July 13, 2015 ENDURANCE
James 1:25: “But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does.”
Colossians 1:11-12: “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”
There is a lot of truth in the statement that says: “If you don’t quit, you win.” Perseverance and endurance normally produces good results even for the non-believer; however, there is another dimension of enduring and persevering reserved for the one who has been born into God’s kingdom. As believers, we are called to endure and persevere; but not in our own strength and will power, but by the super-natural power that God supplies. Experiencing the power and strength for endurance that is available to believers is not automatic; it requires that we know who we are in Christ-our new identity. In the above verse from James, we see that the “man who looks intently” into God’s word “receives freedom” and when he “continues to do this,” he is blessed in what he does. When we are called to endure, we must continue to look at God’s word and do what we hear-that is the key part. For example, we are to rejoice and give thanks even in the difficult time-so we do what it says-rejoice and give thanks, and by doing so, we will be blessed and encouraged. In the Colossians verses above, we have the incredible promise that we can be “strengthened with all power” and that we can experience “the attaining of all steadfastness and patience” and we can even with joy give thanks to our Father! Somehow, we have a mind-set that life should be free of trials that would call for our endurance. In contrast to our culture, the early believers considered it a privilege to share in the sufferings of Christ and they did rejoice in the difficult times. (We can bring about our own trials that have nothing to do with suffering with Christ-but even then, we must endure.) It should be our desire, our goal, to have one dominant purpose in life and that is to experience the gospel of the kingdom and to live out of our new identity, and whatever trials come our way, we endure with the strength that we have been given. By doing so, God is honored and we are blessed.
James 1:12: “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
James 1:2-4: “Consider it all joy my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing,”
Blessings,
Buddy
James 1:25: “But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does.”
Colossians 1:11-12: “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”
There is a lot of truth in the statement that says: “If you don’t quit, you win.” Perseverance and endurance normally produces good results even for the non-believer; however, there is another dimension of enduring and persevering reserved for the one who has been born into God’s kingdom. As believers, we are called to endure and persevere; but not in our own strength and will power, but by the super-natural power that God supplies. Experiencing the power and strength for endurance that is available to believers is not automatic; it requires that we know who we are in Christ-our new identity. In the above verse from James, we see that the “man who looks intently” into God’s word “receives freedom” and when he “continues to do this,” he is blessed in what he does. When we are called to endure, we must continue to look at God’s word and do what we hear-that is the key part. For example, we are to rejoice and give thanks even in the difficult time-so we do what it says-rejoice and give thanks, and by doing so, we will be blessed and encouraged. In the Colossians verses above, we have the incredible promise that we can be “strengthened with all power” and that we can experience “the attaining of all steadfastness and patience” and we can even with joy give thanks to our Father! Somehow, we have a mind-set that life should be free of trials that would call for our endurance. In contrast to our culture, the early believers considered it a privilege to share in the sufferings of Christ and they did rejoice in the difficult times. (We can bring about our own trials that have nothing to do with suffering with Christ-but even then, we must endure.) It should be our desire, our goal, to have one dominant purpose in life and that is to experience the gospel of the kingdom and to live out of our new identity, and whatever trials come our way, we endure with the strength that we have been given. By doing so, God is honored and we are blessed.
James 1:12: “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
James 1:2-4: “Consider it all joy my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing,”
Blessings,
Buddy
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