Jesus said in Matthew 10:22, "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved" (KJV). Jesus was encouraging His twelve disciples (10:1) while warning them of what they would soon be up against. Why did Christ tell them to endure to the end? Because He wants a total commitment. The Lord is telling His followers they must be committed to Him and His cause until the end of their life to receive their reward.

The word "endure" comes from a Greek word that means to remain, undergo, bear, or persevere. What must Christians endure? The answer is temptation. James said, "Blesses be the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to them that love Him" (James 1:12, ASV).

We know from scripture that God does not tempt us to do wrong (James 1:13). Temptation comes from the devil (Matthew 4:1). The interesting question is, why? Why does the devil tempt us if it is impossible to be lost once we are saved? Because it is not impossible; and the devil knows it. The bible clearly teaches to opposite of Christ's statement to be true; one who does not endure to the end will not be saved.

There are a great number of passages in God's word that speak directly to this subject. One example is 2 Peter 2:20-22. The passage reads, "For is after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it has happened unto them according to true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."

Speaking of his sheep, Jesus said, "No man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand (John 10:28). This is true. No person can steal us from the Father in heaven. However, we can choose to let go of His hand at any time. We come to Christ of our own free will, and we can turn from Him of our own free will. It is that simple. That is why Jesus said, in John 10:27, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they will follow me."

The Savior's sheep follow Him. The Lord told the Christians in Smyrna to, "…be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life" (Revelation 2:10). What a wonderful and glorious thought that is, that when faithful Christians come to the end of the way they will hear, "enter thou into the joy of the Lord" (Matthew 25:21).

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Brother Jason Holladay