PERSEVERANCE FOR LIFE: Psalm 119:153-160

Introduction: Perseverance is a wonderful quality to possess. In athletic situations, it helps the individual or team last for the duration of the event or game. One of my favorite hockey stories, the Miracle on Ice, displays the need for and the benefits of perseverance. The United States team, though younger and less experienced, were able to out skate the far superior, and skilled team of the USSR.

Perseverance is good for work, too. I have worked in production plants, and one thing that always stood out to me was the need for perseverance. You had to pace yourself for the shift, not to get the most done in the shortest period of time.

As with many aspects of physical life, there is a parallel to the spiritual life. We need perseverance spiritually, because the Christian life is not a sprint but a marathon. Biblically, I can think of no other passage of Scripture that depicts this as well as Hebrews 12:1-2,

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Christian life is like a marathon, and we must build perseverance if we are to reach the finish line. Now, there is an important discussion regarding our role and God’s role in the Christian life. Philippians 2:12-13 sums it up perfectly, and so does 1 Corinthians 15:10.

The London Baptist Confession of Faith reminds us that,

“This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon…the love of God the Father, upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ…and the abiding of His Spirit…from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof.”—LBCF 17:2

With that said, the writers of this confession also remind us that there are ways in which we can be tripped up into sin. In the very next section they describe the way we may “fall into grievous sins”,

“And though they may, through the temptation of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins, and for a time continue therein…yet they shall renew their repentance and be preserved through faith in Christ Jesus to the end.”—LBCF 17:3

We see, then, that we need to have perseverance, that our Triune God provides perseverance, that we can cloud our knowledge of perseverance, but that ultimately God will preserve us.

We also refer to this as eternal security. Either way, it does not absolve us from personal and corporate responsibility. Paul encourages the Philippians, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil. 2:12)

We then, from our passage in Psalm 119, seek to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We seek to gain Perseverance for Life. We will see several aids in developing our perseverance, and perseverance is needed in a variety of situations. When we think of pain and suffering, we need perseverance to continue through for God’s glory. When we think of the hard work of spreading the Gospel, we need perseverance in order to continue on in this good work. We need perseverance, husbands, to continue to love our wives as Christ love the church. Wives need perseverance to submit to their husbands. Children need perseverance to respond in obedience to imperfect parents. We all need perseverance to submit to our government. We need perseverance to sit and listen to me preach.

This psalm offers us encouragement to persevere, in much the same way the Confession encourages us.

I. PERSEVERANCE IS NEEDED FOR TRYING TIMES- 119:153-154

The first thing we see is that Perseverance is needed for trying Times. There is affliction and a need for a defense attorney. Affliction, as we have noted before, is common to all of us to one degree to another. It refers to those miserable times. I think of those times when it seems the whole world is against you. I think of those times when we are told no to something we really want.

But there is also the prayer for defense. “Plead my cause!” the psalmist prays. Do you hear the desperation in his prayer, the cry for help and hope? Are you there this evening? Do you find yourself in a trying time?

Are you afflicted with a medical problem? A lost family member? A sin that seems to defeat you every time it rears its ugly head?

Brothers and sisters, perseverance is needed for trying times. We need to endure those afflictions and accusations. But how? We know they will come, but what can we do to prepare?

Notice where the psalmist turns: to God and His Word. You see, perseverance is needed for trying times, and God and His Word is needed more. The psalmist, in anguish, turns to God in prayer and dependency upon the Word of God.

Accordingly, the London Baptist Confession of Faith offers these means by which we can bolster our perseverance:

“an infallible assurance of faith, founded on the blood and righteousness of Christ revealed in the Gospel”

“upon the inward evidence of those graces of the Spirit unto which promises are made”

“on the testimony of the Spirit of adoption”

“keeping the heart both humble and holy” (LBCF 18:1)

We know trying times will come, what are we doing to prepare for them? Spend time now in building up your assurance so you can persevere during trying times. Then the psalmist reminds us that Perseverance is dependent upon God alone.

II. PERSEVERANCE IS DEPENDENT UPON GOD ALONE- 119:155-156

We have already mentioned this, but it comes up again in our present portion of psalm. Our perseverance is dependent upon God alone. The psalmist reminds us that by contrasting the righteous and the wicked.

The wicked are far from salvation, he says. This is evidenced by their refusal to seek God’s statutes. This is simply the Scripture’s depiction of the unsaved individual. Think about Paul’s presentation of the state of human beings from Romans 3:10-18. [RED TAB]

The wicked do not seek after God, they war against Him. And what is the result? Salvation is far from them. That is, they will not persevere. They are, without the grace of God, sinners awaiting damnation.

This is contrasted with the mercy-giving grace of God. The psalmist acknowledges his dependence upon God when he writes, “Great is your mercy, O LORD, give me life according to your rules.”

It is through the mercy of God that we can have life with God. This passage illustrates the believer’s state, and Paul describes it in greater detail in Ephesians 2:1-4. [YELLOW TAB] Salvation is by God’s grace, and perseverance is by God’s grace. It is not about our grit or determination, but by the grace of God working in our lives and on our behalf.

Just as we are reminded of this truth, we are also pointed to the means by which we persevere: the Scriptures. We endure, Paul tells us, by the examples found in Scripture. We briefly examined this a last Sunday, but it bears repeating. Romans 15:4-5. [GREEN TAB]

The psalmist presents two different responses to God’s Word. The wicked do not have God’s salvation because they fail to look into God’s truths. The believer, on the other hand, looks for endurance, for perseverance in God’s Word.

