Perseverance Must Finish

1 Thess 5:23

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Apostle James advises us to preserve perfectly when we face trials and hardships. "Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything"(James 1:4). We have to finish perseverance so that we will be perfect and complete. Finishing perseverance give us many benefits.

First, there is joyful benefit of perfectness through perseverance. Can we be perfect? Christ said, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect"(Matt 5:48). We cannot be perfect like Jesus Christ, but we have to have Him as an inspiration of what we want to be. Apostle Paul confessed finishing his life of ministry, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me"(Phil 3:12). He told Christians in Ephesus that the only goal of church ministry is becoming perfect in Jesus Christ(Eph 4:13).

Second, there is the benefit of being fully equipped. When we achieve perseverance perfectly, we are fully equipped without any lack. That means we are ready to meet the coming of Jesus Christ like Paul said, "May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit; soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ"(1 Thess 5:23). It is also like Acts 3:16, crippled beggar was healed by Peter, the faith which is through Jesus has given us perfectness in the presence of God. When we maintain perseverance, we can work God's ministry and we become pure and blameless.

Third, there is the benefit of lacking in nothing. God does not like us to come short to Jesus Christ. He wants us to win spiritual warfare and continue to fight. Therefore, we have to accomplish perfectly by maintaining perseverance throughout trials and hardships so that we can win spiritual warfare and we can be like Jesus Christ.

Fourth, there is the benefit of receiving the throne of life. We often feel Christian life seems to be unfair or unsuccessful. But, the surest thing is that we in Christ will get the ultimate win. If we preserve the faith with endurance, we will get the throne of life from God.