Jude: Contend for the FaithSample

In these verses Jude expresses his reason for writing the letter. The original intent was to write to encourage them about the salvation they share with the author. We are not told what changed the tone of the letter, but something did. Maybe it was a word that arrived from one of the churches, or perhaps it was something the Lord laid on his heart, or maybe something else entirely. However, the intent is now changed to a letter that exhorts the believers to contend for the true faith. Here the meaning is not a personal belief but the whole system of belief in Jesus Christ. There are times when believers must contend, fight, or strive to defend the beliefs of the church. You may find yourself in that environment on some college and university campuses today. You may even find it in some churches today!

While the application of the teachings of Jesus might be different, the Faith has been delivered to the saints once and for all. The way to enter the faith hasn’t changed. The core teaching of the church hasn’t changed. The Holy Spirit will not lead to a place that will contradict the teachings of His Holy Word. Our understanding of the Word may not be perfect, but His Word is. Therefore, we don’t need to seek to bend the Faith to modern beliefs but to submit our understanding to the Faith once delivered to the Saints!

As the Teacher in Ecclesiastes wrote, there is nothing new under the son. Just as there are false teachers among us today, there were false teachers among the early churches. Jude is going to have a lot to say about them in the verses to come. They are stealthy. Worming their way among us with cleaver teachings. Their words may be persuasive. They may look the part, but they are not godly at their core. How can you spot them? Jude says they turn grace into license. You don’t really have to listen to what the Lord says in His word. He didn’t really mean all those antiquated sayings. You get the picture. When teaching becomes what we want to hear because it fits what we want to do, you might be in the company of one of these teachers.

In addition, Jude says they deny Jesus Christ, our Master and our Lord. There are those who would have you believe we can live how we want, do what we want, say what we want, and treat others anyway we want because we are superior in knowledge to the saints who have come before us. There is only one Lord, and we are not Him!

So as you think about these verses, how committed to you are knowing the truth of the scriptures? The truths in God’s Word are timeless. Study them directly. Don’t just believe it because a “teacher” says so. Even this one!