Have you ever wanted to quit anything in your life? Times have changed, and the scenario of your life became a picture of your life’s dropouts, failures, or mistakes. When we face the possibility of quitting, do we proceed forward through endurance, or do we throw in the towel, making the declaration that what we feel is more difficult than we can handle? If you answered yes to any of these questions, or you ever had the opportunity to drop out, you are not alone.
Give up, or press forward?
According to Job chapter 2, his wife presented him with such a proposition that he should curse God and die. At this point, Job has already lost his wealth and his children, and now Satan beings to attack Job’s health, causing sores to break out on every part of his skin. Finding himself at the lowest point in his life, the one closest to him presents him with the possibility of ending all the suffering. It is so easy, all you have to do is curse God, and then you will die, end your suffering, and be done with it! Job did not give in to the challenge but rather responded to the proposition with a greater declaration of trust and faith in his God. He did not drop out when he had the means and opportunity to do so.
Job made up his mind that he was not going to quit, and his mental declaration created a reality of success. The separation between failure and success is simply the drive to quit or the desire to keep moving forward, pressing towards the mark for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14). You are a failure when you give up. Keep going, and one day you will get it right and become a success in God’s kingdom.
Immediate vs process of salvation
Many of us are on our journey to make heaven our enteral home, finding peace and rest in the forever presence of Jesus Christ. The Bible reminds us that those who endure to the end will experience salvation (Matthew 24:13). When we endure unto the end, we experience the fullness of salvation. The Greek language gives the word sode-so for salvation, and this particular word has three meanings:
1) I am now saved
2) I am being saved
3) I am ultimately saved.
Immediate salvation happens the moment we line ourselves up with Jesus’ death and resurrection on the cross. For us, this happens in our spiritual new birth through water and spirit baptisms (John 3:5). Most of us move beyond the moment of immediate salvation and move into the process of salvation; I am being saved. While in the process, many of us will experience the suffering and difficulty in our relationship with God as given to us through the apostle Paul in Philippians 3:10.
If we are unable to endure the process of salvation, we cannot make it to our ultimate salvation, where Jesus welcomes us into our enteral reward in Him. We do not possess the security of once I am saved, I am always saved. Salvation is a process that we work towards through a series of choices in our lives and submission to God’s word. If I am not careful, I will make my down payment (receiving God’s Spirit) on salvation (Ephesians 1:14) but neglect paying on principle for my salvation. When I fall behind on my spiritual payment, like all other things purchased on credit, I am subject to repossession.
Endure till the end
Maintaining my relationship with God is essential if I am going to obtain my ultimate salvation when I am finally saved. We must make a decision in our mind that we will not drop out of our salvation while we are still in the process. If we endure the process, then we will receive a great reward. Now, with our minds made up, let us move forward, continuing in the process of our salvation.
