Over the past five weeks, we have looked at the topics of Anxiety, Prayer, Faith, Endurance, and Hope as we have contemplated being resilient in the face of crisis. In this final week of the semester for many students, we come to the final instructions that Paul uttered to most of the churches to whom he wrote: Stand firm. We will explore what it looks like, why we are able to stand firm, and how to stand well.
What?
When we come to 1 Corinthians 16, we are at the end of a letter Paul has written to a struggling church. They are a church in a city known for its paganism and sexual debauchery (think, “Whatever happens in Corinth, stays in Corinth” and you’ll have a fair picture). Paul outlines the struggles they face, how those struggles have entered the church, the need to fight for the moral high ground within their church, and the call to unity and love as they fight. Paul summarizes his letter with these instructions.
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14
For the church Paul wrote more than any other (two letters we have, at least one more referenced), he encouraged them to make a stand and to stand firm in the faith. There are two important points to grasp here. First, standing firm takes intention. It is a command, and it cannot be done passively. Second, the firm part of standing firm depends upon the foundation. Where you choose to stand matters, and Paul makes clear here (and when he echoes this sentiment in 2 Cor. 1:24) that we are to stand firm in the faith. In the surety of who Jesus is and what He has done we can stand. While other beliefs, other foundations might be shakable, Christ is resolute. We can always trust Him.
Why?
Just as Paul gives the instruction to stand firm (or stand fast if you like KJV) to the Corinthians, he has a similar word for the Galatians. As Paul concludes his argument that Christians are free from the law and that we are not subjects but heirs to the throne of grace, Paul makes this shift.
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1
Why do we stand firm? For the sake of freedom. We stand firm because through Christ’s sacrifice, through His love for us, through God’s adoption of us, we can stand firm against whatever the world might throw at us to divert us from this sure foundation. In short, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 – a comment following discussion to the Romans about being adopted and followed in chapter 11 with Paul’s instruction to “stand fast through faith” v.20).
How?
While it is all well and good to see instructions to stand fast in the faith to multiple churches, part of me thinks, “Well, that’s great, but it still doesn’t tell me much about how to do it.” Thankfully, Paul gives more instruction when he writes to the Ephesians.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
Ephesians 6:10-13
Paul is clearer here in his instruction. Standing firm in our faith involves knowing the truth of the gospel, finding our salvation in it to gain the faith we need to stand firm and to pray regularly. There is intention to it. There is effort in it. It’s hard, but it’s worth it. And while it’s implied here, there’s one final point to catch.
We aren’t meant to do this alone.
When Paul writes these commands to Christians, whether the one’s we’ve focused on or the commands to the Thessalonians (2 Thess. 2:13-17) or the Philippians (Phil. 1:27; 4:1) we must recognize that Paul is writing to churches. Yes, these are commands we are meant to follow individually, but we are not meant to follow them in a vacuum. As believers, we are meant to follow them with other believers. Sometimes, we stand firm as others hold us up. Sometimes, we stand firm as others lovingly point out are weak spots so we can fix them. We are meant, maybe we are enabled, to stand firm together.
And so this is where I leave you. Stand firm. Lean into one another. You have what it takes to be resilient. Lean into the One who has overcome all, and do that with others who are doing the same. Borrow from their strength, and lend them some of yours. Perhaps as we do that together, we will become more focused on what we have in common, and in becoming resilient, I think that could be very helpful.
drbillduvall.com 