Week 12, Day 3: Contend Earnestly for the Faith

Today’s Reading:  1 Corinthians 2:1-3:23

Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…

Jude encourages his audience to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).  There are at least two elements to take into consideration with this verse.  The first is that God has delivered “the faith” (which is singular) to the saints in His revelation.  Sometimes, we may struggle to understand why God has been so limiting in the revelation of His will.  He gave us one faith, which we must abide by to be pleasing to Him.  Why would God not just save all men, or at least all “good men”?  I don’t know why God chose to do what He did, but my desires, and my thinking on the matter don’t really have an impact.  No matter what I think God should do, I must accept what He said that He did do (and is doing) for the salvation of men’s souls.  I can only teach that which has been revealed!

That brings us tot he second important element of this verse.  We as the children of God have to “contend earnestly” for that one faith that has been delivered!  We cannot change the gospel message to try and attract more people.  We can not make changes, allowing sin to remain because people simply do not want to give it up in their lives any more.  We have to teach that one gospel, which leads to the one faith of the New Testament.  To earnestly contend means that we are willing to take up the fight, defending the will of God just as it has been delivered.  We are not going to be so brass as to make changes.  We are not going to make excuses for the revelation of God.  We are simply going to teach what we have been given.

Will we contend earnestly for the faith?  Will we take our stand on the side of God?  May it be our daily determination to do just that!

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