Sunday morning I'll be preaching on the subject “Perseverance of the Saints.” You might recognize that phrase coming from the acrostic associated with Calvinism's TULIP. When it comes to the permanence of our salvation and the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives resulting in becoming more like Christ, I prefer to use the word “Preservation” because the word reminds us sovereign, omnipotent God is the one that makes it happen. “Perseverance” has an additional component to it...that is, our lives are to take on a “light” and “salt” quality that we are responsible for (see Matthew 5:13-16). This kind of “perseverance” is hard...very hard. Trials and people come in to our lives to test our “perseverance.” We will need to call upon the Lord for us to be gracious and humble and allow His heart and mind shine through us no matter how difficult the circumstance or person. The Apostle James put it this way: “2 Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith brings about perseverance. 4 And let perseverance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (1:2-4).

Today's My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers deals with this “perseverance:”

“Do you remember why you have been saved? So that the Son of God will be manifested in your life. Now you must harness all your powers to realize your election as a child of God; rise to the occasion, every time.

You can't do anything for your salvation, but you must do something to manifest it in the world. You must work out what God has worked in. Are you working it out with your mind, your tongue, your body? Or are you still the same miserable, cranky person, set on having your own way? If you are, it's a lie to say that God has saved and sanctified you.
“With my God I can scale a wall” (Psalm 18:29). God is the Master Engineer. He allows difficulties in order to see if you can overcome them. Because you are his child, he will never shield you from his requirements. Peter says, “Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you” (1 Peter 4:12). Rise to the occasion. Do the difficult thing. As long as a trial gives God the opportunity to manifest himself in your body, in whatever way he wants, it doesn't matter how much it hurts.

The aim of the disciple's life is to let the Son be manifested so that the Father can do whatever he wants with us. We are not here to dictate to God. We are here to submit to his will, so that he may work through us, using us to feed and nourish others.
God never has museums. We have to keep ourselves ready, so that the Son of God can be manifested in us here and now. May God find the whine in us no longer. May he find us instead full of spiritual pluck and daring, eager to face anything he brings.”

I can't add much to Chamber's insights today. He's spot on. Only two things come to mind: 1) Remember...we're not building a comfortable nest for ourselves during our time on earth. This life is only a testing ground for our faith and proving ground demonstrating the power of Christ. 2) Our dependency on God should drive us to His word and praying that the Holy Spirit would work His word into our lives.

My prayer for you and me today is this: Lord, thank you for the trials that You put in our lives. They force us to grow and that's what we want. Help us when we are weak, but we resolve to be the “light” and “salt” humbly committed to putting aside our personal agendas for Your name sake. Amen.