Are you contending?

Life is a struggle.  Life is tough.  Life is difficult.  As we get closer to the end of time, we must contend for this faith.  Jude 3 says “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 saints.”  Contend earnestly – what does that mean?  In the dictionary, Contend For means to engage in a competition or campaign in order to win or achieve (something).  It’s to compete, challenge, contest, strive, or basically fight.  Why?  Why should we do this? 

Jude 4 tells us – “For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”  There were men in Jude’s time who had perverted God’s grace and denied the authority of the Lord.  They were clever enough to infiltrate the Christian community but yet their hearts were ungodly.  Jesus called them ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing.’  These false teachers of grace believed that they had been saved by grace but could live as they pleased.  They lived immorally and rejected the authority of Christ.  You would have thought Jude was talking about 2022! 

We must fight for what we believe.  We must challenge those who teach ungodliness – Contest those living immorally and stay true to our Savior Jesus Christ.  We have to fight the busy schedules and demands of life to stay in the Word and Worship.  Strive to maintain our relationship with Jesus daily.  Fight for the tenants of Faith!  Let no man deceive you!!  Fight for your faith!!! Contend earnestly for the faith today!!