“But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)

One of the perks of being a disciple was you could ask Jesus questions when you had some alone time with him. Jesus was sitting down on the Mount of Olives which provided the opportunity for his disciples to ask a burning question about the end of the age and the sign of his return. Jesus tells of some very difficult times in the days ahead. There will be wars and rumors of wars, that’s disturbing. Jesus goes on to talk of nations rising against nations, famines and earthquakes, not pleasant days to live in. And if that’s not hard enough, Jesus describes the attacks that will come upon one’s faith. Nations will hate those who bear Jesus’ name; many will fall away from the faith due to false teachers and following those who falsely claim to be “the Christ.” Believers will be betrayed, lawlessness will increase, and love will grow cold. Jesus paints a pretty dark picture commenting, “if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved.” 

The days that Jesus described sound all too familiar, don’t they? Fighting, hatred, natural disasters, lack of daily necessities for many, attacks against the Christian faith, false teachers, these fit the times we are living in. In the midst of all this Jesus holds out a promise, “the one who endures to the end will be saved.” That’s not a very comforting promise if enduring to the end depends on us. How can we be certain we will not one of those who “fall away” or who are led astray by false messiahs?

The book of Hebrews (12:1-2) likens the days we live in to a race that we are running. Jesus himself entered the race by becoming a man. He ran the race and stayed the course which led to a Roman cross. He endured the cross and its shame so that we might gain the prize of his salvation. So we run our race with endurance keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the founder and finisher of our faith. You see, enduring to the end doesn’t depend on our running ability, but it depends on the one who has already run and has finished the race for you.

In this world we will have tribulation, yet we run and we endure with our faith fixed on Jesus; he is our faithful deliverer who is keeping us in the race and causing us to endure in him. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

 – Pastor Darrin Sheek

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