Contend Earnestly for the Faith
"…contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. Jude 1:3 (NASB)
Jude, who was the half-brother of the Lord Jesus Christ and who despised his older brother during His earthly ministry, is here seen to be a bond-slave of Christ Jesus his Savoir. What a transformation. And in his brief but vital letter, Jude warns of the dangers of apostates who had crept into the Church unnoticed, and who were propagating a false gospel. And Jude gives stark warnings of God's judgment against such ungodliness.
Jude had planned to write about our initial salvation by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, but he needed to alter his message and urgently encourage believers to stand fast in their faith. He warned them that they needed to earnestly contend for the faith, and defend the truths of the glorious gospel of Christ which had been entrusted to the apostles for their learning.
Like the times in which we live, when a feel-good, watered-down, prosperity-driven, works-orientated, 'all-things-to-all-men' gospel, together with a bloodless Savoir, complacency has become the main diet for multitudes of believers in Christ today.
Let us earnestly contend for the gospel in our time, but let it be done in gentleness and respect. In essential doctrine let there be unity. In inessential doctrine let there be liberty. In all doctrine, let there be love.
In a practical sense, what does it mean to contend for the faith? What does contending for the faith look like? Fortunately, the book of Jude sets out several disciplines showing us how to contend for the faith:
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Heavenly Father, give us wisdom and understanding to know how to address issues that are causing conflict between our brothers and sisters in Christ. Help us to contend earnestly for the faith that was once delivered to the saints, and which is recorded in the Word of God. We pray that we may do it with gentleness, wisdom, and love. In Jesus' name, AMEN.
CREDIT: Knowing Jesus MORE: Worth Fighting For
Live like a Contender!
Challenge yourself and your community to change the conversation around mental health. By participating in this year's Contender obstacle course race you are telling the people in your life that their mental health matters and deserves support.
