“If … the control of the Seminary passes into entirely different hands -- then Princeton Theological Seminary as it has been so long and honorably known, will be dead, and we shall have at Princeton a new institution of radically different type.” ¹ Those words were written by J. Greshem Machen before he left Princeton in 1929, as liberal theologians were about to be appointed to the board of the seminary.

And as we look at Princeton today it is clear that Machen was indeed right. It is hard to imagine that Princeton was once the gem of conservative theological seminaries with such names as Benjamin Warfield, Charles Hodge, and John Murray. But how did it get from that point to where it is now? The answer is that men were appointed to the board who had a low view of the Word of God and the importance of the doctrines taught therein. In fact, as Machen wrote that line two men were about to be appointed to the board at Princeton who had signed a document titled the “Auburn Affirmation” which denied that the Scriptures were without error. Such was the beginning of the end of Princeton seminary in Machen’s eyes, and no doubt many of us would agree.

A similar story could be told about The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary moving from a seminary producing men of the highest theological awareness and godly character to becoming a housing grounds for lesbian weddings presided over by its faculty – that is, before God graciously turned it around, back toward its previously glories which we get to behold today and of which I am a direct beneficiary!

And again, the story with Southern was that slowly there was a compromise on biblical theological convictions until the teaching there stood against the Word of God itself.

But these are examples with seminaries, not with churches. Is this creeping in of theological compromise something that churches should fear? something that we need to guard against? Jude resoundingly answers us, “Yes!” In fact, this is the occasion of the letter. He tells them in verse 3 that he wanted to write to them talking about their common salvation, however he was compelled out of necessity to write begging them to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. But what had caused this? He says in verse 4, “For certain people have crept in unnoticed … who pervert the grace of our God … and deny … Jesus Christ.” Therefore, this exhortation to contend for the faith is the heart of this epistle and something that we no doubt need to be aware of today.

Yet that is not where Jude starts, and so neither will we. Rather, I want to look at these first four verses this morning and remind us of our present situation, what our situation means and doesn’t mean, the reality of a fight that will be ours, and some particulars of that fight. Then I want to mention some particular applications that I want us as individuals and as a church to be aware of.

Therefore, let me point out a few things from these four verses that we need to see

We are in a position of great grace

Jude begins his letter reminding them of who they are. He writes, “To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ” (v. 1). And this is a description of believers, for in Paul’s writings, and it appears in Jude as well, to be called is to be saved.

Therefore, if you are a believer, here are some things that can be said of you. First, you have been called by God. That is to say, there is a call by God that results in men’s salvation, in our justification, and you have received this call. Now, this is hard to understand because my speech can be without power. For example, when I was at Union there was a Christian brother there named Patrick Whyte. He was from Africa, 6 ½ - 7 feet tall, and quite strong. And one day I laughed at something he did, and so he lightheartedly told me that he was going to put me in the fountain. Well, I knew well enough to know that though Patrick loved me and wasn’t mad, he very well might throw me into the fountain there at Union. So I took off running. Eventually, however, he cornered me, picked me up, and lowered me into the fountain.

Now, do you think Patrick could have just said, “Get into the fountain,” and forced me to jump in just by his command, just by the power of his voice? No way. I didn’t want to get into the fountain. If he was going to get me into the fountain he was going to have to throw me in there – and so he did! But his voice didn’t have the power to get me off the ground and into the fountain, and he’s one of the strongest men I knew.

God, however, is different. When he wanted to create the world out of nothing, he didn’t need to exert great force and struggle like Patrick had to with me. Rather, he simply spoke. And his voice created. His voice can bring about more than we could ever do by physical force.

And the Scripture speaks of a call of God that brings about men’s justification. In fact, Romans 8:30 says, “Those whom he called he also justified.” Thus, there is a call that results in nothing less than our justification. And if you have been saved, you have received this effective call. Therefore, Jude simply addresses those who have been saved (have been justified) as “those who are called.” So, we have been called by God, receiving his call that has brought about our justification.

But why did God call us? The answer we find is that because God loved us. This is a second aspect of our position. As those who have been called by God, we are those who are loved by God. Jude addresses these people also as those who are “beloved in God the Father.”

