Faith... in action...

"Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be brave and strong."

1 Corinthians 16:13

Stand firm.  That doesn't read to me like an idea... and it doesn't sound too much like a possible suggestion... and it's not quite the "hey maybe we should look into this," is it?  No.  It is a command.  And what allows us to stand firm in this command?  Faith.

To stand firm in our faith, we must know that it is something we can call upon in times of need.  We can, for lack of a better term, "conjure" our faith when necessary to strengthen and aid us.  Make no mistake, the faith we have is always present.  It does not appear and disappear like magic.  It is not a spell (even though I use the word "conjure").  It is there all the time.  But sometimes when we are scared or nervous or frightened, and we allow our flesh to take over (please notice that I speak truth in that it is something we ALLOW to happen) and worry to persist in the mind and the heart, we must remind ourselves of what we have to be strong in... what we have to stand firm in.  And it is in that sense only that I say we can bring up our faith to face our own flesh, as well as the sins that so powerfully assail us in this world.

A friend and I were chatting on facebook one night, and the topic of sin and whether or not we are easily able to turn away from it came up.  We both agreed that it is certainly not the easiest thing, and that we actually fail more times than succeed.  And I am embarrassed that I did not immediately respond with this verse from Paul.  Thankfully, my friend is far more well-versed than I, and probably was thinking it before me.

But for us, today, we must take time to focus on how we can better stand firm in our own faith.  Another friend of mine just asked this morning how to explain through apologetics certain aspects of our Christian faith.  My answer is, first, to stand firm in the faith.  Then we get to the rest.  But if those who would question us openly see us falter in our own faith, any answers that follow will be suspect.  We have to stand firm, and it is our faith that allows and emboldens us to do so. 

Take a moment when you have time today to think about how firmly you stand.  Are you ready to face the assaults that will come?  Are you aware and waiting for those assaults on you, your character, your faith, your church, etc.?  Prepare yourself, build up your readiness to answer, and honor the Lord in doing so!

God bless you all!!!