30. Motives to Persevere in Godliness

Motives to Persevere in Godliness So that I may encourage Christians to persevere in the profession of godliness, I shall propose these four considerations:

1. It is the glory and crown of a Christian to be grey-headed in godliness

"Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple" (Acts 21:16). What an honor it is to see a Christian’s garments red with blood—yet his conscience pure white and his graces green and flourishing!

2. How sinners persevere in their sins!

They are settled on their lees (Zephaniah 1:12). The judgments of God will not deter or remove them. They say to their sin, as Ruth said to Naomi, "Where you go, I will go . . . the Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me" (Ruth 1:16-17). So nothing shall part men from their sins. Oh, what a shame it is that the wicked should be fixed in evil—and we unfixed in good; that they should be more constant in the devil’s service—than we are in Christ’s service!

3. Our perseverance in godliness may be a means of confirming others

Cyprian’s hearers followed him to the place of his suffering, and when they saw his steadfastness in the faith, they cried out, "Let us also die with our holy pastor!" "Many of the brethren, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word" (Php 1:14). Paul’s zeal and constancy animated the onlookers. His prison chains made converts in Nero’s court—and two of those converts were afterwards martyrs, as history relates.

4. We shall lose nothing by our perseverance in godliness There are eight glorious promises which God has entailed on the persevering saints:

(1) "Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Revelation 2:10). Christian, you may lose the breath of life, but not the crown of life.

(2) "To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7). This tree of life is the Lord Jesus. This tree infuses life—and prevents death. The day we eat of this tree—our eyes shall indeed be opened to see God!

(3) "To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it." (Revelation 2:17). This promise consists of three branches:

(a) "I will give to eat of the hidden manna." This is mysterious. It signifies the love of God—which is manna for sweetness and hidden for its rarity.

(b) "I will give him a white stone", that is, absolution. "It may be called a precious stone," says Jerome.

(c) "And in the stone anew name", that is, adoption. He shall be reputed an heir of heaven, and no one can know it, except the one who has the privy seal of the Spirit to assure him of it.

(4) "He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels" (Revelation 3:5). The persevering saint shall be clothed in white. This is an emblem of joy (Ecclesiastes 9:8). He shall put off his mourning clothes, and be clothed in the white robe of glory.

"I will never blot out his name from the book of life." God will blot a believer’s sins out—but he will not blot his name out. The book of God’s decree has no errata in it.

"But I will acknowledge his name." If anyone has owned Christ on earth and worn his colors when it was death to wear them, Christ will not be ashamed of him—but will acknowledge his name before his Father and the holy angels. Oh, what a comfort and honor it will be to have a good look from Christ, at the last day! More—to have Christ own us by name and say, "These were those who stood up for my truth and kept their garments pure, in a defiling age. These shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy."

(5) "Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name." (Revelation 3:12). There are many excellent things couched in this promise:

"I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God." The hypocrite is a reed shaken by the wind—but the conquering saint shall be a glorious pillar, a pillar of strength and a pillar in the temple for sanctity.

"Never again will he leave it." I understand this of a glorified state. "Never again will he leave it," that is, after he has overcome, he shall not go out to the wars any more. He shall never have any more sin or temptation to conflict with. No more noise of drum or cannon shall be heard—but having won the field, the believer shall now stay at home and divide the spoil.

"And I will write upon him the name of my God", that is, he shall be openly acknowledged as my child, just as the Son bears his Father’s name. How honorable that saint must be, who has God’s own name written on him!

"And I will write upon him the name of the city of my God", that is, he shall be enrolled as a citizen of the Jerusalem above. He shall be made free in the angelic society.

(6) "To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations" (Revelation 2:26). This may have a double mystery. Either it may be understood of the saints living on earth: they shall have power over the nations; their zeal and patience shall overpower the adversaries of truth (Acts 6:10); or, principally, it may be understood of the saints triumphing in heaven. They shall have power over the nations: they shall share with Christ in some of his power; they shall join with him in judging the world in the last days: "the saints shall judge the world" (1 Corinthians 6:2).

(7) "To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne" (Revelation 3:21):

(a) Here is, first, the saints’ dignity: they shall sit upon the throne.

(b) Their safety: they shall sit with Christ. Christ holds them fast and no one shall pluck them off his throne. The saints may be turned out of their houses—but they cannot be turned out of Christ’s throne! Men may as well pluck a star out of the sky—as a saint out of the throne!

(8) "I will give him the morning star" (Revelation 2:28). Though the saints may be sullied with reproach in this life, though they may be termed factious and disloyal—Paul himself suffered trouble, in the opinion of some, as an evildoer (2 Timothy 2:9)—yet God will bring forth the saints’ righteousness as the light, and they shall shine like the morning star, which is brighter than the rest. "I will give him the morning star." This morning star is meant of Christ, as if Christ had said, "I will give the persevering saint some of my beauty; I will put some of my splendid rays on him; he shall have the nearest degree of glory to me, as the morning star is nearest the sun!

Oh, what soul-ravishing promises there are here! Who would not persevere in godliness! Whoever is not affected by these promises is either a stone or a brute.