A Call to Persevere

"keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus

Christ that leads to eternal life." (Jude 21, ESV)

1. We must remember what the Word says. The way we do that is by practicing what the

Word says.

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a

hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who

forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing." (James 1:22-25, ESV)

"that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of

the Lord and Savior through your apostles," (2 Peter 3:2, ESV)

2. The believers could not “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the

saints” unless they were able to discern genuine faith from counterfeits.

“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." (Revelation 2:2, ESV)

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong." (1 Corinthians 16:13, ESV)

"And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all

discernment," (Philippians 1:9, ESV)

"But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by

constant practice to distinguish good from evil." (Hebrews 5:14, ESV)

3. Paul spoke of his fear that the Corinthians would be led astray because of their lack of

discernment and tolerance of error.

" I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure

virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led

astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it

readily enough.“ (2 Corinthians 11:1-4, ESV)

" Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for

many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit

that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not

confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already." (1 John 4:1-3, ESV)

4. What are we to remember? What they said to us.

"knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires." (2 Peter 3:3, ESV)

"Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil

people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned

and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood

you have been acquainted with the sacred writings,

which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is

breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for

training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the

living and the dead,

and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of

season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound

teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from

listening to the truth and wander off into myths." (2 Timothy 3:12-4:4, ESV)

5. These scoffers cause divisions, and are worldly people (those trying to bring the

world in) and are devoid of the spirit.

"You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him." (Romans 8:9, ESV)

"Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the

flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reason for

confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the

flesh, I have more:" (Philippians 3:2-4, ESV)

6. We are to build ourselves “up in our most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit.”

" Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."

(Colossians 2:6-7, ESV)

"praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep

alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,"

(Ephesians 6:18, ESV)

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we

ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."

(Romans 8:26, ESV)

7. Keep yourselves in the love of God.

How do we do this – BY GRACE!

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy

Spirit be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14, ESV)

"And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as

they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God."

(Acts 13:43, ESV)

8. Waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

"waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus

Christ," (Titus 2:13, ESV)

"waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the

heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!" (2 Peter 3:12, ESV)

9. Have mercy on those who doubt - save others by snatching them out of the fire - to

others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

"“I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you

were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me,” declares the

Lord." (Amos 4:11, ESV)

"And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen

Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?”" (Zechariah 3:2, ESV)

"If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only

as through fire." (1 Corinthians 3:15, ESV)

" Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to

God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience." (2 Corinthians 5:11, ESV)

"If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only

as through fire." (1 Corinthians 3:15, ESV)

10. Knowing the truth that we know we are to discern false teaching and correct those

who are following it.

" Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to

God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience." (2 Corinthians 5:11, ESV)