Jude 3

Memory Verse

Beloved, while making all diligence to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you, encouraging you to earnestly agonize for the once-for-all delivered faith to the saints (Jude 3).

Jude’s initial intent was to write to us about our common salvation. This is the salvation shared by all Christians, both Jew and Gentile. However, when pen met paper, Jude realized he had to address a serious issue in the assemblies. The saints needed encouragement to fully or earnestly contend for the faith. This faith was once for all delivered to the saints. The faith Jude refers to includes the doctrine we received about the Church. It covers the gospel for salvation (1 Corinthians 15:3–4) and the gospel given through Paul for maturity (Romans 16:25).

The faith delivered to the saints was under attack when Jude wrote, and it is still under attack today. This includes salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8) and proper divisions between dispensations in Scripture (Ephesians 3:2). “Fully contending” comes from the language of Olympic competition. Everyone who competes must be self-controlled in all things to win the victor’s wreath (1 Corinthians 1:29). We are to agonize over the proper fight and lay hold of eternal life. The faith for the Church has been once for all delivered to us (1 Timothy 6:12).

With this in mind, how do we contend for the faith? We contend or fully agonize over the faith by knowing the truth and living it out each day. We do not do this to gain something. We press on because of the high calling in Christ Jesus, not to obtain it (Philippians 3:14).