Encourage believers to actively fight for their faith, discerning between right and almost right, and understand the importance of defending their faith.
Good morning, brothers and sisters. I can't tell you how glad I am to see you all here today. We gather as a family, under the loving gaze of our Heavenly Father, to wrestle with a passage that holds a deep and challenging call for each one of us. Today, we're going to dive into Jude 1:3.
Jude says,
"Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people." (NIV)
Did you catch that? Jude is begging us, pleading with us, to stand up, to wrestle, to fight for our faith. This isn't a passive faith we're called to; it's a faith that demands our blood, sweat, and tears.
As R.C. Sproul once said, "Defending the faith to the best of our ability is not a luxury or an indulgence in intellectual vanity. It is the task given to each one of us as we bear witness to our faith before the world." That's the line we're walking, and it's a battle we're called to engage in.
Before we delve further into this, let's bow our heads and invite the Holy Spirit into our discussion today.
Dear Lord, we thank you for the gift of your Word, which serves as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. We ask that you would open our eyes and hearts to understand and receive what you have for us today. Grant us grace to not only hear your Word but to apply it in our lives. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.
Jude's letter, though brief, is packed with profound truths that are as relevant today as they were when he first penned them. The first point we need to grapple with is the need to contend for the faith. This is not a suggestion or a recommendation; it's a plea, a call to arms.
The original Greek: Jude uses the Greek word "epagonizomai," which translates to "contend earnestly." This is a term borrowed from the athletic arena, implying a struggle, a fight, a strenuous effort. It's a call to spiritual warfare, to stand firm against false teachings, to guard the truth of the Gospel.
Our faith is under attack: We live in a world that is increasingly hostile to the Gospel, a world that seeks to dilute, distort, and deny the truth of God's Word. False teachings are rampant, and they are not always easy to spot. They often come cloaked in the guise of tolerance, of modernity, of progress. They appeal to our desire for acceptance, for comfort, for ease. But as believers, we are called to resist these seductive lies, to stand firm in the truth, and to fight for our faith.
Not a call to physical violence or aggression: It’s actually a call to spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Our weapons are not of this world; they are the Word of God, prayer, faith, righteousness, peace, and salvation. We are called to put on the full armor of God, to stand firm in the face of attack, and to hold fast to the truth of the Gospel.
Being vigilant in our own lives: It means guarding our hearts and minds against the subtle influences of the world, against the temptations that seek to draw us away from God. It means being discerning, testing everything against the truth of God's Word. It means being willing to stand alone, to be unpopular, and to be misunderstood if that's what it takes to stay true to our faith.
Not an easy task: It requires courage, perseverance, and a deep love for God and His Word. It requires a willingness to sacrifice, to suffer, to endure hardship for the sake of the Gospel. But it's a task we cannot shirk. As believers, we are called to be soldiers in God's army, to fight the good fight of faith, and to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all handed down to the saints.
We don’t fight this battle alone: We have the Holy Spirit to guide us, to strengthen us, to equip us for this task. We have the promise of God's presence, His power, His protection. And we have the assurance that the battle is already won, that victory is ours in Christ Jesus.
Pastor, here would be a good place to share a personal story about a time when you had to defend your faith. How did God help you through this? How did it affect you?
The nature of our faith is not a simple concept to grasp ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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