By Staff
Ken Askew
"Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints." ESV Jude 1:3
Truth matters. It really does. And that's the primary reason for the name given this column. A secondary reason for the name is that I aspire to communicate matters of truth through this writing each week. But regardless of whether I succeed in communicating truth, truth still matters! And there is no greater truth than that of the resurrected, living Christ on whom the Christian faith is surely well founded. Truth mattered to Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, and truth matters today.
We're not sure who Jude's letter was originally written to, but it's obvious that they were dear to him by his tender greeting "beloved." While Jude wanted to spend precious ink and parchment sharing with them an encouraging word about their "common salvation," a more pressing issue had reared its head; an issue worthy of special attention and instruction.
It seems that false teachers had slipped into their midst and begun to distort the truth of the Christian faith.
Now a distorted truth is not truth at all, but a lie. Not willing to let the false teachers deceitfully chip away at the faith and the faithful, Jude sounds an alarm. He warns them that these teachers were guilty of denying Jesus and perverting the grace of God. He also suggests that these teachers were really seeking fame, glory and riches for themselves; glory that only the one true God is worthy to receive.
Come to think of it, that's probably the best way to sniff out a false prophet. If you watch them closely, they'll typically seek or accept glory for themselves instead of humbly striving to glorify God in their endeavors.
Well, Jude won't stand for it and gives a call to action. He rallies the troops if you will, by charging them to contend for the faith. The seriousness of the order is betrayed by Jude's words; contend for the faith. If you look up the word contend in the dictionary, every definition listed will refer to it as a strenuous or competitive endeavor. The mental picture I get of contending is standing firm, holding ground; fighting like a yard dog if you will.
Is truth the truth of our Christian faith, the truth about Jesus Christ, that important? It sure is. Because "there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) Yet all around us, every day, this truth is being distorted.
Christians, take a stand this week. Contend for the faith. Truth matters.
Ken Askew worships at Tharptown Baptist Church in Russellville. Comments are welcome and may be sent to kenaskew@charter.net.