Keeping the Faith

Dear Weekly Readers! God’s Blessings to you this week!

By Faith are we saved! We know this from scripture. The below article is about keeping this most important substance of all! Please enjoy this article written by Pastor Ron Holmgren! JR



Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all
your things be done with charity. 1 Corinthians 16:13-1

Closing remarks of a letter or message sometimes can be overlooked. We have heard the contents of this letter and have taken note of them. We try to conform or use
the information to better ourselves, and this is good.


But Paul here would not leave to us just a list of marching orders. He knows how important it is that everything he has written in the letter must be shored up with a foundation that will stand in the testing of the future. He gives us five imperatives. They are given to protect us from falling away from the faith.

I have used some thoughts from RCC Lenski, from his commentary on this
passage of Scripture. Paul would have us be watchful. We must keep our eyes open and be on guard so that we would not be surprised by the things that would erode our faith.

We are to stand fast in "the faith," not like a dead post driven into the ground but like a tree that has roots and lives.
We are to act like men. This attribute of men is used for all of us. Men, women and children are to live this way. We can take our place in the family of God with the assurance of one
who would not give the enemy any quarter to destroy our faith.

Be strong; show strength! We are not helpless in this faith. We are offered all that we need for the walk of faith. Our bodies need food and water to be able to continue doing our tasks.

So, too, have we been given the nourishment for our faith.
Keeping "the faith" requires watchfulness, firmness, manliness, and strength. But it also requires love. This fruit always comes after faith.
Never separated, but always following faith, is love. Faith produces love; not the opposite.

God bless us and give us these attributes to keep us walking in faith. This faith has an object, and it is Christ Jesus Himself.

Pastor Ron Holmgren
Hockinson, Washington