Standing Fast

11/01/1998, 04/22/2001

Standing Fast

"Four Aspects of Standing Fast"

1 Cor 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

· God has given us the ability to be steadfast.

· It is one of our characteristics as a born again believer.

· The Bible teaches us how to be steadfast even in adversity.

· Heb 12 tells us that everything will be shaken and the things that fall apart will be removed.

· It will be shaken by His voice.

· God is a consuming fire.

· He is our purifier.

· It is of the utmost importance that we are a people who stand fast.

· The Bible gives us several specific aspects of ‘standing fast.’

FREEDOM

Gal 5:1-4

1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.

3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.

4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

· Why do we need to stand fast in our freedom?

· First, we are free from the law.

· If we do not exercise this freedom, the grace of God is of no account.

· Christ then profits us nothing.

· We fall from grace.

Gal 2:4 And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage),

· Second, we are free from sin and death.

· We must exercise our freedom - The Elephant Story.

· Jesus read the scroll from Isaiah 61:1 "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; he has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

2 Cor 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

· God wants us to stand in Liberty!

FAITH (devotion)

1 Cor 16:13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.

· We must be steadfast in our faith.

· Stand against the flow of the world.

· We are constantly in danger of one thing - OUR BRAINS.

· The gospel vs. the wisdom of the world.

· Without a steadfast faith, your spirit man cannot rule.

· The devil has no power over us unless we give it to him.

· He is always defeated if we believe God’s word.

· Faith is believing God’s word.

· Steadfast faith is developed.

1 Cor 15:1-2

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,

2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you-- unless you believed in vain.

II Th 2:15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Ps 106:24 Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His word,

· Do we want Canaan or will we settle for Kadesh-Barnea?

COMMITMENT

Phil 4:1 Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.

· We must be steadfast in our commitment.

· This is why churches fail to accomplish anything.

· Where is the commitment?

John 15:4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

Matt 10:22 "And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

Heb 10:35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.

Acts 14:19-22

19 Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.