Contend for the Faith | Jude 1-16 | 5 Devotions on Guarding and Passing on the Gospel

These five devotions flow out of our recent sermon on Jude 1–16, Contend for the Faith. In that message, we considered Jude’s urgent call to guard the gospel from distortion and to pass it on as our greatest legacy. If you missed the sermon or would like to listen again, you can find it here: Contend for the Faith | Jude 1–16.

Use these short daily readings and prayers to reflect more deeply on God’s Word and to apply the truths of Jude to your walk with Christ.

Day 1: Guarding the Heirloom

📖 Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:13-14

💡 Reflection: Paul uses the image of a “deposit” — something valuable that has been entrusted into our care. Like a family heirloom, the gospel must be preserved, not tampered with or re-imagined. Just as you wouldn’t take your grandmother’s Bible and cut out the parts you didn’t like, so we must not edit the message of Christ. The Spirit helps us guard this treasure, and we must treasure it enough to pass it on intact.

🙏 Prayer: Father, thank You for entrusting me with the truth of the gospel. By Your Spirit, help me guard it faithfully and treasure it more than any possession. Keep me from carelessness with Your Word. Amen.

Day 2: Watch for Counterfeits

📖 Scripture: Galatians 1:6–9

💡 Reflection: Paul’s warning is clear: false gospels are not harmless alternatives, they are deadly counterfeits. A counterfeit bill may look good, but it has no value. In the same way, a distorted gospel cannot save. This is why Jude warns that false teachers “creep in unnoticed.” They don’t usually announce themselves as false; they imitate truth with subtle twists. Our defense is to know the true gospel so well that when error comes, we recognize it instantly.

🙏 Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me discernment. Guard me from lies that sound appealing but cannot save. Anchor me deeply in Your truth so that I can recognize counterfeits and stand firm. Amen.

Day 3: Remember God’s Judgments

📖 Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:6–11

💡 Reflection: Paul tells the church to look back on Israel’s history as a warning. The wilderness generation saw God’s miracles yet fell into unbelief. Jude also reminds us that God judged unbelief, angels who rebelled, and the immorality of Sodom. These stories are not relics of the past; they are signposts for us today. They show us that sin is serious, rebellion is dangerous, and God is holy. Remembering God’s past judgments strengthens our resolve to cling to His Word and not wander into error.

🙏 Prayer: Holy God, keep my heart tender to Your warnings. Help me not to grow careless about sin or think lightly of rebellion. Teach me to learn from the past so that I might walk faithfully with You today. Amen.

Day 4: Living Under God’s Authority

📖 Scripture: James 4:6–7

💡 Reflection: Jude reminded his readers of Michael the archangel’s words: “The Lord rebuke you.” Even Michael, powerful as he was, did not claim authority in his own name but appealed to God’s authority. We, too, must resist the temptation to live independently or to trust our own wisdom. The Christian life is one of submission—bowing before God’s Word, obeying His commands, and trusting His authority. This is how we resist the devil: not by self-confidence, but by humble confidence in the Lord.

🙏 Prayer: Lord, I submit myself to You today. Help me resist pride and live under Your Word. Teach me to depend on Your authority rather than my own strength, and protect me from the schemes of the enemy. Amen.

Day 5: Passing It On

📖 Scripture: Psalm 78:4–7

💡 Reflection: The heirloom illustration comes full circle here. God’s people are called not only to guard the truth but to hand it down. Jude says the faith was “once for all delivered to the saints.” Psalm 78 says we are to “tell to the coming generation” what God has done. Parents, grandparents, and church members alike all share this calling: to preserve the gospel and to proclaim it so that future generations might set their hope in God. Our greatest legacy is not wealth, possessions, or accomplishments—it is faith in Christ handed down and lived out.

🙏 Prayer: Faithful God, thank You for giving me a gospel that does not expire or fade. Help me guard it faithfully and pass it on joyfully to the next generation. May those who come after me set their hope in You because of what I have shared. Amen.