Stand Firm
"By standing firm, you will win your souls." - Luke 21:19 (NLT)
I've been diving into eschatology, or "end times" stuff, in my personal study lately and came across this verse in Luke I found interesting. It can be cross-referenced with Matthew 24:13 and Mark 13:13 which says,
"But the one who endures to the end will be saved."
On the surface, you might think there is a possible connection Jesus is making between endurance (or standing firm) and salvation. In other words, one might interpret this verse and think if we don't stand firm in our walk with Christ in this life on earth, we could be vulnerable to falling away or renouncing our faith, thus forfeiting our salvation. Others are critical of that belief because they see it as a contradiction of Ephesians 2:8-9 in that we are saved by grace through faith, not by works, therefore our salvation is not based on what we do but rather faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross. This crosses into a bigger discussion about eternal security, or AKA "once-saved-always-saved," which is a hotly debated topic in the Church but what I would call a disputable matter and not something to divide over.
Can we forfeit our salvation? Or when we become born again are we forever sealed with salvation and therefore never lose it? There are valid biblical takes for both sides of the argument. But for this discussion, I don't think Luke 21:19, Mark 13:13, or Matthew 24:13 are necessarily good verses to use for that particular debate. Rather, I believe Jesus is making a different point.
As Steve & Teresa taught us on Sunday about how to study the Bible: "context is king." When you look at the broader context of Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, in what was called the Olivet Discourse, Jesus was speaking about tough times ahead for everyone, and also more specifically the Church, just prior to His second coming. Terrifying things will happen, He said, like wars and rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, and plagues. Christian persecution will increase as sin and hatred increase in the world around us. The Antichrist will come and dishonor God, deceiving many. The sun, moon, and stars will do strange things. These have been partially-fulfilled when the Romans sacked Jerusalem in 70AD, but they are still being fulfilled and some even still yet to be fulfilled in the future as we wait for Jesus' return.
Friends, we are likely living in the very last days right now, or perhaps just entering them. We just experienced a 2-year world-wide pestilence. Fear is at another level. There are currently rumors of war coming in Ukraine with Russia. We are seeing deception like we've never seen it before. Governments are controlling their people. Hatred and persecution towards Christians are higher. Jesus is warning us that these things must take place... "BUT"... !
Don't miss this very important conjunction. The "but" in these verses (and the verse prior in Luke 21:18) are crucial to our hope. Jesus needed to tell us what was to come so we can be ready, stand firm, and stay the course in what He wants us to do. But in the end He gave us the verses that follow (which I have highlighted) to ENCOURAGE us and remind us this life is temporary, all our struggles will come to an end, and there is a life beyond this one we can look forward to that's better than anything we can imagine. In other words, it reads to me like this, "There will be a lot of challenges in this life and especially at the end, but hang in there, be strong, be encouraged, because there's something great on the other side!"
Of course Jesus is not saying we will be exempt from harm or persecution in this life. In fact, He's communicating the opposite. Remember, most of the disciples were martyred! No, there will be tough times ahead, especially for His Church, but take heart because Jesus overcame the world and none of his followers will suffer spiritual or eternal loss. On earth everything will die and pass away, but believers in Jesus will be saved for eternity. And those who remember that will stand firm in this life no matter what. Standing firm is not a means to earn salvation, rather it's the by-product of a truly devoted life.
Remember the hope you have in Jesus Christ when you believed. Stand firm in that, no matter what you experience in life. God has a future for you, so let's contend for His will in our lives and He will provide everything we need. As the song goes,
"My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness."
Photo credit: Lane Smith (https://unsplash.com/@lanesmith)