Stand fast: His works and commands stand fast, are established forever and always promote what is true, right, just, and equal.
Psa 111:7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.
Psa 111:8 They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.
Albert Barnes - All that he does in the works of creation and providence; all in his acts toward the children of men tend to establish and confirm the truth; they are done in the cause or the defense of truth. In the cause of justice; or, in maintaining the principles of right, God never does anything to vindicate wrong.
Because of how his commands and works are we can with boldness and confidence stand fast in the faith.
1Co 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
1Co 16:14 Let all your things be done with charity.
Watch as in a military camp, as when you are among your enemies, as when there are dangers of wild animals stealing your food, getting into your garden, or threatening your life.
Stand fast:
Albert Barnes - Be firm in holding and defending the truths of the gospel. Do not yield to any foe, but maintain the truth, and adhere to your confidence in God and to the doctrines of the gospel with unwavering constancy. Be firm in maintaining what you believe to be true, and in holding on to your personal confidence in God, notwithstanding all the arts, insinuations, and teachings of seducers and the friends of false doctrine.
Quit you like men, be strong and very courageous and strengthen yourself for the labor of “holding and defending the truths of the gospel.”
Let all your things be done with charity: love, affection, and benevolence. Benevolence means the disposition to do good, the love of mankind accompanied with the desire to promote their happiness.
Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Be firm and unwavering: God has set us free from many things:
Sin: isn’t it wonderful to be free “from the dominion, guilt, and damning power of it; from the captivity and tyranny of Satan, (though not from his temptations and insults)”? – John Gill
It is wonderful to be able to have a heart free from condemnation, free from that horrible and heavy feeling of guilt. It is wonderful to be free from the dominion of sin; it had dominion over us; we were slaves. It is wonderful to be free from the damning power of sin; we were under a curse in sin; it was wrecking our lives; we were headed to a devil’s hell. It is wonderful to be free from the captivity and tyranny of Satan. He is a tyrant and a liar, he hated us even when our life was subject to him and he loves misery and making people miserable. We no longer have to be subject to him. It is wonderful to be free. Stand fast in your liberty.
Self: It is wonderful to be free from pride, willing to forgive and to apologize, able to seek counsel and take correction or advice (Things are what they are and if we’re wrong, we’re wrong and we don’t need to defend ourselves, we can accept it and make things right.) It is wonderful to be free from the desire for vain glory (doing things with the idea that people should recognize what amazing qualities you have or looking for praise/recognition when you do well.) It is wonderful to be free from always looking at things through the filter of “How does that affect ME? How do they feel toward ME? What about ME?” Stand fast in your liberty. Be firm and unwavering.
Don’t be ensnared and entangled again by the seducer. Watch and pray; walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Gal 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
The Spirit is the Spirit of liberty. The fruit of the Spirit is love… (everything attractive and beautiful.) For this reason there is no law against any. The flesh is bondage and creates works that are ugly and hurtful. The reason for laws in our land is because people do the works of the flesh. The Spirit and the flesh are enmity one toward another. You cannot be full of both.
It is wonderful to be free from sin and self and there is the added benefit of being children of God, fellow heirs with Christ with an eternal heritage, and we have God’s wonderful care and provision directed toward us His children.
Php 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
Live so that your conduct at work, in the home, around your neighbors, in the grocery store, preaches the good message of Christ.
Albert Barnes - The rules of the gospel are to be applied to our conduct in all relations in life - to our conversation, business transactions, modes of dress, style of living, entertainments, etc. There is nothing which we do, or say, or purpose, that is to be excepted from those rules. Our manner of speech, our plans of living, our dealings with others, our conduct and walk in the church and out of it - all should be done as becomes the gospel.
Stand fast, unwavering perseverance, in the Christian spirit, the spirit that was in Christ, the spirit of love, unity, and peace, the spirit of meekness, the spirit of seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, the spirit of giving all, one spirit, all having the same spirit.
Stand fast with one mind, all having the same purpose, the same determination, holding the same truths, studying to show ourselves approved, seeking and loving God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind.
Striving together for the faith of the good message - working together to persuade others of the truth of the gospel, working together to encourage each other to rely on Christ and be constant and faithful.
Faith - G4102 Πίστις pistis pis'-tis
From G3982; persuasion, that is, credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly constancy in such profession; by extension the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself: - assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.
Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries
Php 4:1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
Mathew Henry - So stand fast in the Lord. Being in Christ, they must stand fast in him, be even and steady in their walk with him, and close and constant unto the end. Or, To stand fast in the Lord is to stand fast in his strength and by his grace; not trusting in ourselves, and disclaiming any sufficiency of our own.
1Th 3:7 Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:
1Th 3:8 For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.
1Th 3:9 For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;
2Th 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
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