[Biblemat] A) STAND OR FALL?

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  A very good Wednesday
morning to each and everyone.  May God bless you and yours.
Here is an article from my files:

STAND OR FALL?

     STAND is a common word used by the Spirit to order Christians to be 
faithful and persevere.  It obviously means
to occupy a position and remain firm and unmovable.

     Paul told the brethren at Corinth to "stand fast in the faith."  He also 
urged them to be steadfast, "steadfast, unmov-
able, always abounding in the work of the Lord" (1 Cor. 16:13;
15:58).

     The apostle also used the word when describing the Christian's warfare 
against Satan.  Before describing spiritual
weapons, he told the brethren to put on the whole armor of
God "that you may be able to STAND" against the wiles of the
devil (Eph. 6:11).

     When Christians come to Christ in faith, they commit them-
selves to a life of worship, moral purity, righteous living -- a
way of behavior that is dictated and bound on them by Jesus
as their Lord.  It is a live of choice, but also a life of blessings
including joy and peace and hope.

     Despite the goodness of God, His forgiveness of our trans-
gressions, and His promise of eternal fellowship -- we easily
get discouraged, enticed by fleshly passions, and weary of 
well-doing.  And when that happens, it's easy to give up.  But
remember, Paul says to "stand fast."

     FALL: -- One of the major doctrines of reformation theolo-
gy is called -- "the impossibility of apostasy."  This means that a person in 
Christ cannot, once he has been saved, ever
fall from God's saving grace.

     Both the epistle to the Galatians and the letter to the Heb-
rews deny this view.  Galatians was written to Gentiles who
had obeyed the gospel and then turned to a perverted gospel
that offered salvation by obedience to the law of Moses.  Paul
told them they had been removed from God and had fallen
away from grace (Gal. 1:6,7; 5:1-4).

     Hebrews was written to Jews who had come to Christ but
were casting away the boldness that they showed in obeying
the gospel -- and were shrinking back from faith unto perdit-
ion.  The writer warns of judgment more severe than physical
death if they turn from Jesus, His covenant, and the Spirit of
grace (Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26-39).

     Peter warns Christians that the way to avoid stumbling and falling is to 
add to their faith, virtue, knowledge, self-con-
trol, endurance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (2 Pet. 1:5-11).  
Peter says that, whether they fall is conditional --
dependent on whether they grow in the grace and the streng-
th of the Lord.      ------- L.A. Stauffer in Son Rays, Vol. 29, No.
23, Sept. 2, 2007.   </HTML>
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