Search

1but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

2Now very early in the morning, he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him. He sat down and taught them. 3The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery. Having set her in the middle, 4they told him, “Teacher, we found this woman in adultery, in the very act. 5Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. What then do you say about her?” 6They said this testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of.

But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger. 7But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.” 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger.

9They, when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last. Jesus was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle. 10Jesus, standing up, saw her and said, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?”

11She said, “No one, Lord.”

Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more.”

12Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

13The Pharisees therefore said to him, “You testify about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.”

14Jesus answered them, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from, and where I am going; but you don’t know where I came from, or where I am going. 15You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one. 16Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me. 17It’s also written in your law that the testimony of two people is valid. 18I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”

19They said therefore to him, “Where is your Father?”

Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20Jesus spoke these words in the treasury, as he taught in the temple. Yet no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. 21Jesus said therefore again to them, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sins. Where I go, you can’t come.”

22The Jews therefore said, “Will he kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going, you can’t come’?”

23He said to them, “You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. 24I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”

25They said therefore to him, “Who are you?”

Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. 26I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you. However, he who sent me is true; and the things which I heard from him, these I say to the world.”

27They didn’t understand that he spoke to them about the Father. 28Jesus therefore said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these things. 29He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”

30As he spoke these things, many believed in him. 31Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. 32You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

33They answered him, “We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, ‘You will be made free’?”

34Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin. 35A bondservant doesn’t live in the house forever. A son remains forever. 36If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37I know that you are Abraham’s offspring, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you. 38I say the things which I have seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you have seen with your father.”

39They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.”

Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. 40But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do this. 41You do the works of your father.”

They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father, God.”

42Therefore Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, for I came out and have come from God. For I haven’t come of myself, but he sent me. 43Why don’t you understand my speech? Because you can’t hear my word. 44You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. 45But because I tell the truth, you don’t believe me. 46Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47He who is of God hears the words of God. For this cause you don’t hear, because you are not of God.”

48Then the Jews answered him, “Don’t we say well that you are a Samaritan, and have a demon?”

49Jesus answered, “I don’t have a demon, but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50But I don’t seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges. 51Most certainly, I tell you, if a person keeps my word, he will never see death.”

52Then the Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, as did the prophets; and you say, ‘If a man keeps my word, he will never taste of death.’ 53Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?”

54Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is our God. 55You have not known him, but I know him. If I said, ‘I don’t know him,’ I would be like you, a liar. But I know him and keep his word. 56Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and was glad.”

57The Jews therefore said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old! Have you seen Abraham?”

58Jesus said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM.”

59Therefore they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple, having gone through the middle of them, and so passed by.

Contend for the Faith

Contend for the Faith

Application & Worship | Jude 1:3 | Faber McMullen III

Jude 3: "Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For there are certain men who crept in secretly, even those who were long ago written about for this condemnation: ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into indecency, and denying our only Master, God, and Lord, Jesus Christ."

Even though Jude wanted to write about our life in Christ, he felt compelled to address the false teaching, problems, and assaults we encounter as believers. He wanted to write about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and our salvation in Him, but Jude says that he “found it necessary” to write exhorting them to “contend earnestly.” When he talks about contending for the faith, he means, “to strive in opposition or against difficulties; to struggle…as those in a race.” Strong’s Concordance speaks of it as “to struggle upon, appropriately.. with skill and commitment in opposing whatever is not of faith.” I always hate to bring up struggle because it's not very fun to listen to, but much of our Christian journey truly is a struggle against opposition. So why is that? Why does it never let up? Scripture gives us the answer,

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12, KJV).

For our entire lives, we will be in a wrestling match with the rulers of darkness in this world. We will never be done contending for the faith. There will be attacks on the gospel until we go home to be with the Lord. You might be wondering why we must contend for the faith. Well, for one thing, we contend for the faith because it is the truth. Truth is valuable to all men, and it takes men out of bondage. The truth of God’s Word is what will set us free. “32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32, NKJV). It is the truth of Christ crucified and raised that sets us free. It not only frees us from damnation, but it frees us from the power of sin in our lives.

One reason we must contend for the gospel is the freedom or deliverance it offers. It is constantly under attack. The enemy desires to kill, steal, and destroy, but Jesus offers an abundant life (John 10:10). Jude tells us to “contend for the gospel.” It is interesting that Jude is not telling us to “contend for the truth.” By that, I mean that we don’t have to get wrapped up in every current fight for what is true. If we do, all we will be doing is fighting for the truth. Truth is based on objective facts and reality - not imagination or illusion. There are so many untruths and so much false information in society and culture today that if we get wrapped up in fighting on every front, we risk losing sight of the gospel itself. We can become so distracted in fighting every untruth in society that we’ll be sidetracked from THE FAITH that we are told to contend for: Christ crucified, buried, and raised from the dead as the payment for our sins on the cross. Here are just some of the truths of the faith for which we must contend: The proclamation of that blessed hope of Jesus coming again. He will come back for His bride, and then He’ll come at the last battle, the Battle of Armageddon. He will gather His own unto Himself. Wow! That’s something to hope for. These are the things for which we must contend. Let’s not get caught up in fighting every battle on every hill.