Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 28

January 28;      Jude 3;       237/260(III);        ‘Contend For the Faith’

Jude 3 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.

Jude it appears had been writing a letter which he discontinued, in order to write the remainder of this short Book.  Jude exhorts the believers to ‘contend earnestly for the faith.’  The Apostles and true ministers called by the Lord taught the people God’s Word.  Their doctrine was accurate and blessed those taught, helping them to live powerful, overcoming lives.  False teachers had infiltrated the church and were teaching erroneous and false doctrine.  Jude is telling these believers to contend as if in a fight against these deceivers and their deceptive doctrines.  Earnestly is added to convey the intensity of the struggle.  God’s Word, which as I always say, is our protection and is always at the center of the struggle between truth and deception.  Not to know the Word of God as an unsaved person or an immature believer, is incredibly dangerous and opens the door for the devil to greatly hinder the unbeliever from getting saved and to keep the immature Christian in that condition or worse yet to believe a lie.  A local church, firmly established and grounded in the Word of God, is a safe haven for the lost and Christians alike.  As your spirit is taught the Word of God, the devil and any deceiver who teaches false doctrines are greatly hindered from deceiving.  The Holy Spirit in your spirit will also warn you of teachings that are not biblical.  We cannot contend for the faith if we do not know it.  Know the Word it ‘deception proofs’ you.