Contend for the Faith - 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.

To contend for the faith is to fight an uphill battle. There is so much opposition that without the Lord's help, faith would not endure. I can't possibly list all of the forces that oppose faith, but in essence; all worldly things oppose faith. Materialism, ambition, false doctrines, a misdirected popular culture, pornography, violence, selfishness, greed, lust... you name it, the world not only offers it, but makes it look enticing and even normal, and rudely thrusts it upon you.

The bawling noisiness and blatantness with which the world operates can have a withering effect on faith. Faith is somewhat fragile and has a short shelf-life. While being a gift from God, it is also something that must be consciously nurtured and cultivated. God will not thrust Himself upon us like the world does, we must intentionally invite Him into our lives. We must seek Him through study and prayer and then He manifests Himself. My experience is that when I am conscious of Him, He communicates with me. When I forget Him, His voice becomes more distant.

There is a phrase oft repeated by the prophet Isaiah that describes His position succinctly: "...his anger is not tuned away, but his hand is stretched out still." God will never condone sin, nor look upon it with the least degree of allowance, but He is always right there waiting for us to come back.