally independent of us. It

is what it is -- no matter what WE think or feel. So rather than try to

use ourselves to define Truth, perhaps we'd better start seeking

the Truth and getting in line with IT.

     God says that the Truth about sin and about Jesus Christ is so

self-evident and so plain that no one who really wants the Truth will

miss it. No one who seeks God will fail to find Him.

     The trouble is, there is a COST involved. Cost? Yep. The cost

of seeing your need. Of seeing how WRONG you are. The cost of

pride and of flesh. It is the cost of garbage and of that which is

already dead. But for some of us, it's too expensive. We demand

our pride and sense of self-righteousness be preserved no matter

what. Especially if we are religious and upstanding people who

have always thought of ourselves as the cream of the Christian

crop.

Redefining Christianity

     Many churches are trying to redefine Christianity. Because there

is little real faith, they easily give way to the intimidate of knowledge.

But the Truth remains the Truth, no matter what we think about it.  And

it continues to be there for any who want to see it.

     One way to stay clear of all of this terrible deception is to be clear

about what Christianity is, and how you come to be "in Christ." God

is clear about it to us. And we need to be clear about it.

     There is only one way to be "in Christ." And it never changes.

You must see you are a sinner. You must embrace Jesus Christ as

your personal Saviour. Otherwise you are NOT saved. Otherwise,

you are NOT a Christian.

     Note something here. You BECOME a Christian by SEEING

certain Truths. You SEE that you are a sinner in need of the grace

of God in Jesus Christ. And you SEE that Jesus Christ is the

Saviour. Your conversion to Christ is not the outcome of an

intellectual argument, or a matter of being painted into a logical

corner. It is a matter of being convicted by God of the Truth.

     So ask: If that is the case, how can I later deny these Truths and

say that I am a Christian? How can I deny the very Truths which

I must embrace to be "in Christ" and still be a Christian? I cannot.

I cannot deny Christ and be in Him both at the same time.

     But we have figured out a way. Or at least some of us have.

If we deny the Truths which define Christianity, well, then let's just

change them. Let's adjust Christianity to fit US, if we don't fit IT.

     So what we have today is the term "Christian" being applied to

people who agree that Jesus taught good things -- but who deny

the sin nature, deny Jesus was God, and who deny that they need

a Saviour.

     This kind of thing is going on right now more than most people

realize in every denomination on this planet. It is infiltrating YOUR

church, right now. And rarely is it brought in with banners and

bugles. It is smuggled in slowly and undercover. Through bits and

pieces of literature, here and there. Through subtle, seemingly

unimportant teaching.

Who is Jesus Christ?

     As mentioned, we have redefined everything today. Today, you

can be a "Christian" without believing in Christ as Saviour. Indeed,

without believing we even need a Saviour. Here is another quote

to prove this point. It begins the yearbook of another one of our

major denominations for 2002:

As (members of our denomination) we may not agree on the nature

of Christ, but we all strive to model our lives on his teachings and

his example.

     Here we discover that it is permissible within a Christian

denomination to disagree over the NATURE of Jesus Christ. In

other words, we don't have to agree that He is God. We don't have

to agree that He was born of a virgin. Or that He arose from the

dead. Let's "just follow" all of His wonderful teachings.

     Put aside for the moment the fact that no one is capable of

following the teachings of Christ unless we embrace His

Redemption. If you doubt that, just try to follow one: Be ye perfect

even as your Heavenly Father is perfect. You won't get far. But

let's put that aside for a minute, and ask: What are we really doing

once we say it is not necessary to agree on the nature of Jesus

Christ?

     We are not merely denying a doctrine. We are not merely

denying a teaching. We are denying a PERSON. We are denying

HIM.

     Jesus said He was God. If we won't believe Him, then we are

calling Him a liar. So why do we then want to follow the teachings

and example of a liar? Or of a mad man who was deluded into

thinking He was God?

     We have to face it. Jesus said He was God. He said it over

and over again -- despite the fact that there are those today who

deny He ever said it. So I have to decide. Was He God? I must

personally answer the question Jesus asked His disciples; Who

do men say that I am? Who do I say that Jesus is?

     Honesty compels us to either embrace the fact Jesus was God,

or to admit we are fools for following His teachings. The teachings

of God demand our surrender. Those of a liar or mad man do not.

In fact, if Jesus was not God, we had better discard His teachings

sooner, rather than later, lest we become a liar or mad man like

Him.

