Faith worth Fighting for

“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 delivered to the saints” (v3).

I love sports. Absolutely love’m. Loved playing them when I was younger. Love watching them now that I’m older. My cranky hamstrings remind me that my days lacing up the cleats have long since rounded third and headed for home. But what if I’m sitting in the stands when my team suddenly needs me. The coach calls me out of the bleachers and onto the field. I’m no longer a spectator. I’m now a participant. Because of the situation, it’s time to buckle my chinstrap and get on the field. It’s time to play hard. It’s time to bust my tail for my team. It’s time to leave it all on the field.

That’s basically what Jude is telling his readers. He really had hoped to give them a pep talk about who Jesus is and what He’s done for them. Get everybody cheering and stoked about our Savior. But something’s come up. Something BIG. Instead of getting folks fired up, the author needs them to put down their pom pons and put on a helmet. They need to get in the game. It’s time “to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (v3). But Jude’s not just talking to Jesus’ followers in the first century. He’s talking to me. He’s talking to you. Consider all that our Savior has done for us. This is a faith worth fighting for.

Jude is writing to folks that he cares deeply about. This is the second of four times that he calls his readers “beloved” (v1, 17, 20). These are folks that he knows. These are folks he loves. These are also people that God loves and cares very deeply about. He lets us in on the fact that he was already planning to shoot them a note. “I was very eager to write to you” (v3). Jude was dying to talk “about our common salvation” (v3). He’s pumped about the life they share in Jesus. That’s because life in Christ is to be lived in community. We don’t do this on our own. We do it together. Salvation is a team sport. Are you trying to fly solo? Are you attempting to be some kind of spiritual Lone Ranger? Our enemy is licking his chops at that idea. He loves to set his satanic sites on a runaway sheep. We need to surround ourselves with other believers. We have a “common salvation” (v3) and it’s a team sport.

Remember who’s writing this little letter. Jude is Jesus’ kid brother. I don’t know about you, but I might be more than a little cocky if I’m the Jude dude. But not this guy. He’s loaded with humility. He never drops the hint about his big Brother. Jude might be Jesus’ kid brother but he needs a Savior just like everybody else. Just because you shared a bedroom with Son of God doesn’t mean you get a free pass. What’s that mean to you and me? Just because our mom, dad, brother, or sister has a relationship with God, doesn’t do a thing for me. I need to trust in Him myself. I need to realize that He’s done for me what I could never ever do for myself. He’s lived the perfect life that I’ve completely failed to do. He’s died the bloody death for my sin that I should have died. He rose to a glorious new life that certainly don’t deserve. Until I trust Him myself and know Him personally, I’m on the outside looking in.

While Jude really wanted to shoot them a note about the salvation they share, something more pressing has come up. Something more important has bubbled to the surface. Something’s happened. Jude sets down his original idea and sounds the alarm. “I found it necessary to write appealing to you” (v3). Instead of talking about all that they have in common in Christ, he needs to give them a pep talk about an issue that’s moved to the front of the stove.

Jesus’ kid brother calls us “to contend for the faith” (v3). He uses the Greek verb epagonizomai. It means to struggle in behalf of something or someone. To make a strenuous effort for a person, cause or idea. To struggle. To exert intense effort on behalf of something. If you look closely, you’ll see our word “agonize” smack dab in the middle. The root word here is actually an athletic term. It means to play hard. Leave it all on the field for your cause. We can’t be afraid to stand up for what we believe in. Better yet, we can’t be afraid to stand up for WHO we believe in. We can’t be timid when it comes to telling others about our Savior.

This is not so much about fighting AGAINST someone. We’re to bust our butts FOR what we believe. “Contend FOR the faith” (v3, emphasis added). One of my pet peeves is when Jesus’ followers spend all of their energy focused on what they’re against. They boycott this business. They picket that place. They make somebody the enemy. I’m not saying there aren’t times to do those things. But how about making it absolutely clear WHO were fighting for. Fight FOR Jesus. Fight FOR your who you believe in. “Contend FOR the faith” (v3, emphasis added). Remember, this is a faith worth fighting for.

Jude’s letting us in on the fact that following Jesus isn’t all rainbows and unicorns. Once He saves you, life on this side of eternity isn’t “easy peasy, lemon squeezy.” We need to be ready to give it everything we’ve got. No, not because we have the responsibility to stay saved. Remember, Jesus made sure the world new that He wrapped up the entire deal on our behalf when He yelled, “It is finished!!!” (Jn 19:30). That’s because Christ fought that fight and won that battle for us. Jude even goes so far as to say that his big Brother delivered it to us “once for all” (v3). We’re not fighting for our salvation. We’re busting our tails on behalf of what we believe and WHOM we believe in. The Apostle Paul encouraged his boy Tim to put up his spiritual dukes and “fight the good fight of the faith” (1Tim 6:12). And just before his own execution, Paul wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2Tim 4:7). Paul knew it. Jude knew it. This is a faith worth fighting for.