Contend earnestly for the faith

"Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3).

Salvation is found only in the original faith.

As Jude considered the salvation of his readers he felt that a serious exhortation was required. He knew that our salvation depends on our remaining true to the original faith and he also knew that this requires constant effort.

Constant struggle is required to maintain the original faith.

To contend for something means to affirm it strongly, to prove it logically and to defend it from all opposition. This includes the maintenance of both doctrinal purity and a manner of living that is in agreement with the gospel.

Paul gave a similar admonition: "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel" (Philippians 1:27).

There is only one faith that saves.

The spirit of our times would tell us that we may believe whatever we want, that one religion is as good as another, that we may join the church of our choice.

But Jude tells us to contend earnestly for the faith. And that one faith was delivered to the saints 'once for all' in the first century and is preserved for us in holy Scripture.

"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Ephesians 4:4-6).

The one God is not the author of the thousands of conflicting 'faiths' that are proclaimed and practised in the name of Christianity.

What we are striving to do and be is not easy. We want to be faithful followers of Christ and we want to be simply a church of Christ, a congregation of God's children. This requires constant struggle. Christians fell away in the first century and Christians fall away today. Local congregations became apostate in the first century and local congregations drift away from the truth today. This can happen to us if we do not constantly "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."

Only the original gospel saves.

Paul wrote to the churches of Galatia: "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:6-9).

We may not go beyond what is written (1 Corinthians 4:6). We must remain within the doctrine of Christ: "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son" (2 John 9).

The original faith is required for salvation. Constant struggle is required to maintain this faith. There is only one faith that saves, the original gospel of Christ as preached in the first century and preserved for us in holy Scriptures. Let us therefore "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3).

Roy Davison


Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)