Study Lesson 7
A Lesson Of Enduring To The End
Scripture To Consider:
“But he [or she] who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel [including the above verse] of the kingdom will be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24.13-14
A Few Words Of Warning:
According To Jesus – Are We Enduring To The End
Many have in the past, and continue to wrongfully teach that these warnings of Jesus only pertained to the early 1st century church. For many, to teach otherwise would not agree with their Americanized Escapism theory that washed over American shores possibly in the 1800’s and ever since has been received with a vengeance. Therefore, we must keep in mind that according to the Word of God, all Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for the proper instruction in righteousness, thereby assuring that the child of God may be thoroughly furnished unto every good work.
Paul instructed young Timothy and all pastors, teachers, evangelists, elders, deacons, and lovers of God’s Word in 2 Timothy 4.2, by announcing, “Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and [biblically sound] teaching.” The apostle Paul did not say, “In time you may relax the original intent of some Scripture, and possibly neglect other portions of the Word of God that depict the believer’s need and requirement for living a life of holiness, righteousness, and repentance, in order to favor a message of much less dedication and much more compromise?”
Quite the contrary, Paul continued his Holy Spirit inspired lesson of a lifetime, which refutes the Americanized Escapism unbiblical concept in 2 Timothy 4.3-4, as he wrote; “For the time will come when they [one time Christian believers] will not endure sound doctrine [biblical teaching], but according to their own desires [fleshly appeasement], because they have itching ears, they will heap up [accumulate] for themselves teachers; and they [one time Christian believers] will turn their ears away from the truth [God’s Word], and be turned aside to fables.”
Something To Consider:
Is Enduring To The End Linked To Salvation
Three times in the gospels, Jesus states, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” These words of Jesus can be found in Matthew 10.22, Matthew 24.13, and in Mark’s gospel chapter 13 verse 13. Why would the Holy Spirit allow this conditional promise to be repeated in three locations if it was not an important principle requiring our full understanding?
Why would Jesus dictate to John in the book of Revelation seven times, our need as believers to be ever watchful to overcome? Why would Jesus declare in connection with our being required to overcome, an eternal ultimatum if we choose rather to refuse His call to repentance? If we are found by Him to have fallen short of His biblical mandate and His scriptural conditional promise, we shall suffer His warned of consequences if we have not sought the forgiveness we need!
According to both Jesus, and the New Testament record, our future promised salvation is indelibly linked to our enduring to the end, and our overcoming such things as; losing our first love of God, not remaining faithful in the midst of tribulation, committing sexual or spiritual fornication, and allowing false prophets and or false prophetesses to mislead many.
According to Jesus, our promised future salvation is also linked to whether we hold fast to our biblical produced faith until Christ comes, whether we become defiled or not and repent of that defilement or not, and finally, whether we keep Christ’s Word with patience, or whether we become spiritually wretched, blind, and naked.
All of the above were solemnly addressed by Jesus in the seven letters to seven Christian churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. Therefore, our spiritual goal as enduring to the end of either our lives or of Christ’s second coming, should be to endure to the end of whatever the end times may bring. And yet, we must acknowledge that it is not by man’s might, nor man’s power and or intellectual ingenuity, but we shall endure and overcome every obstacle the enemy brings our way, only by means of the power and presence of God’s Holy Spirit in our daily lives, as well as true biblical based faith induced by the Word of God, and the precious blood of Jesus!
Something Else To Consider:
Does Enduring To The End Require Perseverance
Yes, obeying the mandate of Jesus to endure to the end requires perseverance in the face of spiritual warfare, the abounding of false messages from false prophets, end time afflictions, the threat of death, and the betrayal of those closest to us. Paul, the spiritual warrior of the New Testament, wrote in 2 Corinthians 10.3; “For though we walk [live] in the flesh [of our body], we do not war according to the flesh [with carnal weapons or man created methods].” This is good advice to all who are open to what the Spirit of God is declaring to the church.
But Paul’s biblical advice becomes more spiritually profitable as he continues his treatise on spiritual warfare tactics, by stating for the record; “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal [man-made] but mighty [powerful] in God for the pulling down [demolishing] strongholds.” And yet, there is evidence that the 21st century so-called church is spiritually crippled by the many strongholds of Satan working through the many false prophets, false messages, and dangerously deceptive teachings such as “I’m OK, you’re OK, we’re all OK, and everything is OK.” But according to Jesus, there was much need for repentance within the early church as is the case of the so-called Christian church of this 21st century.
