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The short letter written by Jude reminds us of the necessity “to contend for the faith.” This is necessary whenever people secretly make their way into churches and start promoting false doctrine and false living. Jude writes:
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 all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (vv. 3–4)
Yet one might wonder why we need to contend for the faith if God knows and condemns even those who have crept into churches unnoticed by us. Wouldn’t it be better to leave the business of contending to our all-knowing God? After all, Jude goes on to remind us that those who have lived godless lives and taught false doctrine have always been judged by God.
Our contending for the faith doesn’t mean that we step into God’s business. Rather, it means that we are taking His side. We contend for the faith because He calls us to do so. Our hope in this is that our contending not only will serve the church because we don’t allow sin to spread but also will prompt some of those who are promoting ungodly living and false doctrine to repent. Contending for the faith is thus an act of love—love for God, whom we obey and whose teaching we contend for; love for the church, which we seek to protect by contending for the faith; and love for those who are causing harm by calling them to repentance. As we enter the good fight, we do it knowing that our good Lord is the ultimate Judge of those who give themselves to false living and false teaching unless they repent.
Still, many Christians are wary of entering the fight for truth. Given our imperfect knowledge and all the biblical warnings not to quarrel, many Christians would rather not contend for the faith lest they cause divisions in the church. But Jude reminds us that division in the church is often already a reality when false teachers have entered the church:
But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. (vv. 17–19)
Not contending for the faith will not result in the preservation of unity. Quite the opposite: it will allow worldly people to continue with their destructive work. For this reason, we should be willing to contend for the faith once for all delivered to us and pray that this will be used by God to preserve or to restore the unity of His church.