Paul writes that the Philippian Christians will shine among a warped, crooked generation like stars in the sky as they “hold firmly to the word of life.”
[This discussion can be read aloud in just over 8 min.]
Philippians: Shine Like Stars – DAY 46
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DAY 46/THURSDAY
Philippians 2:14-16
Hold Firmly to the Word
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16as you hold firmly to the word of life.”
Philippians 2:14-16 (NIV)
*Click here to read in the ESV, NLT, & CSB.
How do we “hold firmly to the word of life”?
First, we need to remember that it is the word of life!
They are your life.
“They are not just idle words for you —
Deuteronomy 32:47 (NIV)
they are your life.”
Moses said this to the Israelites about all the words of the law of the Lord he had given them.
Jesus said,
“The Spirit gives life;
John 6:63 (NIV)
the flesh counts for nothing.
The words I have spoken to you —
they are full of the Spirit & life.”
After saying this, Jesus asked His closest disciples if they wanted to leave Him as others had. Peter responded:
“Lord, to whom shall we go?
John 6:68-69 (NIV)
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe & know
that You are the Holy One of God.”
What about the OT?
Are we supposed to hold firmly to the Old Testament?
Jesus said,
“Do not think I have come to abolish (to end the observance or effect of*) the Law or the Prophets [the Old Testament Scriptures]; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven & earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands & teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices & teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:17-19 (NIV)
*merriam-webster.com
The OT Scriptures:
- Jesus came to fulfill them.
- They’re not going anywhere.
- They are not to be set aside.
- Practice & teach what they command.
*Before anyone gets worried about having to keep kosher, Jesus is not telling us to keep the civil & ceremonial laws that were only for the Hebrew people. This is made clear other places in Scripture.
“I hold fast to Your statutes, Lord; do not let me be put to shame.”
Psalm 119:31 (NIV)
“I reach out for Your commands, which I love, that I may meditate on Your decrees.”
Psalm 119:48 (NIV)
What about the NT?
Peter tells the early church to recall the words of the Old and New Testaments.
“Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.”
II Peter 3:1-2 (NIV)
- “the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets” = Old Testament
- “the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles” = New Testament
Does this include the letters of Paul?
Peter addresses that, too.
“Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave Him. 16He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.”
II Peter 3:15-16 (NIV)
Did you catch that? Peter called Paul’s letters Scriptures, written “with the wisdom that God gave Him.”
But wait — there’s more!
Paul writes,
“By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.”
I Corinthians 15:2 (NIV)
In I Corinthians 15, Paul reviews the gospel he preached to them. (We also reviewed Paul’s gospel on DAY 9: Confident of This.)
To another group of believers, Paul writes,
“So then, brothers & sisters, stand firm & hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.”
II Thessalonians 2:15 (NIV)
It seems pretty clear: We are to hold firmly to the word of both the Old and New Testaments, but especially to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
How long are we to hold on?
“Your word, LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens…
Psalm 119:89,91 (NIV)
Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve You.”
“Long ago I learned from Your statutes
Psalm 119:152,160 (NIV)
that You established them to last forever…
All Your words are true;
all Your righteous laws are eternal.”
The psalmist says His word is eternal and His statutes were established to last forever (Psalm 119:89,152,160). Jesus said “until heaven & earth disappear” and “until everything is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17-19). Peter chimes in on this subject, too, first by reminding his readers of the power of God’s word: the power to create and to destroy.
“Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4They will say, ‘Where is this “coming” He promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’ 5But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”
II Peter 3:3-7 (NIV)
All life began at the word of God; all life will be judged by the word of God.
But God does not want anyone to be destroyed! This is why these things seem to be taking a long time to unfold. As Peter says:
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
II Peter 3:8-9 (NIV)
The Lord will do all He has promised; He will be true to His word. He is patiently waiting for all who will come to Him in repentance.
Hold Firmly to the Word Today
We need to hold firmly to the word today because we don’t know when it will be too late.
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”
II Peter 3:10-13 (NIV)
The fire & heat of destruction are coming, but Christians have the hope of “a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”
“So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him…
17Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”
II Peter 3:14,17-18 (NIV)
I don’t know exactly “how long” we are to hold on to the word of life. I’m confident all we have to know for now is, since earth is still here, and we’re still here, we are to be holding firmly to the word today! It would be unwise for us to hold on only for a season, for a set number of years, until we’re a certain age… you get the picture. We are to hold on and keep on holdin’ on.
DAY 46/THURSDAY Prayer
Father God,
Thank You for Your Word!
May we be able to say with the psalmist, “I hold fast to Your statutes, Lord; do not let me be put to shame,” (Psalm 119:31). “I reach out for Your commands, which I love, that I may meditate on Your decrees,” (Psalm 119:48).
We want to shine like stars among our generation, Lord God, as we hold firmly to the word of life.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
DAY 46: Paul writes that the Philippian Christians will shine among a warped, crooked generation like stars in the sky as they "hold firmly to the word of life."