Holding Firmly to the End

I may be incorrect in this, but I don’t believe that in today’s preaching there is enough insistence on working out our salvation with fear and trembling. Ever since I became a Christian I have heard the same emphasis: "We need to get people ‘saved,’" meaning, make an initial profession of faith in Christ. The idea that we have to persevere through every sort of testing and temptation if we are finally to be "saved," is not mentioned very often.

It is as though making an initial profession of Christ is a pass out of Hell and an admission to a mansion in Heaven. The idea that the gate and the way to life are constricted and difficult to enter and pursue, and that few find it, is not emphasized very often—at least not in my experience.

In fact, in over sixty years as a Christian I never heard anyone preach on Matthew 7:14. I can understand why. It is because it does not fit our idea of someone gaining eternal life by making an initial profession of Christ.

At the present time we who are citizens of the United States are entering an era known as the "Hour of Testing." The Greek term employed in Revelation 3:10 means a period of intense pressure to sin, an extreme arousal of evil desires.

We see this as so many people, prominent in both the secular and religious realms, succumb to criminal sexual practices. How many pastors are addicted to pornography? How many Christian children have been molested by their parents or relatives?

Because of the increasing pressure to sin that surrounds us, we must become aware that our salvation has to be worked out at every moment. We must keep choosing life while death is pressing on us.

The journey of Israel from Egypt to Canaan lasted forty years. It was a very difficult period for the Jews. Were they "saved" when they left Egypt (a type of salvation often employed)? Yes, and no. They were saved out of Egypt but they were not at that time saved into Canaan, into the promised rest.

Do the writers of the New Testament tell us we are to consider the experience of the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai an example of the Christian redemption? Indeed they do, and very clearly.

Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. (Jude 1:5)

The reason we are slow to grasp the fact that the Christian redemption is a process, and not a ticket, is that we have been taught that eternal residence in the spirit Paradise, in Heaven, in an ornate mansion, is the goal of salvation.

If we make a profession of belief in Christ, there is nothing left to do but to wait to die and go to Heaven. This hardly fits the New Testament emphasis on enduring the rigors of the Christian discipleship.

We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first (Hebrews 3:14)

We might conclude the above verse means we remain confident that we are saved by grace and there is nothing left to do. However, the context of the verse is referring to maintaining faith in God while enduring the numerous difficulties and privations of the pilgrimage through the Sinai desert.

Indeed, if we would be a disciple of the Lord Jesus we have to deny ourselves, take up our cross of deferred desire, and follow Christ at all times. Sometimes we go through very deep waters and very hot fires. But we hold firmly the confidence we had at first.

We endure many years of boredom, during which nothing seems to be happening. But we hold firmly the confidence we had at first. On occasion the Lord asks us to give up the idol nearest to our heart. But we hold firmly the confidence we had at first.

In the future in America, the way things are going, the day may come when we are persecuted viciously. Our children may be removed from us if we do not let them attend classes on how to be a homosexual. But we hold firmly the confidence we had at first.

It may cost us dearly to maintain our testimony as a Christian believer. But we hold firmly the confidence we had at first.

We may encounter difficulties among our family members. But we continue to hold firmly the confidence we had at first.

Of what are we confident? We are confident that Christ is with us and is leading us to change into His image; to untroubled rest in the center of the Father’s Person and will; to eternal righteousness, love, peace, and joy; and to the unique inheritance planned for us as an individual from the beginning of the world.

Most of us Americans churchgoers are spiritually soft because of the teaching of the any-moment rapture, and unconditional grace. Many pastors make certain their members are comfortable and will keep coming and giving of their money. Many such pastors are going to have to answer to Jesus Christ why they did not preach cross-carrying obedience to their listeners.

One major problem is the incorrect goal that is presented. Our goal is not to go to Heaven. It is to be conformed to the image of Christ, and to be dwelling in untroubled rest in the Centre of God’s Person and will.

The salvation which God has given us through our Lord Jesus Christ has as its purpose the making of man in God’s image, and the directing of him to be sternly obedient to Christ in every situation. Obviously, the goal is not often preached today, at least not in America.

Because we have the wrong goal, we cannot understand why redemption should be a process. "When we die we go to Heaven by grace, no matter whether we serve Christ or not, so what is the problem?" The result is, the believers are not giving a true testimony of Christ, the testimony that is created as we struggle against the spiritual darkness.

Because of the ineffectiveness of the Christian testimony, our political leaders appear to be leaving ethics behind in their desire for power. Therefore, God is removing His covering from our country.

In other words, the chaos approaching America is due to the lack of a clear testimony of Christian people, because of the false teaching they have received.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:12,13)

God is ready to change every Christian into the image of Christ, and to bring him or her into complete rest in the centre of His Person and will. But this is a process. Sometimes there are difficulties, and rigorous demands are made on us. This is why we have to continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Why do we work it out with fear and trembling? Because it is a dangerous path. There are many minefields, many traps. Every believer who thinks he is standing firmly in Christ needs to always be careful that he is not led astray.

In the days to come we are going to need strong elders, men and women who have considerable experience in Christ, to keep us from being led away into some sort of sin or deception. We do well to pray continually. When we rejoice it should be accompanied with a sober appraisal of our circumstances.

So the happy, jolly American way of life is coming to an end. I dare say in the not too distant future, America will join England as an erstwhile major power, while the leadership of the world passes to a nation that forces ethical behaviour on its citizens.

If we are wise we will walk before Christ day and night, obeying Him in every circumstance, giving a clear testimony of righteousness so those who are watching us can learn and follow Christ also. By so doing we can save ourselves and those who hear us.

Our government has not outlawed abortion, and for this reason, if for none other, the handwriting is on the wall. Our leadership shall be given to another nation that fears and serves God.

Babylon was a mighty nation, one that God helped against its enemies. This also has been true of America. But the king of Babylon was not careful to worship God.

Do you remember this instance in the life of Daniel? The handwriting on the wall was addressed to the trembling Belshazzar.

"This is the inscription that was written: Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin. "This is what these words mean:

"Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. "Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. "Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians." (Daniel 5:25-28)

Has America been weighed in the balances? Is moral filth flowing out from California to televisions all over the world? Are babies being murdered every day? Are the late-night "comedians" mocking the Lord Jesus Christ? We Christians had better look to our business!