Foundations F17 Perseverance

by David Serle

(These are accompanying notes to David’s talk at Foundations 17)

We are privileged to live in what are probably the dying days of Western Civilisation. Our society has already sacrificed millions innocent lives to satisfy the ‘gods’ of this age. Will evangelical Christians be the next group to be offered up to those same ‘gods’?

Look at the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ of perseverance, because the enemy’s strategy is to ‘wear out the saints’ (Dan.7:25 – wear out by mental affliction) and our combative strategy is to persevere – looking to Jesus, and contemplating Him, the Author and Finisher of faith (Heb. 12:1-3) – the Renewed Mind filled with the Spirit, because we can’t do it on our own!

We need to keep reminding ourselves that Jesus said: “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5)

Spiritual victories are no guarantee of perseverance – think of Elijah running from Jezebel after the great victory on Mt. Carmel– or perhaps perseverance doesn’t look like what we think? God then recommissions him!

And Paul’s testimony was: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1Cor. 15:10)

2 Cor. 6:4-10 But as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honour and dishonour, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

He goes on to list his trials in 2 Cor. 11:23-28 but you sense his weariness in 2 Tim. 4:7-18 – nevertheless, that section is bracketed by the crown of righteousness and his safe arrival in the heavenly kingdom – focussing on the eternal, which we will consider later on.

Perseverance – what is it?

Two Greek words or word groups, often translated by the same English words, but they have slightly different meanings:

hupomenō/ hupomonē

hupomenō To stay under (behind), that is, remain; figuratively to undergo, that is, bear (trials), have fortitude, persevere: – abide, endure, (take) patient (-ly), suffer, tarry behind.

hupomonē Cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy: – enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting).

makrothumia

Lit. long passioned, Longanimity, that is, (objectively) forbearance or (subjectively) fortitude: – longsuffering, patience.

This word is used as a characteristic of God Rom. 2:4; 1 Tim. 1:16; 2 Pet. 3:15 and comes in the Fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5:22

To draw out the difference:

  • Hupomene endurance – what you do under trial
  • makrothumia patience  -what you are under trial– long suffering, forbearance, fortitude

Seen together in Col. 1:11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance [what you do] and patience [what you are] with joy;

But not in our own strength! Note that Paul says:

being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might

What do we have to Persevere through?

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

  • Delayed fulfilment of God’s promises

Rom. 4:20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God

Heb. 11:13-16 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Heb. 11:24-27 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible

  • Persecution and opposition

Heb. 10:32-34 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.

2 Tim. 2:8-12 … my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect … If we have died with him, we will also live with him; … if we endure, we will also reign with him;

“‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

How to develop perseverance

  • Focus on the eternal

Heb. 12:2 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.;

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him

1 Pet. 5:10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

  • Yielded to the Holy Spirit fruit of the Spirit Gal, 5:22

1 Pet. 4:14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

  • Develop a spirit of excellence – self-control. Discipline

2 Pet. 1:5-8 or this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

  • Meditate on the Scriptures Psa. 1; Dan. 9:2
  • Lifetime of trust – Jesus, David, Daniel
  • Lifetime of Prayer – Jesus, David, Daniel

The Lord Jesus Heb. 12:1-2

A lifetime of rejection – homeless refugee whose life was sought, misunderstood by His family, rejected by the religious, political and social leaders of His day, betrayed by one of His disciples, denied by another, deserted by them all when it counted. Think of the struggle in Gethsemane – the battle of Calvary was fought on the praying field of Gethsemane (Arthur Matthews) – for the joy set before Him!

David

Think of some of the Psalms – cries of agony and despair. But he kept going – made mistakes even at the end with numbering the people -= and hangs on to God even to the end 2 Sam. 23:1-7

Daniel

Perseverance is the work of a lifetime Daniel ch. 6. He’s 80+ years old at this time; taken captive by an invading power while still a teenager, schooled for the Babylonian civil service which tried, unsuccessfully, to educate worship of Jahweh out of him (where worship was a lifestyle). He had lived through the demise of Babylon, serving at least 3 of its kings at the highest levels; now in service to the new world power, Medo-Persia; has realised from the writings of Jeremiah that the 70 years captivity is about to expire (ch.9 comes before ch. 6 chronologically) and is about to see his people restored to their land.

First among equals – 3 presidents – over the whole kingdom – ‘because an excellent spirit was in him”. And not for the first time! 5:12,14 just a year or so earlier; some years earlier 4:9; in fact, track right back to the beginning 1:4,19-20 To act always to please God and not man Dan. 1:8

He was in the lions’ den before ever he spent time with the furry variety! Was the object of persecution because of his faith by the cultural Marxists/woke-ists of his day! Dan. 6:5

v.10 When he knew that the decree had been issued, he ran away and hid himself, kept his head below the parapet, after all it’s only 30 days? NO, he did what he had always done – opened his windows toward Jerusalem, three times a day and prayed as he had before!

The ‘battle’ with the lions was won through a lifetime of training his mind:

Now we’re in the same situation as Daniel – facing lions at every turn in our society – social, sexual, political. Paul described this type of conflict as fighting ‘with wild beasts at Ephesus’ (1 Cor 15:32, quote from Plato!)

Col. 3:12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience

Rom. 13:14 Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is our armour!

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