Earnestly Contending for the Faith

Jude, the author of this epistle and the half brother of the Lord Jesus Christ knows too well what it means to contend for the faith. As an unbelievibg young man, growing up with Jesus in Joseph’s household, and a Jewish fanatic together with his siblings, contended for their Jewish faith against the testimony of Jesus, their half-brother. They refused to believe His claim as the Messiah and the Son of God. They defended their Jewish faith, against the testimony of the Savior. 

However, after the Lord’s resurrection, the brothers (James and Jude) had a life-changing realization about Jesus that they began to proclaim and believed that indeed Jesus was truly the Messiah and the Son of God that He claimed to be. From then on they became faithful disciples of the Savior and continued strong in the faith. They became stalwarts and totally committed to Christ. James became the Pastor in Jerusalem Church and Jude was a leader in the early Church and took responsibility of reaching out to the Christian Jews who are going through severe oppositions.

In his new found faith in Christ, Jude found himself in a another struggle. But It was a good fight of faith this time for he knew he has finally found the truth. He was now opposing the faith that he was promoting and contending before. Like the Apostle Paul, who before was a murderer of Christ’s followers in the name of his Jewish faith, he turned into a faith warrior for. He turned to being persecuted from being a persecutor. They both had 180 degrees changed of direction. This is true sign repentance and faith, proven by a changed of mind, a changed of heart, and a change of direction.

Lesson/Application

Jude realized the value of faith. To him it was precious because it was only given once and it became the true foundation of faith, resting on the person of Jesus Christ. 

This faith has to be proclaimed boldly. It is not to protect the faith but to protect those who proclaim and exercise this faith. For there is no other foundation that we can build upon but on the faith of Jesus Christ as proclaimed by the Apostles. On this faith we ought to firmly stand.

Praise God for those who recognize the value of the faith once given. It saves, it transforms life, it instructs and it can be shared with those willing to trust and follow God. 

It is always beautiful to see young people willing to share their faith by bringing their friends to Church. They are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Praise God for those who declare their faith by following Biblical morality and decency without minding the threats and the mockery being thrown at them. Praise God for those willing to profess their faith in Christ public through water baptism.

Conclusion:

There is no doubt the best way to contend for our faith is not by declaring in speech what we claim to believe but in the way we live, we move, we behave, and in the manner we serve God in order to show the character of Christ through is. It is the working out of faith through life and service. If the world sees the power of a change life and commitment among the believers through a dynamic service, the enemies will realize that the faith coming from christ is real, it is alive and powerful.

This is the true faith. You may believe in everything right. You can even correctly quote all the scriptures. You can explain doctines, but if the faith that you claim to possess is not working out and not showing in our behavior and lifestyle, it is a dead faith. Works cannot produce faith but faith can produce works and fruits of righteousness. To contend for the faith is to have a proactive and a dynamic faith!

Hebrews 11:6 KJV

[6] But without faith it is impossible to please him : for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.