CONTINUE
Earlene Davis
While meditating on the Word for a message, the Holy Spirit brought one word to my mind – “Continue.” I feel the Lord has instruction and also encouragement to give us. It is not always correction, but it is God’s desire that we increase spiritually, growing in Christ, that we might be perfected to win Christ’s best for us.
Satan would tempt us to slow our pace in running to win Christ, perhaps even to give up. That would please Satan. As that would allow him to rob God of the perfecting that He is doing in our lives that would bring Him glory. In what would the Lord have us to increase that He may bring us to perfection? Let us consider what our Apostle Paul has written to us of this Grace Age. He wrote as the Holy Spirit gave it to him.
We read in Acts 14:22, that Paul returned to the churches he had establish to see first hand of their faith. He found it necessary to exhort them to Continue in the faith, as they were experiencing tribulations. Paul’s words have much weight to me, for his own trials were so great that he was stoned and left for dead – V. 19. He did not give up, but continued to travel and preach the Gospel and exhort the saint to continue in the faith.
In Col. 1:22-23, Paul says, that Christ suffered that He may present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight; If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel.
In Col. 4:2, we are admonished “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” This is taking hold of God in earnest prayer. As we pray and continue in the attitude of prayer, thanking God that the answer is on the way even when we see no evidence of it. Delayed answers, causes the muscles of our faith to be strengthened. Let us keep on believing, seeking the Lord and His will. Acts 6:4, to give ourselves to an attitude of prayer continually.
II Tim. 3:14 – Continue in the truth of God’s Word and be not entangled with every doctrine of men that comes along. Read this whole chapter. II Tim. 3:16-17, All Scripture is inspired or “God breathed,” it has life, for it is the living Word of God. That is why when we believe God’s Word, it works effectually in us. God’s truth becomes a part of our very being and gives us spiritual strength. It is profitable, for doctrine, (accept no other doctrine), for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (we learn how to walk pleasing to the Lord). Praise God, His Word refutes the reasonings of our mind and keeps us from error. If we be otherwise minded, God will correct us by His Word.
Thank God for His working in us as we yield to His Word. He would have us to be made perfect in Christ and known for all good works of faith. In Acts 13:43, Paul and Barnabas persuaded the Jewish believers who formerly had trusted in their own works, to continue in the grace of God. And in Heb. 13:1, “Let brotherly love continue.” The love of Christ shed abroad in the hearts of the saints makes for healthy growth. We will bear one anothers burdens and provoke one another to good works.
Heb. 13:2 – Sometimes we can get so self-contained. The Lord has other children who are our brothers and sisters in Christ. But we must try the spirits of professed people, who are religious runabouts. V. 9, It is a good thing that the heart be established with grace.
V. 15 – Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. V. 16 – To do good and to communicate. With these sacrifices God is will pleased. Spiritual fruit is what God wants. Praise is the fruit of the lips. Doing good to others by pointing them to Jesus as Savior. And communicate, giving of yourself, the fruit of the hands and feet and of our earnings in support of the Gospel. V. 17 – Loyalty to our spiritual leaders that God has appointed to lead and teach. Vs. 20-21 – not that we did not know these things, but as Paul said in I Thess. 3:12-13 & 4:10, that we increase more and more in love toward all men. That we may be found establish in holiness before God our Father at the coming of Jesus Christ. Shall we continue? Yes, by the grace of God.