     Christianity is either the Truth or it is not. It is either REAL or it is

not. And Christ Himself has stated that we cannot put Him on a list

of various ways to God -- not even on the top of the list. He

demands to be OFF of our lists. He said, "I am the Way, and the

Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father except by Me."

(John 14:6) We have to either believe Him, or call Him a liar. And

we need to make up our mind and stop trying to dodge the question.

Essentials of the Faith

     There are essential Truths to the Christian faith. They are the

things which DEFINE it. The moment you take any of these Truths

away, you are no longer talking about Christianity. You are talking

about something else, namely, heresy. And Christ Himself is at

the core of these essential Truths. You cannot take Christ out of

Christianity and still have the Truth.

     Get that. The PERSON of Jesus Christ is the core of what

Christianity is. So if we are wrong about Him, we are talking about

what the apostle Paul calls, "another Jesus." (II Cor. 4:11) And we

are talking about, not the Christianity of Jesus Christ, but about a

religion centered around a false Christ, or no Christ at all.

     We are not here merely talking about DOCTRINE. It is good

and right that we have doctrines which state the Truth. But our

doctrines are not THE Truth. Jesus Christ is THE Truth. Our

doctrines are merely articulations and statements of faith about

Him.

     The fact is, Christianity never emerged from a list of doctrines.

Rather, our doctrines emerged from Christianity. People had a

REAL experience with God through Jesus Christ. Then later they

put it down in doctrinal form. Our doctrine is therefore NOT

Christianity. It is merely a written representation of it.

     But this is precisely why doctrine is essential to get right. It is

a representation of the REAL. Of God and of Jesus Christ. So once

I start tampering with the essential doctrines and definitions of

Christianity, I am creating a God that suits me. I am creating

another Jesus than the REAL.

     Thus, if I say I don't have to believe Jesus is God to be a

Christian, I am not only creating a doctrine. I am suggesting a

reality. I am redefining the very person of Jesus Christ, and the

very plan of God.

     Saying I can be a Christian without embracing Christ as Saviour,

is like saying I am an "atheist who believes in God." Or a

"vegetarian who continually eats meat." Or a swimmer who has

never once been in the water. Or a skeptic who believes everything

people tell him. We can use terms any way we like. But things

are what they are in a sane universe. There is no such thing as a

Christian who denies the very Lord who is the center of Christianity.

     There is, in fact, no such thing as a Christian who denies the

virgin birth, or who denies that Jesus is God, or who denies that

Jesus is the only way to God. They can't be a Christian because

a Christian becomes a Christian by SEEING and EMBRACING

these Truths.

For the Sake of Love and Unity

     Today, those who are redefining Christianity are doing it in the

name of "love" and "unity." Sure. They wouldn't have much

success if they said they were doing it for any other reason. Love,

unity, and inclusiveness are the magic worlds in this politically

correct world in which we live. And this has come to mean that

you must not only allow other people to believe what they wish.

You must deny that what YOU believe is the Truth -- the only Truth.

     Thus, it is no longer acceptable to say that because I love all

people, I want all people to be converted to Christ. No. I must now

deny Christ is necessary, and allow that all people can believe

what they please. In effect, any proclamation to the effect that

there is absolute Truth -- that there IS right and wrong -- is slowly

being redefined as exclusive, bias, and the cause of disunity.

     Jesus said, "Think not that I have come to send peace on the

earth. I have come, not to send peace, but to bring division." (see

Matt. 10:34) Jesus was saying that all unity in anything but Himself

was going to be dismantled. Unity in HIM was the only acceptable

unity.

     The fact is, to deny Christ for the sake of unity is one of the worst

possible things anyone can do. That is because you are affirming

a unity AWAY from God, and outside of the Truth. Yep. You have

your unity. But you have denied Christ. What does that leave you

with? Nothing.

Anti-Christ

     The Bible uses a term with which most people are familiar. It is

the term "anti-Christ." Today certain preachers have everyone

looking for a literal, physical man. But the "anti-Christ" is no more a

physical man than the body of Christ is a physical person. THE

"anti-Christ" of the Bible is also a body. It is a body of professing

Christians who are not "in Christ." They are "in Adam." But worse.

They are people who have denied Christ and have agreed to a

unity outside of Him -- in a REdefined Christ. In a substitute.

      Notice that "anti-Christ" is not merely a "body" who are opposed

to Christ. In the final analysis that is true. But more accurately, the

"anti-Christ is a SUBSTITUTE FOR Christ. In other words, a

counterfeit trying to pass itself off for the real thing. In fact, it is a

counterfeit which is so convincing that "even the elect" could be

deceived by it. The enemy always comes as an angel of light.

