Holding Fast to the Word of Life

Philippians 2:14-18 ESV

 

“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 and twisted 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. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.”

 

Without Grumbling or Disputing

 

Before I get into what this is saying, I want to talk about what this is not saying. This is not saying that we have to agree with everyone on everything so that we can live at peace with them. This is not saying that we must remain silent when people are abusing the word of God and when they are taking advantage of others via that abuse of God’s word.

 

This is not saying that we are not to contend with lies or that we are not to stand up for truth. This is not saying that we should not refute bold lies which are intended attacks on the truth and on righteousness. And this is not saying that we can’t proclaim the truth in contrast to the lies and to do so boldly and with great courage and determination for the glory of God.

 

We have to watch out for those who pull Scriptures out of their context and who will attempt to use it against us to try to shame us into silence. For these types of people are very skilled in manipulation tactics in how to twist things around to their advantage so that they get us to feel guilty about standing up for truth and for standing against the lies of the devil.

 

So, what is this saying? Well for one we are not to be in contention with God and with his word and with his instructions to us. We are not to grumble and complain against the Lord and against the teachings of the Scriptures because we don’t like what they say, because they may not fit with our preferred lifestyle choices. We are not to argue with God.

 

We must be those who are willing and desirous of walks of obedience to our Lord. We must desire to know our Lord intimately and to know his word and to want to obey his word even when it is hard. We must be willing to have our beliefs and our thinking altered, too, if we were once led astray on any point having to do with the doctrines of Scripture. And so we must be willing to study the word in context and to examine the Scriptures prayerfully, and to accept whatever the Scriptures teach.

 

Also, we must not be those who enjoy picking fights with other people. I think some people get on social media and on Christian discussion sites or on blogs or anywhere they can give an opinion in order to pick fights with people and to stir things up. Now, I am certainly not saying that we can’t disagree with people or render a different opinion or belief, but we should avoid selfish desires to just “stir the pot” to get a rise from people.

 

We are not to pick fights with people out of selfishness. Some people do this in more subtle ways, such as gaslighting people or tricking them or setting them up just to instigate an argument so that they can have cause to accuse the other person of something or to try to make the other person feel guilty about something he shouldn’t feel guilty about. Or perhaps their goal is to try to make the other person look bad so that they can feel superior.

 

Blameless and Innocent

 

As long as we live in these flesh bodies none of us are totally blameless and innocent of all things. So, what is the intended meaning here? It appears that this has to do with living lives which are above reproach because we are walking in obedience to our Lord and we are living in moral purity. We are not willfully and deliberately living in habitual sin, but we are walking in righteousness and holiness by the grace of God in his power and strength.

 

And this word “innocent” means unmixed with the world of sin and wickedness, not worldly, but spiritually minded. Not making compromises with sin and with the world but walking in purity of devotion to the Lord. It also means sincere, so truthful, honest, trustworthy, and not devious or crooked or conniving and scheming. Also it means to not be tainted by sinful motives but to have pure motives, to have integrity and to walk upright.

 

Basically, we are not to immerse ourselves in our culture. We are not to try to blend in with the world in order to be accepted by the world and to not be thought odd or crazy. For even in the “Christian culture” of today it is considered odd to actually be walking in holiness and righteousness and to have your life surrendered to Jesus Christ and to be doing what his word teaches we must do.

 

So, even in the midst of today’s modern “Christian culture,” which has joined in with the crooked and twisted (perverted) generation, we must be children of God without blemish as we shine among them as lights, holding fast to the word of life. But we must also be ready to accept persecution, rejection, false accusations, mocking, and casting us aside as unwanted coming from the worldly church of today who is blending in with the world.

 

Yet, even though we are persecuted, pushed aside, unwanted, and rejected by some of those claiming to be our brothers and sisters in Christ, because we do shine as lights in the world, and because we are holding fast to the word of life, we must not let it discourage or frighten us. For God is in control, and he has everything under his command, and he will hold us and strengthen us and help us to persevere and to keep on speaking the truth.

 

Have Thine Own Way, Lord

 

Words by Adelaide A. Pollard, 1907

Music by George C. Stebbins, 1907

 

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Thou art the potter, I am the clay.

Mold me and make me after Thy will,

While I am waiting, yielded and still.

 

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Search me and try me, Master, today!

Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,

As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

 

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Wounded and weary, help me I pray!

Power, all power, surely is Thine!

Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!

 

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Hold o'er my being absolute sway.

Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see

Christ only, always, living in me!

 

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