Philippians 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Did you know the first use of stand is defined as to draw near, to approach? At first glance that doesn’t make sense but look at it from a standpoint of the action of a stand happens only on two occasions. You either stand from a sitting position or stand from a moving position.

First use meanings within the bible are always important. The spiritual implication there being that since the definition was related to draw near or approach, then we were not there yet. We had not yet come to that place which was drawing us closer.

The meaning of apostle is sent. One who is sent has already stood before the One who draws us to Himself. I presented Philippians 2:16 because to hold forth implies that one who is sent has to stand in order to hold forth or present that which he was sent to do.

Take a stand! What do those words mean to you? My guess would be to be principled. To defend that which you have chosen as worthy of defending might be another. Either way it is a position of ridged and fixed position. Stiff as in stiff-necked or stubborn. It is unyielding. Men do so love to take a stand.

Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

We who belong to the Lord stand only twice. First we stand as we approach the Lord to receive that which we are sent out to deliver. The second is to stand and hold forth the word of life to a lost and dying world.

2 John 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

I heard God Speed out of context last night. When I heard it I knew there was error in front of me, but I did not have a point of reference as to its use by my sister in Christ. Others had joined in the conversation and drew away from the issue of God Speed, having missed the issue.

I believe that what I heard was the result of the lingering memory of false doctrine. Verse 7 reveals the basis of my concerns, “many deceivers are entered into the world”. It is so easy to take a pleasant sounding catch phrase to build false doctrine.

I have not heard that false doctrine, but I heard the echo of it. So many times before I have heard similar sounding words, pleasant to the ear, but born in the flesh. False teachers will often use the enticements of sweet sounding words to distract believers away from sound doctrine.

I am not privy to that teaching. I must draw my sister aside with her husband to investigate more closely. If I can root out the doctrine, we can nip it in the bud before it grows any further.

Titus 1:15a Unto the pure all things are pure:

I believe she is pure. I believe she is innocent, but false doctrine echoing in the mind of the pure has no innocent intention and will sow its own seed.

Titus 2:1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

Hold fast the Word of Truth ye defenders of the faith.