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Enduring to the End

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 26, 1871

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 39, No. 2.

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Enduring to the End.

By I. Sanborn

“But he that shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved.”
It seems that many at the present time, who profess to be the followers of Christ, have forgotten that he plainly teaches that all his disciples were to be especially subjected to trials and afflictions. David speaks of the wicked in Psa. 73:5: “They are not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued like other men.” Again he says: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.”
That is, the time is coming when Jesus will come and set up the kingdom under the whole heaven, and put the righteous in possession of it. Then there will be no more pain, death, disappointment, persecution nor affliction. Oh, precious deliverance! Oh, happy day! May the Lord soon bring it to all the faithful. But until then, the people of God will have many afflictions, sorrows, and trials, and persecutions to endure. But he that shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved.
Our Lord well knew that Satan and his angels would be enraged at the remnant who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and would make war upon them and endeavor to get them into trouble, more or less, daily. There are many ways in which the enemy approaches the disciples of Christ, while they may think that they ought to be exempt from such sufferings and trials because they are trying to serve the Lord. They seem to forget that David and Paul thought that afflictions were necessary for them. Paul says that he besought the Lord thrice to remove his, but instead of the Lord’s removing the affliction, he told him his grace should be sufficient for him. Now if it was necessary for Paul to suffer affliction, why is it not for some of us, at least? Persecution in all its various forms seems to be the appointed result of faithful godliness. Paul says that the godly shall suffer persecution. And Jesus says, Happy are ye when they shall say all manner of evil against you, falsely, for my sake; then look up, for great is your reward in Heaven.
But how few there are that are willing, under these deep trials and afflictions, to rejoice, or who live in such a way that they can rejoice. But how many there are that are more inclined to murmur than rejoice, while passing through trials that are as necessary to the perfection of our faith, as the trial of gold by fire is for its purification. “Knowing that the trial of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
The work of patience is experience. How many of us lack patience; and therefore, how often we get out of the way, and fret and complain and murmur. May the Lord help us to let patience have her perfect work.
The great enemy of our souls seems to be exerting himself to get all the remnant involved in debt, so that their minds will be over-charged with the cares of this life, and the day of the Lord come upon them while they are not prepared for it. How do such apply Paul’s statement, “Owe no man anything”? We believe it would be better to do as the Lord says, that is, having food and raiment, therewith to be content.
John saw the remnant before the throne without fault. Now it seems to me that if we are to appear before the throne without fault, all who are involved should make haste to free themselves from debts, and especially that all should be prompt in paying for the good paper they read. Jesus says: “The words that I speak unto you shall judge you in the last day.” How then shall we appear before God in the Judgment in debt for even the religious paper we read?
The Saviour, looking down to this time, says: “Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity [that is, transgression], shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Here the Lord has his eye on the prophets of spiritualism, and many others who are engaged teaching false doctrines. Truth comes in contact with these, and this causes a great amount of opposition and discussion, which must be borne with patience.
Peter says if we do well and suffer for it, and take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For this is thankworthy if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully, for even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us. If Christ has called us to suffer grief and persecution, let us remember that the grace of God is sufficient for us, that we may endure it patiently to the end. And so we shall be saved. I. SANBORN.