Jude 1:3-4 Contend for the faith

Jude 1:3-4 Contend for the faith
America used to be a nation that would contend for what is right and just, men and women would literally lay down their life for what they believed was right. They wouldn’t hesitate to inconvenience themselves, risk being ostracized, or even losing all they have to contend for what they believed in. Slowly our nation has moved from black and white issues and into the realm of grey areas. People are no longer certain that their way is the absolute right way and are way less likely to take a stand and contend for their beliefs. Sadly, this mentality has worked its way into the church as many has decided it is easier to concede to the world instead of contending for our faith as Jude says we should. Jude says that in the face of those who are trying to destroy the gospel message of Jesus we are believers should be earnestly contending for faith in Jesus Christ and against anything thing that threatens it. He specifically says there are those in the Church who are trying to abuse the message of grace as a license to live in sin and in doing so they separate themselves from Jesus.
The phrase “earnestly contend” (epagónizomai, Greek word) which is used by Jude, according to the Strong’s Concordance, means that we should be actively opposing anything that comes against our faith. This means instead of the church conforming to world and their opposing viewpoints we should be contending against them. We should be letting the world know sin has no part in the life of a believer that Jesus died to free us from such bondage instead of openly welcoming sin in our congregations. In Matthew 10:34-36, Jesus said something very interesting that the modern church has forgotten. 34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. (NIV) The church was never meant to be at peace with the world around us, we were always meant to be in contention with those who oppose the precepts of our faith.