Contending for the Faith

Beloved, when I gave all 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; KJV

To contend means “to engage in a contest, to fight for, to strive for.” When we contend for the faith, we are fighting for the Christian message of the gospel.

Looking at the history of the Church, one might wonder what happened between the days of the Apostles and the rise of Martin Luther, who discovered that we are saved by grace through faith and not through works. While there were instances of revival occurring here and there, there was also a significant state of apostasy.

This should make us ponder why we have so many grand buildings filled with individuals who possess little faith or none at all. If we examine the outrage of many on social media, we see frustrated individuals with a limited knowledge of the God they claim to believe in.

Jesus asked a profound question in Luke 18:8: “Will [God] find faith on the earth?”

Another translation specifies whether God will find the kind of persistent faith demonstrated by the widow in Luke 18:2-8. This raises the question of why He would ask such a thing.

If we observe carefully, we realize that if we do not take our part in preserving the Faith—beyond merely receiving from God but also actively understanding and teaching the correct doctrines of Christianity—we risk losing the essence of our faith. God forbid that a generation arises that does not know our Lord.

The enemy does not mind if we succeed in our lives or are content living ordinary lives, sprinkled with a few church activities that lack depth. Sometimes, he doesn’t even mind if you enjoy the “good things” in life, as long as the seed of Christ within you remains in a baby state, never maturing to reflect who you truly are.

The enemy wages a subtle and sublime war upon our souls—a war of distraction. We must contend against everything that hinders our growth in the knowledge of God. We must fight against everything that keeps us lukewarm and suggests that it’s acceptable to live ordinary Christian lives, conforming to the natural man instead of embracing the supernatural life we are called to live.

Jude intended to write about the common salvation we all share, but he felt compelled to warn believers to earnestly fight for the faith they have received, reminding them that God will judge all unrighteousness.

The Apostle Paul wrote that “the foundation of the Lord stands firm, let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

Our God is loving, not permissive. We are saved by grace through faith, but we are not saved to continue in sin; rather, we are called to crucify the flesh daily and follow Jesus.

If you have been coasting along for a while, it’s time to arise and seek the Lord with renewed hunger, pressing into God until we all mature into the full image of Christ.

Jude teaches us how we can contend for this faith: by building ourselves up in faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keeping ourselves in the love of God, and showing mercy to those whose faith is wavering.

Kenneth Hagin expressed a desire for God to be more real to him than anything he could see physically. Join me as this has become my prayer as well—that I would live with a greater consciousness of God and daily honor Him as I yield to Him, with the help of the Holy Spirit. Amen!