The Good Fight of 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." 1 Timothy 6:12

In the Christian circle, there are various types of people that take the word of God and use it multiple ways. Some use it to cut down people and not do anything to uplift them, some use it to try and justify violent actions, some use it to try and justify their sinful lifestyle, some use it to try and justify their reasoning for spreading nothing but hatred which in turn incites nothing more than riots, and a very small percentage of Christians rightly divide the word of truth.

Here in 1 Timothy 6:12, we are exhorted to "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." In this verse, there are two exhortations given.

I. "Fight the good fight of faith..."
     Fighting the good fight of faith... what does that mean? It isn't a physical fight (Ephesians 6:10-13), it is a spiritual one (2 Corinthians 10:4). It isn't one that we can fight by carnal means (Ephesians 6:12), it is one that can only be fought by spiritual means (Ephesians 6:11-13). Anything otherwise would be in violation to what we have been called to do. To fight the good fight of faith, we must first know that it is impossible to please God in any way without faith (Hebrews 11:6), and that without faith we cannot even come before God in prayer (Hebrews 11:6), nor can we begin to understand what our focus should be (Hebrews 12:1-2). Just as we are only to move forward in our daily Christian lives, so also is the nature of the course we are to be running (Philipians 3:13-14). And if we say that our fight is physical (carnal) as well as spiritual, how can we live a peaceable life? If we hold to the falsehood that our fight is physical, then we cannot be truly interceding for our fellow man (1 Timothy 2:1-4). If we say our fight is physical, we are no better than the Muslims who kill all those who will not submit to their religion or their law, nor are we better than the Roman Catholic Church who killed those who would not convert to Roman Catholicism and submit to so-called 'papal authority'. To fight the good fight of faith, we must first realize that our fight is spiritual and not carnal.

II. "...lay hold on eternal life..."
    Laying hold on eternal life... this does not have to do with works salvation as many denominations of the church today would have us believe. This has to do with embracing the gift of God that was given to us upon accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.

Philippians 3:13-14 says, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Hebrews 12:1-2 says, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

How can we press toward the finish line, the victory on the battlefield, if we have anything whatsoever weighing us down? If we allow the world to get us down, how then can we truly  "lay hold on eternal life"? How can people see that we are called to lay hold on it if we do not "profess a good profession"? We live in a world today that is constantly watching us, being an eye/earwitness to everything that we say/do. If we do not live what we so boldly profess to believe in, if we do not "practice what we preach" and actually take a stand on the Word of God according to the principles set forth?

We are not to literally fight against those who refuse to believe in and/or accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, for our fight is spiritual, not carnal. So often we mess this up and are willing to take up arms against those who hate Christ. Christians, we are at war. The devil is waging this war against us, and if you are willing to kill your fellow man because they refuse to accept, you are letting the devil win. If you remain silent about your faith, you are not fighting the good fight. To fight the good fight, you must stand. To stand, you must be vocal about the faith, not silent. Do you think you got saved because someone was silent? WRONG. You were saved because at some point in your life someone planted the seed by telling you about what Jesus Christ did for you. You may have rejected it continually, but eventually you got to the point that the conviction was so sore and you finally realized that you were lost and undone without Him filling that void in your heart that only He can fill and finally accepted Him as your Saviour. Fight the good fight. Embrace the gift of God which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Do not be silent about the faith, do not be silent about what Jesus Christ did for you. HE DIED FOR YOU SO YOU THROUGH HIM MIGHT LIVE, IF AND ONLY IF YOU ACCEPT HIM! You claim to have accepted Him, now go and tell someone about Him!

                                                                                                   Your fellow warrior and brother in Christ,

                                                                                                                           William L. Payne

                                                                                                                         1 Corinthians 15:58

The Dangers of Tolerance

In a world that is growing continually wicked, there is a cry that is being sounded by those partaking in the iniquity thereof: "Tolerance," "Coexist," "Don't say that, you may offend someone." People are becoming reprobate each day, blinded by lies and turned over to their own devices. And who is it that is compromising and letting themselves be trampled on by those crying for so-called "Tolerance?" Those who claim to be Christians, followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. The world is not compromising a single inch. It hates all who bear the name of Jesus Christ.

