Stand Firm in the Faith

“Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14).

We are on our final day looking at the seventh characteristic listed as a fruit of the Spirit: faith. It’s a shame for there is so much more the New Testament can teach us about faith. The word faith, pistis, occurs 243 times in the New Testament. It would be a good study to look at each of the instances of the word faith in the New Testament as it would encourage and inform us about who we are because of who our God is.

The writer of Hebrews reminds us, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”

While we will be moving on, I encourage you to do a word study of faith in the New Testament. It would be well worth your time and you will be glad you did it.

Paul closes his first letter to the Corinthians with the following charge: “Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” That’s fantastic advice for July 31, 2020.

• Keep alert – it is too easy to fall into the routine of these days. Days run together so that we even lose track of what day it is! I want you to fight that. Have a daily schedule of reading God’s word, and praying. I mean, we’ve got the time right? Just like we have regular times of eating, schedule a regular time for reading God’s word and praying. Keep alert. We will get through this and God expects us to be growing and thriving during this time. It is impossible to do so without daily reading and prayer.
• Stand firm in your faith – the things we read about in the news are truly astonishing. Imagine reading some of the headlines just ten years ago. Things that are unbelievable are happening in our days. And it can be daunting. Thank God we do not stand alone. We stand firm in the faith that God is at work to bring about his kingdom will here on earth as it is heaven. Stand firm!
• Be courageous, be strong – not in our own strength and abilities. That will get us nowhere. Our strength is in the Lord. Christ is our strength and courage. Lean on the strength of Christ and be courageous!
• Let all you do be done in love – one thing our world lacks in buckets is love. Not human love. The love that springs from God and comes from God. For it’s God’s love that has the power to change us and change the world. We know this because God’s love has changed us. Let all you do be done in the love of Christ!

What fantastic and encouraging words for July 31, 2020!

Thank you, God!