3 “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.”
Jude 1:3 (NIV)
It’s a real compliment when someone says, “You have a real feel for the game.” It basically means you know how to approach it, handle it, value it. You care, you contend just right. High performance results when you and I know how to do this.
There’s a real feel for faith too. And God wants us to have it. In Jude 1:3 we see three accents His Word notes to develop our feel for faith.
URGING FAITH: God’s Word urges us to have an urging faith, one that makes it a high priority. He wants us to care about faith enough to exercise and express it, not just to have it. An urgent faith is one that’s laced up and ready to play, that senses eternal consequences.
CONTENDING FAITH: God challenges us to fight hard for faith, fighting to both protect and advance the best message in the world. That means the gospel must have a team of people committed to play both good defense and good offense.
Spiritual wins don’t happen without this kind of contending faith.
Good D means protecting the truth from error and keeping oneself from being disqualified. Good O means mastering the simple message, understanding others, and advancing the ball, scoring on the devil and spreading Good News every possession we can.
ENTRUSTING FAITH: Our Lord entrusts us with a faith message to share with others. It’s a sacred trust. He wants the word to get out, not just get in. That is His way, His entrusting plan (2 Corinthians 5:18-21 is breathtaking! Take a moment to read it.). Value the mission.
Reflect: Is there an urgency in your faith? Are you contending for your faith? What adjustment today could be made to get more wins? Do you realize that you are entrusted with a very special mission and chosen for something super strategic?
A prayer to consider: LORD, I want to have a great feel for faith for life. So help me sense Your urgencies more than mine. And help me contend for faith, playing both sides of the ball, both ends of the floor.
Jesus, I don’t want to just have faith, but I want to use it. Being entrusted to carry and deliver the best message in the world is the highest honor. For Your glory and more Jesus wins, Amen.
