Jump Start # 1871

Jude 3 “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

Jude changed the direction of what he was intending to write. Instead of writing about the common salvation, he wrote an appeal to contend for the faith. There was a more pressing need that caused this shift in the direction of what he was writing.

This verse reminds us of the faith which was once delivered to the saints. The word “faith” is used a number of ways in the Bible. We most often think about what we believe, “our faith.” This faith comes through a belief in the word of God, as Romans 10:17 teaches. Faith can also refer to our conscience. This is how Paul uses that word in Romans 14. But faith can also be used to describe what it is that we believe. The faith, as Jude uses it, is not my personal belief but rather what was preached. In that powerful “one” section of Ephesians 4, we are told that there is “one faith.” Faith this way, is the Gospel message. The “faith” which was delivered, as Jude uses this word, is the message that the apostles preached. That faith, was once for all delivered to the saints.

The faith which was once for all delivered means God’s message. God has revealed His message to mankind. It has once for all been delivered. Jude’s appeal is for the brethren to seek, contend, follow and obey that faith that was preached.

Simple verse. Easy to understand. Then comes Satan’s curve ball. Has “the faith” been once for all delivered? That’s what the verse says, yet so many believe that God is still talking to them. They believe that God reveals things to them. They believe the Holy Spirit is leading them beyond the Scriptures. Formally, this is called “Progressive Revelation.” In other words, revelation is progressing. Like a river, it’s still flowing. There is more to come. It’s not completed. It’s not finished. It’s certainly, “not once for all delivered.” Most don’t know it by that formal terminology, they simply say, “God led me to this.” Or, they believe in divine nudges. Often, and most times, these things are feeling based. I have a hunch or a feeling that God was leading me to this.

Many current and popular religious writers are obsessed with this. They talk and write as if they are currently inspired directly from God. They talk about God leading them to write a certain paragraph or God leading them to a certain passage or God revealing a new way of doing things. And what generally happens, is that folks put more interest and attention into these “progressive” revelations than they do the written revelation of God’s word.

There are multiple problems with progressive revelation, one of which is that the people claiming these divine leadings, often stray far from the Scriptures. Where they believe God leads them is not closer to the word but to new horizons and new ideas and new doctrines. So, the truth be told, God is changing His mind. The faith once delivered wasn’t good enough. There was more that was needed. So, the Christian today has a different message than the Christian that Jude was writing to.

The message first spoken by our Lord and the apostles was confirmed and proven by miracles. This is what Hebrews tells us. And as we read the New Testament, we find only a handful of people that were directly inspired by God. And what they received from God was recorded for others to know and it concerned our walk with God. You’d get the impression by the way some that God must have been talking to the early disciples every day and about every thing. Not so. That’s not what we find in Scriptures.

Yet today, people are convinced that God led them to buy a certain house, take a certain job, marry a specific person. Things that do not involve any one else. Things that do not involve spiritual things. Things that are about parking spaces, and items found in a store.

Throwing the “God led me” expression to a discussion makes someone seem more credible. Who is going to argue with God? Who is going to say, “that’s not right?” Paul warned the Galatians about receiving messages, from angels or apostles, that was different than what they already had received. There again, is that “faith once delivered.” It’s ageless and changeless.

We need to stick with the word of God. The faith that Jude wanted his readers to contend for had been once for all delivered. Once for all.

Once for all people. There isn’t an American gospel and a European gospel. Once for all.

Once for all time. The faith in Jude’s day remains the faith today. Don’t go looking for something new, different, or unique. It has been once for all delivered.

Once for all situations. The message of the Gospel has gone through wars in foreign fields as well as Civil Wars. It has gone through Civil Rights issues, and political unrest. It has gone through depressions and economic upswings. It has gone through changes in government and society changes. It is that faith once delivered that comforts a home touched by death. It is that faith once delivered that has brought prodigals back home. It is that faith once delivered that has started congregations and seen them grow through the years. It is that faith once delivered that brought assurance of salvation and the hope of Heaven.

We need to be preaching that one faith that has been delivered. We need to toss these modern books that are leading us into the mine field of error by promoting progressive revelation. Feelings change. Feelings can be influenced by external things. Feelings can be wrong. If you don’t believe that, why is Google Maps something we all tend to use. It is because we thought we knew how to get somewhere, but we were wrong. Feelings can be misleading. We need to stick to that which is true, proven and lasting. We need to stick to the faith once delivered to all the saints. We need to stay away from “private messages,” and “personal messages” that we thought were given just to us. The message you from God is the message I have from God. It is the same message that Jude’s audience had. It was given to ALL THE SAINTS. And, it was given ONCE. Continual or progressive revelation is an on going process. There is no “once” in their thinking.

The VBS song, “The B-I-B-L-E, yes that’s the book for me, I stand upon the word of God, The B-I-B-L-E.” Let’s not just sing that song, but let’s actually stand upon that book that was once delivered to all.

Roger