Contend Against Counterfeits

The relativism of our age would have us think that we can believe whatever we want and do whatever feels good. In contrast, Jude, writing nearly twenty centuries ago, appealed to believers to contend for the faith and to beware of those who were distorting the Gospel by exchanging its freedom for license. Jude’s appeal, while unpopular, is just as critical today. Genuine Christians must stand firm for “the faith,” neither adding to it nor subtracting from it, trusting that true freedom is found in Christ alone.Ever since the church began, false prophets have infiltrated congregations, leading others astray by denying Christ’s power and abusing God’s grace as an opportunity for immorality. In his epistle, Jude made sure his readers would be able to recognize “these people” by issuing three charges against them: they pollute the flesh, they reject authority, and they slander God’s truth. We need to heed Jude’s warning, acknowledge the danger, and keep the faith by trusting in Christ, our eternal fixed point and the only one who can save us, shepherd us, and preserve us.⁠