Contend for the Faith

"Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."

Jude 1:3

In writing to believers, Jude exhorted them to contend for their common salvation and faith in Jesus Christ.  He found it necessary to urge them to continue the struggle to walk in obedience to Jesus Christ themselves because many among them who lived lives that denied the LORD Jesus Christ.  Instead of following His example and heeding God's word, they justified licentiousness by grace, were given over to fornication, spoke arrogantly in pride, and were greedy for rewards and power.  The love feasts of the church had been corrupted by ungodliness in the lives of nominal believers who lacked the fear of God.

What fascinates me about Jude's exhortation to contend for the faith does not involve what we might think.  They were not called to point fingers at others, ferret out evildoers, seek to expose the ungodly or threaten them.  Why?  Consistent with all the examples provided was God's ability and power to judge the wicked Himself:  He destroyed those who believed not after the exodus from Egypt, bound the angels in prison to await judgment, burned Sodom and the surrounding cities with fire from heaven, rebuked Satan, marked Cain for his sin, slew Balaam with the sword and caused the earth to swallow up Korah with those allied with him.  Without being contentious, the genuine children of God are marked by their humility in contending earnestly to trust and obey Jesus themselves.

Notice how the practical ways Jude describes to contend earnestly for the faith are to be taken and applied personally in Jude 1:17-21:  "But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: ¹⁸ how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. ¹⁹ These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. ²⁰ But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."  The first way to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints is to remember what God has said. We ought not to be surprised or shocked there are pretenders who worm their way into Christian fellowships.  We ought to ensure we are not numbered among them who walk according to ungodly lusts or are divisive.  As children of God we are not at the mercy of others, rather we are enabled and empowered to do what God has said by His grace.

Christians are to contend with our own flesh, selfish arguments, ambitions and folly to be built up on our most holy faith, heeding and obeying what Jesus has said.  We ought to pray in the Holy Spirit as we keep ourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our LORD Jesus Christ.  Many people assume the battles we are engaged in are primarily against the world and ungodly influences and heresies in the church, taking the fight to what or who they believe is "wrong" without faithfully putting in personal practice these means of contending personally.  If we will not contend in the secret place of our hearts and lives--putting off the lusts of the flesh, confessing our pride, being built up in faith by obedience, prayer, walking in love and looking for the mercy of our LORD Jesus--our contending with others will be contentious, pointless and powerless.  If we will not abide in God's love by faith and obedience to Christ ourselves, we are part of the problem and under vain delusion we contend well.

"What about giving an answer to the hope that is within us?" some will say.  "What about studying to show ourselves approved, workmen that need not be ashamed as we rightly divide the word of truth?"  Amen and amen, but anyone who keeps watch well must first take heed to themselves.  The log must be addressed in our own eye before we can go about looking for specks in our brother's eye.  The exhortation of Jude to contend is not to subvert or tangle with those we judge to be ungodly, but primarily to face the ungodliness that manifests itself within us every single day by faith in Christ marked by obedience, dying to self, loving God and others, seeking and serving Him rather than pleasing ourselves.  Jacob did not become Israel without a personal wrestle with the LORD, and contending earnestly for the faith ourselves is how we embrace our sanctification and yield to Him.