Holding Fast The Word of Life

[Christsfreeservant]

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.” (Philippians 2:14-18 NASB1995)​

As followers of Jesus Christ, we should not be people who fight and quarrel with one another, who get mean and nasty, and who revert to name calling and all sorts of other despicable practices. This does not mean that we cannot or that we should not refute the lies and proclaim the truth of God’s word, and call out sin for what it is, and call people to forsake their lives of sin and to now follow Jesus in walks of obedience to the Lord. We should! We must be those who speak the truth in love to one another for their welfare.

For speaking the truth in love to one another is love, for it speaks the truth that the people need to hear in order for them to follow the truth of God’s word in righteous living and in obedience to the Lord, and to no longer live in sin. For so many people today who are professing faith in Jesus Christ are being taught that they do not have to die to their sins and that they do not have to obey God. They are being told that is “works salvation.” But it is God’s salvation that Jesus and his New Testament apostles taught.

For we who believe in Jesus with God-gifted and God-persuaded and God-honoring faith in the Lord, we will die with Christ to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, in walks of obedience to our Lord in holy living. This doesn’t make us perfect people, or indicate that we will never sin again (1 John 2:1-2), but that we should be children of God who take him and his word seriously, and whose lives are surrendered to the Lord to doing his will and purpose for our lives. We want to live for Jesus to do what pleases him.

But we live in a world today where Christianity, at least here in the USA, has been compromised with the world in order to appease human flesh and to not offend the ungodly of the world. And so the character of God/Christ, and of his church, and of his gospel, have all been altered to make them more acceptable to the flesh of humans, and in order to attract the world to their gatherings. For so much of what is called “church” today are really human businesses being marketed to the world to draw the world to their meetings.

So, the gospel message that Jesus taught, and that his New Testament apostles taught, is taking a big hit. And phrases like “die to sin” and “obey God” are often being removed entirely in favor of a more friendly and all inclusive “gospel” message. So many have reduced belief in Jesus Christ to a mere verbal profession of him as Lord and Savior, but with no commitment to have a transformed life of the Spirit, departing from the practice of sin to now follow Jesus in walks of obedience to his commands, in practice.

But Jesus and his New Testament apostles taught that true faith, which comes from God, and which is persuaded of God, and which is not of our own doing, will result in us dying with Christ to sin and us being raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. But if sin is still what we practice, and not obedience to our Lord, we do not have salvation from sin, and we do not have eternal life with God, but we will face the wrath of God, instead.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

So we need to take this to heart! We who profess faith in the Lord Jesus are to be living morally pure, upright, godly, self-controlled, honest, faithful, and obedient (to God) lives for the glory and praise of God, by his Spirit, in his power, and all because of what Jesus did for us on that cross. For in his death he put our sins to death with him so that we will now die to sin and walk in obedience to his commands. We are not to be partakers in this “crooked and perverse generation.” But we are to shine as lights of truth.

Nonetheless, many who are calling themselves “Christians,” and who are professing faith in Jesus Christ, convinced that all their sins are forgiven, and that heaven is now their eternal destiny, are still living for the flesh. They are still living by their emotions and by their sinful lusts, and they are walking in darkness (sin) and not in the light of the truth of God’s word. For they live in a world that is by their own design, and not by God’s design. And they do what pleases their flesh, and not what pleases Almighty God.

So, following Jesus Christ in walks of obedience to his commands is not what they do, in practice. They live to do what pleases their flesh, instead. Many of them, too, escape into a fantasy world of entertainment by their own design. And many of them get trapped into multiple addictive practices. And one of the biggest ones today is in the area of sexual immorality. For all people, children included, who have a smartphone connected to the internet, have at their fingertips an entire world of evil at their daily disposal.

So, if that is where you are; if that represents your life and your practices, and not righteous living, and not walks of obedience to the Lord’s commands, and not the putting of sin to death by the Spirit daily, in practice, please know that the Scriptures teach that you do not have salvation from sin, and you will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what your lips profess. Please read what the Scriptures teach in context, and do not depend on other humans to tell you the truth. Liars abound!

And for those of us who are speaking this truth to the people of this world, in particularly to all who profess faith in Jesus Christ, especially if we are doing so on a daily or a consistent basis, we are being faced with much opposition and rejection and people distancing themselves from us and criticizing us for our stand on the truths of God’s Word. For the majority have bought into an altered gospel which makes no requirements for death to sin and walks of obedience. So please read the Scriptures IN CONTEXT.

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

Holding Fast The Word of Life
An Original Work / April 28, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love