Contend 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”.  In verse 4, Jude gives the reason why they should earnestly contend, ‘for certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ”. There is much danger of this today as it was in the time of Jude. The common salvation Jude refers to is” the unity of all believers”. To contend means we are to be” vigilance”. Phil. 1:27, Paul uses the words, “stand fast”.

            “unnoticed” in vs. 4 means, “cunning, crafty, subtil” in referring to satan in Gen. 3:1. Their purpose was to pervert God’s grace and deny the authority of the Lord. Prov. 1:29, “because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord”.  They were clever enough to be among God’s children. Christ speaks of them in Matt. 7:15, “beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves”. Their purpose is to turn the,” grace of God into lewdness”. Vs.4. lewdness in OT about always means, “a bad one, heinous crime, mischief, wicked, mindless”. Judges 20:6, concerning the wickedness of the men at Gibeah, “they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel”.

            Verses 5-8, Jude relates examples from OT and how God dealt with them. Jude goes on through vs.8-19, naming what these people were, “spots in your love feasts, gone the way of Cain, ungodly in all their deeds, grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts, speak great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. But in vs. 17, Jude reminds them, “remember the words which were spoken to you by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, how that this would happen. Vs. 19, “they cause divisions, not having the Spirit. In verses 20-25, Jude exhorts them to. “build themselves up in the most holy faith, praying in the HS, keeping themselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life”. Has anything changed today from what Jude wrote”?

- CL Bruner