“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

STANDING FAST!

We are living in very challenging times. As the world continues to “fly to pieces” it is becoming more and more anti-Jesus, and seeks to discourage Christians from their Biblical beliefs and values. Why is that? It is because the world does not know the make-up of a human being and therefore is unable to know or understand the Bible truths. This is the reason that Governments are making such anti-Christian/anti-Biblical legislations that they think are for the betterment and freedom of mankind; but in actual fact they are bringing people into more and more bondage, which will bring about more devastating results. “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

We Christians need to be very aware of what the Bible teaches so we can be receiving the benefits of being a true believer in Jesus Christ, Who is alive today and lives inside every born-again, Holy Spirit-filled believer. Hallelujah! Jesus came to give us victory and we can only have His victory when we do things His way. And He has told us we need “to stand fast and be watchful” in these end-time days:

“Watch (“to keep awake”), stand fast (“to stand, stand firm”) in the faith, be brave (“show one’s self a man”), be strong (“to make powerful in effect”). Let all that you do be done with love” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14).

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled (“to be held in”) again with a yoke of bondage (“slavery”)” (Galatians 5:1).

“Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved” (Philippians 4:1).

These verses reveal that we have to take a stand against those powers that seek to take us back into bondage. Life outside of “Jesus Christ alive in our hearts” keeps people in bondage. Outside of Jesus Christ mankind is in bondage through the power of sin.

• Jesus is the only answer to all of mankind’s needs and He came to give us true life, and “life more abundantly” (John 10:10).
• “For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 3:8).

Notice these verses are telling us we have to stand fast in the faith, to be brave and to be strong. We have to guard our lives against falling back into bondage (which is what the world desires of us to do). Consider these verses:

“Only let your conduct (“to be a free citizen, and live as such”) be worthy of the Gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition (“loss, destruction, ruin”), but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict (“any struggle or trial”) which you saw in me and now hear is in me” (Philippians 1:27-30).

“You are writing a Gospel, A chapter each day,

By the deeds that you do, And the words that you say.

Men read what you write, Whether faithful or true:

Just what is the Gospel, According to you?” (source unknown).

In spite of all that comes against us as Bible-believing Christians, we have the responsibility to behave in a God-glorifying way, knowing that He has chosen us to represent and serve Him in this day and age.

• His power working in us is greater than the opposition the enemy brings against us.

The very fact that we can live a Christian life in a world dominated by the devil and his deceptions is a testimony to the power of God being greater than anything he (the devil) brings against us. Someone once told me: “When the devil comes to remind you of your past, you just remind him of his future”. He has an eternity in hell ahead of him, but we an eternity in heaven with Jesus ~ if we stand fast in the faith! Hallelujah!

• Make sure that Jesus is Lord of your life.

Take time to meditate on these verses:

“Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions (“the act of delivering over from one to another”) which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation (“a calling near, a summons to one’s side, hence, an admonitory, encouraging and consolatory exhortation, invitation or entreaty”) and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish (“to set fast, fix firmly, make steadfast, establish”) you in every good word and work” (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17).

BEING CONVINCED IN WHAT YOU BELIEVE

In order for us to stand fast and being strong in the Lord we have to be convinced enough in what God has done ~ and is doing ~ for us to cause us to stand against all the obstacles and opposition that comes against us as Christians. If we do not carry a strong conviction then we will waver and make wrong decisions that will cause us to drift away from the reality of Jesus and the reality of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We need to ask ourselves:

• How convinced are we with what we believe?
• Does our believing work for us, and does it agree with what God says in His Word?
• Are we guarding ourselves against mixture that is causing many to lose out on a true walk with Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit?

We are in a war and we must be sure to “put on the whole armour of God, so that we can stand against the wiles (“schemings”) of the devil” (see Ephesians 6:10-20). “Be sober, be vigilant (“keep awake, watch”); because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (“to swallow up”). Resist (“to set one’s self in battle array against; to set one’s self in opposition to”) him, steadfast (“firm, solid, immoveable”) in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9). We cannot defeat the devil in our own strength, but through the mighty power of the Holy Spirit Who lives within us. Hallelujah! God knows every tactic of the enemy and He has given us all we need to conquer him daily. We need to make sure that we are using what God has given to us.

Here is a good Psalm to act on:

“I will praise You with my whole heart; before the gods I will sing praises to You. I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name. In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul . . . Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies; and Your right hand will save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; do not forsake the works of Your hands” (see whole of Psalm 138).

It is so important that we keep our focus upon Jesus Christ and not allow the negative things all around us to discourage and defeat us.

• Be totally convinced that Jesus Christ is the Answer to your every need!

(The word meanings in this message are taken from Bullinger’s Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament). ~ Rodney W. Francis.

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