But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Jude 17
Four essential for last days living
- Building up yourselves on your most holy faith
- Praying in the Holy Ghost
- Keep yourselves in the love of God
- Looking for the mercy of our Lord
We will focus on building up yourselves on your most holy faith. But we need to understanding Jude’s perspective of 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. 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude 3
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Jude 20
- Contend for the faith - life eternally
- Building yourselves upon your most holy faith - living effective
I need you to understand the difference between contending for the faith and living by faith.
You need to understand the difference between saving faith and solving faith.
- Saving faith saves you from sin, satan, hell and prepares you for heaven
- Solving faith saves you from sickness, diseases, demons, destruction and prepares you for earth.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 9 Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: 10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
2 Timothy 4: 7 -10
- Common salvation - contend for the faith
- Finished my course = Kept the faith
- SAVING FAITH - grace - RESTING FAITH
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
1Timothy 6:12
But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Jude 17
LIVING FAITH- ACTIVE FAITH - RESISTING FAITH
The deal is that you can keep the faith without living by faith. There are literally millions who have been saved (saving faith) but still do not know how to walk by faith (solving faith). Even though both strands of faith are from the same family but there is a distinct difference.
But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Matthew 14:24
- Peter had saving faith to take him away from sinking
- Peter did not have living active faith to walk on water to do exploits
Peter is an example of many people today
- Saving faith
- Living faith
- Saving faith is relinquishing works as means of salvation
- Living faith is relinquishing sight as means of miracles
- Saving faith - life after earth
- Living faith - life on earth
- Saving faith - future eternal or ethereal state
- Living faith - Present temporal state
- Saving faith equips you for heaven
- Living faith equips you for earth
FAITH IS THE PRESCRIBED WAY TO LIVE
5 times we are told - 5 = grace
Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Habakkuk 2:4
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Romans 1:17
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Galatians 3:11
Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Hebrews 10:38
The just - the justified ones, those declared and constituted righteous.
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
2 Corinthians 5:21
Made : constituted - legal binding reality
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2: 20
The life I now live in the flesh - I live by the faith of the Son of God
Noticed it said - Live by faith and not to use faith only in times of emergency.
You don’t only breathe in times of emergency. It is your lifestyle to breathe or you will have an emergency
The believer is to live and walk by faith
2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith and not by sight
Why does it mean to live by faith?
Most Christians do not know how to live by faith.
1 Living by faith means that you are living like Jesus earthly walk. It means your sojourning on the earth is like that of Jesus. His walk on the earth was a faith walk and was anointed of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 3: 16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please God…for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Acts 10: 38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Jesus earthly walk of dominion was - walking by faith and operated by the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Your dominion walk on the earth will be by living by faith.
Faith dominates the world the flesh and the devil
1 John 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
2 Living by faith means that you are living by the highest established principle of God’s word.
The Word has the highest place in your life.
Job 23:11 My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.
12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
Esteeming the word of God above the ord of a lawyer, politician and doctor.
This simply means you have made the word of God the first and final authority in your life.
3 Living by faith means I act on the Word of God like I would act upon the word of a trusted counselor, lawyer etc. If I don’t act upon the Word then I only have mental assent.
One of the greatest enemies of bible faith is mental assent. People with mental assent read the Word and think they believe it. But when push comes to shove, pressure comes, they dont act on it. Mental assenters say, ‘I believe the Bible from cover to cover, im a fundamentalist except in my politics. I put party above principles.
Mental Assent is therefore defined as a subtle form of self-deception, just one step removed from the demonic leaven (yeast) of hypocrisy.
It was John Wesley that coined this term when he said, “The devil has given the Church a substitute for faith. One that looks and sounds so much like faith that few people can tell the difference. This substitute he calls mental assent."
Mental assent pretends to believe God, but when crisis comes, it says God's word will not work.
To escape the deception of mental assent you must be honest with yourself and repent for unbelief and for elevating your traditions above the Word of God. Then make the deliberate choice to trust God and take Him at his word with corresponding actions based upon what God said.
4 Living by faith means I take charge of a situation through God’s word.
In life you will face situations that knock you sideways making you feel vulnerable, helpless and victimized. and