CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH

“Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

(Jude 3)

These werds contain two parts:

I. We should retain the faith delivered to the saints.

II. We should earnestly contend to keep it.

I. What is here meant by faith? It is not so much the grace of faith, but the doctrine of faith; not special faith, by which we apprehend special mercy upon a promise made to the elect, but the faith which is believed, the whole substance of the doctrine of Christ, as to things that are to be believed, and the duties that are to be practiced.

REFORMATION ISSUE

But why is it said that the faith was once delivered? Because it has been given finally, irrevocably, once for all.

‘Delivered to the saints,’ respects the privilege the saints of God had in the faith that God had left them. It is the faith of the gospel, committed as a treasure to them. The church is called a candlestick, not only to hold out the light, but to hold the light; whence the church is called the pillar and ground of the truth. Not that the church is to make doctrines, but to hold forth the doctrines of Christ, even as tablets and pillars, upon which proclamations are made public. The church of Christ is that place in which the truths of the Lord Jesus are kept and will be kept from one age to another.

But what is the import of the word ‘earnestly contend’? It is a word used only once in the New Testament. The root of the word is frequently used, and imports a struggling with might and main, as is seen in those who run at games. It is used for Jesus Christ in His sufferings, He was in agony: the same word from which this word is compounded. The apostle would imply such a contention, such a struggling to keep the faith of the gospel, that one word in the English is not able to express it, and interpreters very much differ as to what is its import. The best center is this, that we should contend for the faith, as men that would contend for their very lives.

The proposition is this, that it is the duty of the saints of God to maintain an earnest contention, to struggle for, and to keep the faith that was entrusted with them. And wherein does this contention consist.

1. It is not a carnal contention. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual. The saints are not called to contend for the faith-with carnal weapons, with carnal power and force. ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.’ The use of fleshly arm — prison, pillars, and chains, and taking away men’s comforts and property because of the faith of the gospel — has been the usual way in which error has defended itself but prayers and tears are the church’s weapons.

2. It is not a contention of uncharitableness, for it allows no murder, either of the bodies or souls of men. Christians are so to contend against error and sinful practices, as to love men’s persons, and pity those they contend with. Some are of the opinion that there is no way to show a holy zeal against errors, nor is it possible to destroy them, excpt by a holy separating from the persons of those who hold them. There are some to whom it is not lawful to say Godspeed, or receive them into our houses: but yet this is in order to the saving their souls: ‘others save with fear pulling them out of the fire.’ Jude 23.

But positively, this holy contention consists in these four things:

By a right management of the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, against errors and sinful practices, to be able to confute them mightily, as Apollos did, out of the Scriptures, showing the Jews that; Jesus is Christ.

By prayer: to pray down sinful opinions and practices. Thus when we pray, ‘Thy kingdom come,’ we ask that the gospel may run and be glorified, that these nights of darkiness may be dispelled, that truth may shine to the perfect day.

By holy practicing against errors; by holding forth the word of life in your conduct; by striving together by a mutual provocation for the faith of the gospel in holy walking.

By being able to suffer for the sake of the truth.

I shall now sum up all in a word of exhortation. Let every one that bears the name of a Christian take up this exhortation of the apostle, ‘Earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints.’ The sum of all is: Be valiant for the truth of Christ. Whatever has been delivered to you consistent with the truth, agreeable to the faith delivered to us, struggle for with might and main, by all Christian courage, by argument, practice, prayer, by suffering, rather than let go those truths that God has taught you by His faithful ministers. That Christ who has been preached to you; those Scriptures you have in your hands; those doctrines you have learned by experience, by prayer, by searching the Word; those ways of worship God has taught you; those patterns of His house, and outgoings and returnings there, which He has taught you; hold them fast, and do not let them go. ‘Contend earnestly for the faith.’

It is to be lamented that there is so sad a spirit of indifference among Christians at this present day. Many act as if there were nothing in the gospel of Christ that is worthy of owning by practicing, or worthy of owning by suffering. The lukewarm, indifferent disposition has done the church of God a great deal of mischief formerly, and, if admitted now, will do as much mischief again. It has been one of the sins which the Lord at this day is judging and punishing His poor people for. Our zeal has been so hot against one another for mere external things and so cold when we are likely to lose the substance. Our contentions rise so high in matters hardly of any importance, and our spirits work so low when they are to gain the great things for which Christ suffered and which He delivered to us.

It is my work, therefore, to beg you that you would put on a holy resolution, that there may be no contention among us (for we are brethren) but only that contention which may most retain, and best give witness to, the faith that is delivered to us. It is a trust God has committed to us, and He expects us to manage it with courage and confidence, to keep the faith of the gospel. There are very great oppositions against you, and there ought to be great resolutions in Christians to maintain themselves against such oppositions. It is a very sad thing, if, when Christians see the faith and the way of the gospel of God, as it were, taken from them at any time, they have not one word to speak, nor anything at all to venture in suffering for the ways and truths of Jesus Christ. Moses had such a holy zeal that when Aaron was an example to the people to lead them to idolatry, he contended with him earnestly to his face. The zeal of God’s servants is to small now, that though Balaam is attacking God’s work, we have not a word to speak. Though the false prophets of Antichrist are engaged about their business, yet no Christian has courage to speak. As for the holy apostle Paul, when Peter walked with an uneven foot, and began to Judaize, he tells us that he resisted him to his face. Shall Paul resist Simon Peter, and shall not the saints of God resist Simon Magus? Shall they resist Hy-menaeus and Philetus, and shall not we contend with Alexander the coppersmith? It is but what God expects; and the exhortation here given us is that we should maintain with might and main, as that which is our treasure, the faith once delivered to the saints.

