Nov. 7 | Application

Stick with It

By David Faust

Advertisers create clever taglines that stick in our minds. You’ve heard the jingle, “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” A classic M&Ms commercial assures consumers that the candy “melts in your mouth, not in your hands.” Meow Mix claims its product “tastes so good, cats ask for it by name.” How about this one from the Dollar Shave Club? “Shave time. Shave money.”

If I sold glue, my advertising slogan would be “Stick with it.” Actually, that’s not a bad motto for a Christian. The book of Hebrews urges us to stick with our faith. Hebrews 3:14 says, “We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.”

Getting Started

Before our faith can be firm “to the very end,” there must be a beginning. When did you first believe in the Lord? Perhaps you are like Timothy, whose mother and grandmother passed their faith along (2 Timothy 1:5). But we don’t merely inherit our faith. It isn’t like height, eye color, or some other DNA-determined trait. If you were blessed with parents or other family members who believed, when did you make your own personal choice to follow Christ?

Maybe like Saul of Tarsus, you spent half your life rejecting Jesus before a dramatic conversion redirected your priorities. Or perhaps like Cornelius, even before knowing the good news of Jesus and becoming a Christian, you believed in God enough to pray and donate to worthy causes. Or maybe you are like Lydia, successful in business and seeking God, but still needing to open your heart to the gospel.

Have you decided to follow Jesus? Do you believe he died for your sins and rose from the dead? Have you repented of your sins and confessed sincerely, “I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and been baptized in obedience to him? Why not take that step today and start your new life with God?

Staying Faithful

Hebrews 3:14 raises another question when it says to hold onto our convictions “to the very end.” The very end of what? Does this mean the end of our lives, or something else?

For those who serve in church leadership, this verse reminds us to be faithful throughout our ministry careers. We should make it our goal to finish well, holding on to our convictions until the time comes for our ministry to end. Don’t yield to temptation and slip into immorality. Don’t falter when troubles come. Don’t be deceived by false teaching and drift like a rudderless boat into doctrinal errors that shipwreck our faith. Don’t succumb to cynicism, bitterness, and discouragement. Make adjustments as time passes, but don’t use aging as an excuse to quit serving the Lord.

The Lord calls us to be faithful “to the very end” of our lives on earth or the time when he returns. Don’t you want to say with the apostle Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7)? God will do his part. “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6).

Faith in Christ is a precious treasure. Don’t give it up. Stick with it!

Personal Challenge: Have you decided to be faithful to the Lord for the rest of your life, no matter what happens and no matter what your faith requires? What tempts you to give up? Is your commitment to the Lord strong enough that you will stick with it no matter what it costs?