It is a thing of joy that the truth about of Christian race and the rewards awaiting us at the finish line are not hidden from us. Speaking in Hebrews 6:11, the Holy Spirit admonishes us to diligently endure till the end of our Christian race, having at the back of our minds the assurance of an eternal life of abundance. Our Lord Jesus Christ also shed light on the honours reserved for us, saying in Revelation 2:25-26:
“But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him I give power over the nations:”
It is not an overstatement to say that the Christian race is a difficult task to undertake. Our Lord Jesus Christ did not hide this from us; rather, He said in John 15:20
“Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”
The early Church endured the persecution of both the Jewish religious leaders and the Roman government. At that time, being a follower of Jesus Christ was enough of a crime to earn a person the death penalty. In spite of this, like the Hebrew boys of old (Daniel 3:14-18), they did not deny their faith in the Master. Unfortunately, what we have in some Christians these days is a shadow of the deep commitment demonstrated by our forerunners. Today, the threat of being penalized for preaching the gospel to a work colleague sends fear down the spine of Christians in organizations, and they retreat into the shell of passive Christianity, to the delight of the antichrist spirit who orchestrates such attacks. In contrast, when the Jewish leaders warned the apostles of old against preaching the gospel of Christ, they responded in Acts 4:19b-20, saying:
“Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
After they were released from detention and interrogation, the apostles returned to their company and kept firing on all cylinders. Raising their voices to God in prayer, they received even greater boldness (Acts 4:31). Are you facing hardship and persecution because of your faith? I encourage you to remain steadfast, because our Master will soon return to take all our pain away. Be encouraged by God’s word in Revelation 21:4, saying to you:
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
May you not miss heaven in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.