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Am I Standing Firm in Following God?


I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit,
Philippians 1:27c

Charles Spurgeon once said the following about perseverance:

    “Conversion is a turning into the right road; the next thing is to walk in it. The daily going on in that road is as essential as the first starting if you would reach the desired end. To strike the first blow is not all the battle; to him that overcometh the crown is promised. To start in the race is nothing, many have done that who have failed; but to hold out till you reach the winning post is the great point of the matter. Perseverance is as necessary to a man’s salvation as conversion.”

    “But some, who do run well at first, have hardly breath enough to keep the pace up, and so turn aside for a little comfortable ease, and do not get into the road again. Such are not genuine Christians; they are only men-made, self-made Christians; and these self-made Christians never hold on, and never can hold on, because time wears them out, and they turn back to their former state.”

In addition to verse 27, the phrase “stand firm” appears thirteen times in the ESV translation of the Bible.

In Exodus 14:13, Moses used the phrase when addressing the fickle and fearful Israelites, when they thought for sure they were doomed on the shore of the Red Sea.
In 2 Chronicles 20:17, A Levite priest by the name of Jahaziel used the phrase as he stood in the midst of the people of Judah. They were fearful as a conglomeration of armies were amassing to attack them.
In 1 Peter 5:12, Peter uses the phrase to exhort the recipients of his letter.

Standing firm is war terminology. It is a picture of an army advancing against the gates of a kingdom and the soldiers standing firm fighting at the gates - not giving up any ground. This is the reality of the Christian life. Christians are always under attack both individually and as a community.

As the example in Exodus shows us, a persevering life worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ is a life in which a person stands firm in the face of seemingly insurmountable circumstances, trusting God to get them through those circumstances.

The Lord destroyed the Egyptian army; but not until He made His people pass through the Red Sea. The Lord could have evaporated the Red Sea. He could have crushed the Egyptian army before they ever left Egypt. But, according to His sovereign plan, His design for His people was to pass through the waters.

The people of Israel were tempted to return to Egypt in disobedient unbelief. God enabled them to stand firm, to wait and see the salvation of the Lord, and to endure what must have been a frightening walk between two massive walls of water. A life worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ is a persevering life that, with God’s help, endures the trial of life.

In the context of Philippians, the church was receiving persecution, much like Paul was. Paul, at this time, was in prison for preaching the gospel. Some Christians might have been tempted to fall away from the faith—to go back to their former life styles—instead of continuing to follow Christ amidst persecution. However, Paul called for them to “stand firm.”

This is not only true with persecution, but it is also true with the influence of the world system. The world system is always trying to conform Christians into its very image (Rom 12:2). It confronts Christians in the classroom, the work place, the media - through TV, web and social media and music - in order to make Christians give up their ground.

Dear Friends, Today when we see the church being confronted with many issues what is our stand? Many of us have chosen to not stand firm. Some have given up their beliefs because they realize this view could cost them opportunities. It could cost them a promotion or a friendship. Paul challenges us to stand firm - to stand our ground in following God. Don’t retreat. Don’t turn away from God. Don’t turn away from the truths of Scripture. Don’t turn away from the exclusivity of the gospel.

God Bless you.
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Location: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

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