A Call for Endurance
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Key Verse: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Selected Scripture: |
ONE OF THE PRIVILEGES that the prospective members of the Church have at the present time is to preach the good tidings to others. Revelation 14, verse 6, speaks of an “angel,” or messenger, as “having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” All who are striving to follow Christ have part in proclaiming the Gospel message. That this would be the case was prophesied by Jesus himself, when he said, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations.” (Matt. 24:14) In Revelation 14, verse 7, John tells us what our message to others should be, “Fear [reverence] God, and give glory to him; … worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” God is to be the center of all our preaching, not ourselves, our ideas, our thoughts, our ways, but his only. Secondly, we should preach Jesus, the one who exercised the power of God his Father to create heaven, earth, the sea, and the fountains of waters. “All things were made by him [Jesus, God’s Son]; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”—John 1:3
John further reminds us that it is not only important that we preach the Gospel message, but we also must live it each day of our lives. Our Key Verse indicates that to do so requires endurance, constancy, and patient continuance, because the way is sometimes difficult, the trials and tests severe. It says that to be successful in this lifelong work, two things must take place. First, we must keep the commandments of God. That is, we must be obedient to the precepts and guidelines which, through the Scriptures, he has set before us. Obedience is the ultimate test of loyalty, and our character must be found in such a state if we are to be deemed faithful and worthy of the crown of life. Second, we must also keep the faith of Jesus. What is meant by this? It means that we must have the same kind of faith that Jesus had. His faith was such that, even under the most difficult circumstances, he could say, “not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42) His was also a faith that was based on a correct understanding of God’s plans and purposes. Our faith, too, is to be built upon the simple Truth of God’s Word, not upon human reasoning, creeds or theories.
Our lesson concludes with the statement concerning those who faithfully complete the work previously described. “I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” (Rev. 14:13) Although they will experience death, yet it will be a blessing, for they will then be resurrected and have the privilege of being associated with Jesus in the heavenly phase of the kingdom to bless all the families of the earth. (Gen. 28:14) They will rest, or cease, from their present earthly labors as the verse indicates, but their works will ‘follow them’ after their resurrection, as they will then have part in the great work of blessing mankind. These faithful, patient, enduring ones are spoken of as those “who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality.”—Rom. 2:7