Complimentary Story
April 2024“Since then, we have a great High Priest Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who, in every respect, has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then, with confidence, draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV).
Let me begin this article by asking the question, “Do we hold fast to our confession?” It would be nice to take the time to speak of the joy of our common salvation, and yet I feel compelled to author articles that admonish the American Church to repent and return to our first love. Even Jesus’ very own brother, Jude, wanted to spend time talking about our salvation, and yet the Holy Spirit directed him to urge his readers to contend for the Faith.
“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.” (Jude 1:3 KJV).
So, I ask again, “Do we earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints?”
We often take our faith for granted, and I believe we do not contend for the faith as we should. I honestly believe that we have become Scripturally ignorant and morally apathetic. I believe if we surveyed the average church-goer and asked which was the bigger problem within the church” ignorance or apathy, I bet we would hear “I don’t know and I don’t care.” I have, in the past, stated that ignorance from the pulpits and apathy in the pews is the systemic failure in the American Church today.
I want to see change, real change and so it cannot be enough for me merely to talk about the problem, or even identify it. I must bring real solutions to myself first, and then to you the reader that we might effect lasting change within the body of Christ.
I long to see America become a nation worthy of the heritage we talk so fondly of. We must right this ship or we will face certain destruction, and not in some far-off future time, but here and now. Destruction is even now at the door. You know who else is at the door? Jesus Christ. In the book of Revelation 3:20, we see Jesus Christ outside of the lukewarm Laodicean Church knocking to be let in. What a scary and sobering thought to recognize that Jesus Christ could be standing outside of the door of the Church knocking to be let in. We have really gone astray if that is the case in the American Church, and I would venture to say that it is.
So, what is my solution? We need to see Christians earnestly contend for our faith, occupy, and overcome. Yet we cannot, and should not do that in our own power, but in the POWER of CHRIST!
Proverbs 28:1 says, “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” (KJV).
How do we become bold as lions? We stop seeking approval, acknowledgement, and directions from mere mortals. We must start by fearing God more than we fear men, we must fear being told by Christ Jesus, “depart from Me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23B KJV) more than we fear cancel culture. Make no mistake — there will be a cost, but that cost is worth it.
We must turn our focus off men, and on to God. We seek way too much approval and validation from people we do not even know when we should be bowing prostrate in prayer before the High Priest Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
The passage above in Hebrews 4 says that we have an advocate on our behalf who is with the Father in Heaven. Jesus knows our weakness, He Himself experienced the weakness of the fleshly vessel of man, and yet He did not sin. He overcame so that in Christ we overcome. Why would we seek council anywhere else when we have Christ the Great High Priest?
The solution is to confidently draw near to the throne of grace through prayer, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Ground yourself in the Word and bathe your life in prayer. Living apart from Him is like shaking an unplugged lamp and expecting it to light your path. It will not work.
Email: AliveMinistriesUSA@gmail.com
