Jude understood the importance of standing up for the truth.  He wrote a one-chapter letter to those he referred to as “the beloved in God the Father” (ver. 1).  He expressed his strong desire to write to them about the common salvation hoped for by all Christians.  No subject instills as much hope and joy in our hearts as the subject of salvation.  All preachers like to preach about it, and all Bible class teachers like to teach on it.  Who would not want to think about and meditate upon the great salvation provided for us by the grace of God?

Jude, however, knew there was something more pressing to discuss.  False teachers had infiltrated the church and were perverting the grace of God with their false doctrine (ver. 4).  So, instead of writing to them about the pleasant subject of salvation, Jude did what needed to be done—he appealed to them to “earnestly contend for the faith” (ver. 3).

The faith he was exhorting them to contend for was the gospel truth, that is, the inspired Word of God.  The word “contend” means “to struggle or strive for.”   It refers to fighting for something.  This is what Jude is exhorting us to do.  This is the action that every genuine Christian will take simply because we love the Word of God.

What is your first reaction when someone attacks, whether verbally or otherwise, someone you love?  Is it not to defend them?  It is that same love for the truth that will cause the Christian to stand up for it.  We know Paul was a genuine Christian, and how did he respond when the truth was attacked?

Philippians 1:15-16 (ESV)
¹⁵  Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. ¹⁶  The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.

Notice two things here.  First, even Paul’s enemies knew how he would respond to attacks upon the gospel.  They wanted to use his response against him, hoping he would act in such a way that might keep him in prison.  The point is this—enemies of the truth should know that we will defend the gospel.  Our love for the truth will not allow us to stand by while it is being distorted, dismissed, or disparaged in any way.

Second, Paul viewed defending the gospel as a part of his purpose.  He believed that the reason for his calling to the apostleship was to disseminate and defend the truth.  Christians realize that they are called for the same reason.  How can we be legitimate Christians if we fail to do one of the things we were called to do in the first place?

It takes boldness to stand up for the gospel in a world that opposes it.  It also takes the willingness to defend what is unpopular with the majority, but this is what Christians have always done.  If we love the truth, we will stand up for it regardless of the consequences.

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