Sermon – October 25

Text: Jude 3
Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

The Faith Worth Fighting For
In the name of Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, dear fellow redeemed:

Today as we celebrate the Lutheran Reformation of the 16th century we have turned to the epistle of Jude and find that we encouraged by our Lord to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” The Christian faith is one worth fighting for. However, we find that our battle is different from that of Islam because the Christian faith is not about hatred and killing. It is about love and mercy and forgiveness.

This is not to say that Christians do not have enemies. The devil is a fierce warrior, and we are encouraged to strive and to hang onto what God has given to us – salvation by grace through faith. This is a battle for the heart, and we need to be aware that the battle does not end until time itself does. Now is not the time for us to grow lazy or cold, but to renew ourselves with zeal and enthusiasm so that we may always treasure and never throw away or let slip away what our Lord has so graciously given to us.

1. Know the value of faith in Jesus Christ
We cannot discuss “the faith” without focusing on the object of that faith, namely Jesus Christ. In Him we see the dividing line between heaven and hell. Jesus says: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” In knowing Jesus as your Savior you are eternally blessed. If you do not know Christ as your Savior, you are eternally cursed.

What a blessing that even now as a Christian you may approach God’s throne of grace in prayer. What a relief to know that on the Last Day you can approach God’s Judgment throne knowing that all of your sins are forgiven, and that you stand holy and righteous in God’s sight. The fact that Jesus paid for each and every sin by His death on the cross is the fundamental truth in which we find salvation. That is the truth was delivered to the saints, namely Christians. That truth does not belong only to a certain group like clergy, or a certain social class, or a race, but each and every Christian is able to claim it as His own. When that truth of Jesus is spoken about and studied great things will happen. Hearts will be changed. Hearts will be renewed. Attitudes that you would think would be firmly cemented are moved to a better position because of Christ. He brings a message of love and forgiveness. The message that forgiveness is free is priceless.

However, we know that Satan certainly also knows the value of this truth. He cannot operate in truth with any amount of success. What is he going to say, follow my lead and you’ll end up in hell? No, he will lie and deceive just as he did in the Garden of Eden. The more subtle he is the more successful he is, and so he wishes to operate inside of Christianity itself. He will plant seeds of doubt and distortion, and paint a picture of sin and of grace that takes the focus off of Christ.

In the 16th century he had much of Christianity convinced that Jesus was an angry Judge, and that sins were not paid for. People were in despair and in a constant state of doubt concerning their salvation. Martin Luther himself went through deep agony because when he looked at his own goodness he could find no relief. He looked to Christ, and found only guilt in himself. The fundamental answer to the question of how a person is saved was veiled in darkness. The light of truth came through Scripture namely: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 3:23-24) What a relief swept throughout Germany and then rippled throughout Europe and the world. Salvation is free! God has given it to you! You are not guilty and have God as your Father!

Yet there still are those today who are in anguish over their sins, not knowing of that sweet relief of forgiveness. And even more prevalent today are those that feel relief in error because they are still in their sin and don’t know it. Now Jesus is mistakenly portrayed as One who tolerates all sorts of immorality, and those who condemn sin are seen as being unloving. The truth is that Jesus hates sin as He always has, and what is considered to be sinful has not changed over time. The same Ten Commandments still reflect God’s will. Jesus is still against sin – it is what He paid for on the cross. He knows of its destructive powers and so He warns us. He did not die that we might wallow in sin, but that we might walk in the paths of righteousness. There is a ditch on either side of the road of truth, and it doesn’t take much to fall into either side. Know the value of faith in Jesus Christ that you may rightly know the grace and truth in Him.

2. Remember the example of our spiritual forefathers
Today we celebrate the posting of the 95 Theses (sentences for debate) that took place on October 31, 1517. That was a pivotal event in which people were then able to hear from God’s Word the truth about sin and grace. For hundreds of years the devil’s lies about Jesus had been propagated so much that church leaders really knew nothing else. The people had no opportunity to learn the truth because the Bible was not even in their own language. The firm belief was that you were saved by purchasing indulgences or visiting shrines. Darkness hid the truth.

