The great doctrine of salvation was 'delivered to the saints' in this

way and by this means.  Peter uses the same word, saying:

'It had been better for them not to have known the way of

righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy

commandment delivered unto them' (2 Pet. 2:21).

By such means and with such intent the Gospel was delivered, the way of

righteousness, the holy commandment, the faith.  To whom were these precious

words 'delivered'?  To an organized Church?  To some ecclesiastical

authority?  No, 'to the saints', to the children of God, to the believer, to

you and me.  They were delivered 'once'.  Since the close of the New

Testament canon, no inspired Scripture has been written, no prophet has

received a message from on high, no addition is permissible to the Scriptures

which we now possess.  Like the great Sacrifice of which they speak, the

Scriptures were given 'once for all'.  In the days in which we live Jude's

words come as a clarion call to all who believe and love the truth:

'Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the

Shall we be wrong in saying that this earnest contention shuts out all

other faith and all other combat?  We cannot serve two masters, we cannot be

engaged in two wars at the same time, the strife is so intense, the enemy so

strong and so daring, the cause so vital and so true, that we must 'throw

aside every weight', we must say, 'one thing I do', we must at all costs seek

to finish our course if we would 'keep the faith'.  We may 'continue' in the

faith; 'stand fast' in the faith; 'strive together' for the faith; be

'established' in the faith; and 'fight the good fight of faith'; but before

we can do these things, we must know for a certainty that faith which was

once delivered to the saints, and then, and then only, shall we receive both

the strength and the desire to contend earnestly for it.

The experience of Nehemiah, especially the mocking of Sanballat and his

company, appear to be repeated in the Epistle of Jude, and in one particular,

to bear upon our theme.  Nehemiah's helpers used both 'sword and trowel'

(Neh. 4:17), Jude urges his hearer to contend for, and build himself up on

the faith:

'But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith,

praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking

for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life' (Jude 20,21).

Contending earnestly for the faith, may be the imperative need at the moment,

but the very fact that the faith is worth contending for, brings before us

the practical associations and implications of this verse.

The faith is called 'your most holy faith' and is seen to be the

foundation upon which the hope of eternal life rests.  Let us give our

attention first to the fact that the 'common salvation' is related to a 'most

holy faith' and then observe the fourfold activity in connection with it,

'building', 'praying', 'keeping' and 'looking'.