The Faith Once Delivered to the Saints
John Bull, M. A. Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write to you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write to you… I. WHAT IS IT? 1. The word faith here must be understood as meaning the objects of faith — all the great doctrines of the gospel which we must cordially believe, and all its holy precepts which we must diligently practise. 2. This faith was once delivered to the saints. It was communicated first to the evangelists and apostles by the teaching of Jesus Christ and by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and was by them spread abroad in the world. II. HOW ARE WE TO CONTEND FOR IT? 1. We must strenuously contend for this faith, as a prize of inestimable value. 2. We must also contend for this faith with great diligence. It should be our daily study and prayer that this faith may be firmly rooted in our own hearts, and in the hearts of all who are placed under our care or under our influence. 3. We must contend for the faith once delivered to the saints, with much anxiety. We must be "sober and vigilant," as knowing that we are exposed to many enemies, who would rob us of our faith. 4. We must further contend for this faith with constant perseverance. Surely you would not wish merely to fight some battles well in contending for your Christian faith, and then give up all for lost.Conclusion: 1. If any additional motives are necessary to persuade you thus to "contend for the faith once delivered to the saints," consider — (1) How much your present peace and eternal welfare depend upon this contest. (2) Consider how strongly you are urged by a principle of gratitude to hand down to others the pure faith of the gospel which you have received from your fathers. (3) There is another motive which should strongly urge you in this arduous contest: This is the love of Christ and of your brethren. (John Bull, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. WEB: Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.