Jesus provides a sneak peek of the state of the world right before His second coming in Matthew 24 and Mark 13. This demonstrates the need for persistence.
Signs
The indications that point to Jesus’ second coming—a rise in lawlessness—are already apparent to us. As a result, many people’s love—that is, God’s love, poured out by the Holy Spirit—will grow chilly. According to Matthew 24:13, “But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.” It is contingent upon persistence! Mark 13 explains the extremely trying period that Jesus’ followers would go through prior to His second coming and reiterates His exhortation to endure.
Perseverance through dedication
So, it follows that endurance is crucial. But how can one develop perseverance? First and foremost, through unwavering, whole allegiance to Jesus Christ with all of our hearts. As he exhorts the faithful “to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose,” remember what Barnabas has to say (Acts 11:23). The phrase “with steadfast purpose”—that is, to remain obedient to the Lord in all situations—is crucial here.
Jesus’ followers have something to be proud of in the future. Thus, according to Romans 5:1-2, “because we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ… and we rejoice in hope of God’s glory.”
Rejoicing
Paul, however, adds that we should be glad for both the present and the future. “But we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,” he continues. And hope is produced by character, and endurance by character (Romans 5:3–4). Here, boasting is expressed through the Greek word for joy. For what reason should we celebrate misfortunes? due to the result! In Colossians 1:9–12, Paul states that the Lord will give us strength to withstand pressure, hardship, and tribulations if we walk in a way that is worthy of the Lord and grow in our understanding of His plan. Remember that everything must conspire for the benefit of people who love God (Romans 8:28).
Testing is good for us because it demonstrates our perseverance when our faith is put to the test. In order for you to be flawless and complete and to lack nothing, let steadfastness (perseverance) take its full effect (James 1:4).
Put another way, a steadfast religion shapes every aspect of our personalities. It is also critical to our Christian character that we are open to receiving correction from other believers.
Tribulations
Jesus predicts that there would be suffering or persecution as a result of the Word in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:21). Additionally, Paul and Barnabas warned Jesus’ disciples that they would face hardships and that “we must enter the kingdom of God through many tribulations” (Acts 14:22). We already live in the Kingdom right now as Christians. We will all suffer hardships in life at some point, and we will ask ourselves, “Why is this happening to me?” Then keep in mind that God is using this to get us ready for His Kingdom.
