THIS and the previous two considerations are titles “Morning Meds” – referencing Morning Mediations, a vital part of a Christian’s spiritual disciplines.
LOOKING back at the previous comment, did you notice how Edward Welch referenced perseverance as an attribute of God, saying: Persevere is something God does; it is not only something he says. It is one of the many aspects of his character. Saying that it is an aspect of His character is in essence saying it is an attribute of His being. I guess I have never really seen perseverance listed as one of the attributes of God, but thinking on it, it seems right that in His Communicable Attributes under the heading of His Moral Attributes, that conclusion could be drawn. Stemming from His Goodness, Love, Grace, Mercy, and Long-suffering (see Berkhof Systematic Theology, pages 70 -72), yes – perseverance is certainly an aspect of His character in which our hearts can rejoice. “It is that aspect of the goodness or love of God in virtue of which He bears with the forward (moving or facing away from something or someone) and evil in spite of their long continued disobedience.” (Berkhof) …That God may be thought of as perseverance certainly puts a different slant on our musings?
WE think of God as “Light,” as “Love,” as “Holy,” as “Righteous, Justice, Omnipotence, Truth,” and so on. But to think on Him as “Perseverance” might cause us more than a moment of pause. We know that there are those Incommunicable Attributes of God that He does not share with His creatures, nor hold up as a necessary expectation in them. But made in His image there are those Communicable Attributes He does share with an expectation of an ever-building character shaping for those in Christ. If Christ calls us to be Holy for He is Holy, to Love as we are Loved, and all the other Holy Spirit fostered, discipleship imperative character traits (Gal 5:22ff), then what are we to make of perseverance?
HERE is a verse to think on:
Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up [the cross], that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51- 53) Commentators see this as the look of determination that frightened the beholders, a fulfillment of Isa. 50:7 – For the Lord GOD will help Me; …I will not be disgraced; ….I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed.
This is the walk of deliberate faith and obedience, perseverance incarnate. As we follow Christ, the Christian Life by its very definition and nature is one of perseverance; a life lived deliberately in Christ. (Phil. 3:13-14)
Col. 2:6-7 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
“If you are coasting, you are going down hill” – DR
In the inexorable blessings of Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10, Isa 30:15, Jas 1:2
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