Standing Firm

DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS

STANDING FIRM

Phil 4:1

4:1 Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!

NIV

What we should first note is the love and affection Paul has for these believers in Philippi. He says that he longs for them, he would like very much to be with them again, to fellowship with them, to have that close personal relationship face to face. He considers them his joy and crown. Should we not also think of those who we have ministered the gospel to as our joy and crown? Those who have accepted the gospel because of our labor among them should be a great joy to our hearts. They should be our crowning achievement, not the number of things we have accumulated in life, nor any degree of success. Sometimes we want to think about our accomplishments in the world rather than in the Lord. Although in reality, even those things we have done well in the Lord, we have not done them. All we have done and are doing and will do is the Spirit of God working in us and through us. Nevertheless, the best of his work in us is sharing the gospel so others may know the joy of being saved. When that happens, we can rejoice and consider them our joy, as Paul makes that clear. Then he exhorts them to stand firm. It is suggested by some of our scholars this verse belongs as the concluding statement to the previous verses in Chapter 3. We tend to agree with that assessment because of the word, therefore. Paul had just laid out the example and had exhorted them to a way of life and now he tells them, and us, that we should stand firm in the Lord. Stand firm in the face of those believers whose god is their stomach. Stand firm against those believers who are enemies of the cross, who do not fully trust in Jesus, but their minds are set on earthly matters. Stand firm in the faith. Stand firm believing Jesus is coming back and he will transform our lowly bodies into his image. We are reminded of his letter to the Ephesians where four times he uses that phrase in one way or another, stand firm, take your stand, stand your ground and stand. We face enough obstacles from the evil one, we really do not need to face them within the church. However, considering the previous warning about those in the church who are enemies of the cross, those who live in hypocrisy, we have to stand firm against their style of Christianity as well. So in light of all things, let us live with joy and stand firm.