"Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus."
(Revelation 14:12)
What is perseverance? The word literally means to bear up or to endure. John calls it, “the perseverance of the saints,” distinguishing it from any other kind of religious perseverance. It is those that have been set apart by the new birth that, while being sustained by the preserving power of God, continue in faithfulness to Christ. Because they are “kept by the power of God” (1 Pet. 1:7), because it is God who is at work in them both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13), those genuinely in the faith keep pressing on. They may falter along the way; they may even fall and fail. But none falls finally who are kept by God’s power until the final redemption is accomplished.
John further qualifies what is meant by perseverance: “who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” The old hymn expresses it well, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” Perseverance actually has substance; attentive obedience to God’s commands and ongoing reliance and trust in Jesus Christ in all of His sufficiency. Are you persevering as a Christian? That means that you never get away from trusting Christ and obeying Him. Again, you may falter; you may have some big flops along the way. But the heart desire is to continue following after Christ. That’s the evidence that one truly knows Christ.
(Phil A. Newton)
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