“For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch.”
The Church is the pillar and ground of truth (1 Timothy 3:15) in this perverse world through which we are sojourning. This means we have been entrusted with the eternal responsibility of serving as beacons and bastions of truth in Christ’s stead—pointing the world to Jesus, who is Himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). Such a spiritual responsibility is not for a building. Jesus does not see the building; He sees us as the Church for which He came. Therefore, contending for the local Church is not only commendable—it is commanded.
Apostle Paul, as he closed his letter to the Galatians, called the Church “the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). And Jude, in his epistle, charged us to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” The faith he refers to is the Christian faith, which the local Church—the household of faith—must be committed to preserving.
The word contend is deliberate. Every child of God is regarded by God as a soldier. Paul’s charge to Timothy confirms this in 2 Timothy 2:3: “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” The word contend is translated to mean a struggle or fight against an adversary. Therefore, every believer in a local assembly is tasked with resisting anything that is antithetical to the purpose and practice of the faith entrusted to the Church.
The truth is, the Church is as much a living organism as it is a spiritual one. And our adversary—the devil, a relentless loser, but a loser nonetheless—is at war with the Church. Yet Jesus has already declared the Church’s victory: “I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” So while we are commanded to contend, we do so from a standpoint of victory.
How, then, do we contend for the local Church?
1. We contend in the place of prayer.
Throughout the New Testament, we see the profound effects of prayer on the Church—its growth, its reach, its boldness, its miracles, and its deliverance. In prayer, we raise a standard when the enemy comes in like a flood. In prayer, we build the fortitude required to stand against opposition, persecution, and hardship. In prayer, we make tremendous power available—dynamic in its working—and bring that power to bear on circumstances. If Jesus prayed, then we, too, must contend for the Church in prayer. Nothing else will suffice.
2. We contend through the faithful teaching of God’s Word.
Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2:
“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
We contend for the Church by ensuring the integrity and purity of the Word, living it out, and teaching it to others. Jesus instructs us in Matthew 28:20 to be “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” Faithful men raise faithful men through faithful teaching.
3. We contend by sharing the Gospel.
In the military, sometimes the best defence is offense. If the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit, then preaching the Gospel is both the growth and preservation of the Church—and the depopulation of hell—in one move.
4. We contend by fellowshipping with one another.
Proverbs 27 tells us, “Iron sharpens iron, so does a man sharpen the countenance of his friend.” Fellowship strengthens us, holds us accountable to the truth, and ensures that no one is left behind.
Our opening text, a prophecy by Malachi, paints a picture of God’s judgment against His enemies—those who contend against the Church. They will be burned up and cease to exist. This is a picture of our final victory—our blessed hope. But until the Son of Righteousness comes, we must continue to occupy faithfully.
Prayer Points:
1. Thank the Lord for making you a part of His body, the Church. Ask Him to make you a supplying joint for the growth of the Church in Dublin and Portlaoise.
2. Pray that our Church will continue to stand as the ground and pillar of truth, shining the light of the glorious gospel of Christ in this perverse world. Pray that we are sanctified, and that what is heard in the world will not be heard among us.
3. Pray that through us the gospel will spread rapidly in every place, and that the Lord will work great miracles that draw many to Him. Pray for abundant resources for this work.
4. Pray that our Church grows deeply in love and unity of the faith, and that divisions, disunity, factions, and every other weapon of the enemy are neutralised among us.
5. Pray for our lead pastors, other pastors, elders, and team leaders—that they are given wisdom to lead and strengthened for the work.
Further Study: Ephesians 1:16–19; 3:16–20; 6:18
