Choose early, draw upon the Spirit's grace...
Be Faithful Until Death -- How Beautiful, That Unshakable Loyalty Of Those Who Belong To Christ
"Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life." — Revelation 2:10
The Christian life has never been a call to comfort. It is a call to Christ and then boldly spreading His gospel Message. Let's earnestly pray. God the Father can use you to win people to His Son.
From the very beginning, Jesus never promised His followers an easy road. He promised Himself. He promised His presence. He promised His peace. He promised His power. And He promised that those who belong to Him will never be abandoned.
When Jesus spoke to the suffering believers in Smyrna, He did not tell them that persecution would disappear. Instead, He prepared them to endure it. Some would be imprisoned. Some would suffer greatly. Some would even die for His name. Yet His command remained wonderfully simple:
"Do not fear.. Be faithful until death." (Revelation 2:10)
That command rests upon an even greater reality:
God is always faithful first.
Our perseverance is never the cause of our salvation. It is the evidence that God's saving grace is at work within us. We endure because Christ holds us securely. We remain faithful because He remains faithful.
Paul rejoiced in this certainty:
"He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)
Jesus declared the same glorious security:
"My sheep hear My voice.. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand." (John 10:27–30)
Being faithful unto death means following the Lord with all fears getting conquered.
Believers should be.. they each can be fully ready to stand strong in the Lord when adversity arrives.. with their faith in Chirst, even facing extreme fierce persecution or even martyrdom like Stephen did.
Believers should be.. they each can be fully ready for the Rapture to happen, if it happens during their life time here. Believers should be.. they each can be fully ready to give verbal witness of what God has done in their lives. True witnesses live the life (not a double life, not inconsistantly if they allow the Spirit is in control). Yes, they can be and give verbal expression speaking God's Message boldly by the power of the Holy Spirit rather than relying upon human strength. We're called to Him and to this lifestyle.
I would like to point to some biblical figures like Stephen who sacrificed everything for Christ. Death is not the end for believers because Jesus conquered the grave, offering eternal life.
The believer's confidence is not found in the strength of his grip upon Christ, but in Christ's unbreakable grip upon him.
The Holy Spirit seals every true believer until the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13–14; 4:30; 2 Corinthians 1:22). The God who saves also keeps His own.
Therefore, faithfulness is not self-produced determination. It is the fruit of God's preserving grace.
The World May Reject Christ, But Heaven And All Those There Never Will
Jesus warned His disciples that increasing hostility would mark this present age. Here's a Bible promise we don't really feel fond of...
"You will be hated by all nations because of My name." (Matthew 24:9)
False teaching would multiply.
Lawlessness would increase.
Love would grow cold.
Many would abandon the faith they once professed.
Yet Christ also declared:
"The one who endures to the end will be saved." (Matthew 24:13)
Endurance does not purchase salvation. It reveals the reality of saving faith.
Real faith perseveres because the Savior preserves.
The same grace that forgives also transforms.
The same grace that justifies also sanctifies.
The same Savior who rescues sinners also sustains saints.
Fear Has Lost Its Mastery, So Why Should You Who Know The Lord? Ask Him To Make You Fearless Today
Jesus gave one of the most liberating commands ever spoken to His followers:
"Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul." (Matthew 10:28)
The greatest enemy can only touch the body.
He cannot steal eternal life.
He cannot separate believers from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35–39).
He cannot remove them from the Father's hand.
Death itself has become merely the doorway into everlasting joy.
The Christian never walks toward defeat.
He walks toward resurrection.
God Keeps His People Through All Kinds Of Trials
Scripture never promises believers an escape from every hardship.
Instead, it promises God's presence in every hardship.
He walks through the fire with His people.
He enters the lions' den.
He stands beside imprisoned apostles.
He strengthens weary missionaries.
He comforts suffering saints.
He never abandons His own.
As Hebrews reminds us:
"I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)
Because God never leaves us, believers can say with confidence:
"The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6)
Faithful People Change History
From cover to cover, from Table of Contents to the maps in the back. Throughout all of Scripture and church history, God has always preserved boys and girls, men and women who loved Christ more than comfort. Do you? You can also live like this. Pray like you mean it...without ceasing... cuz you really do.
Faithful Examples in Scripture
Old Testament
- Abel
- Enoch
- Noah
- Abraham
- Sarah
- Isaac
- Jacob
- Joseph
- Moses
- Joshua
- Caleb
- Rahab
- Deborah
- Hannah
- Samuel
- David
- Elijah
- Elisha
- Jehoshaphat
- Hezekiah
- Josiah
- Nehemiah
- Ezra
- Esther
- Mordecai
- Daniel
- Shadrach
- Meshach
- Abednego
- Jeremiah
- Ezekiel
- Hosea
- Habakkuk
New Testament
- Mary, the mother of Jesus
- Joseph
- John the Baptist
- Peter
- James
- John
- Andrew
- Philip
- Bartholomew
- Thomas
- Matthew
- James the Less
- Simon the Zealot
- Jude
- Matthias
- Stephen
- Barnabas
- Paul
- Silas
- Timothy
- Titus
- Luke
- Aquila
- Priscilla
- Epaphroditus
- Onesiphorus
- Lydia
- Phoebe
Most of these believers faced severe opposition and suffering. Many were misunderstood. Several were imprisoned. Many were martyred for the wonderful name of Jesus.
