Word of the week - Stand
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the power of the dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:10-13
The need to Stand – Based on the recent and rapid shifts in culture we are experiencing in our nation and around the world that include attacks on our personal identity in the way of gender confusion and sexual orientation, continued efforts to redefine marriage, and efforts to cancel and destroy everything from historical monuments to law and order (police and civil authority), just to name a few; which are being used as a wedge to promote division. I believe there has never been a more opportune time for us as followers of Jesus, to take a Stand in God’s truth. As the enemy tries to use the shifting culture to appeal to our flesh; and make us think we should give into the pressure of the culture and develop/believe our own “truth”, trying to entice us to lower our standards, as believers we must press into God and know what we believe. To take a Stand for what is true, pure, good, and righteous before God and man, we must know the Word of God, believe the Word, and Stand on the Word. Per the famous quote by Alexander Hamilton “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything”. The only way we overcome this cultural attack is to Stand in our convictions and not compromise to the forces of the culture, especially as the heat gets turned up. We must know who we are in Christ. Not fighting with the weapons of the world but fighting with the weapons of the Spirit to include Prayer and God’s Word. Putting on the full armor of God, see reference to Word of the Week message from May 19th, 2019 - Armor of God below.
Standing on God with Grace (speaking the truth in love with Jesus as our model): As we take a Stand in God’s truth for our values and convictions in Christ, we must remember that our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the principalities of darkness. Therefore, we should speak the truth in love and always be seasoned with grace. “Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Hime who is the head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:15
As Pastor Chris shared in his recent message called Full of Grace and Truth from the book of Daniel, we learn from Daniel’s life that when culture shifts, we need to know who we are, reaffirm our convictions, and respond with love. We can do this by learning to live in the tension between truth and grace. Truth is God’s standard, and without it we lose our way. Grace is God’s favor, and without it we can seem judgmental, harsh, and mean. As we hold God’s truth high while giving grace freely to others, just as we were extended grace by Jesus, we can speak the truth in love and influence others to make a difference by:
Loving People - As Christ followers we are to Love people. When we love people first, we can be accepting of them as people without approving their beliefs, values, or actions. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35
Serving People – Be a genuine friend by helping others in practical ways. Figure out how to add value to others by meeting practical needs such as making friendly introductions to people in your network who can help them, buying them breakfast or lunch, listening, and empathizing with their challenges and needs and being generous in all circumstances. “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible” 1 Corinthians 9:19
Sharing Christ with People – Be prepared to share your testimony of faith with others – but do this with gentleness and respect. It is not about winning arguments, it’s about winning hearts. This is why a personal testimony of faith is so powerful, no one can argue with a changed life. “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who askes you to give reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” 1 Peter 3:15-16
Putting on the full Armor of God equips us to stand firm in love:
“Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:10:13 It is the power of God through the Holy Spirit that gives us the ability to Stand firm in the face of the fiery furnace. We must have deep convictions reinforced by a daily infusion of the God’s spirit, truth, and revelation. We must abide and remain in Christ, so He remains within us, giving us His power to overcome and remain fruitful. This is key. Therefore, let’s decide each morning to put on the full armor of God: Belt of Truth, breastplate of righteousness, shod our feet in the Gospel of peace, pick up the shield of faith, put on the helmet of salvation and the take up the sword of the spirit, so we will be ready to take our stand in love through Christ Jesus.
Jesus was the perfect model for this. He is the author and perfector of our faith, and we can learn much by living by His model. He took His stand all the way to the Cross, and never wavered in His love for us, even though we were enmity to Him.
Stand firm in Christ and have a great week!
-Duane