Contend For The Faith

According to verse 3, Jude’s purpose for writing this letter was to encourage these Christians to contend for the faith. But what does that mean? Why should we contend, is it really necessary? And how do we do that?

ANALYSIS OF VERSE 3

Diligence (Gr. spoude)—to interest one’s self most earnestly

Common salvation—the gospel

Earnestly contend (Gr. epagonizomai)—to contend strenuously in defense of. Henry Morris—“[This word] was used of athletes intensely agonizing in the grueling training for a coming contest. Jude thus graphically stresses the urgency of defending the faith. The defense of the gospel is no indifferent matter to be left to a few specialists, but one to which all believers should be trained and committed.”

The faith—the Christian faith, our set of doctrines

ANALYSIS OF VERSE 4

Crept in unawares—false teachers who are deceptive

Ordained to this condemnation—God has condemned the evil practices of these men before time began

Ungodly men—John Butler says of this phrase, “Apostates are impious people. They do not truly respect God but disdain Him. Everything they do religiously is only outward show to cover their dislike of God and His ways.”

Lasciviousness (Gr. aselgeia)—unbridled lust, excess, outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence, specifically, of gluttony and sexual indulgence.

CONTENDERS OF THE PAST

Apostle Paul—Paul, more than any of the apostles, fought for the faith. One time on Mars Hill he even debated with a group of skeptics. He was constantly combating false teachers and their erroneous doctrines.

Philippians 1:7, “Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.”

Philippians 1:17, “But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.”

Martin Luther—Luther was a German monk who studied and lectured on the book of Psalms, Hebrews, Romans, and Galatians. As he studied these Scriptures, he realized that justification was through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Yet the Catholic Church taught that penance came through giving to the church and buying indulgences for sins. Luther saw in the Bible that money could not take away sins, but only the blood of Christ.

After putting his own faith in Christ for salvation, Luther began writing a series of objections to the Catholic Church—ninety-five in all. These became known as the ninety-five theses. They attacked the doctrines of the church such as the selling of indulgences and even the Pope himself. At this time, the Catholic Church had the ultimate control of all religious adherence, so to oppose it was either very stupid or very bold.

On October 31, 1517, Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, Germany. It was a public denouncement for all to see. Imagine the amount of courage it took for Luther to oppose the powerful Catholic Church of his day! He had once sworn allegiance to it, but now he was standing against it.

Luther could have kept his beliefs to himself. He knew the extreme danger he would put himself in if he openly opposed the church. Yet he courageously stepped out. He did not know what would happen. He did not know if his writings would have any impact. He simply did what he believed God wanted him to do. He was contending for the faith.

With the first step taken, Luther continued his courageous stand against the church. In 1520, the Pope warned Luther that he would be excommunicated unless he recant forty-one sentences from his writings. Not only did Luther refuse, but he also publicly burned the book which the Pope had sent to him. Luther refused to budge on the convictions he believed.

At the Diet of Worms in 1521, Luther defended his writings, stating that he would not recant what he had written or said. “I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted,” he stated, “and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience.” When confronted again, Luther responded, “Here I stand. I can do no other.”

THE NEED OF THE HOUR

We are in the eleventh hour. There can be no doubt that Jesus is coming very soon to rapture away His church. The Christian faith is under attack in our country like never before. You cannot pray in Jesus’ name in the school or on the football field; teachers are not allowed to teach Creationism; American history is being twisted to teach that our country is only a secular nation. Sin is rampant in our schools, and it’s because we have taken the Bible out. The immorality of our youth today is appalling. Businesses that take a stand for their convictions are promptly sued and maligned against and called bigots.