Contend for the Faith

Dear Family,
As we began 2024, we focused on the theme “Contend for the Faith.” It was not so much that we
wanted to emphasize “fighting” as it was to emphasize the real struggle we are in against the
devil and those professing to know the Lord and His Word. Jude’s admonition to contend for the
faith was really about exposing the hypocrisy, corruption and false teaching within the assembly
of the physical church. I, like many of you, have noticed a major uptick in churches that not only
proclaim “Everyone Welcome” which every church should do, but who also boldly accept and
promote the acceptance of the sinful lifestyle of the gay, bisexual and transgender community.
They do this in their messages about “love and acceptance” of a gay lifestyle as well as
projecting the LGBTQIA+ flags on their digital signs.
We know that Jesus loves everyone no matter who they are, and we as His followers must do
the same. He died for the sins of ALL mankind and holds out the invitation of salvation to
“whoever believes in him”. But, when we come to the Lord in faith we also must come with a
repentant heart, recognizing our sin and our need for forgiveness. According to the Lord and His
Word, gay sexual activity is sin and is not accepted or tolerated by the Lord who has condemned
it throughout scripture. To teach that God accepts this lifestyle is heresy and it must be called
out, particularly within the assembly of God’s people.
I believe the struggle with same sex attraction is real. I believe that gender dysphoria is real. But
even though these things are real, they are never endorsed in scripture as something God puts
His stamp of approval upon. I expect the world to be the world. I expect people of the world to
live like people who belong to the world. But when the sin of the world is accepted, endorsed and
promoted in the name of “love” within the church, it’s time for God’s people to contend for the
genuine faith that was once and for all entrusted to them, to us. To do this we must lovingly but
boldly hold fast to what the word of God actually says and teaches no matter how people “feel”
about it.
I’ve heard people say, “Don’t tell me who to love.” Well, God definitely can and does tell us who
we can love and how we can love. We are to love everyone with an “agape” type of love, selfless
and unconditional. But the “eros” type of love, the sexual type of love is reserved for one man
and one woman in marriage. People have said that Jesus never addressed same sex marriage.
Friends, He absolutely did address same sex marriage when He affirmed that marriage is
between one man and one woman. In Matt 19:3-5 Jesus answered the question of the
Pharisees, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” “Haven’t you
read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For
this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will
become one flesh?’” Not only did Jesus affirm that marriage is between one man and one
woman, He also stated there were only two genders of human beings determined by the Creator.
So the question we must ask ourselves is, “Are we going to accept God’s Word on these issues,
and every issue, or are we going to accept the views and teachings that contradict God’s Word?”
The question continues, “Are we going to contend for the faith and confront the false teachers
who accept and affirm a gay lifestyle or are we going to simply be silent?” In my opinion, the
greatest challenge and threat to the twenty-first century church is coming FROM the twenty-first
century “church!”
Let us continue to hold fast to the clear teaching of scripture while loving others enough to share
with them not only God’s love, but also God’s truth. In this way we will contend for the faith that
has once and for all been entrusted to us by the Lord. There are more people than we think who
are genuinely seeking the truth, and we have it. May God use us to proclaim His Word while we
express His love and contend for the faith in these troubling times. May we be the city on a hill
as we let our “…light shine before people, that they may see your good deeds and praise your
Father in heaven.”
In His Strength, Glenn