Contend For Your Faith
“I coulda been a contender”. People use this line from the movie On The Waterfront whenever they have a chance at winning something, but end up losing. In Jude’s epistle (letter) he warns believers not to lose their faith by following false teachers, but to hold fast to the orthodox teachings of the apostles. In Jude 1:17-25, he exhorts believers to do several things to emerge victorious against false teaching and receive the rewards of their faith (presented faultless before God with exceeding joy). May you be blessed to hold on to your faith by the power of Lord Jesus. Amen
But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. (Jude 1:17-19) Jude (the half brother of Jesus), began his epistle urging believers to contend (struggle to hold on to) for the faith. He went on to cite biblical examples of those who rebelled against God to their detriment: including Satan and other fallen angels, Cain, Korah and those who followed him in rebellion in the wilderness, Balaam and others. Beginning here at verse 17, Jude warned against the current day rebellion of those who “scoff” at the gospel and follow their own ungodly desires. These scoffers were putting forth ideas and teachings that were not consistent with the orthodox teachings of the apostles. He warned that these scoffers would divide believers if they followed them. They did not have the Holy Spirit in them.
But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. (Jude 1:20-23) Jude told believers that instead of following these scoffers, they must contend by building up their faith, praying with the aid of the Holy Spirit, staying in God’s love, and waiting on Jesus’ mercy to bring them to eternal life. In addition to doing these things, Jude tells believers to help others become saved and to be merciful to those believers who were struggling with their faith. Finally, he told believers to be merciful but cautious with those brothers and sisters who were corrupted by following false teaching, lest they also become corrupted.
To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 1:24-25) In his oft quoted doxology (praise to God), Jude proclaimed to believers to look to Christ who is the only one who can keep them from falling victims to apostasy (abandonment of religious beliefs). He also is the only one who is able to present us, with great joy, justified before God (declared righteous and without fault). Finally, for those reasons, Jude ended his doxology by proclaiming The Lord’s exaltation (power, authority, glory and majesty) from everlasting to everlasting!
Jude warned Christian believers to contend for their faith in the face of false teachings. He urged us to build ourselves up to resist these teachings through faith and prayer in the Holy Spirit, staying nurtured in Gods love and waiting expectantly on Jesus’ mercy to bring us to everlasting life. Additionally, he urged us to remain merciful to others, to help save unbelievers but to be cautious with those who are corrupted. Contending for your faith requires you to know God’s word, stay prayerful to God, and depend on God’s love and mercy. For there is a day that is coming, when those who keep the faith will be presented faultless before God’s throne of grace with exceeding joy by the only One who is able. They will receive the eternal life promised by the father to all who faith in Jesus. On that day, you don’t want to be someone who laments “I could have been a contender!”. You want to be with those who are shouting… I contended for my faith and now I am victorious!
Blessings, Rev. Glenn
