Paul was genuinely concerned about the believers in Philippi because he knew forces inside and outside the church were trying to tear them down and destroy their faith. In light of these attacks, Paul said, “Stand fast in the Lord.” The Greek word translated as “stand fast” is steko, which means to stand firm or to be immovable; figuratively, it means to persevere and never waver under pressure to compromise.
When God looks at you and me, He sees our potential; He sees people who are able to do great things through Christ who strengthens us. He sees more than conquerors; He sees champions. But the only way we are going to discover our own true capability in Christ is to go through the hard times to learn that we can get through the storms and struggles of life when our faith is fixed on Jesus.
One of the reasons I love the First Epistle of John, is because of the opening verses of the Epistle. Look at them with me. They are so powerful in the way the apostle asserts the truth of Jesus Christ. Notice the way John repeats himself to powerfully argue the empirical nature of the evidence. What John has to say is not hearsay; it is not some philosophical treatise or mere speculation based upon some vague vision or hysterical reports of the woman who came running to them from the tomb.
