In our life of faith, there are many reasons why we must endure.
1. To be saved
“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm [he that endureth, KJV] to the end will be saved.” Mt 10:21–22
The Bible teaches us that only he who endures to the end will be saved. No matter how great our faith may have been in the past, if we leave the truth, failing to endure to the end, our faith becomes meaningless. We must receive the blessing of salvation by overcoming difficulties with endurance.
“By standing firm [In your patience, KJV] you will gain life.” Lk 21:19
The above verse confirms that if we are patient, we can receive the salvation of our souls. Without patience, we can never be saved. The Bible testifies that God’s people who will be saved in the last days have patient endurance (Rev 14:12).
Unavoidably, in our life of faith, there are moments of hardships and difficulties. However, our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that we will receive later in Heaven. No matter how many difficulties we may go through, having great endurance let us never give up, fully realizing the blessing of salvation.
2. To be born again and enter Heaven
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Ro 5:1–4
God allows us to go through hardships so that we may be born again and receive blessings. However, what will happen if we lack perseverance to overcome hardships? We can neither be born again nor enter Heaven. We must suffer many things until we are born again as God’s perfect creation that has washed away all of our sins. However, we will surely enter Heaven if we overcome all things with perseverance.
The thirteenth teaching of Mother is “We must endure present sufferings for the Kingdom of Heaven is ours.” Let us bear this teaching in mind and enter Heaven.
- Food for Thought
- According to Luke 21:19, what do we need for the salvation of our soul?
- What do we need in the process of being born again as God’s perfect creation and overcoming hardships?