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- Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4:2
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REFINEMENTS OF
CHRISTIAN VIRTUE: PERSEVERANCE (2Pe 1:6 from vss. 3-10) 9-9-12 Grace Bible Church,
Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl Hilbert I. ADD MORAL EXCELLENCE II. ADD KNOWLEDGE III. ADD SELF-CONTROL IV. ADD PERSEVERANCE A. The Definition of
Perseverance (hupomonę,) 1. Hupomonę, is a
Greek compound of the preposition hupo which
means “under” and me,nō
which means “to remain, stay, or abide.” It means to remain under a
difficulty waiting for God’s desired effect. 2. In the Hellenistic world it was used in
various ways such as “staying behind or still,” “to expectantly wait,” or
“stand fast, endure, or be steadfast.” It also carried the Greek virtue of a
courageous immovability in the face of some danger or evil (“to wait for
hostile attacks.” “to stand firm against them,” Hom. Il., 16, 814). 3. The biblical concept of perseverance
contains a similar sense of “remaining under,” only it includes a Godward
view of His direction, protection, and deliverance. B. The Biblical Aspects of
Perseverance 1. It is a
Christian Virtue (Rom 5:3-4) a) Perseverance
is a character of Christ (2Th 3:5) and the believer is exhorted frequently in
the Scriptures to exhibit this extremely important Christian Virtue. b) Peter (2Pe 1:6), James and Paul show how
perseverance is necessary for growing in Christian character and maturity
(Rom 5:3-4*). In addition, Paul frequently exhorts all believers to exhibit
perseverance in their Christian lives (1Ti 6:11; 2Ti 3:10; Tit 2:2). 2. It is
Supplied by God (Rom 15:5) a) Unlike
self-control, there are many references in the Bible to the necessity of
perseverance in the believer’s life. b) However, like self-control and all the
virtues that Peter mentions, they are supplied to the believer by God. They
are divinely worked in the believer so that he can work them out in his life. c) God gives the believer perseverance (Rom
15:5*). Therefore, the believer has been strengthened with perseverance
through God’s power (Col 1:11). 3. It is
“Waiting on God” (Psa 27:14) a) The OT
quite frequently sees the concept of perseverance (hupomonę
in LXX) as waiting on God. A believer waits on God because God has
sovereignly allowed every trial to bring God glory and work in the believer’s
life and situation. b) “Waiting on God” is a favorite expression
of David (Psa 27:14*; Psa 33:20; 40:1; 69:6) as well as other OT writers (Mic 7:7; Lam 3:25-26). The ones who wait on the Lord will
be rewarded (Psa 37:9, 34) while unbelievers who do not seek the Lord will
receive recompense (Zep 3:8). The Lord strengthens
those who wait upon Him in due time (Isa 40:31). 4. It is
Endurance in Persecution (2Th 1:4) a) One of
the main aspects in which a believer needs perseverance is in enduring
persecution. The believer will indeed suffer persecution because he emulates
Christ and the world hates Christ (2Th 1:5; 2Ti 3:12). b) It is the Christian Virtue of perseverance
that allows the believer to endure it (2Th 1:4*). Paul, as a servant of God,
endured and persevered in beatings and imprisonment (2Co 6:4-5). Peter
exhorted believers to patiently persevere through suffering because that
finds favor with God (1Pe 2:20). 5. It is
Considering Trials and Temptation All Joy (Jam 1:2-4) a) James
admonishes believers to “remain under” all sorts of various trials and
temptations (perasmos - temptation
(positive) or temptation (negative). This produces perseverance which
allows God to work in the believer and in the situation (Jam 1:3-4*). b) In fact, because God is sovereignly in
control, believers are to “consider it all joy” while going through these
trials (Jam 1:2*). When we understand God’s purposes in trials, we are able
to persevere through them and maintain the virtue becoming to believers (Rom
12:12). C. The Concept of the
Perseverance of the Saints 1. Rev
14:12 uses the phrase “perseverance of the saints” (NASB). This phrase has
been a concept used by the church to explain the biblical teaching on the
state of a true believer. 2. True believers are the ones who persevere
in their faith and obedience while on earth because they have been divinely
regenerated and given perseverance (cp. Rom 15:5; Col 1:11). 3. This concept does not teach that a person
can lose their salvation by not persevering. Rather it teaches that only
those who have been truly saved (not a mere profession of faith) will
persevere in their faith to the end. 4. Neither does this teach that a believer
will be perfect, sinless, or never fall. It simply teaches that in spite of
those realities, the believer will respond to the Spirit’s work in his life
and continue in the faith. 5. They, whom God
hath accepted in His beloved, effectually called and sanctified by His
Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace,
but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved. 6.
This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will,
but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free
and unchangeable love of God the Father; upon the efficacy of the merit and
intercession of Jesus Christ, the abiding of the Spirit, and of the seed of
God within them, and the nature of the covenant of grace: from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof. 7.
Nevertheless, they may, through the temptations of Satan and of the
world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in
them, and the neglect of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous
sins; and, for a time, continue therein: whereby they incur God’s
displeasure, and grieve His Holy Spirit, come to be deprived of some measure
of their graces and comforts, have their hearts hardened, and their
consciences wounded; hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments
upon themselves. (WCF 17:1-3) D. Observations and
Applications 1. The
believer needs perseverance to battle with sin (Heb 12:1). 2. The believer needs perseverance to
maintain the Christian life (Heb 12:2; Jam 5:11; Rev 1:9; 2:3; reward - Heb
10:36; Jam 1:12) 3. The believer needs perseverance to
continue in ministry (Heb 12:3; labor of love - 1Th 1:3; evangelism - 2Ti
2:10; cp. 1Co 13:7; 2Co 1:6) |
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