“But, speaking the truth in love, we may grow up in all things into Him, who is the head, Christ Himself.”

— Ephesians 4:15

God has called us to walk in the truth and not in error. But the minute you begin to discern truth from error, immediately there are those who spring up to denounce you, while they declare the only Bible verse they seem to know: “Do not judge or you will be judged.”

The Epistle of Jude says that we are to contend for the faith that was given to the saints. We are told that we are to contend earnestly for the faith, and yet somehow or other we are to do it without being contentious.

To contend in love is the secret, and it is always a difficult one. We tend either to lose sight of love and compassion and just hack people to little pieces with our theological axes. Or we become so loving and so compassionate that we let Christian doctrine just sort of melt into a marshmallow type of thing it can be shaped however anyone wants it. But we are to contend, though non-contentiously, for the faith once for all delivered unto the saints.

There is a faith once and for all delivered to the saints. Faith here means not the subjective activity of our exercise of faith, but it means the objective body of doctrine which has been given to us, the Gospel of Jesus Christ that has been given to us.

God of truth, help us to see clearly by Your Spirit. Give us the right balance between truth and mercy, so that we may speak the truth in love…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
BE CONTENDERS FOR THE FAITH.