Photo by gpointstudio
The journey of life for a Christian is long and arduous because it isn’t about avoiding the negativity of existence. It is about moving through them all with a steady hope in your step.
This is the essence of Christian perseverance: to have the strength to soldier on, moving forward and constantly being fueled by an inexhaustible wellspring of faith in God’s unchanging promises.
This involves distinct stages of spiritual awakening, where we move from blindness to truth, from curse to blessing, and from death to life.
This journey is one that requires deep endurance.
Do not fret, though, the Bible assures us that our faithful patience is never wasted.
A harvest of eternal life and joy will be reaped in time for those who do not give up.
Building Christian Perseverance
Christian perseverance does not come simply from human willpower. It is also built upon the solid truth of who God is and what He has done for us.
In Living Life with Blinders On, Dr. Julius Mosley II explains that many people live completely unaware of their actual spiritual condition, going through life “without knowing anything about what’s written on the pages of this book is ‘living life with blinders on’.”
The Bible, inspired by God’s Word, is the foundation, telling us the truth about our need and God’s rescue plan.
This truth gives us a reason to endure.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. —Galatians 6:9
Photo by wirestock
Our endurance in faith is a response to the love God has shown us. We persevere because we believe His promises are real. As Dr. Mosley emphasizes, “Physical death is just the beginning, not the end.“
Christian perseverance endures because we are keenly aware of the eternal reality that comes after this life.
The Need for Endurance in Faith
Why do we even need to endure?
Because the world, our own nature, and spiritual opposition create trials. Dr. Mosley describes humanity as living under a curse because of sin–a sin that affects everything:
“We are living in bodies that have been cursed! No good thing can come from a cursed body.”
Our natural tendency is not toward God, and maybe perhaps it was when man still lived in Paradise, but it is no longer the case now. Today, we live in a broken world, where we constantly face internal and external struggles from forces that would seek to undermine us and our faith in God. Dr. Mosley sees the truth of it:
“Satan owns the world and everything that’s in it.”
This explains the corruption, pain, and hardship we see and experience. As such, living faithfully is a constant battle–but it is a battle with a good ending.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” —John 16:33
Our endurance in faith is necessary because trouble is guaranteed. But so is Christ’s victory.
Being Tested by Fire and Refined
The Bible often uses the imagery of fire to describe trials that test and purify our faith. What carries us through these refining flames is Christian perseverance. Dr. Mosley calls us to remove our blinders and see the gravity of eternal judgment.
But for the believer, earthly trials are a different kind of fire—one meant to strengthen, not destroy.
The apostle Peter wrote, “These [trials] have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:7).
Being tested by fire can be painful, yet it is in burning that we are purified, stripped of our reliance on the self, refining our trust in God alone.
This process is part of our sanctification and steadfastness, through which we become more like Christ as we learn to rely on Him.
Overcoming Trials Through Faith
How do we overcome our trials, though? Not by our own strength–that is for certain–but through faith. Dr. Mosley stresses that the solution to our cursed condition is not within us, for it is only found in Jesus Christ.
True faith, he explains, is not just thinking positively with a religious frame.
“Faith must have a belief in someone or something; a reliance on a person who cannot lie.”
That person is Jesus.
Overcoming trials through faith means fixing our eyes on Christ, “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).
When we face sickness, loss, or persecution, we persevere by remembering what Jesus endured for us and the glorious future He secured. Dr. Mosley shares the core of the gospels: “Christ died for our sins according to the scripture; And he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.“
Believing this truth is our anchor. It assures us that our greatest trials—sin and death—have already been conquered by our Savior.
Photo by user15285612
The Harvest of Christian Perseverance
Why endure? Because God’s promise is certain. The farmer labors in hope, knowing the harvest follows the planting and the waiting.
Our Christian perseverance is the labor of hope.
Dr. Mosley points to the glorious harvest for those in Christ: a new heaven and a new earth, eternal life in God’s presence, forever freed from our curse.
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. —James 1:12
Our current struggles will gift us “an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
The pain, the waiting, the steadfast choosing of faith—it all matters. On the distant horizon, there is a harvest of righteousness and peace that will last forever.
To deeply understand the spiritual blindness we must overcome and the glorious hope that fuels our perseverance, we find aid in Dr. Julius Mosley II’s Living Life with Blinders On.
0 Comments
Trackbacks/Pingbacks