THE ONE WHO ENDURES TO THE END SHALL BE SAVED
To the seven churches in Revelation, Jesus gave the same admonition:
Overcoming in the face of all obstacles is the only way to please God in the last days!
"Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up."
"Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away."
"Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out."
"And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty." Matthew 13:3-8.
Each and every verse quoted above has a singular message: PERSEVERE! OVERCOME!
We are in the last days. Things generally are falling apart. Society as we once knew it is no more. Change is rampant. Truth is on the scaffold. Deception is on the throne.
In warning His disciples about the coming last days, Jesus instructed His followers to make up their minds: They must persist in their faith to be saved. They could survive, but would face great persecution and hardships to do so. Only by enduring each and every challenge can one make it to heaven.
Enduring means not giving up.
It means being patient when everything around you is caving in and betraying you. It means not losing faith in Jesus when those you thought loved Him turn and betray Him and you! Can you handle it? Are you willing to go the long haul regardless of what stands in your way?
We're challenged with a tall order! How does one persist? How do we withstand troubles and persecution? Is it possible?
Yes, of course it is. Jesus gave that sure word when He said,
What are the steps to doing that? What does it mean to endure? The parables in Matthew 13 give us clear illustration and instructions:
Parable 1
Parable 1 is about the Sower and His seed. Those people who hear the word and hardly pay attention to it are like the trampled roadway, hard and impossible for seed to take root there. Those who do hear the word of the Gospel and believe it are like the seed sown on the rocks or among the thorns. It takes root immediately and with great joy because there's moisture there. When it becomes difficult to survive because of opposition or hardship, the seed is quickly forsaken and forgotten. Or, when finances get tough, survival at all costs leaves the believer with a decision to follow Jesus faithfully or not.
It means that when you hear the Gospel of salvation, even though it sounds faint and hard to find, pursue it. Pursue Him! Make every effort to cultivate that seed of truth planted in your heart. When hard times come and you are made fun of because of your faith, do not abandon it! No matter what! Troubles of life and persecution will make it seem easy to turn your back on Jesus, but hold on! Never turn tail and run. Stand your ground!
When money gets tight and you can't afford food for your family or clothes for their backs, do not concede to the hero of the day who says he can solve all your problems IF you follow him. Stay true to Jesus, no matter what you do. You say your family will starve if you don't take the mark of the beast! That's what he will tell you, but don't believe him. Even if it IS true, do not capitulate to save your family. You will lose your own soul in the process and probably lose theirs, too, because they'll follow your example of unfaithfulness. Stand true to Jesus and to God. Be their example of true faith! Honor God and His Word. Respect Jesus and all He did for your salvation. Let your family and friends see what uncompromising faith looks like through your life. Set the example even if your life depends on it!
When you do stand, and having done all, to stand, you will open the door to grace and glory that you've never tasted of yet! You will walk in the steps of faith like the heroes of Hebrews 11, who conquered fear and all its tentacles. Wear the armor of God proudly! Never let down your guard nor take it off for one moment! You will come through in victory!
Parable 2
Parable 2 tells of the tares and the wheat. Those whom you count as Christian brothers and sisters may turn on you when the going gets tough. Try to persuade them to stand strong for Jesus. Man will turn away. God's word says so. Whatever you do, do not be offended when they accuse you of things that are not true. They will betray you to the authorities as being a real believer so they can so scot free! Do not let the offense hurt and damage your faith. Turn them over to Jesus and keep going. Neither should you try to expose them as being false believers and cause division among the church. Be faithful to God and His unchanging word! He will take care of His Church!
Parable 3
Parable 3 is about the mustard seed that begins as a tiny speck, but planted grows into a bush that provides a haven for the birds of the air. This is a picture of the kingdom of heaven. Let those who profess to love Jesus fellowship with you even if you have doctrinal differences. Do not treat them with mistrust. Receive them as brothers without suspicion, and trust God for the increase. Receive those who love Jesus and succour them as brothers and sisters. The outreach of the kingdom extends beyond your ilk and kind into the hearts of men and women in traditions that may be unlike yours. God will reach those whom He can find! Receive them!