If you are a believer, hear this: God loves you. He called you because he loved you. Why does he love us? There’s really no reason to that but his grace, because he loved us even while we were his enemies, but it is true that he loves you. God has decided to make you the object of his love. His heart is toward you. So, your life may be greatly difficult, you may be going through the greatest struggle you’ve ever faced, but you can know that God loves you.

Finally, Jude refers to them as those, “kept for [or by] Jesus Christ.” He has called us to himself and he keeps us. In fact, it appears from this text that it is the responsibility of Jesus Christ to keep the redeemed until they are at home with the Father. Jesus prays no less in John 17 when he prays, “While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them …” (17:12).

Your security is in Christ’s ability to keep you. Your salvation began in God’s call and will be complete because of Christ’s strength in preserving you. Therefore, today your hope of final salvation is in Christ. You can trust his ability.

So, as believers we are called by God, loved by God, and kept by Jesus Christ. Do you see the position of grace that we are in? God did not have to do any of these things, and yet (if you are a believer) he has decided to do all of them. And notice who’s active here. It’s God. You’re just the beneficiary of his sovereign work. He called and you received the blessing of that calling. He loves you and you receive the blessing of that love. He will keep you and you will receive the blessing of his preserving ability. You are the simply the objects of God’s great grace. When asked why we are in this blessed position, we could simply answer, “God’s the one you should talk to; not me.” We are indeed in a blessed position of great grace.

However, our position as recipients of God’s grace does not mean we do not have the responsibility to fight

Jude writes that they are to “contend,” that is to struggle, to fight. I will look at the particulars of our fighting in a second. But first, let me get this across. So many times we decide to be wiser than God. That is to say, we decide how things can and cannot fit together, and then dictate those principles to God. And the things we have discussed thus far are a prime area where we do that. For in the case of many of us, when we hear these notions of God’s sovereignty in our lives, we determine that if God is sovereign and will accomplish what he will accomplish, then we are in no way responsible creatures.

But why do we think that? I think it is because our philosophy tells us that. Our philosophy tells us that either God must be completely sovereign or man must be completely responsible. But it cannot be both. In fact, we might say, you can limit God’s sovereignty a bit and then treat man responsible or limit man’s responsibility and then say God is somewhat sovereign. However, you can’t have both 100 percent; it’s impossible. The reason we say it can’t exist, however, is not because Scripture has said that to us, but man’s philosophy has.

Thus, Baxter warns, “When [we] are taught philosophy before or without religion, what wonder if [our] philosophy be all or most of [our] religion!” ² Therefore, we must let the Scripture dictate to us what can and cannot be; what is and what is not. And Scripture not only tells us that God can be completely sovereign and man can be completely responsible, it tells us that God is completely sovereign and man is completely responsible. This is a common assumption in the Scripture that each of these can stand. So many of our theological struggles would become cleared up in the light if we could see the truth here.

Therefore, beware of trying to become wiser than God and telling him what can and cannot be. Beware of rejecting his truth because you cannot fit it into your philosophical grid. God calls us, loves us, and keeps us. It is a sure thing. Yet, we are responsible to fight. As John Piper has pointed out, “Just because the brilliant Commander in Chief promises victory on the beaches doesn’t men the troops can throw their weapons overboard. The promise of victory assumes valor in battle.” ³ But for what are we to fight?

We are called to fight for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints

Jude writes to his hearers, “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” There is a body of doctrine, of belief, of “faith” that we are to fight to make sure is clear and clearly proclaimed in the church. It is crucial.

Now, some would want to lesson the importance of the content of what we believe, pointing out that salvation is a change of heart. Consequently, someone may not know much and yet have indeed been born again. I agree. However, there are also certain things that must be believed for someone to be saved, to be born again. And if they do not, it does not matter what kind of experience we have, we will not be saved.

For example, Paul writes to the Corinthians, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast the word I preached to you – unless you believed in vain.” And then he lays out the content of the gospel, writing, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures …” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Therefore, if one has had a great experience but does not believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins and has been raised from the dead, he will not be saved.

So, the content of the faith is very important to us. Doctrine is very important to us. That’s why we confessed together this morning the Apostles’ Creed, to remind ourselves of the basic tenets of the faith. And we must hold on to these things. You can have a lot of things that look great in the church, but if you compromise justification by grace, through faith, in Christ alone (for example) you have nothing.

