Jude 1:3 reads, “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.” On the face of it, these are fighting words. But the question we must ask ourselves is this: how is that fight best fought and won?
In many ways, this verse captures the spirit of the age in which we live. We live in a time of great division and disagreement. People of all manner of perspectives, preferences, and positions are easily offended and more than willing to be offensive. The tension in this cultural moment is palpable; you can feel it. It almost seems as if we’re all just looking for a fight. And, this verse in Jude, along with a few others, is often used to baptize and sanctify our side.
I wonder, however, if having a better, more well thought out argument is really what Jude intended. What’s more, I wonder if having a better, more well thought out argument is all that effective in this current cultural moment. It seems to me having better, more well thought out arguments only serves to add to the noise and confusion of an angry and combative world.
Our apologia (defense of the faith) shouldn’t result in or require an apology.
The study and development of a formal defense and logical explanation of the faith is known as apologetics. It comes from the Greek word apologia, which means a verbal defense or a speech made in court. Make no mistake, I think it is essential that every follower of Christ know what they believe and why. We should “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have… with gentleness and respect,” as the apostle Peter encourages in 1 Peter 3:15. And while there are aspects of the faith that will absolutely be uncomfortable to hear, we shouldn’t be unnecessarily offensive in our approach. Our apologia (defense of the faith) shouldn’t result in or require an apology. Rather, it should result in careful consideration of the evidence and, hopefully, acceptance of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I contend that the best apologia is not found in better arguments, but is demonstrated in faithful action. The best way to defend the faith is to actually live a faithful life. This is not only the more effective way to fight the good fight, it is also the more difficult battle. It’s easy to join the chorus of angry voices railing against what we think is wrong in the world. It’s much harder to go against the grain and do what we believe is right when everything around us seems to be going wrong. It’s easy to find fault in others and use Scripture as a sword to attack those who believe and act differently. It’s much harder to evaluate our own lives and use Scripture as a scalpel to cut away attitudes and actions that fail to align with the faith we claim.
When we put it all together, the calling to “contend for the faith” isn’t an excuse to be contentious; it is an exhortation to consider the content and character of our lives.
Jude closes out his short letter like this: “But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire…” When we put it all together, the calling to “contend for the faith” isn’t an excuse to be contentious; it is an exhortation to consider the content and character of our lives. We need to put away the self-righteous contention and adopt a posture of self-awareness and repentance. A life that demonstrates the truth of the gospel is the best evidence of the faith we claim; much more effective than any other argument we could offer. To borrow from the book of James: Faith that stops with words is worthless; faith that works is what will make a difference in the world. Let’s make sure we’re fighting the good fight for the faith by living faithful lives.
