“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  James 1:4 NIV

Perseverance is also translated patience. It is the ability to keep going whatever is happening. It is the ability to keep to the right path until the end of the journey. This is God’s work. We cannot save ourselves and we cannot keep ourselves. The human psyche must acquiesce to God at all times and seek to follow His perfect holy will. Perseverance will do whatever is necessary to keep in step with God.

The main purpose of the Christian’s service is to know the Lord. The Christian’s great interest is the the Word of God, to read, study, learn and obey the lessons taught there. To know the Word is to know and love the one they speak about. The Christian sees Christ in all the Scriptures, and sees His beauty. To be like Him is the Christians great aim.

So keeping to the Path of Life is paramount. As this way is walked, it has a profound effect on the Christians life. The Word of God makes us mature and to have the judgment of godly wisdom. We grow up in Christ as we become full of good works and wise words.

To walk this pathway in the presence of the Lord Jesus, makes our lives complete in Him and increasingly holy as we learn from His personal Words to us every day. Sin is cast off, as it has the dragging effect on the soul and keeps us away from close fellowship with God. Everything goes on the altar.

As the Christian sheds the trappings of sin and the world, they find out that they actually have everything in Christ and the desires for earthly things gets less and less.

This is the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a redeemed person. They have moved from slavery in this present existence, into the joy of the Lord, becoming deep and mature and realising that Christ is all in all.

The work of persevering is not passive. It is the full active, dynamic and powerful interaction of the renewed will of the Christian and the sovereign will of God the Father. There is an obstinacy in pursuing the course of salvation. The believer will not be deflected, no matter how great the difficulties get.

The Christian is resolute in their determination to please God and live for Him. The Holy Spirit gives the strength to do so and the motivation to carry on to the end of the road, which is heaven forever.

“She who endures to the end, shall be saved.” Matthew 24:13

What a mighty promise and what a life of victory for those who fight their way to heaven and reign with Him in glory.