Defeated Victory
by Happy Caldwell
“Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called...[to] earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”—Jude 1, 3
Why were we told to contend for the faith?
The answer to that question is found in the next verse. It says, “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 4).
I know this is strong, but Jude said that any man who condemned the faith which was once delivered unto the saints was ungodly, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
When you condemn the faith that was delivered to us, you are denying the One who brought it. You are actually opposing Jesus as Saul of Tarsus did when he fought against the faith. Jesus said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” (Acts 9:4).
The Just Shall Live by Faith
I was privileged to be born again in 1972, during the move of God called the Charismatic Renewal. Immediately, I was handed E.W. Kenyon's basic Bible study course, “The Bible in the Light of Our Redemption.” Therefore, I cut my spiritual teeth on faith. I had many opportunities to quit, give up, get sidetracked and be persecuted. After studying the Bible for a year, I became convinced that the just shall live by faith.
In 1974, my wife, son and I went full time into the ministry. Although I was just a novice, I knew the way of faith. In 1973, the Lord had told me to resign my job and instead of going to work eight hours a day, to go to my office and study His Word.
That's what I did for one year. At the end of that year, I had no more money; we had lived off what I had saved and invested. But I had faith in God and in His Word.
We had no hospitalization, but we had 1 Peter 2:24. We had no insurance, but we had Psalm 91. We had no credit cards, but we had Philippians 4:19. We had no retirement, but we had Psalm 71:18.
We lived by faith in God and His Word. We still live this way today, even though we now have credit cards.
Faith is not a message you preach. Faith is a life you live. Faith is not measured by the things you have or the things you do without. Faith is a lifestyle totally trusting in God. Whether you have insurance or not doesn't prove you have or lack faith.
Faith is determined by your ability to trust God and His Word. Faith cometh (grows) by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Faith does not cope with problems. Faith overcomes the problems (1 John 5:4).
22 : BVOV
