Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.–Jude 1:3.
Those who are not earnestly contending “for the faith” (the gospel of God’s sovereign and free grace in Christ) are only mere pretenders in a false refuge of lies (Isa. 28:15; Matt. 7:21-23). Those who are earnestly and eagerly contending “for the faith” are those that are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ (Rom.1:16-17). Those who fervently contend “for the faith” are those who publicly preach it (Acts 5:42; Phil. 1:27), faithfully support it (Cor. 9:7), zealously identify themselves where the gospel is preached (Heb. 10:25), ardently pray for God’s blessing upon it (2Thes. 3:1), dogmatically defend it against all opposition (Gal. 5:1-5; Phil. 1:17; 1Tim. 6:3-5), and assertively insist that there is but one gospel (Gal. 1:6-10; Eph. 4:4-6). Now the question for us is this, are we genuine and legitimate contenders or wretched and desolate pretenders?