1 Thessalonians 3:8

“for now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord”

“For now we live”: “Now. am really living” (Mon). “It brings to us renewed life” (Nor). “He had reached Corinth alone without friends or funds. Around him had been. black night of pagan corruption. Against him had been launched the most vicious attacks by the Jews. He had been, at least figuratively, in the shadow of death. However, the good news brought by Timothy gave him new life” (Erdman pp. 48-49). Paul feels. tremendous sense of relief and fresh air. Stott notes, “Why should your faith encourage us, do you ask? Because our life is bound up in yours” (p. 66). Morris notes, “The service of Christ was for Paul no halfhearted thing, but that which mattered most in life. This service did not mean an idle contemplation of the excellencies of the Savior. It was an active, fruitful work of preaching Him (1 Corinthians 9:22)” (pp. 107-108). Paul and his co-workers felt the impact of congregational faithfulness and unfaithfulness (2 Corinthians 11:28).

“If”: Salvation is conditional. “Stand fast in the Lord”: “The idea of. firmness,. steadfastness in the stand taken up” (Morris p. 108). And this is something that all of us are capable of doing. Everyone has "stood fast" in something, even something that was wrong in the past. People can be incredibly hard-headed when they want to. Many people stand firm in their unbelief and their refusal to back down before God and His truth (Acts 7:51). The only resolve that counts is. resolve to stand fast "in the Lord". This includes the refusal to move away from His teachings (Ephesians 6:11; Ephesians 6:13; Ephesians 6:15; 1 Corinthians 15:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:15; 1 Corinthians 16:13; Galatians 5:1; 1 Peter 1:27). This congregation had succeeded against. great set of trials, yet that did not mean that the future would be. breeze. Paul reminded these Christians that they still needed to stand fast. God would not force them to stand fast or remove all the responsibility for such. stand. Every time God exhorts us to stand fast or firm, this infers. firm position can be taken up by the Christian, the word of God is very understandable, and gives every Christian strong reasons for holding on to Christ, Christianity is easily defended, and God gives the Christian. very large arsenal of both defensive and offensive weaponry.