Jude verses 3 and 4 are extremely important in his letter to the early Christians. Here we find the reason FOR the letter and the challenge Jude wants his readers to experience because holding firm to our faith will be rewarded.
"I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith". Jude wants his readers to ensure they focus all their efforts and energy on maintaining their faith. He wants them to remember and focus on the 'once for all' saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Why is Jude being so forward?
Verse 4 explains where Jude is coming from. Here he points out the problem the early churchgoers were facing without them realising: false teachers. Even then, a mere few decades after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, there were some who weaved themselves into the fellowship of believers and caused problems, creating arguments, disjointed beliefs and eventually a split in the church fellowship.
"For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." (v4 ESV)
Isn't it amazing that even before this very letter, Jude refers to these 'certain people' having been around along time before the early Christians. These people are those who act as friends. Come over all too friendly with everyone, they may be extrovert people with a finger in every pie/event/activity/office of the church, and go out of their way to befriend those with some sort of authority (for self-purposes), perhaps even making a big song and dance about their friendship. The minute your back is turned, WHAM! They cause problems (subtly, of course, in the background). They infiltrate even the closest church fellowship. I have been in many churches where it is clear who truly ran the place. Whole families leaving the church because another family refused to do something or said something else or (as our passage alludes) were 'ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master'.
I have been at the end of a few challenging infiltrators, myself. I am sure you have. These infiltrators are everywhere, in almost every church and their sole purpose is to "pervert the grace of God".
"A little isn't going to harm you."
"Your first time won't make a difference, you won't get hooked that quickly!"
"Go on, it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission!"
"God made these things and wants you to enjoy them, why else would he make them?"
"You don't really need to pray or read your bible, or even attend church regularly, God still loves you no matter what."
"You can miss one week, can't you?"
Really? Is this what you hear? Or perhaps a variation of them. The questions and sayings are endless. Jude knows this and the damage that each phrase can cause to a fellowship of believers, sadly, so does Satan and he will exploit them at every opportunity.
However, something far more powerful is the truth of the Gospel found in verse 3 ...
"I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints."
What was 'delivered to the saints'? God's revelation through Jesus Christ!
The Gospel has the power to help us 'contend for the faith' through the blood of Jesus when he died 'once for all' to forgive our sin and reunite us to God. If you focus on that truth then you will 'contend your faith', that is, resist temptation to 'deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ'.
