Since 1874, Christians have been singing this tune based on today’s text in Philippians 2:14-15. Over the years, our brothers and sisters have loved these lyrics and melody:

Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life;

Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life;

Words of life and beauty, teach me faith and duty.

Beautiful words, wonderful words,

Wonderful words of life.

Beautiful words, wonderful words,

Wonderful words of life.

Indeed the Bible is full of words of life because it is the Word of Life. Its teachings lead us out of darkness and death into light and life everlasting through Jesus Christ. Therefore, Apostle Paul encourages us in Philippians 2 to “hold fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to boast because I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.”

Beloved, we must hold fast to the Bible.  The Bible is where truth is found. It’s where we learn to see the world as God sees it, which is how it really is. It’s where we learn what is right and wrong and how we should live in light of that. It’s where we learn our need for a Savior and how to be saved.

To hold the Bible loosely or to let it go will bring about nothing good. It will progressively lead to our spiritual decay and eventually to our demise. You probably know somebody right now who’s experiencing this sad reality because they didn’t hold fast to the word of life.

But may that never be said of you. May you long to hear the words of life over and over again. May they be beautiful and wonderful to you. May you cling to them with all your life like you life depends on it because in reality, it does.

Change begins in you!