Holding Fast, Standing Our Ground

Hold Fast the Word of Life

As Christians, we know there is such a thing as right and wrong, light and darkness, truth and lies, heaven and hell. But how do we live in a “crooked generation” while maintaining a righteous life in the sight of God and man?

I was pondering on that when the Lord reminded me of Philippians 2:16. And how timely! This verse is one of the verses that I was able to memorize in a DVBS class as a child. Verses 14 to 16 read:

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

I believe that in the above passage we have the basic toolkit that will help us live God-honoring lives in a “crooked generation”. We also find in it the fundamental formula for a victorious life that will win souls for Christ in a darkened world! And where do we begin? It’s in HOLDING FAST THE WORD OF LIFE!

Counterculture Parenting Is Tough

So what do we tell our children when the ways of the world begin to baffle them? If you think our children must know the truth from their parents (us), then consider the following:

Introduce the Living Word

Jesus Himself encouraged the reading of the Scriptures (John 5:39) not so much that we gain head knowledge like the Pharisees, but that we may learn more of our Savior (Luke 24:27), the Word manifested in the flesh (John 1:14) and who bled and died that we might live (Rev. 19:13). When we hold fast the Word of Life, we are holding fast to the character and testimonies of the crucified Christ who by grace through faith made the righteous life accessible to us.

Challenge for 2018: Will you drop that chore or report for a while to fill your child’s heart with the eternal Word of God during a teachable moment? But come to think of it, we can’t share what faith we don’t have, could we (2 Tim. 1:5)? Is Jesus your Saviour?

Study the Word

Paul commended the Bereans for daily Scripture study to discern truth from error (Acts 17:11) not because they love debates but because they hated being deceived and being drawn away from the truth.

Challenge for 2018: If we don’t want our children to be tossed to and fro by every wind of humanistic ideology or fad that come their way, we would do well to teach them the Word of God, God’s repository of truth and wisdom, as we pray that in His time, the Holy Spirit will illumine such words to them.

Treasure the Word

There is something beautiful about the discipline of memorizing and treasuring Scripture that is why King David recognized that the antidote to sin is to hide God’s Word in the heart (Ps.119:11).

Challenge for 2018: Will we elevate our discourse in discipling and disciplining our children by going back to the Bible as our infallible and inerrant source of all authority and correction before which we also (as parents) submit? Can we honestly say 1 Cor. 11:1 to them? Are you truly following Jesus?

God’s Word is firm and His promises are sure. Laws may be repealed, definitions may evolve, opinions may differ, but God’s Word remains forever (Isa. 40:8). It’s possible to stand our ground today just like in Noah’s time (Gen. 6:9) and in the time of Daniel (Daniel 1:8), but only because of the beautiful heritage we have received from our faithful apologists, preachers and teachers of the Word. Just imagine where we would be without them! Will you be that apologist, preacher and teacher to your child?

A Note to Self: Stand Your Ground

We need to know and walk on the ancient paths (Jer. 6:16), teach them to our children (Deut. 6:6-7) and train them in the path toward godly living in accordance with their gifts (Prov.22:6). And when it’s their turn to stand up for Jesus, may they carry on with boldness come what may. But first, we must hold fast, stand our ground, and carry on.

Just as Christ unlocked the meaning of the Scriptures on the road to Emmaus, everything (good or bad) that happens around us, whether in politics or in our society at large will find their purpose when we recognize that in the unfolding of God’s plan for His children and the church, He is sovereignly good and just.

Indeed, God’s promises to me are true so ultimately, I can’t complain (but will definitely pray) even if human governments and institutions depart from well-entrenched values we hold dear!

And by His grace alone, may we live a life secure in His promises, knowing fully well that you and I are held by Him, hid in Him, and have our hope in Him. While we await the day when Christ Himself affirms all our good works for His kingdom, let us live sacrificial lives as dads and moms — beginning with the good works of leveled up parenting that He has ordained for us to do in a dark time such as ours.