HOW to CONTEND FOR the FAITH

 

February 14, 2025

Jude 1:20-25

20 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.

22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

24 Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. 25 All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.

Jude is a brief letter, but it packs some powerful teaching in a few verses. Yesterday we left off with the suggestion that Jude's hope was that this community of Jesus would recognize in these "scoffers" a situation that needed to dealt with. Using the Old Testament, and leaders of the New Testament, Jude showed that the situation of discrediting the Gospel of Jesus was not really unexpected. There had been warnings about such a reality.

So, how should a situation like this be dealt with? Jude comes back to the theme of  "contending for the faith." What do the followers of Jesus do? How do Jesus people handle such unsettling situations of community life? Excommunication? Give the "scoffers" the boot for not towing the community line? Thats what we see in political parties, and other organizations in our society. 

Jude's message was that God’s grace through Jesus demands a whole-life response not just intellectual assent. Notice that the letter does not criticize or focus on the "scoffers" theology but rather on their immoral way of life. Here Jude is applying what Jesus told his disciples: “If you really love me, you’ll obey my teachings” (John 14:15). And for the followers of Jesus in every age, how we live is the most reliable indicator of what we actually believe.

Notice what Jude says is we "contend for the faith" with MERCY!!  Now thats a shocker isn't it? No shunning, no ignoring, no kicking people out of the community. MERCY.  Read the verses again "22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives."  

Nortice, Jude is not afraid to take strong action against behaviors that dishonor Jesus. His mercy is not soft or weak, look at what his images indicate, fire, fear, and defiled bodies. Jude’s mercy is severe. But it is mercy nonetheless, for its hope is not merely to punish, or get some measure of revenge on the "scoffers" but to save them.

When someone is spiritually disoriented, condemnation only makes them feel more hopeless. Jude 1:22 tells us to be merciful to those who doubt. Compassion is what rescues and shows direction.

When someone’s faith is wavering, the best thing we can do is show mercy and point them to Jesus. In Christ’s eyes, no person is beyond hope. The community of Jesus treats each person with respect and tries to dis­cern what kind of discipline or direction might lead them back into the fold.We all know what it’s like to doubt. The One who rescued each of us can rescue others too, yes even "scoffers."

That is grace.