FAITH: IF IT DOES NOT DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE FLESH, IT IS NOT OF CHRIST

CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH (THE CONCLUSION)

Mortify the works of the flesh and remove the influence of devils from a person’s life, then the person will assuredly continue in the word of God. This is the purpose churches/ministries are meant to serve in the lives of believers as well as unbelievers (starting with salvation) through serving them the rightly divided word of God. Teaching and equipping them to walk in the Spirit (Ephesians 4:11-15, Galatians 5:16). This is the purpose for which Jesus came to die and rise from the dead, this is what is called the destruction of the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Outside the works of the flesh and the activities of devils, there is no other work of Satan in a man’s life.

Once this purpose is removed from the motive behind, the focus of and the activities of a Church/Ministry (or relegated to a secondary place), God’s purpose for it is defeated and it becomes largely ineffective and (to say the least) injurious to the plans and purposes of God for mankind. Satan knows this and that is the reason why his activities are focused on getting churches/ministries and by extension believers not to continue in God’s word.

Recall that the bible says if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do (Psalms 11:3)? The answer is “nothing”, plain old nothing! The moment the motive behind a church/ ministry is wrong, then the “church/ministry” simply becomes “church/ministry” by name, not church/ministry indeed.  Jesus said in John 8:31 that if you continue in my Word, then are you my disciples indeed. A believer who does not continue in (live according to) the word of God is not a believer indeed the same way a church/ministry that does not continue in the word of God cannot claim to be a church/ministry indeed, it is just a church/ministry by name. Its purpose is not being served.

A church/ministry cannot absolve itself from the fruits it bears (its members/congregation). The members/congregation are largely a product of what the church/ministry feeds them, what the church/ministry believes and a direct result of the motive behind the church/ministry. The apostle Paul by the Holy Spirit said in 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 that ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men. Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. 

This was the main reason behind Jude’s admonition by the Holy Spirit in his epistle, emphasizing the necessity for us (as individual believers) to contend for the faith that was once delivered to us. Pointing out that the purpose for the gospel in which we have believed must not be lost sight of, so that the destruction of Satan’s work may become a reality in our lives. Jude wrote this epistle (around 65 years into the life of the Church), because there was an influx of preachers/teachers (“certain men”) into the rank of the Church that had started to preach to and teach the believers another gospel and an alarming number had already started giving heed. These “certain men” professed to be Christians, they bandied the name of Christ but their manner of life and what they preached and taught, rather than help destroy the works of the flesh and the activities of devils (in their lives and that of the listeners), promoted it. There could not have been greater conflict or/and contradiction, than where work being done purportedly to promote Christ and that for which He came to die, produced exactly those things which Christ’s death and resurrection came to destroy in the lives of those preaching and teaching as well as those hearing them. Is this happening in your life or around you? Are the works of the flesh Jesus came to destroy growing in your life or around you rather than getting decimated? Then you must heed the call to action of Jude. Take note, if it is Christ’s, it must destroy that which Christ came to destroy, if it does not, then it is neither Christ’s work nor His message yet, not His work and message indeed.

The Holy Spirit through Jude warned of the consequence of not taking any action, by the believer, against these false teachings/preachings, by referring to three prior incidences. First, the Israelites that were delivered from Egypt to go to the Promised Land but never got there. Secondly Satan and the other fallen angels (demons/devils) who though were with God in heaven but were cast out and thirdly the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah who were destroyed (all of these because of their choice to follow diverse lusts rather than to obey God). The warning was against these teachings/preachings of “certain men” crept in unawares (verse 4), false teachers that came in by way of deception to take advantage of and make gain of God’s people.

The Holy Spirit through Jude further likened these “certain men” who had crept in to Cain, Balaam and Core (Korah) (verse 11). These three were Old Testament characters who did evil in God’s sight. Cain did not walk in love towards his brother and ended up murdering him (1 John 3:15 says whosoever hates his brother is a murderer). Balaam went against God’s commandment because of money. Money, gain, rather than God’s will was the driving force behind his life and ministry (1 Timothy 6:10 says the love of money is the root of all evil, Matthew 6:24b says you cannot serve God and mammon). Korah lusted after power (authority and control over men) and kicked against God’s commandment that hallowed the call to ministry to God’s decision and His decision only (Hebrews 5:4 says And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron). Ministry has nothing to do with authority or control over men, it cannot be worked for or earned, it is not given as a reward either and man cannot take it upon himself of his own volition, but Korah lusted after it to gain authority and control over men and was destroyed.

Make no mistakes, getting it wrong because of false teachers/preachers is not tenable before God as an excuse for not continuing in His word as He demands (John 8:31). In actual fact, preachers/teachers are also not the only ones in the wrong most times in this equation, hearers/listeners are too, because of the satisfaction they get for their fleshly desires (2 Timothy 3:6, 2 Timothy 4:3-4). God will hold you responsible for what you make out of your life as a believer (whether you continue in His word or not) the same way He will hold the false teachers/preachers responsible for their greed, deceit and conceit. They make merchandise/gain of God’s people to satisfy the lusts of their flesh while the hearers most times also get what pacifies and fulfills the desires of their flesh (both making gains, fleshly gains). The bible says take heed what/how you hear (Mark 4:24, Luke 8:18). Jesus already also said take heed that no man deceive you (Matthew 24:4b). That is one of the reasons He gave you the Holy Spirit (John 14:17, John 16:13, 1 Corinthians 2:12). It is your responsibility how and what you hear, it is your responsibility what you mind and believe (Romans 8:5), otherwise God would not have said so.

Do not let the death of Christ for you be in vain, seek and fulfill that purpose for which Christ died for you, fulfill your God given destiny (Romans 8:29). According to Jude in the twenty-fourth verse of his Epistle, God is able to keep you from falling and present you to Himself without fault. This happens when and only if you allow Him to, by keeping yourself in His love (contending for the faith by insisting on and following His word) first and foremost among other things.

Meditate on these things, give yourself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all (1 Timothy 4:15).

Pastor Gboye Omolayo is the Resident Pastor of Church@Allen, Allen TX, USA. He is a prolific writer and preacher who believes the efficacy of the word of God and the potency of the works of the Holy Spirit are still available to the Church today, as were at the Church’s infancy. He is the publisher of this blog.