Beloved, when I gave all the diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Jude 1:3.
The exhortation that the first-century believers should earnestly contend for the faith that was once and for all delivered to them is relevant to us today because we are faced with the same errors of the false teachers and false prophets they were faced with.
They were to contend earnestly for the faith because
“there are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4).
We are to earnestly contend for the faith that was delivered or transmitted to us once and for all.
This faith is the unified body of truth or doctrine entrusted to us.
So, how do we contend or fight for what is already in our custody? What the Spirit of God is communicating to us through Jude is to defend, guide, or keep the faith that was once and for all delivered to us.
Then how do we defend it?
In 2 Timothy 1:14, the Bible says, “Guide and keep [with greatest care] the precious and excellently adapted [truth] which has been entrusted [to you] by the [help of the [Holy Spirit] who makes His home in us” (Amp).
We are to defend this unified body of truth delivered to us with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
How?
The preceding verse gives us a lead: Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:13).
You should continue in what you have learned:
“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them” (2 Timothy 3:14).
Stay with the word! Teach the word with all conviction and consistency: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
Be diligent in teaching! “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2).
When we stay with the word and teach it with all conviction, we are protected against the errors of false teachers and also help others.
We are able to retain and affirm the truth in the face of damnable heresies put forth by false teachers.
Saints, we are being instructed in righteousness to earnestly contend for the faith, and we have been shown how. Therefore, let us spring into action.
Prayer
I contend earnestly for the faith by being consistent in the teaching of the word of God.
