Eagle's Landing
A Call To Us All!
Jude 3-4
Jude 1-2
“Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.”
Jude 3
“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”
The Call to Contend for the Faith
Who is to contend for the faith?
All those who are in Christ.
What are we to contend for?
“the faith once for all delivered to the saints”
1. “the” means that this “faith” is singular. It is not faiths but the singular body of truth delivered to us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
2. “the” also means it is objective truth.
3. “once for all” means that Jesus Christ is the complete and final revelation of this faith.
4. “delivered to the saints” means that the Apostles proclaimed this faith, body of truth, to us. God’s Word, the Bible, is the faithful record of this faith.
The Necessity to Contend for the Faith
Jude 4
“For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Jude Identified the Enemy
- They were ungodly. (v. 4b)
- They were deceitful. (v. 4c)
- They were enemies of God’s grace. (v. 4d)
- They denied God’s truth. (v. 4e)
- They were ordained to judgment. (v. 4a)
The Way to Contend for the Faith
God reveals in his Word the posture for genuine Christians who are contending for the faith!
1. Prepare your own heart and mind for defending the faith.
1 Peter 3:15
“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”
2. Speak the truth with love.
Colossians 4:6
“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
3. Strengthen yourself in the faith.
2 Peter 3:17-18
“You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
Jude 20-23
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.”
What should we do?
1. Don’t be confused, believe in Jesus and enjoy the blessings of salvation offered only in Jesus Christ.
Acts 4:12
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
John 5:24
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
2. Contend for the faith!
1 Timothy 6:11-14
“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.”