If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. (Isaiah 7:9, NIV)
You’ve probably heard the old saying, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." Well, in Isaiah 7:9, the Lord told the Israelites something very similar: "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all." When I read a verse like Isaiah 7:9, I usually think about not compromising on the truths of Christianity, even when there’s a lot of pressure.
And, yes, it is good to remember that we must stand firm in the truths and doctrines of our faith–not compromising on God's Word or our commitment to it. If the Bible is true, it is true whether or not it's politically correct, whether or not it's popular, and whether or not I like it. If the Bible is true, then it's true. Period. We can't change what is true simply because it doesn't suit us. We can reject it, rebel against it, turn away from it, or try to convince ourselves otherwise, but we cannot change what is true. Ultimately, Christianity is not about believing what is palatable and makes us feel good about ourselves. Christianity is about discovering and living by what is true, even if it's hard truth.
But that's not the point I wanted to make in this post. When I meditated on Isaiah 7:9, the Lord reminded me that faith = trust. Faith is not only believing a set of true propositions or a list of doctrinal statements. This is especially the case in the context of Isaiah 7. When the Israelites were facing the threat of powerful neighboring kings who wanted to invade them, God wasn't telling them, "Don't worry about these stronger nations that want to declare war and destroy you. Stand firm in propositional truths and doctrinal statements, and you'll be fine." God's word of encouragement to his people was, "Keep calm. Don't be afraid. Don't lose heart. Trust me. Don't try to take things into your own hands. Don't panic and do something stupid. I've got this. If you don't stand firm in your trust in me, you won't stand at all."
God's point was to trust him. Every Christian should grow in their knowledge and understanding of Scripture and theology. We should know what we believe and why we believe it. We should grow in our ability to answer questions, explain our beliefs, and defend our Christianity (see 1 Peter 3:15), but we must love God with our hearts and minds. In the day of trouble, when our hearts quail, when darkness overtakes us, and we can't see a way out, God has not left us only arguments and propositions to cling to. He has given us himself. And it is his Holy Spirit within us who is the sign and the seal on our hearts, marking us as children of God. His presence and our relationship with him give us the strength to defend our faith and hold fast to the truth of God's Word in a world that is quickly turning against it. If we don't stand firm in him, our trust in him, and our relationship with him, then we won't stand at all–no matter how logical our arguments are.
My prayer for the week is that God will be to us more than a concept to be studied but a friend who is closer than a brother.
A message that touches us deeply. Thank you!
While this is always very important, given everything going on in the world today, I believe it is more important than ever. A very appropriate message.