Word of Encouragement (7/22/2021)
We are continuing our reflection on Paul’s short benediction in 2 Thess. 3:5: “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” Yesterday, we talked about the Lord directing our hearts to the love of God. Today, let’s meditate on the Lord directing our hearts to the steadfastness of Christ.
The Greek word translated as steadfastness is also translated as patience, endurance, perseverance, etc. There are many instances of the command for Christians to endure/persevere/be steadfast/be patient: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58); “But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God” (1 Pet. 2:20); “we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring” (2 Thess. 1:4); “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (1 Tim. 6:11); “make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness...” (2 Pet. 1:5-6); “...you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matt. 10:24).
I hope you see why steadfastness is so important in our Christian walk. The last of the Five Points of Calvinism is “Perseverance of the Saints”. Notice that it says “perseverance,” not “preservation.” This is surprising when we consider the main theme of the Five Points—God’s sovereignty in our salvation. Doesn’t “preservation of the saints” fit that theme much better? But by using “perseverance of the saints,” the Five Points shows a beautiful harmony between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. Though we were totally depraved and God had to save us by His unconditional election and limited (and definite) atonement and irresistible grace, God transforms us to be His holy saints, who persevere in their faith till the end. We can say that the saving faith is the persevering faith. But, of course, if we can persevere till the end, it is because God preserves us till the end.
Our perseverance is important also because we will face a lot of challenges to our faith in our pilgrim journey toward heaven. Though we live in this world, we are not of the world. We are strangers and aliens in it. Many in the world don’t care about us. But some, especially the elites of the society, find what we believe to be a grave threat to their agenda. Ever since the dawn of history, starting with Cain killing Abel, the city of man has tried to get rid of the people of God and their faith, both in obvious ways and subtle ways, by force and/or anti-Christian ideas. As long as we live in this world, the question is not whether or not we will face opposition and persecution but when and how much. That is why there is a repeated call to steadfastness and perseverance.
How do we rise to that challenge? We are too fickle and our resolve is too frail. The answer? “May the Lord direct your hearts... to the steadfastness of Christ.” As we can persevere till the end because God preserves us till the end, we can be steadfast and endure till the end because Christ is steadfast in His mighty love toward us. We are to look “to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured [which is the verb form of steadfastness/endurance] the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted [that is, be steadfast and endure, instead]” (Heb. 12:2-3). This is why Paul prays that the Lord would direct our hearts to the steadfastness of Christ before he gives a series of commands, which require our steadfastness. Our hearts need to be reminded of, and inspired, fortified, motivated, and energized by, the steadfastness of Christ to endure and be steadfast in our faith and allegiance to Christ. And we have this beautiful assurance: “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23). May the Lord direct our hearts to the steadfastness of Christ, which never comes to an end, which is renewed every morning!