According to Jesus, enduring to the end does indeed require our perseverance and repentance from time to time. Also, according to Jesus, enduring to the end is most definitely linked to our receiving salvation. We cannot change or humanly alter the Word of God on this most spiritually important topic. The truth has been written indelibly in red within the Word of God. How dare man in conjunction with the enemy forces of darkness attempt such an evil endeavor? And yet, eternal punishment awaits all who take part knowingly or unknowingly.
Yes, man may attempt to neglect or overlook the truth of Christ’s Word, but in the end, what we believe, what we preach, what we teach and proclaim as biblical truth, better be according to Jesus and the entirety of Scripture. What we propagate as the Word of God, better be able to be found within the Word of God, and not simply among the many church traditions and falsely created fable-like false doctrines or untrue ear tickling theories.
If what we preach, teach, and claim to be true is discerned by Jesus to be evil conceived, we will be found by God guilty as charged of being a false prophet at worse, or a false teacher at best. We have been warned!
Something More To Consider:
Is There A Coming End Time Angelic Intervention
In the second verse of our Scripture to consider, Jesus announced prophetically, “And this gospel [including he who endures to the end, the same shall be saved] this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.” And with that said by Jesus, we must keep in mind that it is not by man’s might, nor by man’s power or genius in his efforts to evangelize the world that will ultimately usher in the end of man’s dominion and ruling authority upon planet earth.
In Revelation 14.6-7, John writes of an end time preaching of the gospel to all who dwell upon the earth, to every nation, family, tongue, and people. This preaching platform will be given to angels by God. Their message is as follows: “Saying with a loud voice, fear God [which is the beginning of wisdom], and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment has come. And worship Him who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”
In other words, do not worship Satan or the Antichrist or his end time earthly representative! Don’t do it even when he mandates it and threatens death and or not allowing you to be able to buy or sell! Yes, the covid so-called vaccine mandates are a pre-cursor of what is to come. In essence the message preached by the angel is to endure to the end as faithful followers of Christ’s example. We have been warned!
Immediately following this angelic announcement, other angels declare the coming of the wrath of an Almighty God upon all those who rejected the gospel message concerning Jesus Christ, and thereby refused to endure, refused to persevere, and refused to overcome. God’s wrath at that time will fall upon all those who will choose willingly to worship the beast and his image, and who will succumb to the receiving of the warned of mark of the beast and of his name. The world has been warned! What therefore will be our response to Christ’s message and mandate to endure to the end?
A Few Final Words:
What Then Shall We Do
The world has been abundantly warned by the Word of God, or has it? The church has been overwhelmingly warned by the Word of God, and especially by the prophetic words of Jesus, or has it? Or should we consider for a moment why God must finally send angelic beings to preach the gospel? Could it be that man has fallen short of following through with his God given mission while upon planet earth, at least in these last days?
Could it be possible that man has been more earthly minded than heavenly minded in building individual denominational kingdoms with their own set of doctrines, creeds, and false traditions? And if that be the case, there will be eternal consequences. And that is something to consider!
Therefore, have we failed to fulfill the Christ explained earthly mission of enlarging the kingdom of God? It is clearly expressed by Jesus in Matthew’s gospel chapter 28, just prior to His ascension into heaven, as He instructed, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations [not converts to a denomination], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I [Jesus] have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age [world]. Amen.”
Our teaching all nations to observe all things Jesus commanded, would include teaching men, women, and young people to endure to the end, to persevere, to overcome temptation, to overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony concerning Jesus. How dare false prophets and false teachers who continue to spread the insidious disease of deception and misleading messages.
How sad is the spiritual situation within Christendom, for so many to have abandoned the biblical mandates of the Word of God and especially the words of warning spoken by the Son of God, who was sent to earth to reveal the will and plan of God. The message of enduring to the end is a message to mankind that is linked to future salvation and requires perseverance on our part, whether it is faithfully preached or not, according to Jesus!
Prayer: Our Father in heaven, impress upon us the eternal importance of end time believers in Jesus to endure to the end in order to obtain salvation. Help us Father by Your Spirit to persevere, to overcome, and to continue in the faith even as we see the day of Christ’s coming approaching! In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 