In The Lord

Salvation is found in the Lord.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn. 14:6).  As such we ought to find out what it takes to be “in the Lord.”  Paul says we must be baptized into Christ (Rom. 6:3, 4; Gal. 3:26, 27).  This, of course, is predicated on belief, repentance, and confession (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38; 8:36-38).  Paul also tells us there are some things we need to do in the Lord.

Stand fast. “Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved” (Phil. 4:1).  To stand fast in the Lord is to remain faithful.  Put another way, “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).  Too many Christians are swayed by the winds of false doctrine, lured by the temptations of the devil, or drift away out of neglect (Eph. 4:14; Jas. 1:13-15; Heb. 2:1, 2).  Rather than this, we need to be “rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith” (Col. 2:7).  The way to do this is through persistent service to the Lord in prayer, study, and assembling with the saints (1 Thes. 5:17; 1 Pet. 2:2; Heb. 10:24, 25).

Same mind.  “I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord” (Phil. 4:2).  To have the same mind is to be united; to be in fellowship.  John said the way to fellowship with each other is to have fellowship with the Lord.  “…that you may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 Jn. 1:4).  Notice, if we stand fast in the Lord, we will have the same mind—and speak the same thing and have the same judgment, with no divisions among us (1 Cor. 1:10).

Rejoice.  “Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again I say, rejoice” (Phil. 4:4).  The life of a Christian ought to be a life of joy.  When we stand fast in the Lord and are united with brethren, we cannot help but to rejoice.  Jesus told His disciples to keep His commandments and by doing so they would have joy (Jn. 15:10, 11).  It is when we are weak and wavering, divisive and destructive that we have no joy.  In such times there is only heart ache and sorrow.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginng with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
- John 1:1-3

The Case for Christ
By Lee Strobel