Contend for The Faith

Art by Cathy Martin

Contend for The Faith

By Sharon Byrd

The Book of Jude began in gratitude; Jude was hoping to encourage the saints.
But God changed Jude's mind, during his writing time, to encourage and challenge our faith.

Jude said we must earnestly contend for The Faith given to men:

The sum of Christian belief delivered verbally.
That Christ came as Scripture said, died and rose from the dead,
So we can live with God for eternity.

For certain men have crept in, who from long ago when, distorted the Truth of our Lord.
They made it a license to sin again and again, always denying that Jesus is Lord.

They came through a side door with false doctrine and folklore –

Basically, those who would not believe.
Men who pervert God's grace, scoff and lie to our face, their sole purpose to corrupt and deceive.

To fight Sodom and Gomorrah, who were sensuous and lewd,

Jude writes to us now to take a militant mood,

To contend for The Faith more than ever.
Not riotously, in the way of Cain, or deserting our faith for selfish gain,

(For them, darkness is reserved forever).

"But you, beloved, remember the Word; build yourselves up in what you heard,

And pray in the Holy Spirit.
Keep yourselves in God's love, seeking help from above,

Saving yourselves and all those who hear it.

And to Him who is able, to Him who is true, to keep us from stumbling in all that we do,
To present us faultless before His Father, our Lord,
The only God and Savior both now and forevermore.

To Him who is able, to Him who is true, to God be the glory of The Faith taught to you.
Be as soldiers of God, and against all odds, contend for, contend for The Faith!”


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 3 (KJV)