Young People's Group

“Stand Fast in the Lord, Beloved”

by Mitchell Tan
February 08, 2019

GREETINGS FOR THE LUNAR NEW YEAR

We would like to wish everyone a Happy Lunar New Year. Let’s give thanks to the Lord for His grace and blessings on our lives over the past year. May the Lord grant you His grace, peace and joy for the new year ahead!

THE EXAMPLE OF PAUL’S DEEP LOVE FOR THE PHILIPPIANS

One of the things that we thank God for is true and special friendships that we can have in Him. Our friendships in the Lord at Bethany should not be taken for granted. What Paul had with the Philippians was something good and wonderful. His basis of friendship was a deep sense of love for each other that was focused on the Lord Jesus and the way He loved (Philippians 1:8).

1. PAUL HAD LEARNT LOVE FROM THE EXAMPLE OF THE LORD JESUS

The Lord Jesus Christ had exemplified a special and deep love for His disciples. He demonstrated it by loving them in a special way to the very end (John 13:1). Even though He knew that He was going to die soon, He was still concerned about loving them. The Lord Jesus had also commanded His disciples to love one another as He had loved them (John 13:34). It is by loving each other with the Lord’s kind of love that the world would know that we are truly His disciples.

2. HE EXEMPLIFIED IT BY LOVING THE PHILIPPIANS

Paul had learnt and experienced this love from the Lord Jesus Himself (1 Timothy 1:14) and have sought to emulate Him by loving the Philippians with His kind of love. This can be seen by how Paul expressed His love for the Philippians.

“Therefore, my beloved and longed for brethren, my joy and crown… beloved.”
Philippians 4:1

There was such a strong bond of friendship and fellowship in the Lord.

A. SPECIALLY LOVED BY PAUL

The long string of terms of endearment used by Paul with regard to the Philippians demonstrated a deep love for them. Paul had written of how he had them in his heart and how he loved them with the affection of the Lord Jesus (Philippians 1:8). He loved them deeply from his heart. He mentioned the word “beloved” twice to emphasise how much he loved them. They were his beloved and longed for brethren.

B. DEEP LONGING FOR THE BRETHREN

Paul had a deep longing for the Philippians and to be with them that He may teach them further (Philippians 1:25). He called them his fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord. There was a special sense of closeness with the Philippian brethren.

C. HAVING A DEEP SENSE OF JOY IN THE BRETHREN

Not only was there a special sense of love for the brethren, he also rejoiced over them. They were his joy in life and ministry. Paul wrote of how he gave thanks to the Lord for every remembrance of them (Philippians 1:3). When he prayed for the brethren, he did it with joy. They were his joy and crown.

THE ENCOURAGEMENT TO STAND FAST IN THE LORD

“So stand fast in the Lord, beloved.”
Philippians 4:1

As Paul wrote of his deep sense of love for the Philippians, he challenged his brethren to stand fast in the person of the Lord Jesus. The word “stand fast” in Greek is the word “Steko”. It has the idea of standing firm upon something and not moving from it. The challenge is for all believers to stand fast. Paul had written earlier that they were to have their conduct to be worthy of the gospel. He had written of standing fast in one spirit, striving together in one mind (Philippians 1:27). There is a strong need to stand fast together in unity. Paul was going to deal with the problem of conflict between two fellow servants of the Lord (Philippians 4:2). His challenge to them was to stand fast as one and not to allow anything to affect their sense of unity. Let’s also seek to stand fast as one in the Lord Jesus.

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