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Contending for the
Faith
by Pastor Oliver Williams
Jude 1:3 (ESV) “… contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”
Romans 12: 3 says; "...
God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."
It is with our faith we receive all that
God has provided for us.
We are not contending against one
another, but rather for what we believe.
James 1:3 (MSG) says: “You know that under pressure, your faith-life is
forced into the open and shows its true colors."
As
Christians, it is never simply to win arguments in debating with others about the
Word of God.
What you say - you
believe regarding the Word of God will be tested.
God is not the one
doing the testing (James 1:13).
The devil and the
situations of life will challenge what you say you believe.
Contending for the
faith is the responsibility of every Christian. It is not optional, neither is
it easy.
To take this
admonition seriously will open you to many temptations.
It is possible in
the midst of contention to forget the reason you are in the fight.
Therefore, fight the
good fight of FAITH (1 Timothy 6:12).
Remember: Our contending is
for maintaining the truth of God’s Word as it works in our lives. Selah!
We
believe that the Bible is God’s Word. It is accurate, authoritative and
applicable to our everyday lives.
We
believe in one eternal God who is the Creator of all things. He exists in three
Persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. He is totally
loving and completely holy.
We
believe that sin has separated each of us from God and His purpose for our
lives.
We
believe that the Lord Jesus Christ as both God and man is the only One who can
reconcile us to God. He lived a sinless and exemplary life, died on the cross
in our place, and rose again to prove His victory and empower us for life.
We
believe that in order to receive forgiveness and the ‘new birth’ we must repent
of our sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and submit to His will for our
lives.
We
believe that in order to live the holy and fruitful lives that God intends for
us, we need to be baptised in water and be filled with the power of the Holy
Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables us to use spiritual gifts, including speaking
in tongues.
We
believe in the power and significance of the Church and the necessity of
believers to meet regularly together for fellowship, prayer and the ‘breaking
of bread’.
We
believe that God has individually equipped us so that we can successfully
achieve His purpose for our lives which is to worship God, fulfil our role in
the Church and serve the community in which we live.
We
believe that God wants to heal and transform us so that we can live healthy and
blessed lives in order to help others more effectively.
We
believe that our eternal destination of either Heaven or hell is determined by
our response to the Lord Jesus Christ.
We
believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back again as He promised.
- Pastor
Oliver & Carolyn Williams -
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