The word contend is not often used as much as the more familiar words that we use such as argue, confront, dispute, oppose, resist, clash, litigate, struggle and withstand just to name a few. I’ve chosen a few scriptures in the Bible which will teach us what happens when we strive against, or defend and preserve, also, the correct manner in which we are to reprove by convincing and reclaiming rather than being argumentative.
When the Israelites needed water they did not come to Moses in the spirit of a basic need. They came to him in opposition of where they were encamped because they saw that there was no water for them to drink. Sometimes the LORD will take us places to reveal to us the level of faith we operate in concerning HIM. Are we being led by the desire of the flesh or are we being led by the Spirit? It is apparent that this people did not have faith in the LORD GOD who went before them by day as a great cloud and by night by the fire. This should stir up remembrance in us all. The professing Christian will give GOD glory and praise only when things are not filled with any type of irritation. But the possessing CHRISTian will give GOD glory and praise regardless of the situation. All it takes is one person who is unsettled by what is seen and their lack of understanding to cause a rebellion among everyone else. We make no room to reason but become demanding and quarrelsome for what it is that we want. Never realizing that when we come against those who have been placed in authority by the LORD we are actually testing GOD. Before JESUS came to earth the Jews GOD’s chosen and delivered people often complained about their lack. Instead of acknowledging that the need was not available and place their trust in the LORD GOD they often contested their situation. Moses and Aaron often took a lot of abuse from this great people much like our Pastor’s take a lot from their congregation because they are aware that 90% of them are not walking by faith but rather by sight. When we begin to feel the pressure of not having those things that we have need of or 95% of the time just want, we begin to speak ignorantly. We seldom speak the Word of GOD over our situation let alone ask the FATHER for what it is that we have need of or ask HIM for those things that we will like to have. When Moses prayed to GOD, the answer was provided because this is who HE is. Then there are times when people abuse their leaders always asking for appointments to speak about the same situation that is going on in their lives. Leaders with authority from GOD are human and we at times tire of hearing complaints because that’s what they are. And when this happens we mix our flesh with what we hear GOD instructs us to do. This was a problem for Moses who heard GOD tell him to speak to the rock instead Moses hit the rock not once but twice. GOD is a merciful GOD who operates in faith, HE still supplied these rebellious people with what they needed but Moses paid the cost by not being able to enter into the Promised Land with them. We need to check our motives, in this case, Moses had become angry and fed up with these people. And this caused him to react to his emotional flesh. I think that Moses may have had the same emotional feeling that most of us have when we hear and see people doing the same insane things, we want to lash out by hitting them upside the head and place in them what they lack. Today, we can bless the LORD because regardless of our faithlessness all HE sees is our righteousness in HIM through CHRIST JESUS. Instead of what HE once did such as open up the earth so that those who rebelled against HIM were swallowed up.
No longer must we prove ourselves to be perfect and truthful by our works. Within each of the blood washed saints of GOD, we have the revelation of GOD’s Word residing within us. Our doctrine is our faithfulness and obedience to the will of GOD. Do we get it right continuously? Of course not. But we know that we are no longer being judged by our mistakes which is what they are because we no longer deliberately live our lives as an offense to GOD as we once did. In our reverence to GOD with a bowed heart and will to GOD our FATHER through CHRIST JESUS we live. We all have trials but we must remain faithful in knowing that regardless of how long we come to our FATHER that HE will deliver us from them because of CHRIST JESUS. And when we feel the heat of those trials we are in the midst of don’t strike out and become argumentative with others. Remain in the state of calm knowing that our GOD will fix our situation.
We the blood washed of CHRIST stand in righteousness in HIM. We understand that it’s stupid to argue with GOD because what HE desires for us is that we walk by faith in all things. We don’t understand why we have to go through something that we don’t like but we must hold onto the fact that GOD will not and has not left us and that HE is right there with us. Maybe those trials that we go through is not to destroy us physically but to build us up spiritually in our faith walk with CHRIST JESUS. We have a wise in heart GOD who is not weak but rather stronger than we can comprehend. Those that oppose the LORD GOD because of their hardened heart of sin do not prosper in HIM.
