WHEN OTHERS GIVE UP, DON'T.

KEEPING FAITH IN THE AGE OF A GREAT FALLING AWAY

               Luke 21:28-36; 2 Timothy 3:1-7; II Peter 2:1-9, 14 – 22

The word ‘Faith’ appears over 230 times. As workers and leaders (Pastors), we know that it is used in the scriptures with varying meanings. It connotes:

(i)                 Saving faith (Eph. 2:8)

(ii)              Faith for faithfulness or fidelity (Gal. 5:22; Heb. 10:38)

(iii)            Gift of faith to do the extra ordinary (1 Cor.12:8 – 9)

(iv)            The faith, which is the collection of totality of the teachings and doctrines of the scriptures (Eph. 4:13). The last meaning of faith (as seen above) forms the basis of our consideration today (1 Tim. 4:1 – 2; Col. 1:23; Acts 16:4-5).

This faith is so fundamental to our Christian life and ministry that we must believe every component of it with our whole heart and live, the same in all situations and circumstances that we find ourselves. From Christ’s description and the Spirit’s revelation of the last days, it will require grace, faith, conviction, contending and resolute determination to be able to keep the faith in the age of the great falling away. To keep the faith and survive spiritually in these last days will require vision and purpose of heart.  Keeping the faith by any church, with all the in – roads being exerted by false teachers, demands being rooted and grounded in the word of God in the truth of the scriptures.

1.    CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FALL AWAY CHRISTIAN

Matt. 24:36-39; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 1Tim. 4:1-2; 2 Tim. 3:1-7; 4:3-4

The Lord clearly foretold the spiritual condition of the last days. He said it will be characterized by among others things:

(a)        Wanton living and sensual pursuits; what to eat, drink, ear, marry. Readiness for eternity, for the Lord’s coming is becoming a difficult thing, an unattainable goal for many Christians. Rather, prayers are mainly concentrated on marriage or some other material pursuit.

(b)        Wide spread backsliding, compromise, apostasy, pervasive spread of false doctrines, false prophets, lawlessness, erosion of parental authority ,selfishness, favouritism, tribalism, ingratitude and the likes. It will be such that the church that stands on sound doctrine may develop cold feet and compromise its stands as all sorts of false doctrines are brought in, in the name of Christian unity, fellowship, love, forgiveness, co-operation, tolerance and accommodation.

(c)         Wine of power, position and personality. Today, people love power, position and personalities above the scriptures. There will be so much confusion that even believers will begin to speak against the way of truth just to support error, false doctrines, compromise and unfaithfulness.  Some who once upheld the standard word of God will depart from the foundation of the truth.

2.    CONVICTION OF THE FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN

Dan. 1:8; 6:1-10; Ps. 57:7; 112:7; Phil. 2:12-16; 4:5-9; 2 Thess. 5:1-2,4 6,8,14-22

To keep the faith in the age of great falling away, the believers, workers, pastors and leaders must of necessity be like Daniel, continue to keep the commandments of the Lord single-mindedly or with purpose of heart.

We must like him continue in fervent prayers, not minding whose ox is gored. There may arise sore temptations and trials, best friends may compromise the truth, persuasion may come to go the opposite direction and other negative influences may crop in. But you must like Daniel did, to continue to stand on your conviction about self denial, holiness, one wife, one husband, on rapture, evangelism, hell and heaven. We must be people of steadfast conviction. We must have a purpose of heart, a deeply convincing reason why we serve the Lord.  We must stand on the unchanging word of God.

Our hearts like the Psalmist, must be fixed, never to depart from the standard of the scriptures we have receive in our formative years as born again Christians.  We must of course, as a matter of life and death be willing to do away with compromise and general moral laxity that characterize Christian worship and service in some assemblies and in many believers’ life today.  You need to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.  You need to stand firm on the unchanging work of God till the very end.

3.    CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH IN CHRIST

Jude 3; Eph.6:10-18; Rom.12:9-21; 8:35-39.

To be able to contend for the faith of the totality of the teachings and doctrines of the scripture, we must realize that we are not contending With flesh and blood or against our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord.  To service in the flood of falling away we must be contending against.

Ø     Principalities and powers.

Ø     Spiritual wickedness in high places

Ø     Princes and powers of the air

Ø     Rulers of the darkness of this world

Ø     Falsehood and heresies

Ø     Sensuality and carnality

Ø     Worldliness and worldly amusement

To effectively do these, we must be spiritually well dressed, having on you –

Ø     Breastplate of righteousness

Ø     Belt of truth

Ø     Shield of faith

Ø     Helmet of salvation

Ø     Feet shod with the gospel of peace

Ø     Sword of the Spirit (the word of God)

Ø     Praying with all prayer in the spirit.

God can give us the grace that no matter what may be happening around us, we can stand and keep the faith by holding fast and firm on the unchanging truth of the word of God until the very end