There are many dangers of tolerance, and there are only three of them that we will be focusing on in this blog post:

I. Tolerance will hinder a Christian's relationship with God.

A common lie being spread around today is, "Everyone serves God in their own unique way."  It is one of the many ways a lost person or an incredibly carnal Christian will try to silence those trying to take a stand for God, His Word, and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shed His blood for the sin of the people, that they, through Him, and only through Him, may live. If everyone served God in their own unique way, then that would justify every sin everybody ever committed, and thus the cross of Christ is made of none effect. Oh, wait just a minute there: WITHOUT SHEDDING OF BLOOD IS NO REMISSION OF SIN!

Tolerance will have you believe otherwise, that everyone is okay just the way they are. That is not the case AT ALL! Everyone has sinned and is not worthy to even grace the threshold of heaven with their presence! Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." If everyone served God in their own unique manner, then there is absolutely no sin in the world. If there is no sin, then there was no blood shed for fallen man! Without the blood of Jesus Christ, you cannot stand before God justified, no matter how much you try to justify yourself!

Christians, if you are being sucked into believing the lie that is Tolerance, you are allowing yourself to be badly deceived and allowing yourself to dive into sin by condoning the lifestyle of those who hate God, and all things made by Him! The Bible clearly states in 2 Corinthians 6 that we are not to be "unequally yoked together with unbelievers," that you are to "come out from among them and be ye separate"  from them! How can you be fully committed to the service of the Lord, and yet condone Tolerance? It is an impossibility, and you cannot be fully committed to the Lord when you are at eye level with those who hate Him! Tolerance is not an option in the Christian life. Yes, we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, but that does NOT mean condoning their sin and trying to justify them! If you are professing Christ, and condone tolerance, your relationship with God is hindered, and the only way to get back on track is turning back to God!

II. Tolerance will draw a Christian away from their Firm Foundation.

Romans 12:2 says, "And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
We are not to be at eye level with the world in any way, shape, or form, Christians. That includes every aspect of our lives, not just the parts we want. Either you are allowing your mind to be renewed, and thus your way of life and thinking gets transformed, or you are not and you are still at eye level with the world. Again, I say what we are exhorted to do in 2 Corinthians 6, "...come out from among them, and be ye separate." If you do not separate yourself from the world, you will be jerked down off of your Foundation, for you are too close to the edge and you will fall. This is what Tolerance does. It will draw you away from your Firm Foundation. It will draw you away from the Word of God, it will draw you away from your first love, Christians! If you are drawn away from Jesus Christ, your First Love, then you have already fallen and will only fall deeper. Tolerance is one of the many devices that the devil will use to get you away from the path that Jesus Christ is leading you down, and it is one of the many devices that the devil will use to try and destroy you. Once you are off of the Firm Foundation, you are 100% vulnerable and cannot stand, because you left your sword, the Word of God in the barracks, your shield which is Faith in the barracks. While you have on Salvation, Righteousness, and the Gospel of Peace, you have placed a cloak over Righteousness and are hiding it.

III. Tolerance will break a Christian's spiritual backbone, and render them ineffective for Christ.

1 Peter 5:8-11 says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by CHRIST JESUS, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. TO HIM BE GLORY AND DOMINION FOR EVER AND EVER. Amen."

"Tolerance... Tolerance... Tolerance..." the world cries against you.

"You don't want to offend anybody..." the flesh pleas in front of you. 

"Give in... You will lead more to Christ that way..." the devil whispers in your ear.

Do not give in to the devices of neither the world, nor the flesh, nor the devil. The world and the flesh are two of the many devices that the devil will use against you, and the world is full of them, as is the flesh. Tolerance is just one of many, but it seems to be the one that is being spearheaded in the world today. Christian, if you give in to the world when they cry "Tolerance," your spiritual backbone will be broken, and you will be rendered ineffective for Christ until you repent and return, for you will be numbered among those who have given in to spiritual whoredom. I have seen this happen to a few of our fellow brothers and sisters who would have once stood alongside me on this.

