Standing Firm In The Faith
At the end of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he does an amazing PIVOT. We need to learn to mimic Paul in this great spiritual art. He’s been discussing the sublime promise of the final resurrection for all believers at the end of the age, during which we shall all be transformed into a glorified body. Without any strain, he now discusses mundane topics like free-will offerings, house church gatherings, future plans, and the people with whom he has partnered in ministry. Can you pivot like that? Or is your head always stuck in the clouds? Or maybe your head is so full of mundane details that you seldom ever take time to look up the great promises of the Bible. We must learn how to soar on the mountaintops as well as plod through the valley below.
As Paul finishes his letter to the Corinthians, he calls them to “stand firm in the faith.” What a great word for both the Corinthians, who were tossed about by error, moral compromise, and church division. But it might just be THE word that is needed for today’s church.
STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH!
Don’t buckle under the pressure of a world raging against God. Don’t cave to the moral confusion all around us. Don’t run and hide from the storm, but STAND FIRM in the faith. Don’t be moved from your confident trust in the Lord. Hold the line! Keep the faith!
Except for one other use of this word in the New Testament, the words “stand firm” are all in the letters of Paul. Apparently, he liked this idea because he used it a lot.
For example, he used this verb especially in the following ways:
- “Stand fast in the faith” (1 Corinthians 16:13).
- “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free” (Galatians 5:1).
- “Stand fast in one spirit” (Philippians 1:27).
- “Stand fast in the Lord” (Philippians 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 3:8).
I have no doubt that Paul’s encouragement to “stand firm in the faith” was a reflection of a similar Old Testament command from the Lord to His people when they were being threatened by foreign armies. They were told in Isaiah 7:9 that “if you do not stand firm in your faith, then you will not stand at all.”
Standing firm in the faith is a core commitment for Christians. We remain committed to the Word of God, the Son of God, and the Glory of God.
So what does “standing firm in the faith” look like in practical terms? I’m glad that you asked, because that will be the focus of our Bible study this coming Sunday morning at our worship services.
I look forward to seeing you then. Shalom, shalom, church family,
Pastor Deric