By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #228 ~
As you know, life can be difficult and, at times, extremely difficult. There are internal struggles, the fight against sin, and relational conflicts. There are problems at home and at work. There is sickness, chronic ailments, and old age. There is government oppression. There is slander, persecution, and attacks from the devil. There are the daily challenges of living in an evil and fallen world. Add to this the normal trials of life. And the Antichrist isn’t even here yet, and with him, the great tribulation Christians will go through. How do we keep going? How are we to keep loving God and living for Him? How are we to persevere?
God will keep you going to the end. “I am always with You. You hold me by my right hand… You will take me into glory” (Ps. 73:23-26). “He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:8). “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom” (2 Tim. 4:8). God promises you that He will keep you going. He is your spiritual Father, and He won’t let you slip and fall by the wayside and fail to make it to your heavenly home. But what part do you play in persevering for the Lord? What are the divine means by which you can victoriously keep going through all the years of your life? Here are some keys, some God-given truths that will enable you to endure to the end.
1. The word of God. Knowing, believing, and holding on to God’s word is essential if you are to persevere and be a successful, God-glorifying Christian. “His delight is in the law of the Lord and on His law he meditates day and night… Whatever he does prospers” (Ps. 1:2-3). As for me, I love Psalm 119, for it explains in great detail the benefits of loving and living by God’s word. “I have hidden Your word in my heart” (Ps. 119:11). Matt. 4:4, John 8:32, 2 Tim. 3:16-17
2. Your relationship with God is all important. You need to know that God is your Father, and you are His child, His chosen and holy one. Walk with God and, as you do, you will love Him, listen to Him, pray to Him, enjoy Him, and obey Him. “Let him who boasts, boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth” (Jer. 9:23-24). “This is eternal life, that they may know You.” John 17:3
3. Knowing Jesus Christ is vital. First and foundational you need to believe that Jesus Christ died to pay for all your sins. That’s just the beginning, for then you are to love Him, trust Him, and grow in your relationship with Him. He is to be your best friend. “I know My own, and My own know Me” (John 10:14). “I want to know Christ” (Phil. 3:10). “Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:3
4. Having a close relationship with the Holy Spirit is critical for perseverance. It is truly miraculous that the Spirit is in you, and that He is with you forever. (John 14:16). And He wants to lead you (Rom. 8:14), comfort you (John 14:16), teach you (John 14:26), strengthen you (Eph. 5:18), keep you holy (Gal. 5:16), and have fellowship with you (2 Cor. 13:14). He is a perfect and precious gift from God, a daily companion and helper, One you can always count on.
5. God’s grace is indispensable. Grace is a general word that speaks of God’s generous gift to you, the divine power and enablement you need every day in every area of your life. Only by God’s grace can you live and keep going for Him. Paul wrote extensively about this – “Grace to you” (Eph. 1:2). “God is able to make all grace abound to you” (2 Cor. 9:8). “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). “I became a servant… by the gift of God’s grace.” Eph. 3:7
6. Knowing God’s great love is necessary for perseverance. This love is personal, from God to you, for it’s what you need and when you need it. His love is powerful and energizing. His love is specific, for it’s forgiving, patient, good, compassionate, and gentle. Because the Christian is strengthened by God’s love, he can continue on to the very end. “Surely, goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life” (Ps. 23:6). “Keep yourself in God’s love.” (Jude 21). “His love is everlasting.” Psalm 136
7. God’s purpose enables you to stay on the highway to heaven. Believing you have a purpose motivates you, keeps you forward-looking, and results in God being glorified and people being blessed. It’s by knowing and obeying God’s commands that you have purpose, direction, and a reason to live. Paul was passionate about fulfilling his purpose (Acts 26:14-18) – might we be like him. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
8. God’s promises are a means to persevere. God’s commands tell you what to do for God, but His promises tell you what He will do for you. Knowing God’s promises is a daily source of His love, life, and grace, and are needed for progress, joy, and endurance. Here are three: “He will lead you in the way you should go” (Ps. 32:8). “I will never leave you” (Heb. 13:5); “Those who wait for the Lord… will run and not get tired… will walk and not get weary.” Isaiah 40:30-31
9. Be in a godly church, a church where there’s good teaching, agape love, true holiness, real devotion, where there’s faith, fellowship, friendships, and encouragement, and where you can use your gift to serve others. Be an active part of the body of Christ. “Christ Jesus… in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” Eph. 2:20-22, 3:14-21, 4:11-16
10. Walk by faith. Faith is needed for every facet of your life. It’s believing God and relying on His word. It’s central to your relationship with God, experiencing His grace, knowing His love, and fulfilling your purpose. Faith isn’t based on feelings (2 Cor. 5:7) but comes from God and His word (Rom. 10:17). Learn from others who, by faith, pleased God and gained approval from Him (Heb. 11). “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” (Prov. 3:5). “Have faith in God.” Mark 11:22
11. Hope is essential for perseverance. Hope is knowing that the future is infinitely better than the present, that living for God on earth results in eternal blessings in heaven. Hope is being excited about being with Jesus, being in heaven, being with friends, and being glorified. Hope is looking forward to the future, to receiving your inheritance and all these rewards. “We have this hope as an anchor of the soul.” (Heb. 6:19) “… You will abound in hope by the power of the Spirit.” Romans 15:13
12. Remember the past. “I will remember the deeds of the Lord… I will meditate on all Your works” (Ps. 77:10-12). You are not to focus on the past, but you are to think about it and thank God for what He has done for you. This is encouraging, for you will more clearly understand how God has wisely, lovingly, faithfully, and sovereignly worked in your life. Then you will see the continuity of your life, that what God has done in the past connects to the present, and this helps you to persevere, to keep moving ahead into the future. “Thus far the Lord has helped us” (1 Sam. 7:12). “Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles.” (Ps. 77:13-14). Psalm 18:30-32
All these truths are keys to persevering, to going strong and successfully to the end. “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12-13). It is by God’s grace that you do your part and work out your salvation, which means it is God who keeps you persevering, who enables you to endure all the way to heaven. “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of me… I press on to toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward.” (Phil. 3:12-14). “To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Jude 24-25
P.S. The Christian life is truly a marathon. You need to learn to persevere for God, to keep going day after day and year after year. Look to God, pray to Him, and He will help you to endure to the end. Then finally, you will see the Lord Jesus face to face. Another similar and helpful post is “What Keeps Me Going to the End?”