Keep The Faith
The common theme that runs through the books of 1-3 John and Jude have a common theme with a few gems of wisdom and doctrine. The conditions of the time prompted the authors to warn the people of the corruption and doubt that was seeping into the church. One verse in Jude uses historical events that were commonly known to provide such warnings. It is verse 11, which reads, “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.” The kinds of corruption being addressed are jealousy, greed, and rebellion. Cain was jealous of his brother Abel’s righteousness, which led to the first murder. Balaam was distracted away from spiritual ambition by the desire for financial gain. Core or Korah led a rebellion against the authorities of the time, Moses and Aaron.
It is not a stretch to say that the same forms of corruption are ever-present with us. Jealousy can creep into the hearts of both believers and non-believers. In the believers, it comes in the form of animosity towards anyone they perceive as deviators from their idea of the chosen way. Non-believers seem to have a vitriolic hatred towards those who openly demonstrate faith. These are extreme examples of the concepts I have expressed, but any of these feelings we may have one for another are not good and should be kept in check.
I don’t need to say much about being distracted by wealth. Having enough and wanting more are two different things. It is the duty of providers to provide enough for themselves and their families. Once those needs are met, pursuing wealth at the expense of our relationship with the divine puts us in jeopardy of damaging our chances for happiness and salvation.
Active rebellion from living prophets is dangerous, yet it has become popular in today’s culture. Almost always, a rebellious attitude is born of ignorance. Those who don’t know any better and mistakenly think they have all the answers seem to be leading the charge. In fact, every time we go against God or his authorized servants, things go badly. Sometimes, the consequences of deviating from God are subtle, but incremental rebellion always leads to apostasy. Some of us fight a constant battle with our rebellious nature; again, because of ignorance, we question everything.
So, what about questioning? Blind obedience is better than disobedience, but not by much. Blind obedience may keep us out of trouble, but I do not believe it yields the same blessings as informed obedience. Let me explain. Knowing the meaning behind our actions and intentions intensifies our learning and experience. While the blessings of obedience are the same, whether blind or informed, we can develop strategies that enhance and accelerate our progress when we know why and how the blessings are given. When we ask questions, we get answers. That is why the Savior implored us to ask and knock. If we question without our minds open for whatever answer may come, then act accordingly; we are abundantly blessed. If we question having preconceived notions, we can easily find ourselves in a proverbial ditch somewhere. By the way, the person you ask the questions to is critical. If you ask God, you get good answers. If you ask other people, you get opinions.
The doctrines in the scriptures we are reading this week are fundamental. The reasons John and Jude wrote what they did reflect the needs of the saints at that time. Unfortunately, we are living in times that are contextually the same. Thus, their emphasis on knowing that we are the children of God, the importance of feeling His love, and keeping the faith are vital to us. I encourage you to read their words and listen to their teachings. Our need to keep the faith today is paramount, especially considering what happened to the ancient Christian church. Only a few decades later, the whole world fell into apostasy, and the Dark Ages emerged.
I am optimistic that we are not headed into another dark age as far as the world is concerned. What I worry about is personal apostasy and darkness. We must cling to whatever faith we have and build upon it to enjoy the fruits of faith.