Contending for the Faith

0:00Save others by snatching them from the fire. To others, show mercy, mixed with fear. Jude 123. Welcome to today's encouragement from our daily bread. Contending for the faith was written by Marvin Williams and read by Stephen Taver. Jude, Chapter 1, verses 20 through 23. But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt, save others by snatching them from the fire. To others, show mercy, mixed with fear, hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. Contending for the faith written by Marvin Williams,

1:02a 27-year-old student studying in Japan had to be rescued from Mount Fuji twice in one week. After being airlifted during his first climb due to dangerous conditions, he realized he'd left his phone and other belongings behind. Four days later, ignoring warnings, he returned to the mountain only to need to be rescued again, this time suffering from altitude sickness. His story made headlines for its rarity, but also because he'd knowingly trek back into danger. This account mirrors a spiritual reality. We often tend to head back to what God has rescued us from. Jude captures this tension in his little letter. Written to a church threatened by false teachers and moral compromises, he exhorted believers to contend for the faith, not just for themselves, but for others too. Jude challenged them to snatch others from the fire, taking an active role in shielding struggling believers from false teachers.

2:07As believers in Jesus, we can't simply stand back and watch others flounder and fail. Today, God is calling us to rescue others and to resist returning to the place we were rescued from. His grace will rescue us more than once, but it also calls us to live like we've already been rescued. Through God's strength, let's contend for the faith and help others to be built up in the most holy faith. Let's pray. Father, thank you for rescuing us, and faithfully pulling us back when we wandered toward the very danger you've already saved us from. Give us the strength and courage to not only stay the course, but to actively reach out and remind others to look to you as their firm foundation, even when they're struggling. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

3:10As you go about your day, reflect on these questions. How can we show mercy to believers who doubt? What does it mean to show mercy mixed with reverent fear?