Chapter 36  Part I

General

Sections

The New Testament contains numerous warnings and exhortations to be faithful to God and to hold to the Christian faith. It is every Christian’s constant challenge to do so. We need to stand firm, until the end – while ever watching for Jesus Christ’s return and the fulfillment of our hope.

Be Faithful to God

Be faithful to God and Jesus Christ

[Solomon, to the people:] May you, his people, always be faithful to the Lord our God, obeying all his laws and commands, as you do today.   1 Kings 8:61 GNT

When he arrived and saw how God had blessed the people, he was glad and urged them all to be faithful and true to the Lord with all their hearts.   Acts 11:23 GNT

Serve God faithfully

Obey the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Remember the great things he has done for you.   1 Samuel 12:24 GNT

Do not be unfaithful to God by not obeying him

So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord and did not obey the Lord’s instructions …   1 Chronicles 10:13a NET

Remember God and His Word

Ensure you remember God

[Moses, to the Israelites:] Be sure you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments, ordinances, and statutes that I am giving you today. … 18You must remember the Lord your God, for he is the one who gives ability to get wealth; if you do this he will confirm his covenant that he made by oath to your ancestors, even as he has to this day.   Deuteronomy 8:11, 18 NET

Remember what God has done

Recall the miraculous deeds he performed, his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed, …   1 Chronicles 16:12 NET

Remember God’s word and commands

[A psalmist, to God:] I will take pleasure in your laws and remember your words. … 93I won’t ever forget your teachings, because you give me new life by following them.   Psalms 119:16, 93 CEV

Persistently meditate on God’s word and commands

[A psalmist, to God:] O how I love your law! All day long I meditate on it. … 148My eyes anticipate the nighttime hours, so that I can meditate on your word.   Psalms 119:97, 148 NET

Hold to the Faith

Continue to live by Christian teaching

[John, to his friend Gaius:] I was so happy when some fellow-Christians arrived and told me how faithful you are to the truth—just as you always live in the truth.   3 John 1:3 GNT

Grow in your knowledge of God

[Paul, to believers:] You will produce fruit in every good work and grow in the knowledge of God.   Colossians 1:10 NCV™

Stand firm until the end . . .

[Jesus, to his disciples:] And you will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.   Matthew 10:22 NET

. . . Persist so that you will receive the reward

So do not throw away your confidence, because it has great reward. 36For you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised.   Hebrews 10:35-36 NET

Be Ready for Jesus Christ’s Return

See also:

• The Timing of Jesus Christ’s Return

As you do not know when Jesus Christ will come, keep watch and be ready

“So keep on watching, because you don’t know on what day your Lord is coming. 43But be sure of this: if the owner of the house had known when during the night the thief would be coming, he would have stayed awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44So you, too, must be ready, because at an hour you are not expecting him the Son of Man will come.”   Matthew 24:42-44 ISV

Do not be deceived by false claims, for Christ’s return will be only after certain events – and obvious to all

Jesus answered them [his disciples], “Watch out that no one misleads you. 5For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come. 7For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these things are the beginning of birth pains. 9“Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of my name. 10Then many will be led into sin, and they will betray one another and hate one another. 11And many false prophets will appear and deceive many, 12and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold. 13But the person who endures to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. … 26So then, if someone says to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe him. 27For just like the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.   Matthew 24:4-14, 26-27 NET

In v. 8 “birth pains” denotes the time of distress which leads into – or “gives birth” to – the reign of the Messiah, following his return.

Pray for persecuted Christians