Yet God has always preserved a remnant. In the course of time He preserved His truth and then raised up individuals to proclaim it. John Huss was one who was burned at the stake for working to bring the Word of God to people in their own language. Martin Luther was declared to be an outlaw because he taught the radical notion that a person was saved by grace alone, that a person was justified by faith alone, and the single authority was Scripture alone.

They contended for the faith. They drew a line in the sand, and would not swallow the lies of Satan. They were willing to give up everything for the sake of their Savior. If it meant the loss of their jobs, or their lives, so be it. They were zealous for God.

While we do appreciate the work of these reformers, we recognize the hand of God in bringing about the Reformation, as I believe those men would rightly conclude as well. Just as it took the power of God to create faith, so also it is the power of God that preserves faith. If left to our own devices, we would soon fall away. This is because we battle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. A Reformation hymn (#267) puts it this way: “If God had not been on our side and had not come to aid us, the foes with all their power and pride would surely have dismayed us.”

Jesus is needed to overcome these spiritual forces and the lies of Satan. Just as only He could win the battle on the cross, so also He is needed to preserve and revive the truth. Surely this stems from His love as well. If not for love, He would soon have swept us away in frustration for our nonchalant attitude toward His Word, for our lack of fervor and conviction. Yet in spite of ourselves, the Lord preserves a remnant, and preserves the truth of salvation.

3. Continue contending for that faith
The battle continues today. Just as the battle for liberty did not end with the Revolutionary War, so the battle for the truth did not end in the 16th century. As we come up on the election this Tuesday and when you consider all the issues that are so hotly contested – I have wondered what would Jefferson and Adams and Ben Franklin think if they could be brought forward to this time. I think in many ways they would be appalled. Would they stand back in awe or dismay in viewing the results of freedom that many gave their lives defending? In the same way I wonder what would Luther, Martin Chemnitz, and Phillip Melanchthon think of the state of religion today? If you would have told them five hundred years ago, that there could be a situation in which everybody could have a Bible and catechism, and in which virtually everybody was able to read, and in which there was no interference from the government in worship, they might have said the Gospel will surely flourish in such an environment. But I think they would be horrified in some regards to see the state of Christianity and in some areas – Lutheranism today.

Are we contending for the faith, or are we beginning to cave in? Do we value the significance of grace alone or has it become ho-hum for us? Do we have zeal or are we just along for the ride?

I heard once that the Clinton administration was a little upset that there were no major conflicts during that time period because they wouldn’t have a chance to prove their legacy. Yet when you trace the roots of terrorism you can see that there was plenty going on. The same is true in a religious sense. We may think that the Reformation was a critical period. We might look back at the 1940’s -1960’s and see that as a critical period for Lutheranism, but there’s plenty going on right now too. There will always be a contending for the faith. Each year, each day there is a battle for hearts going on. Souls are being won or lost on a daily basis. The lies of Satan are either growing or being beaten back. Will the next generation look back on ours and say, “I wish they would have been more zealous for the truth.”

My friends, the foundations of Scripture and Truth are being undermined. We dare not fall back into retreat. We will not when we truly treasure what God has given us. When we realize the weight of our sin and guilt, and know that Jesus has removed that from us, that leads to an appreciation of Jesus Christ. The value of the faith increases the more you give it to another. There are still those in despair and those unaware that there is only one way to heaven, through Jesus. You have the cure because you have the truth in Christ.

Unlike Islam which fights for faith through killing, you and I contend for the faith by giving life in the news of Jesus. We are to reach out in love zealously proclaiming that grace of God. It is not time to give up or give in. It is time to take our turn and individually and as a group to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” God grant it for His glory. Amen.