Parable 4
Parable 4 is about yeast and bread-making. It takes only a little yeast, some moisture and sweetness and soon the entire ball of dough is leavened and has risen to a tasty loaf of bread. You may be tempted to withhold telling others about the Gospel for fear of reprisal or because "they don't deserve to hear." A word here in season, a word there when it is indicated, and it will grow into a full loaf of bread completely leavened. Your job is to spread the Word! Be faithful! Do not take on yourself the responsibility of deciding who is worthy to hear the Gospel. Tell the story whenever you have the opportunity. God will grow His kingdom when you are faithful in telling the good news!!! That is His job, not ours!
Parable 5
Parable 5 talks about the man who found the kingdom of heaven in a field and sold everything he had to purchase that field. He wanted to treasure the Treasure! So, too, hold to nothing in this life tightly. All will perish. Only the eternal lasts, and it is that which you must pursue and seek after. Sell out to serve God! Hold nothing close to your heart except Jesus! Let go of everything else you value. Nothing is worth the price of knowing Jesus intimately. As you own Him, He also will own you completely! Remember, the field the man purchased contained rocks, weeds and brambles, ups and downs, but he bought everything in the field so he could own the treasure! Jesus said if men hated Him, they would hate us, His children, also! That is part of the purchase price for 'owning' Jesus! He is worthy!
Parable 6
Parable 6 is about the merchant who found the pearl of a lifetime and sold everything he owned to buy that one priceless jewel. Remember that a pearl is formed because of hardship and suffering. As an oyster is bothered by grit or pain, it builds a layer of pearl over the rough irritant, making it a thing of beauty rather than offense. That is what Jesus did as He walked the earth. He bore our sins---He put a layer of sweetness in His life over the offenses of His enemies that challenged His every move and motive. That is what you buy when you seek to own the Pearl of Great Price. Ever after, the man who bought the pearl was a debtor to that jewel: he carried it with him so it could not be stolen. He slept with it so no one could rob him of it. He had to walk rather than ride, because he had spent all his cash on the pearl and could not afford a cab or a car. His whole life changed because of that pearl. Let the glory and salvation of God make such a change in your life that you meet opposition and persecution with the supernatural strength and glory of heaven! Become a pearl just like the One whom you love! Guard Him with your life by making your life a living testimony of becoming a pearl like Jesus! That is what overcoming is all about!
Parable 7
Parable 7 is about the dragnet cast into the sea that caught all kinds of fish, both good and bad. No one is too reprehensible to be given the Gospel testimony of truth. Do not be selective about the ones to whom you give the Gospel. The fisherman spread the good tidings of the Gospel (the net) and let it attract all sorts of people to it. He didn't sort the good from the bad; he left that to the angels of God. God is the One who sorts the wicked from the righteous. It is not our job to decide who shall hear the Truth. Be faithful as the Spirit gives you utterance. Jesus said:
Through it all Jesus said in Matthew 24:
"But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved."
Let nothing, NOTHING, move you off dead-center! Stay the course, no matter what happens to you. Stay true to Jesus, just as He stayed true to you on the Cross. He never wavered. Determine NOW that neither will you.
Remember, Jesus also said:
Before Pentecost, Peter denied Jesus three times! Following the Upper Room experience with the Holy Spirit, Peter became a living firebrand! He never denied Jesus again and was crucified upside down in deference to our Lord!
You and I need and must have the stability of the Holy Spirit's baptism to keep us true under all the conditions we face ahead. Because five of the sleeping virgins did not have the baptism when they waited for Jesus to arrive, they missed going to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Matthew 25). Jesus never knew them!
It was Jesus Himself who gave the apostles their commission in three stages:
First, He breathed on them and they received the Holy Spirit in John 20:22:
Second, He gave them the Great Commission when He said,
Third, He commanded the apostles not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised:
They were not to go and undertake the spreading of the Gospel before they first had been baptized in the Holy Spirit! How important that truth is today! We cannot make it successfully through the last days unless we have that fulness of the Spirit flowing in our lives. In fact, in true baptism we are immersed in Him. He is unconfined! We are 'lost' in Him! What a grand and glorious place to be found!
He is the answer to how we will endure to the end!