He That Endureth

All scripture references, unless otherwise noted, are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
I was thinking today about being saved! The Lord 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." I must admit that I have always wanted to see signs and wonders in my ministry. But there is a chorus that we used to sing that goes as follows;
     Not the one who runs the swiftest,
     Nor the one who shines for a day, 
     But the one that endureth to the end, 
     He, he shall be saved.
I think that is how it goes. In any event the Lord said, "...he that endureth to the end shall be saved." So the chorus is truly right. There is another scripture found in Matthew 7:21-23 sandwiched between talking about fruits and the houses built on the rock and on the sand, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." That ought to give everyone pause who is looking for signs and wonders to confirm their ministries.  

I remember once many years ago I was asked to preach or my wife and I were asked to sing, I can't remember now. In any event I remember the congregation not being responsive enough, at least I didn't think they were and said to them, "worship God" or something to that effect. Their pastor who was sitting behind me on the platform said, "they are worshiping Bro. John!" I decided then and there that I wasn't going to judge anymore, whether someone was or wasn't worshiping. He was their pastor and I should not judge them as he should know. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 10:22b , "...he that endureth to the end shall be saved." 

I have lived for God for almost 55 years now. I am almost 79 years of age and I want to finish the race victoriously. God has been so good to us, He has supplied our needs, kept us by-in-large healthy, etc., etc. He has never given me any reason to complain about His providence for my wife and I. He is truly Good. But the Bible says in Ezekiel 18:24,  "But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die."  Was God only speaking to the Jewish  people? Was He not speaking to the Gentiles also? I think to the Gentiles also, specifically to the church.

Am I suggesting that what Jesus Christ did at Calvary was not enough to save us? No, not at all! What the Lord Jesus did at Calvary, no one else could ever do. But there are specific sins that are mentioned in the New Testament that will keep us out of heaven. Apostle Paul mentioned these when he was talking about the works of the flesh such as, "...Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." (See Galatians 5:19-21) It's the "...such like..." that scares me!

But, you say, I was delivered from these things. The apostle in speaking to the church said in 1st Corinthians 6:9-11,  "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."  Yes Paul said, "...And such were some of you..." Were you a fornicator before you were delivered? Were you a thief, or any one or more of the things mentioned above? Would you go back to any of the things you were guilty of and stand before God in the day of judgment and profess yourself not guilty when in fact you are? Apostle Paul's message is pretty clear!

I am not trying to diminish your experience with the Lord.What I am trying to do is make sure that you and I make heaven our home. I am trying to do what I can do.