Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. Jude 1:3
Dear People Who Keep Company with God,
The Book of Jude is crucial for believers today. It’s not only written to us, as God’s holy people, but also entrusted to us to preserve, defend, and contend for the faith. Sometimes, we must stand up for what is righteous and merciful. And there are times to speak for love, truth, and against fear. How do we fight for the faith? First, we need to know the difference between contending and being contentious. Being contentious means acting out of an argumentative or divisive spirit. We must always be kind and not quarrelsome towards people (2 Timothy 2:24-25). Our battle is not with humans alone but with the dark world’s rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers (Ephesians 6:12).
Thankfully, Jude gives us some keys on how to contend for the faith. He begins by telling us to remember the words spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 1:17). We are to be people grounded in the word of God. Jesus said, “Your word is truth” (John 17:17). We are not fighting for our political, personal, or theological perspectives but for our faith in Christ. Then, he says to pray in the Holy Spirit (Jude 1:20). Our spiritual strength increases as we pray in the Holy Spirit, which gives us the energy and power to contend for our faith. The Apostle Paul told us, “Whoever speaks in a tongue edifies himself” (1 Corinthians 14:4). Edifies means building or establishing a house. Faith flows more freely as the result of praying in the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).
The next thing Jude tells us is to keep ourselves in the love of God (Jude 1:21). God’s love is essential as it is the foundation of our lives; our foundation determines our destiny. Therefore, we must remain “rooted and grounded in God’s love” (Ephesians 3:17). That means knowing, by revelation, that He loves and accepts us, not for what we do but simply for who we are—His beloved children. As we invest our hearts in our relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14), we will root ourselves in His love.
One of my favorite titles of God is “the Father of mercies” (2 Corinthians 1:3). This is who He is and what He is like. Jude tells us to look for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 1:21) because Jesus is the face of God’s mercy. I love how Psalm 119:132 captures the essence of His mercy toward us, “Look upon me and be merciful to me, as Your custom is toward those who love Your name.” Another way of saying this is, “God, I see you having mercy on everyone around me. I would like some too!”
Jude concludes by telling us to show love to others (Jude 1:22), even those who seem to be undermining the faith. True love always seeks expression (1 John 4:20-21) in voice or actions, as it is a compelling power (2 Corinthians 5:14). The Apostle Paul loved the Corinthian believers, and love compelled him to write them a letter that was challenging, one that caused sorrow in him and in the Corinthians. But it needed to be spoken, so love said the hard truths. There are unloving ways to talk about the truth—that kind of truth-speaking we should reject. But there are ways to speak the truth in love that we should always seek. We must continually let His love shape how we talk about our faith.
Many Blessings, BW