Helping Christians to stand firm has been our commission from the Lord for many years now. However, it’s only been in the last few years that we have realized just how important it is for the survival of Christianity. Yes, classic Christianity is dying, and its followers are being easily captured by the powers of darkness to do their bidding. They are no longer standing firm in their faith but have now become a mouthpiece for Satan as he leads the entire world into greater confusion, precipitated by the powers of darkness leading everyone to express their own wavering opinion. Their beliefs change like the wind when they are confronted with a better-sounding argument or a real threat to their livelihood. Furthermore, many remain silent in the face of falsehood or hearsay indicating that they are not standing firm. To use an old adage, “if we don’t stand for something, we will fall for everything.” Sadly, we are now living in a world where most are falling for everything because they are not standing firm in the faith of our forefathers. What deeply saddens me is there is no rebuttal from the Church or God’s holy people when they hear their senseless rhetoric and wavering opinions contrary to sound doctrine.
Perhaps the greatest threat to one’s faith in the modern world is it’s no longer acceptable to have a firm unchangeable faith. It’s far too easy for the unbelieving world to just cast them into the camp of a cultist or as an extreme fundamentalist. This is a harsh pronouncement causing most to straddle the fence and remain silent. They are not standing firm. In the First Century, the Bible admonishes the new believers in Christ, many times, to stand firm and not drift back into the world. The writers of the New Testament understood well the pressure that the new believers were under to integrate and not to exclude. The unbelievers didn’t necessarily care if Christians had a new faith, but it was sacrilegious to abandon all the other gods, philosophies, and idols without at least attempting to integrate them into their new faith. Does that sound familiar? Yes, today’s world is very much like First Century Christianity. All our different philosophies, psychologies, and sciences have been eagerly accepted giving the people many ways of looking at things. This happened with the onslaught of integration a few decades ago, which developed into a myriad of different opinions among the general population who were no longer interested in only one truth. Unfortunately, many believers today are now attempting to integrate every opinion into their faith.
The first truth that we must all accept, if we are serious about standing firm, is that there is only one truth and that’s not an opinion, it’s a fact. Quite frankly, we as believers in Christ should no longer be interested in the world’s opinions. Their opinion should have no bearing or relevance on God’s holy truth, which was passed on to the Apostles of Christ and the writers of the New Testament. The Bible says, “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter” (II Thessalonians 2:15, ESV). The new believers in Christ became firmly planted in their faith by rejecting all that the world was teaching about life and only depending on the truth taught to them by the Apostles. Even before the Bible was fully written, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they firmly accepted the sufficiency of Scripture for all of life. There is no wonder that the early Christians were so hated by the unbelieving world because it had a tremendous impact upon their economy. This impact on the economy was caused by reducing the tithes and offerings to all their many gods and losing their ability to sell their idols and paraphernalia needed for pagan worship. Add to this the impact it made upon the sellers of sexual immorality and the strong drink for their lavish feast one can easily see how the early persecution arose. Astonishingly, the early Christians stood firm in their inspired doctrine even in the face of intense persecution.
It is recorded that the early Christians experienced great joy for following the inspired Word for all of life, which gave them everything they needed for life and godliness (See II Peter 1:3-4). The opinions of fallen humanity were no longer relevant. Later, when believers began to stray from the teachings of the Word, they came out from among them and remained separate. Dear children, let us not make the same mistake as these early heretics who believed their opinion was more important than the clear teachings of God’s Word to the Church. The Bible is not up for interpretation for it clearly says what it means. If the Bible says that we have been given everything we need for life and godliness, which it does, then we have no need for interpretation or the opinions of mankind (See II Peter 1:3-4). If the Bible says we have been made into a new creation where old things pass away, which it does, then we have no need for interpretation or the opinions of mankind (See II Corinthians 5:17). As true believers in Christ, we believe in the infallibility and inerrancy of the Bible, contrary to public opinion. The infallibility of the Bible believes that it was originally written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit with no error, therefore inerrant, and useful for all those reading it today under the guidance of the indwelling Spirit. Accepting this truth is the second step in standing firm. Regrettably, most of the Church today has explained these important verses of Scripture away denying the infallibility and inerrancy of God’s Word and substituting them with the teachings of this fallen world. We must stand firm against the opinions of the fallen world.
The third and final step in standing firm is to put your beliefs into practice. As they say, this is where the rubber meets the road. If we truly believe that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness, then why do believers still seek the counsel from the world? Why do they still ask complete strangers on social media and the internet search engine questions concerning their problems and how to solve them? Did God lie about giving us everything we need? Of course not! We just need to read the entire New Testament over and over again asking the Spirit to guide us, and if necessary, then confirm it with another believer who also believes in the sufficiency of Scripture. Simply put, we need to do what it says. The more we follow its teachings by putting them into practice, the more the old life falls off, and the more we will see our problems resolved. Do you really think that the God who created you doesn’t have all the answers to your every problem? The Bible says that there is no new thing under the sun (See Ecclesiastes 1:9). Honestly, we cannot surprise God with our problems, there is nothing new under the sun. When you start applying God’s Word to your life, then you will begin to stand firm enjoying all the benefits of your new life in Christ. You will realize just how marvelous Christ’s ways are encouraging you to stand firm.
Finally, as God changes us with His anointed Word, we will not fit in with the world. Step by step you will begin to say no to the world and its multitude of opinions, and you will say yes to Jesus Christ and His way. When you do, the world will begin to push back. They will insist that you follow their counsel and their opinions. They will insist to teach your children and your grandchildren the ways of the world and if you refuse, then the world will come against you. The Bible says, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (II Timothy 3:12). One cannot read this verse and not wonder what happened to the modern church. I can tell you what happened, we gave into the ways of the world as soon as we allowed them to teach our children. We gave into the ways of the world as soon as we allowed the teacher (the TV monitor) to be put into every home. Step by step over the past two decades the public school system, the entertainment industry, and their secular counseling removed God completely, thereby insisting that we follow the new way exclusively. I prophesy that a time is coming when the faithful remnant will rise up and come out from among them. A time is coming when we do, the persecution will arise, and our Lord Jesus Christ will be standing at the door blessing us for standing firm. I pray that you will be numbered among them. Amen
“Daniel W. Blair humbly received this message from the Lord on October 17 and 18, 2021″
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