The bible commands us to be steadfast.
I Corinthians 15:57: But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58: Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
One area we need to be steadfast is in our beliefs. Once you decide in your heart and understand the great doctrines in the bible like salvation by faith alone and not of works, that it is a free gift, don't ever waver from that conviction, just nail it down and don't ever rethink and wonder about it. Just settle it in your heart and don't ever question it again. You know that is what the bible says. Just stand on the word of God.
Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9: not of works, lest any man should boast.
There are many false prophets and deceivers in the world who will try to sway you away from the fundamental doctrines in the bible and try to mess with your mind, but if you are grounded and settled in your beliefs, they won't be able to deceive you because you know the truth. That is why it is so important to be steadfast and unmovable in your faith.
Ephesians 4:14: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. If you hear a preacher say you have to do something or anything else besides only trust Christ to be saved, you know that is a false teacher and you shouldn't listen to him, because you are grounded and steadfast in the great fundamentals of the faith.
Another belief to be grounded and steadfast in is the doctrine of eternal security, meaning you can never lose your salvation.
John 27: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29: My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
Therefore if you hear a preacher say you can lose your salvation if you don't live right or that you have to persevere to the end, meaning staying on the straight and narrow way to the end, that preacher is a false teacher and you shouldn't listen to him.
There are many false teachers in the world who we are to avoid and not listen to.
II Peter 2:1:But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
Heresy means a false teaching that is contrary to the true doctrines in the bible.
In Matthew chapter 7 Jesus warns us about false prophets.
Matthew 7:15: Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16: Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17: Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18: A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19: Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20: Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
These false prophets may look like such nice people and may be real smooth talkers while trying to convince you, but Jesus says inwardly they are terrible wolves trying to lead you astray from the truth, so if you are grounded and settled in the truth you won't be deceived by them. To know them by their fruits is not the fruit of the spirit, but the fruit of their lives and ministries, what they are producing, such as are they winning souls for Jesus and being used of God to build a ministry that is keeping souls out of hell by preaching the true gospel, etc. This is talking about true ministers of the gospel versus false prophets.
Furthermore, the bible says we are to be steadfast in resisting the devil.
I Peter 5:8: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
10: But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, and settle you.
Ephesians 6:10: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11: Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
So far we know we are to be steadfast in our beliefs, steadfast in avoiding false teachers, and steadfast in resisting the devil, but also we are to be steadfast in our labor that we do for the Lord. As already mentioned above in I Corinthians it says this.
I Corinthians 15:58:Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
So it means we should do an abundant amount of labor for our wonderful Lord Jesus, who saved us by his grace, even knowing that he is going to reward us for it and that our labor will bring forth great results for the furtherance of God's kingdom.
One last thought to sum up this lesson are the following verses about being grounded and settled in the faith.
Colossians 1:23: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
Colossians 2:7: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Be strong in the faith and God will use you in a mighty way for his glory to bear much fruit for him.
I Corinthians 16: Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
Poetry About Jesus And Salvation
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