Marks of True Faith: Steadfastness

Introduction

➟ ➟ ➟ - God’s salvation out of “all peoples” or “nations” and the ultimate destruction of the power of death.

This passage will later serve as the basis for Jewish rabbinical writing that considers it as a divine promise that death would be no more in the age to come.

It most definitely was on Paul’s mind as he writes - where Paul personifies death.

He sees it not as just the inevitable fate of all humans … but rather he pictures it as foreign hostile power, whose affects are tragic.

Death you see was never part of God’s original plan or design for us.

It’s seen in Isaiah as a veil or cover that must not only be removed … it must be defeated and destroyed.

As we observed last week, Jesus is the answer for the problem of death.

➟ ➟ ➟ - he has gone into the grave and come out on the other side.

➟ ➟ ➟ - Not only did Jesus beat death, he made it possible for us to beat it too. He, and no one else, has made it possible for us to escape it and realize / experience eternal, glorious life with Him.

Jesus … is the ultimate fulfillment of . He took the ultimate tragedy and turned it into the ultimate triumph.

➟ ➟ ➟ As you go through the last 8 verses of , want you to observe the following facts:

15.3, 56 - Jesus has come and died for our violation of law.

15.3, 56 - Jesus bore our sins on the cross … taking them on himself.

15.20-21; 15.54-55 - Jesus broke the chains of death.

15.57 - there is no condemnation for us. No hell. No fear.

And if we die before He returns, we die in hope … knowing he is coming.

➟ ➟ ➟ 15.50-52 - the trumpet will sound.

Mortality will put on immortality. What is perishable will put on imperishable.

Death will be swallowed up in a great, blood-bought; Christ-wrought victory.

➟ ➟ ➟ 15.58 - since this is true… be steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

I want to stress that 15.58 will only happen when we hear and believe 15.51-57.

We need to read it. Meditate on it. Memorize it. Believe deeply in our soul that death swallows up victory.

As we do this, we’ll be surprised at how mighty passages like 15.58 will become as we continue on the pathway to heaven.

➟ ➟ ➟ Today, I want to go to 15.58 and focus on the word steadfast.

What does it mean?

How is it a mark of true faith?

How can I get more of it?

Defining Steadfastness

➟ ➟ ➟ 15.58 - steadfast. “not subject to change or variation, especially in behavior.”

Fixed in purpose. Firm. Sitting. Steady as you go forward. Unwavering.

Stability. A settled life before God.

In certain contexts, it is used to describe a military that has a solid front. The enemy will not penetrate it as the army advances.

➟ ➟ ➟ Joseph Thayer: “a characteristic of a person who is unswerved from his or her deliberate purpose and has loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and suffering.”

So… steady as you go forward … making progress even through the greatest challenges.

One of the greatest things we see in Paul is the direction of his life. Wasn’t so much about the speed … as it was the constant motion and movement in the direction of heaven.

➟ ➟ ➟ is a great passage to consider here.

➟ ➟ ➟ CSB - I pursue as my goal the prize.... what’s that?

CSB - God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. NIV: heavenward.

it doesn’t matter what Satan brings. It doesn’t matter how the world challenges. It doesn’t matter how life happens. It doesn’t matter if I fail. I get up. I keep going. Heaven is the destination.

For us, there really is no other option is there?

Who, in understanding the nature of and duration of hell would ever rationally choose that?

But even more important than that type of negative motivation is the type that says I love God so much; I’m so thankful for Jesus and The Spirit; that come what may I’m going to fight, endure, push through; and ultimately stand so I can get there.

When times come that are tough … I’m going to trust that God will be there to carry me through.

Steady … as you go forward.

A Mark of True Faith

When we give consideration to steadfastness, it is very important to remember the historical context of Paul’s day.

Christians were in an uphill battle against the world.

Roman polytheism ruled. Emperor worship was common. The more a person could do to prove his/her loyalty to all things Roman, the better.

If you chose a religion that demands exclusivity … you were going to be seen as a threat to society. You would have been seen as a person placing more loyalty to Jesus than the Emperor.

And what you see in the just about every century thereafter are men and women who literally bear up under the most difficult of circumstances and remain faithful at all costs.

; ➟ ➟ ➟ . The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.

These passages were very real to the first century Christians. We know the story. Many of them served God faithfully ultimately to very violent ends.

Coupled with this concept here is the idea of endurance.

Keep going. Keep working. Stay with it. Move ahead.

You’re not a flash in the pan; not a comet or shooting star burning up all your energy really quick; here one minute and gone the next.

➟ ➟ ➟ This is the idea of positive persistence.

Day after day; month after month; year after year.

And if you think back to the Revelation passage … it’s a call to courageousness … not a grim sense of resignation.

➟ ➟ ➟ Endurance has been called the mother of all Christian virtues:

The queen of character.

The foundation of right action.

The source of peace and order.

The source of patience.

➟ ➟ ➟ Speaking of endurance, John Chryosostom: “Endurance is the root of all the good, the mother of piety, the fruit that never withers, the fortress that is never taken, the harbor that never knows a storm.”

It doesn’t matter if everything falls down - we keep going.

Life happens. Trauma will come. Trials spring upon us. Physical difficulties will present themselves.

That’s all personal.

Then we lift up our eyes & look across our land where everything feels like its in total implosion or collapse.

The nation; culture; education system on every level. Religion is being made a mockery by those who profess it. Political leaders who could care less about God and His word twist and manipulate it for their own selfish ends.

We see the media and entertainment world continually feeding the corruption.

Feels like it’s getting worse and worse. Nothing seems to be getting fixed.

➟ ➟ ➟ - focus on the word stability.

We resolve not to allow the influence of ungodly people have an eroding effect on our spiritual life.

We’re not going to compromise with worldly thought patterns.

We’re not going to succumb to twisted and perverted matters of doctrine.

➟ ➟ ➟ We press on. We remain steadfast in our heavenly call. We continually make progress allbeit sometimes slow.

Salvation is not in Washington, Columbus, or downtown.

Our hope is not on Wall Street or in our 401k.

Our hope is in the Lord.

You see, your steadfastness is a mark of true faith.

How do I get more of it?

➟ ➟ ➟ ; ➟ ➟ ➟ 12 - when you meet trials of various kinds… Understand difficulties will come.

Difficulties will come.

Don’t need to live in denial.

Accept the reality that that is life … it’s part of the experience living here … we don’t like it .. .we want to be delivered from it; and so we press on.

Through every valley. Through every mountain climb. We don’t ever stop … because we so desire that heavenly calling.

➟ ➟ ➟ - See the purpose behind it all. The increasing sense of stability you possess results in the praise, glory, and honor of Jesus.

Our increasing sense of stability results in the praise, glory, and honor of Jesus.

➟ ➟ ➟ - Prepare our minds for action.

➟ ➟ ➟ - Remember what you were ransomed with.

➟ ➟ ➟ - Put your faith and hope in the right place. … In God...

Conclusion:

➟ ➟ ➟ No matter what comes … live with the truth presented in this verse:

➟ ➟ ➟ . You are not destined for wrath. Christ died - so that whether you live or die, you live with Him.

: focus on peace and dwelling in safety.

➟ ➟ ➟ Know the Christ who conquered your death.

Know how He did it.

Read it. Memorize it. When you do, God will give you a peace, strength, and passion for his cause in the world.