Brother ozell adams,
I realize that you need to be taught.
Indeed to "endure unto the end" means to "stand firm".
Let us read the Holy scriptures:
“All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved”.
Matthew 10:22
Our Lord was addressing His Disciples.
We have to stand firm or to endure because all men will hate us because of Him.
Salvation is a gift.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
Romans 6:23
According to you what is a gift?
If it is on the basis of your merit that you are saved, then salvation is no longer a gift.
In addition, God would have given His only begotten Son in vain (John 3:16)?
Salvation is a gift of God; it does not depend on your own good works.
It is by grace that we have been saved, through faith. This not from ourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9
If someone is really saved he/she will bear good fruits for a good tree bears good fruits.
Indeed, the Bible declares:
“Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them”.
Matthew 7:20
First, we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and then the consequence of that is the good works for “faith without deeds is useless”. Good works are faith expressed.
This is the reason why I fully agree with the following biblical verses you've quoted:
James 2:20: "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?"
James 2:26 "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also".
There is no contradiction in the Bible. Brother James and Brother Paul had the same Spirit and they taught the same truth.
Salvation is a gift of God.
Those who are saved should produce good works. Not the works according to their own opinion or theology, but as God's workmanships, created in Christ Jesus, they should do good works, which God prepared in advance for them to do. Amen!
Brother, what you call good works according to your theology may not seem good to God (1 Corinthians 13: 1-3, Isaiah 58).
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do".
Ephesians 2:10
Indeed, those who are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and do good works according to God’s will should stand firm or endure because all men will hate them because of Jesus Christ.
To "endure unto the end" means to "stand firm".
They do not endure in order to be saved, but they endure because they are saved.
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
1 Peter 5:8-9
Those who are saved are asked to resist the devil, standing firm in the faith because the Bible says:
“If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die. 27 But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life. 28 Because he considers all the offenses he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die”.
Ezekiel 18: 26-28
However, if someone truly believes in Jesus Christ, she/he will never give up, no matter the troubles or problems she/he meets in his/her life.
Yes, him who is truly holy will continue to be holy till the end of his life on Earth.
“Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."
Revelation 22:11
Likewise, him who is truly saved will continue to be saved till the end of his life.
Those who are truly saved by faith and do good works according to God’s will will always stand firm or endure till death.
They are saved by faith, and they always endure or stand firm in faith. They resist the Devil till death.
If you are not saved first by Jesus Christ by faith, how can you manage to stand firm or resist to the devil?
Indeed, the Bible declares:
“Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God”.
2 Corinthians 3: 4-5
This is the truth!
Can a man deserve salvation? No, it is a gift of God!
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”.
Romans 5:8
Can you your own works save you?
No!
Our competence comes from God!
First, we are saved by grace through faith, then God Himself gives us the spiritual armor in order to stand firm, to resist the devil till the end of our life.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints”.
Ephesians 6: 10-18
Yes, Our competence comes from God!
” for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous”.
“I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread”.
Psalm 37: 17; 25
“ A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all”
Psalm 34:19
Amen! Amen! Amen!
Where is our merit? Nowhere!
Jesus Christ is all for us.
“I can do everything through him who gives me strength”
Philippians 4:13
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”.
Galatians 2:20
Yes, Our competence comes from God!
Yes, Our competence comes from Jesus Christ! Amen!
Now, brother ozell adams , let me show you something:
The Bible declares:
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory”.
Ephesians 1: 13-14
"...Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession..."
If you truly believe in Jesus Christ and you are marked with a seal, namely the Holy Spirit, you are saved forever, you can never lose salvation.
Why?
Simply because the Holy Spirit is a deposit guarantee of your inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession.
UNTIL THE REDEMPTION!
Amen! Amen! Amen
This is the truth!
Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you have believed?
If yes, then the Bible says that you are saved forever!
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption”.
Ephesians 4:30
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Revelation 3:22
Blessings,
Bro. Germain
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