Contend Earnestly for the Faith

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 3, KJV)

Jude found it necessary in his days to exhort the believers to contend for the faith that has been given to us. He found the issue quite pressing that he made an urgent appeal to them. What was this appeal? And why was he making it to the believers?

The appeal was to “contend for the faith.” This means to “fight strenuously” or “fight with everything you have.” What an appeal! The next verses give us the why in such vivid terms that I found it necessary to quote the entire passage:

“For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire” (Jude 4–7, ESV).

No comments needed. The weeds have been sown amongst the wheat. Fight for the faith. Faith the good fight of faith to receive the crown.

MEDITATE

If Jude said this more than 2000 years ago about what was happening, then, think for a moment about what is happening now!

APPLY THE WORD

There is a deplorable corruption spreading like cancer in the Body of Christ, affecting both ministers and Christians manifesting in different ways including false ministers, gross sinfulness, corruption of the Word of God, etc. He had told us it would happen, but He will ultimately separate His sheep from the goats. Fight for the faith that has been given to you to ensure you stand.