None regretted following Christ.
Faithful Witnesses Throughout Church History
Know Him well, and then make Him well known wherever He leads you. Be like the Lord; live like that. Care for real, and then share what's real cuz we are realists. Talk to God about men and then to men about God.. in that order. The Lord has continued raising up courageous witnesses (with a right human spirit cuz of the Holy Spirit, by good words, good motives, good attitudes, and by good deeds) throughout every century.
- Ignatius of Antioch
- Polycarp of Smyrna
- Justin Martyr
- Athanasius
- Patrick of Ireland
- John Wycliffe
- Jan Hus
- William Tyndale
- Martin Luther
- John Calvin
- John Knox
- Richard Baxter
- John Bunyan
- David Brainerd
- William Carey
- Adoniram Judson
- George Müller
- Hudson Taylor
- Charles H. Spurgeon
- J. C. Ryle
- Amy Carmichael
- Jim Elliot
- Elisabeth Elliot
- Richard Wurmbrand
- Corrie ten Boom
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
- John and Betty Stam
- Nate Saint
- Ed McCully
- Roger Youderian
- Pete Fleming
- Billy Graham
Go study these lives prayerfully and don't do the wrong things these have done. We each are flawed sinners and imperfect (are you a sinner who was saved or a sinner yet to be saved?), but do that they each did right in the Lord if it's fitting for your time and situation ..please. Wisly apply the Word of God.. don't apply it foolishly in His name. That would be a bad witness that would repell people. Each one LOVED JESUS MOST MORE THAN LIFE ITSELF. Each one of these believers served the Lord faithfully in different generations, but they shared one primary conviction along with believing in the Essentials:
Jesus Christ is worth everything.
They Loved Not Their Lives
Heaven gives this remarkable description of faithful believers:
"They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death." (Revelation 12:11)
That is biblical courage.
Not reckless bravery.
Not human stubbornness.
Not self-confidence.
But wholehearted devotion to the Savior who first loved them.
Faithfulness Is Ordinary Obedience Over a Lifetime
Most Christians will never stand before a firing squad.
Most will never be imprisoned.
Yet every believer is called to daily faithfulness.
Faithfulness at home.
Faithfulness at work.
Faithfulness in purity.
Faithfulness in prayer.
Faithfulness in truth.
Faithfulness in forgiveness.
Faithfulness in evangelism.
Faithfulness when no one notices.
The greatest victories are often quiet acts of obedience known only to God.
The Crown of Life
Jesus ends His promise with hope:
"I will give you the crown of life." (Revelation 2:10)
This is not a reward earned by human effort.
It is the joyful inheritance of those whose faith proved genuine because Christ faithfully preserved them.
The race will end.
The battle will cease.
The tears will dry.
Faith will become sight.
Every sacrifice made for Christ will seem small compared to seeing Him face to face.
As the old hymn declares:
"It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus."
?
“If you have not discovered something you are willing to die for, then you are not fit to live.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.
Live in God's will. You haven't even begun to live right until you find that one thing.. I mean that One Person worth living and dying for. #Jesus
Need some courage from Him?
Jesus put it this way: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25).
Everyone’s physical life here is terminal.
We are all going to physically die at some point; we just don’t know when or how.
Some say we each start dying right after we were physically born. The real question is, will we ever really live?
Am NOT talking about taking up space and sucking up air; I mean really living, making an impact, a real difference, pushing past our fears and taking hold of our God-ordained destiny.
Until we deal with death in our minds, we will miss out on life.
"Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives." Hebrews 2:14–15
It is only when we deal with the inevitable in our hearts that we can actually go serve the Lord, I mean for Him to do the impossible.
When a person loses their fear of death and the fear of man, having Jesus as Lord, he or she begins to move into new realms of Christian impact! God totally delights to use us, ordinary people to pull of extraordinary things for His glory.
"A coward dies a thousand deaths, but a brave man dies only once!" Anon. from Rome
Why be robbed of real zoe life every day? I propose that the life we were called to live lies on the other side of our personal fears and all deception. The Fake News and others love to lie to us, but we can walk with discernment and boldness. Remember, God how did not childproof that Garden of Eden. He is very interested in keeping each of us from a life of vanity and meaninglessness. Courage is a catalyst to great leadership in the Lord and for a life full of real purpose!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face; and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.
I don't mind the part about being physically dead (cuz I know my spirit will be alive with the Lord and then later my body will be resurrected), but it's "getting dead" that kinda concerns me a bit. Sickness and disease, heart attacks and strokes and other physical problems wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Adam's sin in the garden. If it wasn't for sin. God can forgive each of us if we will be straightforward and repent, if we will simply receive saving faith in His Son Jesus. None of us want to "get dead" really (that isn't a normal longing of anyone), but we all want to live forever. God is love. Let's live in and with Him! Only Christ can give us sufficient grace and strength to get through the getting that way.
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