The importance of contending for the faith is clearly seen in the short epistle of Jude.  While he desired to write about salvation, he saw the great need for Christians to contend for the faith, so he encouraged them to do so.

Jude 3 (ESV)
³ 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.

My question is, why did Jude need to appeal to saints to contend for the faith in the first place? The obvious answer is that not enough of them were doing it.

Christians not contending for the faith continues to be a problem today.  First, let us be sure that we know what is meant by “the faith.”  Put simply, it is the gospel of Christ, which encompasses the totality of New Testament teaching.  It includes the story of Jesus Christ, emphasizing especially His death, burial, and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

It is a mistake, however, to conclude that “the faith” is no more than that.  As stated above, everything taught by the inspired men of the New Testament is a part of the faith.  For example, Paul included the subject of marriage in the faith (1 Timothy 4:1-3).   We must contend for it all.

Why is it that not all Christians contend for the faith?  I cannot really answer that question because there are several reasons why, and I am not in the business of deciphering motives or inner thoughts.

There is one reason that has become obvious over the years.  That reason is a belief that avoiding being offensive outweighs teaching the hard truth that people need to hear to be saved.  Some have gone so far as to scold preachers and teachers for being too harsh when it comes to denominationalism.  It is not that these teachers are rude or unloving in their presentation.  Their only mistake, according to those who refuse to contend for the faith, is that they publicly condemn man-made churches, calling them by name in the process.

Exposing error, along with the false teachers who espouse them, is a part of contending for the faith.  Jesus did it.  Paul did it, and faithful Christians must continue to do it today.  It is not something we should simply tolerate, but something we should recognize as commanded.

Ephesians 5:11 (ESV)
¹¹ Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

It is not that we should enjoy exposing false teachings and those who teach them.  We should feel a great deal of sadness whenever we learn that someone is teaching a false doctrine.  All false teachings and teachers have one thing in common—they lead to souls being lost.  There is nothing to enjoy about that.

Jude did not appeal to us to contend for the faith because it brought him joy when he did it.  He appealed to us because he knew contending for the faith saves souls in the end.

Do you want to save souls or make people feel good?  If you are interested in saving souls, you will make a habit of contending for the faith.  Never be persuaded to do otherwise, even when the persuading is being done by a brother or sister in Christ.

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