PERSEVERANCE AND ENDURANCE IN THE CHRISTIAN WALK

Growing to maturity as a Christian is not by sudden flight. Throughout the Bible, all individuals used mightily by God experienced some hard training and some difficult times in their ministries. It is usual to think that once called by God these servants would have it all easy in their respective ministries.

Yet, Biblical characters and contemporary faithful Christians endured and continue to endure hardships in their walk with God.  The good news is that God makes his grace abound daily in their ministry and they succeed in the end.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 5:3-5

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

It is a whole Christian life experience. It is having the staying power to continue in well-being, Church attendance and fruit-bearing in spite of trials and lacks of life. There is no cause for alarm you are anchored and the storm will mot swallow you up. Be sustained by hope in Christ.

GOD’S CALL FOR REPENTANCE

In this generation, people do not want to hear the word “REPENT”, but that is the message for the people. In fact, Jesus Christ began his ministry by telling his countrymen and community to come to the repentance of this sinful world.

Do not harden your heart but bring forth genuine fruits of repentance. This is not a superficial and shallow “sorry, for all I have done”. No, true repentance means a clear turning away from all sinful pleasures of this world.

Repentance requires a clear cut between you and all the corrupt practices of our days (immorality, alcohol, fame, lust, envy, pride etc). If you thoroughly repent, you start to hate what God hates and to love what God loves. Other fruits of true repentance become apparent in your life: stolen things are returned to their owners, dishonest dealings and lies are put right, quarrels are settled and many other things are dealt with.

You realize that biblical repentance is more than just a cheap “sorry”. And I can assure you that God will not remain silent to such a sincere change of heart and attitude.

There is God

The Bible says and nature confirms it, “There is a God!” And yet thousand shut their spiritual eyes and reply boldly,”We can’t see him, therefore is no God!” A very convincing proof isn’t it. Well, I felt sorry for my little son whose logic had let him down so badly. And I feel sad and burdened when I think of all those multitudes that deny the existence of God and thus believe to have wiped him out.

Dear friend, God does not only exist in the minds of those people who believe in him. He is not just an idea or the result of our thinking. God’s existence does not depend on our thoughts. God existed long before your thoughts were there. He will still exist long after your body will have decayed in the grave.

Don’t fool yourself!

The Bible says, “After death- judgment!”Even if you shut your eyes and reject the idea totally, this biblically statement is and remains valid irrespective of your personal thoughts on this matter.

Revelation 20:14-15, “Then (after judgment) death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire”

Don’t say, “This is all nonsense. How could a God of love be so cruel?” Don’t let such argument deceive you.

Let yourself be trained by God

Dear friend, if you have truly repented and let God do his saving and restoring work in your life, then by God’s grace you will able to walk in the light as God is light. The grace of God wants to train you to say “NO” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ!