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Steadfastness.

From: The New Topical Textbook By: Reuben Archer Torrey

• 2 min. read • grade level: 12

Exhibited by God in all His purposes and ways. Num. 23:19¹⁹God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Numbers 23:19). Dan. 6:26²⁶I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. (Daniel 6:26). James 1:17¹⁷Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (James 1:17).

Commanded. Phi. 4:1. 2 The. 2: 15. James 1:6-8⁶But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. ⁷For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. ⁸A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:6‑8).

Godliness necessary to. Job 11:13¹³If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him; (Job 11:13)

SECURED BY

The power of God. Psa. 55:22²²Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22). Psa. 62:2²He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. (Psalm 62:2). 1 Peter 1:5⁵Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:5). Jude 24²⁴Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, (Jude 24).

The presence of God. Psa. 16:8⁸I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. (Psalm 16:8). Trust in God. Psa. 26:1¹<<A Psalm of David.>> Judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide. (Psalm 26:1).

The intercession of Christ. Luke 22:31, 32³¹And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: ³²But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. (Luke 22:31‑32).

A characteristic of saints. Job 17:9⁹The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger. (Job 17:9). John 8:31³¹Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; (John 8:31).

SHOULD BE MANIFESTED

In cleaving to God. Deut. 10:20²⁰Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. (Deuteronomy 10:20). Acts 11:23²³Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. (Acts 11:23).

In the work of the Lord. 1 Cor. 15:58⁵⁸Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:58).

In continuing in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship. Acts 2:42⁴²And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:42).

In holding fast our profession. Heb. 4:14¹⁴Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. (Hebrews 4:14). Heb. 10:23²³Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (Hebrews 10:23).

In holding fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope. Heb. 3:6, 14⁶But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. (Hebrews 3:6)
¹⁴For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; (Hebrews 3:14).

In keeping the faith. Col. 2:5⁵For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. (Colossians 2:5). 1 Peter 5:9⁹Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. (1 Peter 5:9).

In standing fast in the faith. 1 Cor. 16:13¹³Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13).

In holding fast what is good. 1 The. 5:21.

In maintaining Christian liberty. Gal. 5:1¹Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. (Galatians 5:1).

In striving for the faith of the gospel. Phi. 1:27, with Jude 3³Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. (Jude 3).

Even under affliction. Psa. 44:17-19¹⁷All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. ¹⁸Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way; ¹⁹Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death. (Psalm 44:17‑19). Rom. 8:35-37³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. ³⁷Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (Romans 8:35‑37). 1 The. 3:3.

Saints pray for. Psa. 17:5⁵Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not. (Psalm 17:5).

Saints praise God for. Psa. 116:8⁸For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. (Psalm 116:8).

MINISTERS

Exhorted to. 2 Tim. 1:13, 14¹³Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. (2 Timothy 1:13‑14). Titus 1:9⁹Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. (Titus 1:9).

Should exhort to. Acts 13:43⁴³Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. (Acts 13:43). Acts 14:22²²Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22).

Should pray for, in their people. 1 Thess. 3:13¹³To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:13). 2 Thess. 2:17¹⁷Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work. (2 Thessalonians 2:17).

Encouraged by, in their people. 1 The. 3:8.

Rejoiced by, in their people. Col. 2:5⁵For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. (Colossians 2:5).

The wicked devoid of. Psa. 78:8, 37⁸And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God. (Psalm 78:8)
³⁷For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant. (Psalm 78:37).

Principle of—Illustrated. Matt. 7:24, 25²⁴Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: ²⁵And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. (Matthew 7:24‑25). John 15:4⁴Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (John 15:4). Col. 2:7⁷Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:7).

Want of—Illustrated. Luke 8:6, 13⁶And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. (Luke 8:6)
¹³They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. (Luke 8:13). John 15:6⁶If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. (John 15:6). 2 Peter 2:17¹⁷These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. (2 Peter 2:17). Jude 12¹²These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; (Jude 12).

Exemplified. Caleb, Num. 14:24²⁴But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. (Numbers 14:24). Joshua, Josh. 24:15¹⁵And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15). Josiah, 2 Kin. 22:2. Job, Job 2:3³And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. (Job 2:3). David, Psa. 18:21, 22²¹For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. ²²For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. (Psalm 18:21‑22). Shadrach, &c. Dan. 3:18¹⁸But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. (Daniel 3:18). Daniel, Dan. 6:10¹⁰Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. (Daniel 6:10). Primitive Christians, Acts 2:42⁴²And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:42). Corinthians, 1 Cor. 15:1¹Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; (1 Corinthians 15:1). Colossians, Col. 2:5⁵For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. (Colossians 2:5). Those who overcame Satan, Rev. 12:11¹¹And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (Revelation 12:11).

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The New Topical Textbook

• Sin-Offering.

• Sins, National.

• Spear, the.

• Stars, the.

• Steadfastness.

• Strangers in Israel.

• Swearing Falsely.

• Swearing, Profane.

• Sword, the.

• Synagogues.

• Tabernacle, the.

• Temple, the First.

• Temple, the Second.

• Temptation.

• Thanksgiving.

• Theocracy, the, or Immediate Government by God.