None of us enjoys being proven wrong, yet these days I find myself amazed at the confrontational attitude of our society.
Fights at daycare, on the playground, through social media, or as all-encompassing as a world war indicate that humankind struggles to reach a peaceful compromise when believing that their way is the only correct path. Each contender, whatever the reason, believes their cause to be just and worthy of defense. W.C. Fields once said, “I don’t have to attend every argument I’m invited to,” but are there some battles worth fighting?
The tiny book of Jude is nestled right next to the New Testament book of Revelation and its writer is believed to be the brother of Jesus. For many years this Biblical author doubted his older sibling’s claim to be the Messiah (John 7:5). Although we are not told what led Jude to finally accept the heavenly lineage of Jesus, it is clear that his life was wholly dedicated to spreading the Gospel.
In his message to the early believers, Jude exhorts the church to “defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time (verse 3b).” He makes it clear that there are, indeed, battles worth fighting and truth worthy of our loyalty. According to this particular letter, Jude wanted to warn Christ’s followers that not everyone who claimed to follow the Messiah was actually doing so with a pure heart. Instead, these false believers were scoffers and complainers, intentionally dividing the faithful community with their ungodly desires and false teachings.
With the numerous forms of communication available to us today and the capability of flashing news across the globe instantly, discerning truth – especially the Ultimate Truth of God – can be challenging. God’s people must take steps to weed out the lies from the Truth, and this will only become a habit as we spend time in God’s Word, build a vibrant, committed relationship with Him, and remain in fellowship with other like-minded believers.
Some battles are necessary. Godly defense of our faith is one of them. Choose your battles wisely.
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