Perseverance

What is Your Drive?

persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success:

"his perseverance with the technique illustrates his single-mindedness" · "medicine is a field which requires dedication and perseverance"

James 1.12 “12 Blessed is the person who endures testing, because when he is approved he will receive the crown of life that he has promised to those who love him.”

Gal 6.9 “9 And let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give up.”

Matt 10.22 “22 and you will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end—this one will be saved.”

Rom 5.3-4 “3 And not only this, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces patient endurance, 4 and patient endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope,”

The Bible teaches us to persevere in faith, trusting God to fulfill his promises. When we face difficulties we can trust that God understands our situation and sees our distress. The following Bible verses about perseverance teach us to align our thoughts and intentions with God’s will. We are encouraged to persevere to obtain the goal of sharing in God’s salvation.

1 chronicles 16.11 “11 Seek Yahweh and his strength; seek his face continually!”

2 chronicles 15.7 “7 But as for you, be strong and let not your hands be weak, for there is reward for your labor.””

Ps 27.14 “14 Wait for Yahweh. Be strong and let your heart show strength, and wait for Yahweh.”

Rom 12.12 “12 rejoicing in hope, enduring in affliction, being devoted to prayer,”

Ps 86.11 “11 Teach me, O Yahweh, your way, that I may walk in your truth. Unite my heart to fear your name.”

Prov 4.24-26 “24 Remove from yourself deceitful speech, and abolish devious talk from yourself. 25 May your eyes look forward and your gaze be straight before you. 26 May the path of your foot be balanced and all your ways be sure.”

However, the Bible clearly teaches that we are “born again” by the Holy Spirit, which results in our coming to faith in Christ. All who have been “born again” do have eternal security and will persevere. The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is founded in the promise that “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6) and Jesus’ declaration that “all that the Father gives me will come to me” and “I shall lose none of them that he has given me” (John 6:37, 39).

Good Example of Perseverance in the Faith as Apostle Paul Told Timothy

Beyond the concept of perseverance in regard to salvation, there are biblical exhortations to persevere in the Christian life. In his pastoral epistles to Timothy, the apostle Paul reminds the young pastor to “watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16). Timothy’s character was that of a godly man, and his doctrine was sound and scriptural. Paul warned him to watch them both closely and persevere in them because—and this is a warning to all Christians—perseverance in godly living and believing the truth always accompany genuine conversion (John 8:31; Romans 2:7).

Ps 107.9 “9 for he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good.”

Is 46.4 “4 Even to your old age I am he; even to your advanced age I myself will support you. I myself have made you, and I myself will carry you, and I myself will support you, and I will save

you.”

Even in this verse of scripture God is showing us Perseverance even in our old age.

Lam 3.22-24 “22 The loyal love of Yahweh does not cease; his compassions do not come to an end. 23 They are new in the morning, great is your faithfulness. 24 “Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul, “Thus I will hope on him.””

Lk 1.37 “37 For nothing will be impossible with God.””

Eph 3.20-21 “20 Now to the one who is able to do beyond all measure more than all that we ask or think, according to the power that is at work in us, 21 to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

That Power and driving Force is The Holy Spirit and Perseverance working in us.

Phil 1.6 “6 convinced of this same thing, that the one who began a good work in you will finish it until the day of Christ Jesus,”

Phil 3.13-14 “13 Brothers, I do not consider myself to have laid hold of it. But I do one thing, forgetting the things behind and straining toward the things ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

We have to hear the word with our spirit and not with our Head.

Hebrew 10.23 “23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for the one who promised is faithful.”

Hold Fast: Perseverance

Don’t Give up.

James also exhorts us to persevere “under trials” because those who do will be blessed and will receive the “crown of life” which God has promised (James 1:12). Just as the true believer will be eternally secure in his salvation, his faith will also persevere in affliction, sickness, persecution, and the other trials of life that befall all believers. If we desire to live godly lives in Christ, we will suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12), but the faithful will persevere, kept by the power of the Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our salvation and who will keep us “strong to the end,” persevering so we will be “blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:8).

Ps 71.5-6 “5 because you are my hope, O Lord Yahweh, my confidence from my youth. 6 Upon you I have leaned from birth. It was you who took me from the womb of my mother. My praise is of you continually.”

James 1.2-4 “2 Consider it all joy, my brothers, whenever you encounter various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Heb 12.1-2 “1 Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, putting aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, let us run with patient endurance the race that has been set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the originator and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

For those who think Christ has not went though nothing Christ has fixed his own eyes on the father endured the cross and disregarding his shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the father, the scriptures are a reflection of his perseverance as well.

James 1.12 “12 Blessed is the person who endures testing, because when he is approved he will receive the crown of life that he has promised to those who love him.”

Gal 6.9 “9 And let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give up.”

2 Thess 3.15 “15 And do not consider him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”

Heb 10.36 “36 For you have need of endurance, in order that after you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.”

Matt 24.13 “13 But the one who endures to the end—this person will be saved.”

Let us have Perseverance in our Faith as well as in our Lives.