You Will Make It, So Press On

It seems there are two errors Christians often make when it comes to thinking about their salvation.  The first is that some are so worried about making their salvation sure that they become head cases with no assurance.  The second is that some are so sure that they wonder why anyone would think about striving or fighting for faith.

In my experience, and in what the Bible teaches, the Christian life is about striving with full assurance.

Let me show you what I mean from Hebrews chapter 10.

I've written on this chapter before and it is full of great truths but I want to focus on what stood out to me today when thinking about striving with full assurance.

"let us draw near to God with a since heart in full assurance of faith..." verse 22

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." verse 23

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another... and all the more as you see the Day approaching."  verses 24-25

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  you need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised."  verses 35-36

The writer of Hebrews mixes in statements of blessed assurance and dogged fighting.  We draw near to God with full assurance of faith yet we need to persevere.

Chapter 10 ends with great hope for anyone wondering if they will give up.  For anyone, and the church being written to was seeing people who seemingly were Christian abandon the faith, who wonders if they might not persevere the writer gives one line of great, confident hope for them.

"But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." verse 39

See, endurance may be hard work but we can persevere with full assurance of faith.  We will not shrink back.  Saint Augustine of Hippo argued this, the Westminster Confession of Faith also affirms this and I believe that the Bible teaches that the saints must and will persevere.

Those God justifies will persevere.  If you have received justification from God you can have full assurance of faith that you will not fall away but God will do this through our holding on.  He will do this through our spurring one another on.  He will do this through encouraging community.  He will do this through our focusing on the "better and lasting possessions" God has for us.

You will make it so press on today.