One of my seminary professors liked to say, “Persevere brothers, it’s the only good option!” Dr. Morrison would say this when we were overwhelmed with papers and readings and wondering how we would get it all done before the end of the semester. His statement was surprisingly effective for me. When faced with a mountain of work, the options were either to tackle it or give up. We had to pick one. We could choose to persevere or choose to give up. These were the only options, which meant that, as Dr. Morrison said, “Perseverance is the only good option.”
As we come into a new year, my goal for our church is that we persevere. It’s the only good option! There are many reasons why we may want to give up, whether in marriage or parenting or discipleship or work or worship or giving or prayer. But the best option is always to persevere. Through perseverance, God accomplishes great things. As Charles Spurgeon said, “By perseverance, even the snail reached the ark.”
At the end of his second letter, Peter encourages Christians to persevere. Some false teachers were saying that Jesus was not coming back because it had been so long since he departed (3:4). So Peter reminds believers that God’s timetable is not like ours (v. 8), that he will come to judge the earth with fire (vv. 7, 10), and that the righteous will live in a new heavens and new earth (v. 13). In light of the end of history, the people of God must be on guard and alert, must “not be carried away with the error of lawless people,” and must stand firm and not “lose their stability” (v. 17). In short, God’s people must persevere.
In light of the unchangeable realities of God’s judgment and salvation, the people of God must persevere. Or, as Jesus says, “The one who endures to the end will be saved” (Mk. 13:13). The great calling, and the seemingly impossible task, for God’s people in all ages is this: don’t give up.
But how do we persevere? Peter ends his letter by saying that the antidote against quitting is not just negative. We need more than a “don’t quit” speech. We also need the motivation of a positive command. So this is how Peter ends his letter, “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (3:18). To persevere, Peter says we must grow. The way to keep going is to keep growing.
It has been said that Christianity is like riding a bicycle. Unless you keep moving, you fall off. So what keeps our peddles moving? Peter says it’s the “grace” and “knowledge” of “our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” We will persevere as we keep riding toward the grace and knowledge of Jesus.
God’s grace is the foundation of the believer’s life, and it is entirely a gift and cannot be earned. Yet, Peter exhorts us to “grow in grace.” This means that grace is not a static reality. Rather, it is something we must be nurtured in and strengthened by. We are saved by grace, through faith (Eph. 2:8), but we must grow up into the grace that saves us. God’s grace is so vast and beautiful that we cannot exhaust its riches in this life, or the next. There’s always plenty more grace from God to know and enjoy. Growing in this grace is how we keep going with Jesus.
Peter also says that we must grow in the knowledge of Jesus. Indeed, he said at the beginning of his letter that grace is multiplied to us “in the knowledge of God” (1:2), and that God gives us all we need for life and godliness “through the knowledge of him who called us” (1:3). Knowing Jesus is how we experience the grace of God. Growing in the knowledge of Jesus is therefore not optional but essential for followers of Jesus.
To sum up: my goal for our church this year is not trendy or clever or all that profound. My goal is that we persevere in growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. My goal is that we not give up on going deep with Jesus. And the promise of perseverance makes it worth it: Jesus says if we endure, we will be saved (Mk. 13:13), and Paul says there will be rewards (Gal. 6:9).
Brothers and sisters, whatever challenges lie before you, and whatever challenges come before us, we must meet them head on with the courage of perseverance. Our God will grant us the endurance we need to be the people he wants us to be (Rom. 15:5-6). And he will do so as we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. This is the best kind of church growth. And this is my goal and prayer for us in 2026.
Persevering by Grace, With You,
Pastor John