Christians, put on the armor of God, stand against the devil and all his devices. Do not give in at any area of your life. If you let tolerance in, all other things will be right on its coattails. Only when standing on the Firm Foundation that is Jesus Christ, and only when using the sword of the Spirit, HIS WORD, will you be able to fight off anything the devil throws at you. If you embrace Tolerance for the sake of reaching a few, you will fall and they will not be reached positively by you. Remain steadfast in the faith, Christians. Our fight is getting harder with every passing day. God by His grace will sustain us, and His will will not lead us where His grace cannot keep us. Stand. Stand. Stand, even when it seems you are standing alone. And when it feels as if your strength is about to fail, keep standing: for the Lord is your strength, and He is the source of it.

Tolerance is no option when it comes to the Christian faith. Either you stand against it, or you embrace it and reject God's word in doing so. The choice is yours to make Christian, I strongly encourage you to take these dangers to heart and choose to stand against the war machine of the devil that is Tolerance.

Your fellow warrior and brother in Christ,

William L. Payne

1 Corinthians 15:58

The Importance of Unwavering Faith (James 1:5-8)

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth  is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 

For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."  -James 1:5-8

We live in a country that has almost anything that the world can offer, however, just because it is there accessible to us, it does not give us as Christians the reason to partake of it. Many a Christian has compromised their stand on the Bible as the word of God and as their final authority because of the way this world is heading. The world would like nothing more than for a Christian to forsake the way he/she believes and come down to eye level with the world. How can a Christian be of one mind and have an unwavering faith, if he or she is at eye level with the world? It is impossible...

We see in 2 Corinthians 10:5 where it says, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"  and also 1 Corinthians 1:10 where it says, "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but be ye perfectly joined together in the SAME MIND and in the same judgment." and 2 Timothy 1:7 where it says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." The world wants nothing more than for a Christian to either cave completely and conform to its image altogether or become a hypocrite, double minded and unstable as water. The world wants us Christians to forsake the assembling of  ourselves together, to lay down our sword and shield and put a cloak of carnality over the armor that we have been exhorted to wear into battle.

Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virture, and if there be any praise, think on these things."When we place ourselves at eye level with the world, we show that we no longer fully trust the word of God as our final authority, that we see nothing wrong with the way the world acts, and nothing wrong with the lifestyle that the world embraces. Romans 12:1-2 says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
 Serving the Lord is not something that you can go through the motions doing. When you surrender to serve the Lord, you are giving Him YOUR LIFE in servitude to Him. We are not freed from the bondage of sin and the bondage of the world to go back into the world and do whatever we want to do. We are freed from the bondage of sin and the bondage of the world for the purpose of serving our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ. If your faith in Him is not unwavering, if you are willing to compromise to the world standard for a Christian and not seek the old paths and do all you can to reach the standard set forth by our Lord Jesus Christ, you are double minded, unstable in all your ways, and will faint in the day of adversity. Many people look to celebrity "Christians" as role models, but when they cave, many of those who follow that celebrity will cave as well because that celebrity was an influential part of their life. We are not to place anybody or anything before God in our lives. When we do, the instability begins. When you take your eyes off the Lord, the instability begins. When you stray from the path the Lord is leading you down, you fall, you compromise, and oftentimes you will probably fail to realize it. When you fall and compromise, the word of God is no longer a joy to you, but every time you hear it preached and read it it convicts you of what you have done against Christ and you will not have joy until you repent and return to the path.

Christians, brothers and sisters in Christ, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of having unwavering faith in God. It is God who is the source of wisdom, the source of strength, the source of light, the source of life, the source of hope, and it is God who has called us all to service. We have a commission from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, it is Mark 16:15. Go. Preach the gospel. Stand for Christ. Stand for truth. Stand for righteousness. In the name of Jesus Christ, stand. In the name of Jesus Christ, defend. In the name of Jesus Christ, advance. This is not a calling for some. It is a calling for ALL WHO ARE BORN AGAIN, BLOOD BOUGHT, CHILDREN OF GOD. 

Be steadfast, Christians. DO NOT compromise a single inch of ground to the world, the flesh, or the devil.

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." -1 Corinthians 15:58

 

Your fellow warrior and brother in Christ,

William L. Payne

1 Corinthians 15:58