Perserverance
2 TIMOTHY 4:18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will take me safely to his heavenly kingdom. Glory belongs to him forever and ever! Amen.
Be faithful to God and Jesus Christ
1 KINGS 8:61 [Solomon, to the people:] May you, his people, always be faithful to the Lord our God, obeying all his laws and commands, as you do today.”
ACTS 11:23 When he arrived and saw how God had blessed the people, he was glad and urged them all to be faithful and true to the Lord with all their hearts.
Serve God faithfully
1 SAMUEL 12:24 Obey the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Remember the great things he has done for you.
Do not be unfaithful to God by not keeping his commands
1 CHRONICLES 10:13 So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord and did not obey the Lord’s instructions; he even tried to conjure up underworld spirits.
God protects and blesses those who are faithful to him
PSALM 31:23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people. The Lord protects the faithful, but punishes the proud as they deserve.
1 SAMUEL 26:23 The Lord rewards those who are faithful and righteous.
Ensure you remember God
DEUTERONOMY 8:11, 18 [Moses, to the Israelites:] Be sure you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments, ordinances, and statutes that I am giving you today. You must remember the Lord your God, for he is the one who gives ability to get wealth; if you do this he will confirm His covenant that he made by oath to your ancestors, even as he has to this day.
1 CHRONICLES 16:12 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed, his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed
Remember God’s word and commands
PSALM 119:16, 93 [A psalmist, to God:] I will take pleasure in your laws and remember your words. … 93I won’t ever forget your teachings, because you give me new life by following them.
Persistently meditate on God’s word and commands
PSALM 119:97, 148 [A psalmist, to God:] O how I love your law! All day long I meditate on it. My eyes anticipate the nighttime hours, so that I can meditate on your word.
Keep God’s word and commands in your heart and thoughts
DEUTERONOMY 11:18 Take these words of mine to heart and keep them in mind.
DEUTERONOMY 6:6-9 “Let these words that I’m commanding you today be always on your heart. Teach them repeatedly to your children. Talk about them while sitting in your house or walking on the road, and as you lie down or get up. Tie them as reminders on your forearm, bind them on your forehead, and write them on the door frames of your house and on your gates.”
Stand firm until the end
ROMANS 2:7 He [God] will give everlasting life to those who search for glory, honor, and immortality by persisting in doing what is good.
HEBREWS 10:35-36 So do not throw away your confidence, because it has great reward. For you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised.
Be like an athlete, striving for a prize
2 TIMOTHY 4:7-8 [Paul:] I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith! Finally, the crown of righteousness is reserved for me. The Lord, the righteous Judge, will award it to me in that day – and not to me only, but also to all who have set their affection on his appearing.
Be careful not to turn away from God
HEBREWS 3:12 Be careful, brothers and sisters, that none of you ever develop a wicked, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
HEBREWS 2:1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
Do not rebel against God
NUMBERS 14:9 Only do not rebel against the Lord.
JOSHUA 22:29 [The Israelites:] Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord by turning back today from following after the Lord by building an altar for burnt offerings, sacrifices, and tokens of peace aside from the altar of the Lord our God located in front of his dwelling place!
Falling away brings dire consequences
1 TIMOTHY 4:1 The Spirit says clearly that in later times some believers will desert the Christian faith.
JOHN 15:6 [Jesus:] If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and are burned up.
Be Ready for
Jesus Christ’s Return
JUDE 1:21 Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the Lord Jesus Christ with his mercy to give you life forever.
MATTHEW 24:42-44 “So keep on watching, because you don’t know on what day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this: if the owner of the house had known when during the night the thief would be coming, he would have stayed awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. So you, too, must be ready, because at an hour you are not expecting him the Son of Man will come.”
To be ready for Jesus Christ’s return,
live a godly life
1 TIMOTHY 6:14 [Paul, to Timothy:] Do what you were commanded to do without wrong or blame until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
Live a constructive life
MATTHEW 25:19-21 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
Do not live an ungodly life, leaving you unprepared for Jesus Christ’s return
MATTHEW 24:48-51 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.