3 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. 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:3-4 KJV)
Contend for the Faith
We have here the purpose of the apostle in writing this letter to the recently converted Jews and Gentiles: to establish them in the Christian faith and a lifestyle consistent with it, including an open and bold profession of that faith, especially in times of opposition, whether through deception or violent persecution. But we must carefully ensure that it is truly the Christian faith we believe, profess, spread, and defend—not the distinguishing marks of any party or any doctrine later than the inspired writings of the evangelists and apostles.
The gospel salvation is a common salvation—offered sincerely to all people who hear of it. As the commission says (Mark 16:15-16), “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” God means what He says. None are excluded from these gracious offers except those who stubbornly and finally exclude themselves. “Whoever wants to may come and take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17). The promise is to all believers—weak and strong alike. Let no one be discouraged by hidden decrees they cannot understand. God’s decrees may be mysterious, but His covenants are clear.
All good Christians are united in Christ, the common head, guided by one Spirit, by one rule, and hope to meet in a common inheritance—glorious beyond our present understanding or imagination.
This common salvation is the foundation of the faith of all believers. Its doctrine is universally accepted among them. “It is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance” (1 Timothy 1:15). This faith was delivered once for all to the saints; nothing can be added or removed. Let us hold to it firmly; to step beyond is to risk deception or confusion.
The apostles and evangelists all wrote about this common salvation. It is misguided to think they wrote mainly to defend certain opinions—especially ones they never conceived. They declared, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, all that is necessary for everyone to believe and do to receive salvation.
Those who teach or write about this salvation must do so with diligence. “I will not offer to the Lord what costs me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24). Sacred matters require reverence and effort. The apostle, though inspired, gave all diligence to write of it. What then of those who, though uninspired, speak carelessly, saying whatever comes to mind, as long as they use biblical words? Those who speak of sacred things must do so with the greatest care and reverence.
Those who have received this salvation must contend earnestly for the faith—not furiously. We must strive lawfully (2 Timothy 2:5), knowing that “the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). Lying or quarreling for truth is wrong. We are to contend for the faith like the apostles did: by suffering patiently and courageously, not by persecuting those who don’t immediately accept our beliefs. “We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14). Paul preached the gospel “with much contention” (1 Thessalonians 2:2)—that is, with deep earnestness and concern, not hostile argument.
As evil behavior leads to good laws, so dangerous errors give reason for defending the truth. Ungodly men are enemies of Christian faith and church peace. Those who distort truth or stir division for personal gain are rightly called ungodly. We could have truth with peace if all in our churches were truly godly—though this is rarely the case. Such people stir doubts and conflicts for selfish ends, a plague in every generation.
Only what cuts us off from Christ—persistent unbelief and ungodliness—cuts us off from the church. We must not accuse others lightly or without proof. Ungodly people live as if God does not exist, showing no regard for Him or conscience. They are to be avoided—whether openly sinful or negligent in their duties, such as those who withhold prayer or fail to correct wrongdoing for fear of losing favor or advantage.
The worst kind of ungodly people are those who turn the grace of God into immorality—who sin more boldly because grace abounds. The purpose of grace is to draw us from sin to God. To misuse it to justify sin is to make oneself among the vilest and most hopeless of sinners.
Such people deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 1:4). They deny both natural and revealed religion. Jesus came to bring us to God; to deny Him is to deny God. Natural and revealed religion support and illuminate one another. Those who claim belief in natural religion while rejecting the gospel should ask what truly keeps them from accepting both, since they so clearly align.
Those who pervert grace in this way are ordained to condemnation (Jude 1:4). They sin against the highest remedy, leaving them without excuse. Perhaps it would have been better translated “written about long ago”—that such people, through their own sin, become subject to judgment. This would avoid confusion around reprobation, which is difficult even for the wisest minds to grasp. But it is enough that Scripture has warned us of such deceivers, so that we might be prepared.
We must contend earnestly for the faith against those who secretly slip in to corrupt it—a sad and dangerous role, often wrongly assigned by the ignorant, even to faithful ministers. True ministers support their people’s peace and joy, not act as masters over their faith. If anyone tries to corrupt the faith, we must resist—so long as we are careful not to falsely accuse others or mislabel their views.