Those things that we fix our eyes on for our pleasure, those things that we crave by the flesh never truly fill the emptiness that we have because they are false pleasures, they are futile. Which only leaves us wanting more of something else we have convinced ourselves of desperately needing. Man, this is what you were called from the very beginning and there is no changing that fact. Man, your arguments are not being heard because GOD is forevermore mightier than we will ever be. The overflow of money in which we use to purchase all of our unrighteous desires will not satisfy the hunger of the flesh continually. Regardless of what we assign to ourselves, we will never be able to fill the emptiness we have within us because that hole must be filled with CHRIST JESUS. It is our vanity that leaves us with the lifestyle of falsity and futility before our eyes. What have we profited because of sin? Death.
In whatever life we had chosen to live CHRIST JESUS is the only One who cancels our debts because HE already paid that cost for us. And HIS promise is that HE will not remember our past transgressions which mean that we must forget as well. When we recall to remembrance the life that we once had we should be telling others of how we have been delivered and we acknowledge that it was nothing we did and nothing any other person helped us in our deliverance. We should recall to remembrance only as a testimony to others because we overcame by the blood of the LAMB. When we once turned our arguments to GOD in our lack of faith and understanding now we turn our arguments which actually are our need to reason with GOD because we know that HE supports us. We rather know the opinions of the FATHER rather than our own opinion. We are familiar with the saying “my arm is too short to box with GOD”. The actual scripture reads “is MY hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem”? The answer to this is a resounding no. Because we have been redeemed. In this redemption is our deliverance and we are eternally trained to be disciples of CHRIST JESUS. As a disciple, the manner in which we once spoke will be transformed into the manner in which JESUS spoke because we are forever being taught in HIS ways. We are provided the wisdom to speak life to those who are dying. Our ears are tuned to hear each and every new morning from HIM. We have no desire to return back to the desert of wondering because we listen to what it is that our FATHER has in store for us day by day. The LORD our GOD is our helper. HE will not cause us to be ashamed. The LORD our GOD is near and we declare HIM to others. We no longer contend by the opposition of HIM. We now stand with HIM no longer against HIM. And we go near to HIM without fear. We can see that the LORD our GOD is good and that we are drawn to be every so close to HIM. Our fear of dread towards GOD has been changed to a reverential fear of HIM which causes us to want to obey the voice of the LORD. I implore those of you who continue to contend with our CREATOR because you either are not aware of what HIS SON JESUS has done for every single human or you just refuse to believe in what you have heard because of your own deliberate unawareness due to it not making any sense to you. If you die in your sin you will lay down in grief and torment. Our GOD is not created or made by the hands of man nor is HE the creation of that which HE created. Our GOD is high and elevated in the place for which lucifer once craved to be. Our GOD lives in eternity and it is HIS name which is holy. HE lives in the high and holy place and it is HE who is with those of us who have a truly and thoroughly repenting heart and humbled spirit who are revived from being bruised by sorrow because of sin. JESUS no longer contends with sinners because of sin, HE is not angry with us because HE has redeemed us from sin. If GOD our CREATOR remained angry with us we would have no hope and we would be consumed by HIS anger as before. The lives we live or lived in sin is not the reason GOD created mankind HE has a far better purpose for our existence.
We have a GOD, an advocate, and intercessor who speaks on our behalf before the FATHER. HIS name is CHRIST JESUS. So cease from worry we need to laugh at our adversaries instead of being troubled by them. For there are times when we need to be reproved and there are times when we should reprove others. But those who reprove us without a cause we are not to contend with them because it’s a waste of our time. Remember at one time we too were heathens and we received and accepted the doctrine of CHRIST JESUS so we must pray for those that have not. We must pray that they too will welcome the Word of GOD. And don’t shy away from being rejected when we try to share the goodness of CHRIST with others. Our audience will find fault with us, they will be hostile to us and they will oppose and dispute what we will like to share with them. It is better to gain their trust before jumping in and being discouraged. Use the ability to contend with preservation the faith that we have in CHRIST JESUS by use of our voice but also in our living. Stop contending with the devil and his children there dispute with us has no weight and our dispute with them are worthless because our GOD does not need defending. Cease from hurling the same abuse to the heathens as they try to condemn us with rather when we have been unrighteously assaulted, say “the LORD rebuke you” to your adversary.
Exodus 17:1-2; Numbers 20:2-13; 26:8-10; Deuteronomy 33:8-11; Job 9:1-4; Ecclesiastes 6:9-11; Isaiah 43:25-27, 50:2, 4-5, 7-11, 57:15-16; Jeremiah 18:19; Hosea 4:4; Acts 11:1-3; Jude 1:3, 9