There are many entries in the Bible that encourage us to 'stand'. Understanding the context of this word is not difficult. The word stand is rendered as a noun, and brings about the interpretation as, an attitude towards a particular issue; a position taken in an cause or debate. Some synonyms of stand (as a noun) would be: viewpoint, opinion, attitude, belief.
The following scripture verses from Paul's epistles all use the word 'stand' in this context, encouraging one to hold your ground, to be firm in your position and faith, to be stabilized in your view,
Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ... 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Philippians 4:1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
Now that we have clarity on this word and it's meaning, let me bring you to the key verse that inspired me to write this post. I have read 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 countless times, but on the most recent occasion, this word, 'stand' arrested my attention. I've seen it before, but this time it stood out and I was bolstered by it. Here is the scripture reference,
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
And wherein ye stand! In my minds eye, I can see Paul writing this in bold with a few lines drawn under it. One would feel intimidated if Paul had to read this verse to you, as he himself had many occasion where his faith and resolve was tested, yet he stood his ground and kept the faith (2 Cor.11:23-28).
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
I would see no reason why Paul, our apostle and example, would not look you straight in the eyes and say, now I expect YOU to stand too!
In the context of the gospel being clarified in our key verse, Paul is encouraging (and probably expecting us) to stand in accordance to it. We should not be moved by our position in the truth we believe in. The good news that Christ died "for our sins", and rose from the dead "for our justification", are fundamental truths of our faith. This grace enters into the very core of our nature and is the basis for our hope and confidence. One would expect that nothing in this world would be able to move you from your stance in regards the grace gospel and the truth it holds. Right! Is this true?
We are living in a challenging world right now. We are experiencing some shadow events of the tribulation being cast upon the world right now. There are things happening now that will test our faith and our stance more than ever before. How stable are you? Will your faith be tossed about under trying times? Will any wind of doctrine confront your belief? Is what you currently believe real to you? These are questions that you either need to resolve right now, or you already have a solid sense of stability in.
If you are one who needs some support in your stance, how do you get that stability?
The strength of your stance is found in only one thing; your relationship with God. Faith is NOT optimism, good deeds, church membership, baptism, determination, or an intellectual decision. Faith is a gift from God to us. We don’t produce it on our own; it is our response of trusting in God, and that comes from spending time with Him and knowing His Word.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8
Here are some things to help strengthen your stand,
- Position yourself in God’s Word. "But these are written that you may believe..." John 20:31
- Study and understand God's Word rightly divided. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15
- Grow through hearing the Word. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17
- Put God's Word into practice. "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22.
- Spend time with God in prayer and thanksgiving. "Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit." 1 Thessalonians 5:17-19
You will have faith in that which you know. The more you know God through His Word, the less time you will place on thoughts about your cares and tribulations, and the stronger your stand will become.
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