Hold Fast to What is Good
Part three of three on Romans 12:9
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” Romans 12:9
The final mandate of Romans 12:9 is to hold fast to what is good. It’s easy to think of Killing Sin only in negative terms, but without holding onto the beauty of God and the hope of His gospel we have no chance to win the battle against sin.
Daniel gives us an amazing picture of this when he is threatened with the lion’s den. His accusers were jealous men. They resented that Daniel had become so successful and highly favored by the king. They wanted to get rid of him, but how? Daniel lived out Romans 12:9 well before it was written. Daniel’s enemies knew “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.” (Daniel 6:5) So they convinced the King to make it against the law for anyone to pray to any god except the King himself for the next 30 days. Daniel’s response is the epitome of holding fast to what is good.
“When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.” (Daniel 6:10)
We often think we need to take big audacious steps to kill sin in our lives. And sometimes this is true, as Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.” (Matthew 5:30) But sometimes what we need to do is simply continue living our lives faithfully before God.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8–9)
How can you hold fast to what is good this week?
Karl
You can purchase a copy of Karl’s new book, Killing Sin, right here!