HOLD ON YOUR WAY!

 

Saturday, August 12, 2023

 

HOLD ON YOUR WAY!

 

Job 17:9

9 The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.

 

1 John 2:19

19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

 

          The New Testament Church is a worldwide body of believers with local units. It is these local units that give the church visibility and utility. It is within these local units that Satan works hardest. Not every member of the local unit is actually a member of the worldwide body! The requirements are vastly different!

 

          One of our core beliefs is what we call “The Perseverance of the Saints.” Simply stated, this is the belief that the genuinely saved will persist in his faith through many trials. He doesn’t give up! He may go through periods of deep confusion and trouble and even backslide for a time, but he will persevere.

 

The verse in First John is a blistering accusation of those who depart from the church, the local units of the church, because it questions their membership in the worldwide body!

 

One of the pieces of evidence of true Christian life is a desire to be with the people of God. "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren" (1 John 3:14). When people share the same divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) and are indwelt by the same Holy Spirit (Rom 8:14-16), they want to enjoy fellowship and to share with one another. As we have seen, fellowship means "to have in common." When people have spiritual realities in common, they want to be together. (from The Bible Exposition Commentary.)

 

Hold on! Hold on your way! Give God time to “work everything out for good” for you. At Job’s end he had been given twice as much as he had lost. Hold on your way!

 

Dear Lord, help those who are truly yours to hold on their way. AMEN