Contend for the Faith

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. Jude 3

If ever we fancy to see the old faith intact , this is the time to fight for the TRUTH. This is something we need to do these days: We need to earnestly contend for the faith. Earnestly means seriously without compromise.

We shouldn't fool around with this. We shouldn't pick it up and lay it down. No, we should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. We need to earnestly contend, that we don't let those things slip that were once given.

We also need to earnestly contend for the Lord to give back those things that have ceased, to where they are in full bloom again as they were meant to be.I remember growing up in the house of God and seeing the saints young and old crying with groins in prayer, i remember seeing tears flowing down as if it was raining , i remember seeing and hearing testimonies that moved you closer to God.Nowadays testimonies are just exciting stories that have no God inside them.

Here in Jude 3 we are exhorted to earnestly contend for the common salvation. That is what it's all about! We shouldn't let that slip.
Are you holding on to the common salvation yet letting many things about it die on the vine, not getting back to all that God gave when He brought this common salvation to us?

Looking Back 

We can look back to that day when the church was formed on the day of Pentecost and see what God gave us at that time.Another word that may help put the emphasis where it belongs in this Scripture is the word restore. For God to restore is for God to bring back things which have been lost for one reason or another: things which the church has drifted away from, things which it puts little importance on, things which it doesn't practice any longer.

The church doesn't see any need today for those things which were so important in days gone by.
If you go back to the beginning — back to the book of Acts — and start to look from there, you will soon find when the common salvation came to the Gentiles: Acts 10. Back there is where God gave the Gentiles the same gift of the Holy Ghost that He gave to Israel in the upper room.
We should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered, considering all that was given, going to work on it, making sure we're not laying it aside.

We need all of those things that God, in the abundance of His grace, has provided for us. Why, then, should we lay something aside? It may have been laid aside a long time ago by others, but why should we continue to leave it laying aside?

The Baptism of the Holy Ghost was laid aside for a long time. Going back many generations, you find very few who had the Baptism. It wasn't a common thing back then.
It was in the 20th Century that a great revival came forth of the outpouring of the Spirit, and God began pouring out His Spirit wonderfully. When it became manifest what God was doing, multitudes sought it out. And, certainly, this past century has seen some great revivals where God has poured out His Spirit.

God gave it, and, thus, it is something we want to earnestly contend for. Let's not be satisfied to take less.Now, when I say that, I don't mean that we're in control and can tell God what to do. I don't mean that at all. I mean that God gave it and that we may not be doing anything with what He has given. There are a lot of things that may be just laying idle.

If we're not doing anything with that which God has given, let's pick it up and get back all that we can by prayer and supplication: seeking God, studying His Word, embracing the promises, doing our best to enter in to those things.Let those things be manifest in our hearts and in our lives. It's there. What are we doing with it?

God inspired Jude to see this and to sit down and write a warning: that we should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Understand that it's up to us in a way to take hold of what God gave us. It's what we do, many times, with what we have. We have it and then we lay it aside, letting it slip.
God doesn't let it slip. We let it slip.

What Have You Let Slip?

Now, what have you let slip lately? Where have you slipped back a little? Where do you look and see that you're slipping back?I'm going to talk about you, personally, for a minute, and ask you a question: Why don't you have the gifts of God in your life? Is it because God took these gifts back? Is it because He's laid them aside? Or is it that you don't seek them out, that you don't have any interest in the gifts of God?

That's all it takes: losing your grip where you just don't have an interest, where you don't take time to pray. You don't seek it out from God, and, therefore, you don't receive it.

When was the last time you got down on your face and sought God in prayer.Praying on our knees has became  embarrassing in some eyes but the Lord said,"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."

Be not afraid to stand firm for the Lord , be not afraid of the eyes of man for their is no benefit in them.When you see evil in the house of  God ; speak out, when the man upfront errs speak out, when the TRUTH is not preached ,speak out!.

Somebody has to rise up and contend.Let's contend earnestly. Let's not just lie down, just sit down, and take it easy. The times merit our best service unto the Lord. The times merit our best.

Earnestly contend. Pray for restoration of the TRUTH in His Church. Contend for spiritual things! "God, give me a heart after spiritual things! Yes, God, give me a heart after spiritual things!"