     The Greek bears this out. The word, "antichristos" may mean

"opposition." But it can also mean "substitution," or "instead of."

     An "anti-Christ" who blatantly opposes Jesus Christ may have

followers, but there would be little deception because of being so

obvious. But an "anti-Christ" who is trying to pass himself off as

Christ Himself could deceive many. And right now the table is

set for such a deception. It is already going on.

     Happily, the Bible reveals there is one central theme to the

message of the antichrist. It isn't the only theme, but it is an

identifying one. Notice what that theme is in the following passages:

Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is

antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whoever denies

the Son, the same hath not the Father. (I Jn. 2:22-23)

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the

flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof you

have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the

world. (I Jn. 4:3)

For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that

Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an

antichrist. (II Jn. 1:7)

     Note what the antichrist does: Denies that Jesus Christ is come

in the flesh. Two points here. For Jesus "to come," He must have

existed before He came. Thus, He is God incarnate. But also He

is come as God in flesh. Contained in this is the truth of the virgin

birth, and the fact that Jesus Christ was the God-man, who bore our

sins in His body on the Cross.

     John wrote this letter to combat Gnosticism, more specifically, the

offshoot, Doceticism. This heresy taught that Jesus wasn't really

a man. He was just an illusion. In effect, this denies both the

Redemption, and therefore, our need for it.

     Sounds like the quotes above doesn't it? The NATURE of

Christ is not important? He was not of a virgin birth, but a mere man,

of two earthy parents? This is exactly what John is talking about. It

is the very essence of the doctrine of anti-Christ.

     Yet there will be thousands of Christians -- including ministers --

who will read those quotes above and go right by them. And even

if they see the error in them, they will not say anything about it. That

is precisely how this stuff spreads. NO ONE takes a stand.

     It is an absolute principle of the kingdom of God: Either I will

allow God to adjust me to the Truth, or I will adjust the Truth to fit me.

There is no such thing as being static in this regard. Right now, one

or the other is happening between myself and God. Right now,

things are being decided.

The Virgin Birth

     I can tell you why I believe in the virgin birth. First, if the virgin

birth is a lie, then the Bible is a lie. It clearly teaches the virgin birth.

And if the Bible is a lie, then EVERYTHING in it is under question.

     So why bother with it at all? In fact, if the Bible is no better than the

ancient teachings of Horus -- as suggested by one of the articles

I quoted above -- then let's base our lives on Horus. Why not? One

false god is as good as another.

     But saying that if the virgin birth is a lie, then the Bible is a lie,

doesn't yet prove the virgin birth is the Truth. There has to be

more.

     There is. I believe in the virgin birth because if Jesus was born

of two human parents then He wasn't God. He wasn't God in the

flesh. Not only does this also make the Bible a lie, but it means

He could not be the Saviour of the world. The Saviour of the world

had to be the Lamb without blemish -- sinless. He had to be God.

None of this is possible if Jesus had two earthly parents.

     So I believe in the virgin birth because I know I am a needy

sinner in great need of a Saviour. There is no other solution

provided for that except a Saviour who was God, born of a virgin.

     Now someone might say, "You cannot prove any of this!"

Guess what? I can't even prove that I exist to someone who is

set against it. Furthermore, God does not call us to PROVE we are

right. He calls us to preach Christ. GOD will do the calling, the

proving, and the convicting.

     The good news is that if a person is sincerely seeking the Truth,

they will find it. Or better said, Christ will find them. The bad news is,

if a person simply rejects the possibility of Christ, and refuses to

budge, God won't force them. But the question should be asked as

to WHY they reject Christ? For if you insist that you cannot prove

Christ is God, and Saviour, then you must also believe you cannot

disprove it. So why the choice to refuse the possibility, rather than

to at least remain undecided until you discover more?

The Judgment of God

     Never in the history of humankind have we had the Truth

available to us that we have today in the church. Never. Yet we

have become dull of hearing. I don't have to suppose what is

going to happen next. Greater deception. THAT is going to be

the judgment.

     Notice something here. We think God's judgment is going to be

some kind of punishment. Maybe a terrorist attack, or some other

physical thing. But that won't be it. God's judgment is to give us

exactly what we choose. To let us reap what we sow. The more

we refuse to stand for Truth in our churches, the more error will come

in. THAT is judgment. Deception and all the consequences which

go with it. And the terrifying part is, we won't even know what is

happening to us.

