Perseverance - Bible Thought - WISE

Words In Scripture Explored

Perseverance

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Perseverance in relation to God and His work is the continuous operation of the Holy Spirit in your life as a believer. It is a work of divine grace that is begun in your heart, which is continued and brought to completion.

• As a Christian, you will never perish, and nobody or nothing can snatch them out of His hand (John 10v27-29)
• You have eternal life and you will not be condemned, passed from death to life. (John 5v24)
• God, who began a good work in you, will carry it on to completion (Philippians 1v6)
• You are shielded by God’s power. (1 Peter 1v15)
• Nothing can separate you from God/Christ’s love. (Romans 8v38-39)
• The Lord knows those who are His (2 Timothy 2v19)
• Eternal life never depends on our feeble grip on Christ, but rather on His firm grip on us.

God’s whole purpose for you is to transform you into the image of Jesus Christ. His purpose for you is to make you holy. This is where perseverance for you as a Christian comes in.

Perseverance of the Christian

You are to keep your eyes focussed on Jesus Christ, carry your cross daily and be willing to obey God. But as a Christian, you are sometimes entangled by sin (Hebrews 12v1). God who wholly loves, must discipline His children in order to teach them willing obedience to Himself. God disciplines His children and “It is painful.” (Hebrews 12v11) Therefore as a Christian, and you sin whilst remaining unrepentant and habitually addicted to that sin, God will discipline (Hebrews 12v10). If you sin and are not disciplined, you are not His child (Hebrews 12v8).

The Practice of Sin - Habitual Sin

As a Christian, you cannot continue to sin habitually, willingly maintaining a sinful practice or attitude. That is why you are warned against falling away.

• We share in Christ if we hold firmly to the end. (Hebrews 3v13-14)
• It is possible to experience much of what God offers and not be a Christian e.g. The Pharisees (Hebrews 6v4-6)

Deliberate sinning after receiving the truth reveals a rejection of truth. However, God is merciful and will forgive if repentance is asked for! As a Christian, persevere in your relationship with God. Obey Him and follow Him. Ask questions humbly of Him and expect Him to answer, particularly if you don’t understand something. Persevere in your prayers, your relationships with God and with other people. God will persevere with you, turning you gradually into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. God will not abandon you, but you are free to abandon Him. If you did abandon Him, He would still continue to call you back to Himself.

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