The book of Jude is one of the most quoted doxologies for many Christian worship services. The doxology is that final message many pastors use to send their congregations off into the world after having sung songs of Zion, read scriptures, preached sermons and prayed.
Jude’s purpose was to expose the false teachers and to urge the members of the church to contend for the faith that had been entrusted to them, and to encourage the members to extricate those in their midst who had fallen prey to the errors of those who had power and authority over them.
Some scholars argue that the book of Jude barely made it into the approved final version of re bible. One could argue that Jude’s resume was very brief and even questioned by some. It merely reads, “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and Brother of James.”
The epistle was written to deal with some specific situation in the Fellowship, how to deal with false teachers and those who don’t want to do what is right. Jude, our author states in the third verse of the Epistle of Jude, “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.
This brings me to the heart of the matter I wish to convey.
As believers, we must BE CONTENDERS FOR THE FAITH. We must fight for what is rightfully ours in Jesus Christ. We can not roll over and play dead. We must hold onto that which is good and seek it daily, for ourselves and others those things that are just and fair.
Justice is fair. Jobs are fair. Health care is fair. Good stable housing is fair. I feel like Jude, and I too call for the “Order of the day” and I feel compelled to write and urge all believers to contend for the faith.
So many people today are living a life that is beaten, titling and leaning because of the lack for real “contenders of the faith.” So, here we are, leaning on the everlasting arms of Jesus, with grace, mercy and the peace of God being our watch words and a strong contendable faith!
So with that, Jude to send us forth out into this crumbling society, armed and ready to contend: “Save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. Now unto Him, who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy” (Jude 1:23 – 24).
As men and women of faith, we are able to contend, but we must keep faith as our mode of operating, now and forever. Amen.
Lowe is pastor of Christ Our Redeemer AME Church in Black Jack.
