Endangered Species: The Faithful
By Scarlett Stough
When the Son of Man comes will he find faith on the
earth?
Luke 18:8
Jesus asked this question challenging each of us to maintain faith in God and faithfulness to him. He predicted that many would abandon the faith because of persecution and hatred toward those who follow Christ. Those who lose faith, or perhaps did not have saving faith to begin with, will join in the persecution and betrayal of those who remain faithful (Matthew 24:8-14). In fact, this has occurred historically and is currently happening in many areas of the world. Each generation has had to endure to its end; it isn’t just a prediction for the time immediately preceding the return of Christ.
Will I love God to the end no matter what hardships I must endure? Will I continue to pray for justice expecting our just God to bring justice (Luke 18:1-8)? Will I continue to believe that God is Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11)? Can I forgive a betrayer, a persecutor (Matthew 5:10-12)? Will I be able to draw love from God to express love to someone who hates me? Am I able to do that now?
Do I withdraw and hide from the ridicule and slander directed towards Christ and his followers today out of the fear of man? Will I continue to remember all the ways God has been faithful in never leaving me to face life on my own? Will I neglect what he has given me to do because I failed to realize he has the right to ask me to do it and is generous in his rewards to those who are faithful (Matthew 24:45-51; 25:14-30)?
The apostle Paul wrote, “What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar.” Our faith can not rest on how comfortable we are, or how trouble free our lives are, or how blessed we may be financially. God provides all we need; whatever we have is exactly what we need because he is faithful:
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness (II Peter 1:3.)
Even though faith and faithful Christians may seem to be headed for extinction, God expects to find faithful people still hanging on, still persevering, still faithfully carrying on as he commanded until Jesus returns to claim his own (I Thessalonians 4:13-18).
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. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it (I Thessalonians 5:23-24).
God is faithful and he will do it!
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