Endure to the End

Endure to the End

(Matthew 10:22) "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake; but he that endureth to the end shall be saved."

What does it mean to endure?...

Since we are called upon to endure certain things in life let's look at the meaning of the word.  Webster's dictionary says it means to stand, bear, undergo, put up with, tolerate, and hold out.

As Christians we often think that if we have enough faith we will automatically find a supernatural escape form every problem, sickness, or trial. By no means am I trying to belittle God's delivering power or hinder faith for deliverance but at the same time the idea that faith will give us an automatic escape from everything is simply wrong.  God's Word teaches us that as Christians we must endure some things.  Although God could give us an escape from all difficulty He does not, simply because we need to learn the blessings of endurance. 

As Christians we can move mountains, be healed, and have victory through faith in God.  God's promises to those with faith are many.  Every one of his promises are true; yet the same faith that brings deliverance also enables us to endure whatever God may assign us.  In fairness to God's Word, we need to consider both deliverance and endurance, so that we will not despair in our times of trial.

As a part of God's church we endure persecution...

(2 Timothy 3:12)  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Jesus Christ came to build a church that the gates of hell would not be able to prevail against.  From the beginning the church has been the object of persecution.  The Apostles, New Testament saints, and saints of every generation to the present day saints have suffered and still suffer persecution.  However, persecution has not stopped God's great church.  While persecutions have raged, the gospel has spread.  Paul mentioned some of his persecutions and reminded us that those who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer the same.  May God give us the resilience to stay true to Him regardless of what life brings.

In our walk with God we endure affliction...

(2 Timothy 4:5) But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

Affliction covers a wide range of meanings in the Bible, but in the general sense it means that we face distress, tight places, hardships, and sufferings.  God does not always deliver us from our afflictions, but he always gives us grace to endure them. Paul encouraged Timothy; a young minister to endure afflictions.  However, Paul's lot in life was filled with afflictions, infirmities, reproaches, persecutions, and distresses; these he patiently endured by the grace of God.  Job's troubles, sickness, and circumstances were called afflictions; these he had to endure for some time before victory came.  If affliction becomes our lot, we should never despair, for God gives grace to endure.

As a soldier in God's army we endure hardness....

(2 Timothy 2:4) No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

(2 Timothy 2:3) Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Hardness, in the context of God's Word, means undergoing hardship that comes upon us because we are Christians.  Christians are soldiers, and the life of a soldier has never been an easy one.  Talk to soldiers in Uncle Sam's army, it is not an easy life.  In God's army the child of God constantly faces battles, trials, and difficulties.  Satan sees to that.  Paul encouraged Timothy to endure hardness as a good soldier.  You know we need to ask ourselves when things get hard...  Are we willing to undergo a few hardships and endure if necessary for the gospel's sake?  Not every day of our Christian life will be easy; at times, we will be called upon to endure hardness as a good soldier! 

As Christians we endure grief...

(1 Peter 2:19-21) For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

This is not referring to grief that we have when a loved one dies.  This scripture is talking about the grief we suffer when accused wrongfully for doing well.  Many times during my walk with God I've been told I think I'm better than everyone else because I refuse to drink, curse, watch ugly TV shows or live an ungodly life.  Our good and righteous life can be filled with grief from false accusations, criticism, and rejection by others.  It hurts when loved ones and friends reject us.  Sometimes one will experience grief living in a split household.  We may live with parents, children, or spouses that are not saved.  They may have different beliefs or belong to a different religion.  They may reject us and refuse to join us in worship.  This can cause us a huge amount of grief.  We must often endure tears and sorrow in order to identify with Christ.

We endure temptation...

I Corinthians 10:13 says, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."  Bear means to endure.  In other words so we may be able to "endure it".  Even when deliverance does not come, we can stay saved and walk with God, while carrying the load of whatever we are called upon to endure.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

God has promised us deliverance in times of temptation in order to be proved.  When we endure and do not receive deliverance from temptation, the bible tells us we are blessed!  Temptation falls in two categories in the Scripture: (1) an enticement to evil and (2) a test or trial.  God never entices us with evil, although He may allow Satan to do so.  There are times when God tests and tries us to prove our dedication to Him.  God tried and proved Abraham by commanding him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice upon the altar.  Abraham was not enticed to do evil; God was proving Abraham's love for Him.  We cannot always evade or avoid times of temptation, but when they come, we should not feel backslidden just because we are tempted.  Temptation is not a sin; succumbing to it is.  If we endure temptation, victory will be ours!

As a child of God we must endure chastisement....

Hebrews 12:6-7 says, "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons, for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

Psalm 13: 5-6 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

Because God loves us He chastens us.  He chastens us to keep us from being condemned with the world.  No one enjoys or delights in chastisement, nor is it something we should try to escape through supernatural means. A brother once told me the story of how he was chastised for being rude to a certain person and The Lord dealt with him to go apologize and when he did he was blessed and became that man's friend. 

As a child my dad would tell me just before he punished me that it was going to hurt him just as much as it did me.  As a child I did not understand this, but when I became a parent I realize it does hurt to punish your children.  But, we punish our children because we love them and it is for their own good.  Just as the bible tells us we too must endure chastisement it is never for our destruction, but always for our good.  We must remember when God chastises us it is because he loves us!

When we follow Jesus we bear the cross...

(Matthew 16:24) Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

(Matthew 10:38) And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Jesus Christ endured the cross and the contradiction of sinners against Himself.  His cross was not joyous; it was the joy set before Him that helped Him endure it.  In order to save us He could not be delivered from it; therefore, only one thing remained---to endure it.  Today we are called upon to bear a cross also.  Jesus laid three demands upon us if we want to be His disciples.  We must deny ourselves, we must take up our cross daily, and we must follow Him.  By the cross we bear we are crucified to the world and the world to us.  Cross bearing will never be fun or easy; its heaviness and cruelty will remain until the day we lay the cross down and pick up our crown.  May God help us to endure the cross, as we pick it up daily to walk with him.

We are called with a heavenly calling with many precious promises, yet there is some enduring to be done.  In Ezekiel 22:14 God asked, "Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee?"  Surely we can say yes if our heart is filled with the love of God.

(2 Corinthians 12:10) Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

When we endure we are made strong!

Mark 4:16-17 says, "And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the Word, immediately receive it with gladness.  And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time; afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the Word's sake, immediately they are offended." 

Because of a lack of roots, those on stony ground will not be able to endure.  Only the strong, well-grounded, and deep-rooted will endure.  To plow with the gospel plow, to enter the narrow gate, and to watch our adversary diligently all demand a strong, enduring spirit.  I want to remind us all that through faith and God's help we can endure to the end!

Written by: Kim Howard

 

*I was inspired to write this for a friend who at the time was struggling. In loving memory, Renee Davis Smith.

 

email: kimlovesjesus@icloud.com