To put you upon this, I will encourage you with several things. All the reasons mentioned are so many motives to this holy spiritual contention.

1. The mercy of God in delivering the truth to you, should engage you to this holy contention. It is such a mercy as is a non-such mercy. ‘He hath given his judgments to Jacob, and His statutes to Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation,’ Isaiah 147:19-20. How many of those we call Christians in the world, are put, like Samson, to grind among the Philistines.’ They are taken up with superstition, popery, idolatry, will-worship, such things as Jesus Christ never delivered to His saints, as if both their eyes were put out. The Scripture light that should have showed them the truth is taken from them. Their consciences that should teach them, are carried in the pocket of some base priest, and they dare not believe any other than what he will tell them. How many there are, even of the very Eeformed of the world, who only get upon some broken plank of shipwreck truth, on which they swim to the Lord Jesus? But God does not deal thus with us. You have had the whole counsel of God revealed to you, a glorious light set up in the nation for four hundred years past, which has been like the light of seven days. For these many years past the running to and fro of men has increased knowledge. You have learned the truth from God’s faithful ministers. You have received it with much affliction, with many temptations. It has cost Jesus Christ dear to send it, it has cost you dear to receive it; and will you let it go? Your sin above all others will be most provoking to the Lord Jesus.

2. It is a time in which many let go the faith, and I think the Lord Jesus, by His poor and unworthy messenger, says to this great congregation, as once He did to His apostles, ‘Will ye also go away?’ There are many that have been forward and eminent professors of the faith delivered to the saints, that have made shipwreck of faith and a good conscience. Will you split upon the same rock? God has kept the truth for you, and kept you in the truth hitherto and He is coming to see whether you will cleave to it, and keep it, or not. We have been sucking at the breasts of the ordinances, and dandled upon the knees of providences, and gone on in a smooth way of profession; but what will you do if you must possibly suffer persecution for it? To keep the faith, you may lose your liberty, your life, your estate. And there is a great deal of hazard upon this account, for it has pleased God so to dispose it, that those that should be your guides into truth, the Lord is removing into corners. Possibly while they have been with you, you have kept the faith; but what will you do when they are gone? While Moses was with the people they cleaved to the Lord; when once he was gone into the mount, they fell into their idolatry, and worshipped a calf. While Paul was at Ephesus the flock kept pure, but (saith he) T know after my departure grievous wolves shall break in, not sparing the flock.’ So while you have heard of God, who sends voices and warnings to scare away the wolves and foxes from you, possibly you may keep the faith; but what will you do when God removes them?

3. God has ever had in all ages of His church, a word of His patience to be kept to try His saints, and therefore it concerns you be valiant for the truth. In all the series of God’s dispensations with His church, there has been something or other of the faith of Christ, that has cost them resisting to blood, the sacrificing of their lives, the laying down of all that they have for it by suffering. Now even as they, so we; if not in the same thing, yet in the same faith. We have still some word or other of God’s patience to keep, therefore we need to put on the armor of light. You must wrestle with the fiery trial. There is some jewel that Jesus Christ puts upon you to wear, that persecutors and persecutions, heresies and heretics, will scratch at, which you must hold out to keep; and this must be till the latter part of the rage and reign of Antichrist is over; and even as you keep that, so will God keep you, Rev. 3:10. As you honor the word of God’s patience, so God will honor you. As you are faithful to Him, so will He give you the crown, and not otherwise. Hence, therefore, it concerns us all to be armed with a holy confidence and resolution, as to this spiritual warfare, in contending for the faith delivered to us.

But the great thing I shall speak about is: How may Christians be helped in this holy struggling and contention? I shall only mention five or six things, some to fit you for it, others to help you in the management of it.

Rule 1. Bring all doctrines that are offered you tp believe, and all practices you are asked to perform, to the test of the Scriptures, the Word of God. Try them there, whether they are to be retained, or rejected. You will thus discover what is right, and what is wrong; and you will have on the best part of your armor by which to contend against error.

You will discover what is right, and what is wrong; for the Scripture alone is the touchstone of doctrines, and the trial of spirits. The Scripture reveals itself, and reveals all things that are contrary to it. When you are bidden to try all things, it is not by practicing all things, as some poor giddy-headed Christians of late days have done, till they have run themselves into all opinions. But it is the Scripture you are first to try, and then to practice; like the noble Bereans, that were more noble than those of Thessalonica, because they searched the Scriptures. Bring the truths that have or shall be taught you, and the doctrines that shall be imposed upon you, to the Word of God. See whether they be according to the truth, or not: for false doctrines and false worship of all things hate the Scripture most. They are like false coin, or false jewels, which look best in the night. False coin will not endure the touchstone, nor false jewels the day. No more will false doctrines the Scripture, therefore it will be a great way to discover them.

This will be a great way to vanquish them. ‘Take the sword of the Spirit,’ Eph. 6:17. The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit, by which we slay heretical doctrines, and by which we are to slay sinful practices. All those stones that the Davids of God have flung at the Goliaths of error, they have been taken out of the brook of the Scriptures. Therefore reduce all doctrines offered you to believe, all kinds of worship that are taught you to practice, to the Word of God.

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