Faith Worth Fighting For
My family and I recently visited our son and daughter-in-law in Maryland near Baltimore and Washington, DC. While there, we visited the holocaust museum. I had seen different documentaries on the holocaust, but what was on display in that museum eclipsed anything I had witnessed before. Many of the displays there were tremendously atrocious. It’s hard to imagine mankind’s depravity sinking to such depths.
The holocaust museum is a sad reminder of one reality about war: war is one of the most calamitous consequences of evil. As much as we despise war, sometimes evil and its aggressors make going to war necessary. In fact, John MacArthur in his book, “The Truth War,” states, “As detestable as warfare of any kind might be, there are causes for which not fighting is a far greater evil.”
In his simple letter in the New Testament , Jude reminds his readers that the truth of scripture is one of those causes worth fight for. When you weigh all that is at stake -- eternal life -- to not fight for “the way, the truth, and the life” found in Christ is a “far greater evil.”
Early on in his letter Jude writes, “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.”
The cause Jude contends is worth fighting for is, the contents of “the faith that was once and for all entrusted to God’s holy people.” “The faith that was once and for all entrusted to God’s holy people” would specifically be the teaching contained in the copies of Bibles, the New Testament in particular.
What I find that needs to be contended for as much as anything, is what was originally taught by the apostles. Jude’s words, “once for all,” should speak for themselves. The teaching the apostles laid down as a foundation for the church, from the gospel’s call to the mandates for the church, are to be adopted as delivered. Until Christ returns for His people, the church’s teaching should have a constant and consistent ring to it.