And there were individuals amongst those to whom Jude was writing who had taught that God’s grace was a license for sin. Now, we do not teach that we are saved by good works, but we do teach that saving faith produces good works, or we have something that is not saving faith. Therefore, we labor to ensure that truth is being proclaimed.

And let me add, confronting another when he or she does not believe the truth of the Christian faith is a loving thing to do. Someone has said, “Nothing can be more cruel than a tenderness that consigns another to his sins, nothing more compassionate than one sternly calling him back.” ⁴ This is the fight which Jude has in mind as he writes this. So, where will be our fight?

Our fight will be (at least at times) in the lives of professing believers and church members

Notice why Jude says that he has to write about this topic. He writes, “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” (v. 4).

The people that were bringing about the false teaching that threatened to destroy the church were already in the church! They had crept in unnoticed. They were ungodly, perverting God’s grace, designated for condemnation (probably meaning their actions had already been condemned in judgment even from Old Testament days), and they were denying Jesus Christ. Yet, they were in the church.

So, Jude wants the church to know that as they battle for truth in the church, they will at times have to confront those who are already in the church. For, again, if you allow someone to believe and teach others falsehood, you are not loving the individual nor those being taught by the individuals. It is evil to allow someone to believe and teach falsehood in the church. We wouldn’t allow it in our homes and we should not allow it in the church.

For, as we began, Princeton and Southern (prior to 1993 and beyond) are examples of what can result when people are not willing to contend for the faith.

But who is to be so vigilant in this struggle? Who’s responsibility is it to contend for the faith?

The call extends to the whole church

Remember Jude’s audience. He does not say, “To those who are really spiritual in the church.” He does not say, “To those who are elders in the church.” He does not say, “To those who really like doctrine.” He says, “To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.” And that is you, if you are a believer. Therefore, it is a responsibility and call that extends to all of us. That is why Paul can say to the Galatians, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let me be accursed. [Then, in the very next verse …] As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8-9). The responsibility to contend for the faith falls to the church as a whole.

But what specifically should we do?

I will close by listing a few things I think we should specifically keep in mind as a church.

1) Know the Word so that you may be competent for this task, for it is a task for which you will be held responsible.

If you don’t know the Word, how do you know if there is error being taught? Know the Word.

2) Do not believe the lie that doctrine is unimportant.

Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:6 and 16, “If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed … Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

False doctrine is the reason those men flew planes into the world trade centers. False doctrine is why people believe adultery is acceptable. False doctrine can lead people to hell. Do not believe the lie that doctrine is unimportant but devote yourself to learning those doctrines put forth in God’s Word.

3) Ensure your leaders and teachers are holding fast to the authority of Scripture and doctrine therein.

At Princeton and Southern, the downhill collapse began with men saying the Bible could have errors, it resulted in lesbian weddings in the basement. Ensure your leaders and teachers hold fast to the authority of Scripture and the doctrine therein. One basic way this can be done is by ensuring that individuals here agree and hold to our statement of faith, which is a basic summary of Christian doctrine.

4) Encourage, exhort, and confront your professing brothers and sisters not only on ethical behavior but on orthodox beliefs.

We often think that we should encourage each other in holy practice. So we encourage and pray for coupes to remain sexually pure until marriage and would rightly confront someone is he or she was not practicing that. But we also need to remember to encourage each other in holy faith. So encourage and remind one another of truths, and confront someone if he or she begins to sway from that truth. In other words, love your professing brothers and sisters enough to be willing to fight for their souls.

5) Finally, pray for God’s hand to carry out his work.

At the end of the day, we need God’s gracious hand on his church if she is to honor him. So, a main way we can labor in through our prayers, expressing our desperate need of his grace. We can pray with Jude, “May God’s mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to us.” In Jesus’ name. Amen.

¹ Ned. B. Stonehouse, J. Gresham Machen: A Biographical Memoir (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1987), 427.

² Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor (Carlisle: The Banner of Truth Trust, reprint, 1999), 60.

³ John Piper, “Contend for the Faith,” A sermon preached at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN on Sunday morning November 25, 1984 (Minneapolis: Desiring God Ministries, 1984).

⁴ Mark Dever, “Is This You? The Contenders,” A sermon preached at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. on November 8, 1998 (http://www.capitolhillbaptist.org/Sermon%20summaries/1998 /Sermon Summary110898.htm).

THE CALL OF GOD AND CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH