What Are God's Command for the Faithful according to the New Testament.

“Because you have obeyed my command to persevere (endure patiently), I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world — Revelation 3:10

Another controversy among the Christian churches is what God commands according to the New Testament.

Do we obey the Laws of Moses, do we create our own laws, or do we really know and understand what God requires of us? Such important questions need to be addressed, otherwise, everyone does what is right in their own eyes.

A Lighthouse photo

In this writing, I want to address a firm commandment of God for the church age — that is, to endure. [1]

That is the very purpose why the Scriptures were written, as stated in Romans 15:4, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.”

We also find endurance as a criterion for obtaining eternal life, as stated by Jesus in Matthew 24:13, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Endurance in the Bible is the ability to persevere in a task or calling in the face of hardship and resistance.

This is actually a hallmark of true Christian faith!

It’s being willing to push forward in nearly insurmountable headwinds — winds a fierce as a hurricane and yet stay afoot. It should be clear that few, if any, can walk directly into the headwinds of a hurricane and stay afoot; such a feat would be impossible for a human.

We must tap into God’s power through His Spirit to achieve the goal, and not by our own strength or knowledge. [2] The endurance God seeks in His children is the ability to do good in the face of evil, to stand tall when any unbeliever would fear to go. To say what must be said to power, even if it leads to punishment.

Consider John the Baptizer; Jesus said of all men born of woman, there has not been one greater than John. [3] Yet, we know the fate that John faced after denouncing the sins of a ruler — Herod Antipas. John was beheaded.

Standing tall for God will create conflict with power.

We’ll take damage for doing it, if not physical pain, loss of reputation, ostracism, and separation from communities and cultural groups. The more those in Christ stand for good and speak out against evil, the more persecution will arise.

Those who hold to the teaching of a pretribulation rapture hold the passage in Revelation 3:10 to mean the entire church, not just the one directed in the command — the church of Philadelphia, one of the seven churches that Jesus addressed. The reason is that the church is promised escape from the great testing that will come on the earth for unbelievers.

We call this the wrath of God!

However, the reason Jesus gives that assurance is that the church is already facing persecution. The church at Philadelphia had little power and was under heavy persecution — but they held onto the testimony of Jesus and never denied His name under fire.

This is the reason Jesus gives them a pass from God’s wrath to come. This is true for all true believers as well — if we endure until the end or put to death holding on to the faith.

However, do not confuse the wrath of satan/antichrist (the great tribulation) with the Great Day of the Lord’s Wrath.

These are separate events, while close together in approximate time of the end of the age. The believers at that time will face the wrath of the antichrist, and many will perish holding on to the true faith.

A careful reading of the Revelation shows a buildup of judgments starting with the house of faith via the antichrist and accumulating with God’s seven bowls of wrath, which test the remaining unbelievers after the sixth seal and seventh are broken, and the seven trumpets sound.

It is within this interval that the hope of rapture and separation from the evils in this world. For this lesson, the important thing is to know that perseverance and endurance are direct commands of God through Christ our Lord.

© Bob Russell

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Sources & References:

[1] Romans 5:3–4; James 1:12–18; Hebrews 10:36; James 1:2–4; Colossians 1:11, Romans 12:12; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Galatians 6:9; Romans 2:7; Matthew 24:13

[2] Zechariah 4:6; 1 Corinthians 4:20; Philippians 4:13

[3] Matthew 11:11