Contend For The Faith

I have never before felt that the Book of Jude has applied to the times we live in as I do now. Jude is very contriversal as we will find out later in the book. I feel strongly that the warning he gave back then applies now. That is why verse 3 and 4, is an imporant warning that we need to listen to.

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 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.

The Greek word used for contend is, epagōnizomai, it means to struggle for, earnestly contend for, and is only use here in Jude. When I think of contend I think of boxing, maybe due to the Rocky movies. When I think of struggle for, mountain climbing is what comes to my mind. It is a struggle to find the perfect place to put your feet and hands. You are holding on for your life. We need to be that way with our spiritual life holding on tight to the faith we received and standing strong on our salvation that is the foundation of our faith.

Why such a strong warning? There are people out there, some very well known that have take and used the Bible for their gain. Some won’t teach that we are all sinners. They want to be seeker friendly, and not offend anyone. I know of a church when they got a new pastor, he decided that they would no longer do communion because he didn’t want to make the person that may be there for the first time feel uncomfortable. I do know that he made a lot of the members of that church feel uncomfortable and many left. They stood strong on faith and left when they saw their church was moving away from it.

Those that have crept in leave out the base reason we need a Savoir and just turn it in to a feel good, everything is turning up roses message. This is more destructive when people fall on hard times, become ill… The people suffer because many times they are told that they are to blame because they do not have enough faith.

Many of those that have crept in will take a verse here and a verse there, twist them to meet what they want it to say. They also tend to deny verses as being relevant for today. By doing so they are making God a liar since Hebrews 4:12 says;

 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Don’t forget, 2 Timothy 3:16 & 17, that sates;

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

These verses are what we need to hold on tight to and stand firm on to decide if what we hear being taught is true or twisted.