Persistence can be described as unflinching faithfulness. We harness great persistence in our Christian faith through the power of God and His faithfulness to us. It is true that faithfulness requires our effort, our discipline and keeping in remembrance the faithfulness of Christ. In addition to this, it is impossible to live as Christians without being empowered by the holy spirit. Persistence is part of the fruit of the spirit from Galatians 5:22-23 and is translated “faith” or “faithfulness.” To be consistent in our spiritual walk, we have to continue to look to God and the infilling of the holy spirit that we have received. We cannot do this on our own.
How do you feel about evangelism? For some of us, we are persistent in bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. This is one way that we are “Jesus to the World.” For others, we can remember a time that we were excited and demonstrated persistence in evangelism. We can still remember the names, faces and moments when lives were changed because we spoke for God. Some may have yet to experience the power and glory of the gospel running full-steam ahead. They envision an approaching day when they will muster up the boldness and audacity to see the pages of the gospel come to life in their own ministry.
We are in the center of a perishing world clouded by darkness. Does the reality that we walk among those who have their eyes blinded by the god of this world still ring as true as it did when we first heard? In the book of Jude, evangelism is dramatically described as “snatching them out of the fire” (Jude 23) as we “contend earnestly for the faith” (Jude 4). Through the holy
2 Timothy 4:1-5 NAS, “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”