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“But the one who endures to the end will be saved." -Matthew 24:13 ESVThe context of...
February 4, 2025

Devotional from January 2025 Christian Union National Fast 

By Sadie Sasser, Ministry Fellow at Christian Union Gloria at Harvard


“But the one who endures to the end will be saved." -Matthew 24:13 ESV

The context of these words from Jesus is somewhat stark. He has just told his disciples about the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, simultaneously an event that was literally fulfilled in Jerusalem in 70 AD but also a figurative event in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As he continues explaining what accompanies these events, the tone becomes alarming: Christians will be led astray, wars will occur, and famines and earthquakes will ail the earth. False prophets will come and lead many astray, with results that would make any one of us worried: “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold” (v. 12).

However, in contrast to verse 12, verse 13 shows us that those who remain in the faith and persevere will be saved. Jesus then offers another promise in verse 13: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” What beautiful promises in the midst of somber truth about the future!

But persevering in faith is not an easy endeavor, especially when surrounded by such cultural adversaries. How do we define faith, and how do we keep it? The best definition of faith that can be offered is from scripture itself. Hebrews 11:1 tells us “now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Especially given the context of Jesus’s statement in Matthew 24:13, persevering in faith means being confident and assured that Jesus is the Messiah and that he will in fact exercise authority over all the earth. Even when the world around us seems to be falling apart or spiraling downward - the loss of morality, increased natural disasters, religious syncretism (especially in Christianity) - we persevere in the faith that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do in fact have authority and we are part of their Kingdom. 

endure

We can define this faith even more specifically given the direct contrasts from Matthew 24:3-14. “Many will fall away” (v. 10) due to the evils that are explicated in this passage: false teachers and prophets claiming to know the way to Christ, continued wars and global conflicts as well as natural disasters, and the persecution of Christians for their faith in Jesus and commitment to the way of life he models. Faith in the midst of such dire circumstances means “see that no one leads you astray” (v. 4). As well as hope and confidence in the present and future reign of God, faith also comes with it a kind of mental acuteness, a clarity of truth, and a guard against the deception that is so pervasive in our world. Persevering in faith means that because we believe that God reigns, we do not fall prey to cultural temptations or lies. We clothe ourselves with the belt of truth and stand strong against those forces that would cause us to fall away from true faith in Christ. 

There are many grievous instances in our world of a person of God compromising faithful belief for the acceptance of the world. It is now more important than ever to dig into the scriptures and be confident in what God has spoken clearly. We should not and will not allow false teachers to influence what we know to be biblical truth, even when there are negative cultural consequences; mockery and persecution of all kinds have always been an affirmation that we are following the way of the crucified and risen Christ (Matthew 5:11-12).

Today, we pray together for the people of God to persevere in faith. May we be strong warriors for the truth and expectant watchmen for the Kingdom of God to come in its fullness! Come, Lord Jesus. Amen. 

Ways to reflect and pray:

1. What are some of the ways you feel tempted to compromise biblical truth because of cultural pressure? Make a list of any that apply. Go to the Lord in prayer to confess these things and ask for strength to be strong. Consider speaking to a pastor or leader in the faith for both encouragement and resources on different relevant topics.


2. Who are some people of God who have compromised on some aspect of their faith? Pray for them by name, that God would convict their hearts and they would walk forward in repentance.

3. Pray for the Christian leaders in your life, that their faith would remain strong and they would not bow down to cultural pressures and thus lead those they shepherd astray.

4. Take some time to worship, declaring that God is truly on the throne! Through the songs of the saints, fill your heart with joy and awe.