Arguing about doctrine is not contending for the faith. Rather it is debate, and the spirit of debate is definitely of the sinful nature.

Contending for the faith is holding fast to faith in Jesus, not faith in doctrine. Jesus is a Person. The all-important issue is that we are abiding in Him at all times, not that we have memorized a commentary. Satan uses doctrine to get our eyes off Jesus.

When I was first saved I was in the Marine Corps. Within a couple of weeks, here came an elder from the Seventh Day Adventist church in downtown Honolulu. He spoke to me about not carrying my rifle on Saturday. Do you think this brought me closer to Jesus? It certainly did not! It caused tremendous confusion in the mind of a new Christian—me.

A mature Christian Marine prayed for me and I was able to see this was not God, at least for me, and I was delivered from that bondage.

Yet I have to this day a high opinion of the Adventists although I do not make a special effort to abide in Christ on Saturday more than any other day.

Oh well . . .

Truly, the Christian churches are in absolute chaos. Everyone does whatever he feels "led" to do.

Even in our own assembly there have been individuals who accost people in the parking lot or meet in homes and tell whoever will listen what they think is wrong with me or with the church. I leave such people alone until God shows me what to do. Sometimes the Lord brings them to repentance and they begin to show forth the Life of Christ.

It is the good fight of faith. We meet opposition all the time, but Jesus is with us when we look to Him and refuse to come down from the cross, from the wall where God has placed us.

Nehemiah is a good book to read when we are being harassed as we contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints.

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:4)

Two problems with these ungodly men: they change the grace of God into a license for immorality; they deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

Today most of the Evangelical churches in America have changed the grace of God into a license for immorality. They have not done this deliberately, it is because they do not understand Paul's writings.

The Apostle Paul presented Divine grace as a means of turning away from the Law of Moses and placing our trust in Jesus Christ. Then, as part of the grace of God, we have the born-again experience, the body and blood of Christ, and the daily leading of the Holy Spirit to enable us to understand the will of Christ and to perform it. Day by day we are transformed into Christ's moral image. We become a new, righteous creation—that which the Law of Moses is unable to accomplish.

But what have we done? We have interpreted Paul to mean God has given us Divine grace as a substitute for, an alternative to, righteous behavior. We could not have missed the mark more completely.

To be continued.