The prophet Isaiah wrote: "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all" (Isaiah 7:9). We, as children of God, have been given precious faith through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1). By the Holy Spirit's guidance and illumination, many Christians have come to gain insights into the meaning of that faith (2 Timothy 2:7, Ephesians 1:18ff, Ephesians 3:18ff).

Now, the question arises: what are we going to do with the faith? What shall we do with our understanding of God's truth? God has invested himself in us in many ways. He chose us in Christ before the beginning of the world to be holy and to be his adopted children (Ephesians 1:4-5). His Son died for us when we were sinners in God's sight (Romans 5:8, 1 Peter 3:18). God made us alive when we were dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 1:1-5) and called us to eternal glory (1 Peter 5:10). He justified us when we were wicked (Romans 4:5). He is sanctifying us by His Holy Spirit and transforming us into the image of His Son (2 Corinthians 3:18). He has promised us by his word and oath an eternal inheritance (Hebrews 6:17-20).

But for what end? To His glory! To the end that we will love the faith, stand firm in the faith, and, if need be, die for the faith. Will God equip us with the strength to stand firm? Of course! He promises to do so (2 Thessalonians 3:3. See also Isaiah 58:11, Zecheriah 19:6,12; Ephesians 3:16, 1 Thessalonians 3:13). But WE must stand.

Just as God gave us the faith, yet WE must put our faith in Christ, so WE must stand firm in that faith. How many are the temptations to do otherwise. We might offend, lose friends, disadvantage ourselves in some way. It seems often so much easier just to give in than to stand firm.

Yet Isaiah's warning is timely and relevant: If we don't stand firm in our faith, we won't stand at all. Like Esther of old, how do we know we haven't been brought to such an occasion, to such a time, to such a person just to bear witness of our faith? How do we know the outcome? God takes his Word and sovereignly uses it in peoples' hearts. I am not responsible for the result; God is. My responsibility is to stand firm. But, oh, what wonderful consequences do result when God's people stand firm in their faith!