While Jude wanted to write to brethren about salvation, he realized that there was a more pressing need.

Jude 1:3 (ESV)
³Beloved, 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.

The faith that Jude was referring to was objective rather than subjective.  Subjective faith has to do with our personal faith toward God and His Word, while objective faith refers to the collective teaching of the New Testament.  The term “faith,” when used objectively, is synonymous with the gospel (Galatians 1:11, 23).

In Jude 1:3, Jude is exhorting us to stand up for the gospel of Christ.  We know that the gospel has always been under assault from man (Galatians 1:6).  In every century, from the first until now, there have existed a multitude of false teachers corrupting the Word of God (2 Corinthians 2:17).  This has always been, and will always be, a clear and present danger to the church.

2 Peter 2:1–2 (ESV)
¹But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. ²And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.

These false teachers often have sinful characteristics, but not always.  It is easy to identify false teachers who have “eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin” (2 Peter 2:14), but we must also be on guard against those who might be very sincere and well-intentioned but who, nevertheless, bring forth destructive heresies that will cause many to be lost.  Never forget the warning of our Lord when it comes to teachers.

Matthew 15:14 (ESV)
¹⁴Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

One of the great dangers of false teachers is that they do not always appear to be such.  Sometimes they purposely hide their true intentions.

Acts 20:29–30 (ESV)
²⁹I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; ³⁰and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

Do you think a false teacher would ever say to members of a local church, “My plan is to draw away disciples after me.”  Of course not.  Paul once described them as “…deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:13).  It is our responsibility to recognize false teachers when they come among us.  But it is not enough to defend ourselves against them, we must defend the truth against their assaults as well.  Paul was set for the defense of the gospel, and we must be as well.

For the rest of this week, I want to consider some specific areas of the gospel that have come under attack and defend the truth.  Hopefully this will help us to contend for the faith when we see it being attacked.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.