June 27, 2025 - Jude 1:3 - "Faith Once Delivered Unto the Saints"

Jude 1:3

"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."

Here we have a solemn and urgent call to all who believe the Gospel of God's sovereign grace in Christ. In a time when truth was being compromised and false teachers were creeping in, Jude exhorted the saints to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” This faith is not of human origin, nor is it open to revision—it is the Everlasting Truth of salvation accomplished by the LORD Jesus Christ alone, given to His people by grace alone. Here we are reminded of the preciousness of this Gospel and the need to stand firmly and faithfully upon it in the face of all opposition.

With tenderness, the apostle Jude writes to those who are beloved in the LORD. "Beloved" means to have the special favor of God, or loved above measure. Any that are believers are not so because of anything in them, but solely because God has purposed to save them and has set His love and affection upon them. In Romans 9:11-13, it says, "For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid." This is just the opposite of what we would normally think. Typically, it is the younger that would serve the elder. So why the difference here? Verse thirteen answers, "as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." Some people have a problem with this doctrine, but it's the doctrine of Scripture. It's the doctrine that gives God all the glory in salvation.

The "beloved" of God were chosen by Him, even before the foundation of the world, redeemed by Christ in the fullness of the time, and regenerated by the Spirit of God. They are beloved only in, through, and by the LORD Jesus Christ. All that Christ has redeemed as the Lamb slain are called the beloved. "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved" (Ephesians 1:5,6).

When Jude writes of the common salvation of those who are elected by God in Christ and called by the Sovereign Holy Spirit, we are not to think of it in terms of just being everywhere believed by everyone. No, there's nothing common in that sense about the salvation that is of the LORD. It's a glorious truth, and it's a glorious reality for those that God is pleased to save and not everyone. It's anything but common. It's a special grace of God. This is said to be "common" because it is the one salvation that all believers share. There's no difference. Jesus Christ is the common Savior. No matter where you go in the world, where God has been pleased to do a work of grace in the heart of a sinner, red or white, yellow or black, Jesus Christ is the Savior, and they all share Him and His finished work at the cross in common. They all have Him as their Righteousness. They all have Him as their Redemption. They all have Him as their Wisdom and their Sanctification. They've all been bought with the same blood, justified by the same righteousness, and called by the same Spirit. By God's grace, they'll enjoy and possess the same glory (1 Corinthians 1:30,31)

So many today have this general perverted view of faith, that somehow it's something that everybody has, and that just by a determination of their will they can appropriate it to themselves. There's a difference between what man calls 'faith' and what the scriptures call "the Faith". The very first fundamental point is that God is absolutely sovereign in all things. "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" (Daniel 4:35). This verse gives a clear description of the one true God. Faith is Godward. "For in him we live, and move, and have our being..." (Acts 17:28). Without the will and authority of God, no human being or spiritual power may do anything. It's God Who upholds all things by His will and His Almighty Word.

All men are sinners by nature and utterly depraved. Many think that men have "free will" and that they may, depending on what they choose, either come to Christ or reject Him. That's a very popular message today. Men indeed have a will, but the problem is with that word "free". Man is always going to choose according to his fallen nature. Being corrupt and dead in sin, he can only choose what is contrary to God. He cannot choose between good and evil. Left to himself, he will only choose that which is evil (Romans 3:10-18). "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:44).

Therefore we see the necessity of God doing the saving. That is why He has chosen a people unto salvation. The LORD Jesus Christ prayed in the garden before He went to the cross, "As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him" (John 17:2). Many today are ignorant of the truth of God's electing grace. Neverthess, this is the Faith for which every faithful preacher must contend. This doctrine of God's electing grace in Christ is fundamental to what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that from all eternity, God the Father entered into a covenant of grace with God the Son, to save every sinner that He had chosen and given to His Son. In Scripture, such sinners are called the elect of God. It's referring to those that the Father has chosen and given to his Son before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1:4. This is no small number. God has chosen sinners to salvation out of every tribe, nation, and tongue throughout the world, and His choice was based on the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His glory (Revelation 7:9).

Therefore, "the Faith once delivered unto the saints" is that faith that sets the LORD Jesus Christ forth as the Savior of each chosen sinner for whom He died. This truth is also greatly misunderstood today, especially since the popular message is that Christ died to save everyone in the world without exception. The Word does not say that. "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). In speaking with the Pharisees, the LORD affirmed that He came to "lay down His life for the sheep", and at the same time He told them, "ye believe not, because you are not of my sheep," (John 10:11,26). In His high priestly prayer, Christ said, "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine" (John 17:9).

The LORD Jesus Christ, according to the scriptures, did not die for everyone without exception. However, the Bible does teach that Christ died for all without distinction. That is, He died for all kinds of sinners, men and women, rich and poor, black and white, jew and gentile. This is the meaning of Christ giving His life as a ransom for all (1 Timothy 2:6). He did not come to try to save as many sinners as possible, but to accomplish the salvation of His elect as their Representative and Substitute. "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day" (John 6:39).

The Faith for which every God-sent preacher must contend and all saints (redeemed and justified sinners) believe is this Faith that teaches that God effectively calls all whom He has chosen. The Scriptures present two kinds of divine calling:

First, there's a general call that addresses primarily all mankind everywhere. The Apostle Paul spoke of this in his message to the Athenians on Mars Hill, saying, "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:" Notice the word commands. He's not inviting, He commands. Every faithful preacher of the Gospel makes this call every time they preach. Sinners everywhere are commanded to repent and believe on the LORDJesus Christ. To repent and believe are synonymous and simultaneous (Acts 20:21). Repentance is a change of heart toward God, and belief is toward the LORD Jesus Christ as the one Object of repentance and faith. Whether a sinner is elected of God or not, God commands everyone to repent, and not to repent means the wrath of God abides on that sinner (John 3:36).

Second, there is that special, internal call of the Spirit of God Who makes the preaching of the gospel effectual to draw the elected sinners to Christ in faith, and this calling is completely of God. It is God Who works in the heart of His elect when He pleases. We know that a sinner was elected by God by the fact that he comes to Christ and continues in the faith until death. The special call of God is effectual, in that when God is pleased to draw anyone to Christ, they cannot continue in darkness and rebellion. Such sinners will renounce themselves as being worthy of condemnation, and will come to Christ by the Father's command (John 6:44).

We who are the LORD's by His electing, redeeming grace are to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” This Faith is not a system of works or religious striving, but the Gospel of God's free and sovereign grace in Christ Jesus—the finished work of our Redeemer Who fulfilled all righteousness and obtained eternal salvation of His elect (Hebrews 9:12). Our contending is not with carnal weapons, but with the truth of Christ crucified and risen, holding fast to Him Who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. Let us, by grace, stand firm in this Gospel, boldly declaring the unchanging message of God's mercy, justice, and love in Christ alone.