“For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.” – Heb 3:4
If we are truly Christ’s, we will know His voice and we will surely follow Him; but the voice of strangers we will not follow but will flee from them. John 10:4-5. There are many scoffers in these last days who are resting on the false hope of an empty profession of faith. “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts” (2 Pet 3:3). But the true believer knows that there is no room for presumption, no room for self-deceit, no room for false hope. The Christian pilgrim must continue to walk on the “straight and narrow way” to the very end. While the believer can and do have present assurance of faith, the enduring in the faith of Christ (both in doctrine and its resultant effect in our lives, the work it produces) to the end is the surest guaranty that he was ever born of the Spirit.
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”. They were not to rest on a mere profession of faith, like many do even to this present day, but rather are to forge ahead to possessing saving faith in Christ which evidenced itself by works. The true believer may not attain perfection in his works in this life (only Christ is sinlessly perfect. e.g. Phil 3:12), even though all are called to it as Christ is our pattern and ultimate objective, but the sincerity of faith, the victory over all known sins, the excercising of conscience free of offense towards God and towards man, the inner strivings, the separation from the world, et cetera, are a neccessary part of any true believer.
“But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him”. And this verse is immediately followed by, “but we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls” (ESV) lest the saints lose hope for by strength shall no man prevail. Our only hope of finishing the race is to continually “lay hold of Christ” (who in the first place first lay hold of us) who is our life and our strenght. Any “believer” (an oxymoron) who tolerate any doctrine that is outside of Christ risks proving false and risk not enduring to the very end for by strength shall no man prevail.
Those that are truly Christ’s, those who have been truly born of the Spirit, will surely persevere to the very end, they shall endure to the very portals of glory nothwithstanding all the forces and attacks of the enemies even of Satan their arch-enemy. 2 Tim 4:18. Let us therefore stay humbly very close to Christ, desire nothing but Christ, listen to no other voice but Christ’s, for He is our Anchor, our Life, our Strength and our Guaranty of finishing the race victoriously.
When you start for the land of heavenly rest,
Keep close to Jesus all the way;
For He is the Guide, and He knows the way best,
Keep close to Jesus all the way.
Never mind the storms of trials as you go,
Keep close to Jesus all the way;
’Tis a comfort and joy His favor to know,
Keep close to Jesus all the way.
To be safe from the darts of the evil one,
Keep close to Jesus all the way;
Take the shield of faith till the victory is won,
Keep close to Jesus all the way.