     Christians need to choose. Do we believe Jesus is the Saviour

of the world? That He was born of a virgin, lived, died, and was

raised? Do we believe the Bible is the inspired word of God? If

not, let's be honest about it and quit playing games. But if we DO

believe, then let's take a stand for what we believe.

     Actually, the Bible doesn't give us an option. We are to speak

the Truth in love. We don't need to make it our misson in life to

straighten everyone out, and we don't need to get a bad attitude

about it. But we do need to stand up for the Truth, and if need be,

do what we can to put a stop to these things.

     If I am a true believer, I will know that there is nothing more vital

in the Christian churches today, then that we regain our focus on

Christ. This is not going to be easy, because we have allowed

false teachers to come in. The only solution is to get them out.

     Hopefully, those who are strong in faith will take a stand. But I have

my doubts. We may have nothing left but a remnant when all is

said and done. That always seems to be the pattern which has

occurred among God's people.

Standing for the Truth

     One of the easiest thing to do is to stand for nothing. If you stand

for nothing, everyone will like you. Why? Because if you stand for

nothing, you offend no one. Anything goes. And guess what? You

can call it "love." You can call it "inclusiveness."

     There used to be a time when people were willing to die for

Christ. Today, we apologize for Him. We act as if to say, "Jesus is

the only way to the Father," is a bigoted statement.

     Of course there ARE Christians who are bigoted. And some of

our more highly visible leaders have provided all the ammunition

opponents of Christianity need to label us hateful and bigoted. But

when all is said and done, it really doesn't matter what any of us

have done, or what any of us thinks about it. What matters is what

is really true.

     Jesus Christ is God, and the Lord and Saviour of this world if not

a single person on this planet believes it. He is all of that if every

Christian leader brings reproach to His name. He is all of that if we

shout to the high heavens that He is not. The Truth remains the

Truth despite the fact that more and more of God's people have

compromised it.

     Christians need to stop being ashamed of Jesus. We need

to stop worrying about who we are going to offend. Jesus Christ

offended everyone. So did Paul. And if we are going to follow Him,

we are going to offend people.

     Why? Because the moment you take a stand FOR Christ, you

will -- like it or not -- be taking a stand against many things. You will

be taking a stand, for instance, against sin. Against moral

ambiguity. And that is going to make some people mad.

Now note: Even though taking a stand FOR Christ means I will

automatically be against many things, it is not the "against" that is

the focus. No. It is the fact that I'm FOR Christ.

     For example, there are many people who go around trying to

straighten everyone else out. They judge motives and demand

conduct -- all in the name of taking a stand for Christ. Others do not

take a stand for Christ, but rather, take a stand for their doctrines,

principles for living, and interpretations of the Bible. This usually

comes from spiritual pride and self-righteousness, rather than from

love.

     God wants us to speak the Truth, but to speak it in LOVE. So to

stand FOR Christ also must mean we are FOR the people who

oppose Him -- FOR them in the sense of wanting them to embrace

the Truth. We can stand totally against what they believe and what

they teach and what they promote, all the while FOR Christ on their

behalf -- even if they don't know it.

     So taking a stand FOR Christ must include more than a stand

for doctrines about Him. It includes a stand for His love and desire

to see all men saved and brought into the Truth. This means I do

not go around getting into people's face with my faith. It simply

means that I know what I believe and am not going to budge. It

means that I will never compromise with who Christ is and what He

has done.

Compromise Today

     What is going on in the Body of Christ today is happening

because of people. People are doing it. And other people are

letting them do it. Pastors preach error, and the people in the pews

continue to attend and support. Denominations compromise major

portions of the Truth and churches go right along with it. Few, it

seems, are willing to pay any kind of price to stand for the Truth.

     Sometimes all of this is permitted for the sake of "unity." But as

mentioned earlier, there is nothing worse than "unity" in error, or

even "unity" for the sake of unity. Unity in anything but the Person

of Jesus Christ eventually becomes His enemy, because the

"unity" will keep error in and the Truth out.

     Unity in Jesus Christ is only possible if we all have the same

Christ. We may not all know Him in the same way, but we will not

know Him in conflicting ways. We will all merely be in various

stages of spiritual growth in the grace and knowledge of Him. But

we will all know Him and Lord and as God and as Saviour.

     In case no one has noticed, the apostasy which everyone says

is going to someday come upon the church has already been

going on for quite some time. "Someday" is here. And God is

looking for a people who will stand up and refuse to move from the

Truth. But as Jesus asked, "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man

comes, shall He find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8) He didn't

answer His own question. He wants US to answer it. *