In Jude verse 3 we read “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation.” This “common salvation” is NOT common because lacks it value as it is the most precious faith. Instead, it is “common salvation” because it is the property of all who have obtained it by faith. No person’s salvation is of greater value then another’s, as no person’s salvation came about do to anything of themselves! Jude’s salvation came the same way as did those he was now writing to. It is also important to note that this letter was not written for the false teachers to read but for those that shared a common salvation to read so as not to be lead astray. Jude’s intentions were interrupted. The word in Greek for “necessary” is a word that means to compress or apply pressureas one would do if they came upon a person who had a severe wound and was in danger of bleeding to death. These believers had the enjoyed “the blood of Christ” but false teachers had cut away at the truth and they were in danger of bleeding out the Life of Christ. The word “exhorting” is the same word used of the Holy Spirit as it describes a person coming along side to help. The God breathed exhortation of this letter to its readers is that they needed to counter these false teachers, it was of necessity that these follow believers go on the offensive and “contend for the faith”. The Greek word for contend describes what an elite athlete does in an athletic contest! This letter is a direct result of the Holy Spirits constraint placed upon Jude to warn the believers of the false teachers’ tactics to get believers to move away from the truth of God’s Word. In the book of Nehemiah, we have an illustration of what Jude is encouraging from the believers. As Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall in Jerusalem there were those that were actively involved in stopping that work so God spoke to Nehemiah in 4:17-18 that “Those that built on the wall, and those that carried burdens, load themselves so that with one hand they worked at the construction, and with the other hand they held the weapon. Everyone one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built” We Christians have the Sword of the Spirit and need to keep it on us as we build the kingdom. There is no other truth as what we are to contend for is “once for all delivered to the saints”. There is “No other name that can be named that is given save Jesus Christ”!
