Earnestly Contend For The Faith

‭‭Jude‬ ‭1‬:‭3

“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 ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV

Every person has something that he will contend or fight for. It is different for every person, depending upon what one’s values are. Some will fight for their reputation, others for their freedom, some for their family or friends, others for their possessions and the list goes on.

In the same way that the world is willing to fight for certain values, believers also fight for certain values. Depending upon the circumstances and a person’s experiences, it depends on what a believer will contend for.

What gets you fired up? Maybe it’s a political party, a sports team, or time with family. When we love something or someone, we passionately defend it. For Jude, the thing that fired him up, the thing he passionately defended was Jesus’ reputation and message.

When people teach things about Jesus that aren’t true, Jude says we should "contend for the faith” that was entrusted to us. To contend means to affirm, maintain, argue, even insist.

The Message paraphrases verse 3 this way: "I have to write insisting—begging!—that you fight with everything you have in you for this faith entrusted to us as a gift to guard and cherish…”

Our salvation is a gift, and Jude encourages us to fight with courage and patience for others to hear the same message and receive the same gift. To do that we need time with Jesus, speaking to Him in prayer and learning about Him in the Bible.

We will never passionately defend someone we don’t know. And we can never distinguish lies from truth without time in His Word.

In our world, there are increasingly more and more people that don’t follow the Christian faith. As Christians, our response should be to stand up and give answers for our belief in Jesus.

Often there are just small things that keep our friends and family from believing in Jesus. We can give them the answers they need and remove the things that might keep them from following Jesus.

For example, some people feel the Bible is not relevant or it’s outdated. Others may feel like God is distant and not loving, so to respond to them, you should know what you believe and why you believe it. Then you can confidently stand up for what it is you believe and for the hope you have in Jesus.

You might be the only chance some people have to hear the gospel. So you should study and make sure you know what and why you believe it. God has called you to be bold and stand up and defend your faith.

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!!!

Father thank You for this day and for Your amazing grace that sustains us. Lord be my friend and family’s portion today. Lord give us wisdom and understanding to know how to address issues that are causing conflict between our brothers and sisters. Lord help us to contend earnestly for the faith that was once delivered to the saints, and which is recorded in the Word of God. Lord we pray that we may do it with gentleness, wisdom, and love to all today. Be a blessing.

Father, we love You. Amen !