Do you need perseverance? Look to the Scriptures, be reminded that God preserves you, and read about the many men and women God preserved through the Scriptures.

III. PERSEVERANCE IS OUTWARDLY DISPLAYED BECAUSE OF AN INWARD CHANGE- 119:157-158

In these verses we notice that perseverance is outwardly displayed because of an inward change. Notice the language the psalmist uses: faithless. These individuals, even though they knew the covenant of God, did not adhere to it. We would liken them to CEO Christians. Their lives look no different than the worlds.

It’s like those type of fans who sport the team’s apparel and claim to be a fan. When you ask them who their favorite player is they do not know a single member of the team. They do not know the scores of any games, and they cannot tell you anything. The psalmist would describe them as “faithless.” They are “persecutors and adversaries.” We know these individuals are faithless because they “do not keep your commands.” They do not do the things that God wants us to do. This demonstrates a lack of change inwardly.

When God saves us, He begins to change us. This is Paul’s point in Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” God changed us, and throughout our time on earth He continues this inward change which results in outward displays.

The unbeliever, the faithless, the one who does not persevere, demonstrates that he or she has not been changed. God has not saved them. One of the distinctives of the believer, though, is that they persevere. This does not mean they will not fall. We think of Peter as a helpful example. He denied the LORD three times, and the LORD protected him. Peter was, in the words of the London Baptist Confession of Faith, “kept by the power of God.” The failure to persevere enables us to see one’s heart.

IV. PERSEVERANCE IS STRENGTHENED BY GOD’S WORD- 119:159-160

Our last point encourages us because it offers us something we can do. While we acknowledge the biblical truth that we are kept by God’s power and not our own, we also acknowledge that we are responsible to do something. 1 Corinthians 15:10 offers us a glimpse into how this work.

Paul remarks that it is God who made Paul what he was, and because of God’s work in Paul’s life, Paul says “I worked harder than any of them,” simultaneously acknowledging “though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”

Our perseverance is strengthened by God’s Word. It is like seeing the end of the 5k, a renewed strength hits your legs and your lungs and you finish strong. How does the Word of God strengthen our perseverance? It does so in several ways.

A. By reminding us who God is—Your steadfast love; your word is truth; endures forever

Our perseverance is strengthened by remembering who God is. He is the God of heaven in covenantal love with His people (i.e., steadfast love). Our perseverance is strengthened by this knowledge.

When Hannah and I have a disagreement, it is difficult. But we work through our problems because we know that we love each other. It helps us persevere through those periods of disagreements. In a greater way, we need to remember the God’s steadfast love. We need to remember John 3:16. It strengthens our perseverance through struggles and battles because we know God loves us. It gives us life, strength, endurance. It is that breath of fresh air when you are in the middle of a run and your lungs finally expand to full capacity.

Are you struggling to press on? Then dwell on the unimaginable, unsurpassable love of God! God loved you enough to plan your redemption before He spoke anything into existence. He loved you enough to send Jesus His Son, His perfect, completely righteous Son to die a brutal death on the cross for you.

In fact, we are exhorted to look to Jesus, as the author of Hebrews reminds us (Heb. 12:1-3). [PINK TAB] But we also have our perseverance through the recording of what God has done in the past.

B. By reading what God has done—consider how I love your precepts; every one of your righteous rules endures forever

The psalmist’s perseverance is strengthened by the Word of God because he reads about God’s working in the past. One particular example is the enslavement of the Israelites. God tells Abraham that his seed will face enslavement for 400 years (Gen. 15:13). The people of Israel endured slavery for 400 years, but God brought deliverance through Moses.

What about David? He endured constant threats and running for his life, yet God delivered David again and again. Paul is another example. God helps His people endure. What about those who were not delivered? What about Stephen? Stephen persevered through martyrdom and was welcomed by Jesus himself. God may not have delivered him physically but spiritually.

We draw encouragement from reading the Scriptures. This was Paul’s point in Romans 15:4 and 1 Corinthians 10:6. Read the Scriptures and be encouraged by the works of God. Read biographies of God’s wonderful saints. Think about the struggles they faced, the closeness they enjoyed with God, and draw strength for that. But God’s Word strengthens our perseverance by...

C. By reinforcing our future estate—endure forever

There are many references to the eternality of God’s Word in this psalm. The psalmist ends this section by saying “your righteous rules endures forever.” God’s eternal Word is simply an extension of His eternal existence. He told Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” “I exist,” in other words.

This also points to the eternality of the human soul. Now, we have a beginning, God does not. However, we will exist forever. Some will exist in the eternal torments of hell; others will exist in the wonderful bliss of heaven. This confidence provides perseverance, that one day our labors will be over and we will enjoy rest. It is the rest of eternal fellowship with the Triune God, which the author of Hebrews mentions in chapter four. Read Revelation 21 and 22 and be encouraged to persevere. As the London Confession states, “they shall renew their repentance and be preserved through faith in Christ Jesus to the end.” (LBCF 17:3).

CONCLUSION

We are in a race, not a sprint, but a marathon. We need perseverance. We need to last. Thankfully, we do not rely on our own strength. Our legs and lungs would give out quickly. We rely on the triune God, the God who saved us and is changing us. And we need to remember that He preserves us. Find strength from the Scripture. Persevere for life.