On Perseverance

"For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us" (II Cor. 1:8-10). The 'trouble' that the apostle Paul was speaking of here that he and the brethren with him had experienced, was a great persecution against the Gospel that they were ministering. The kind of trouble that can put one in the state of mind and spirit that he mentioned here, can come through a myriad of forms, and not just persecution. When it's all said and done it really doesn't matter much how that kind of trouble comes, because when we are "pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we [are] despaired even of life;" it's what it is, and it's bad. It can be really, really bad in fact. If we find ourselves in effect having "the sentence of death in ourselves," there really isn't any hope to be had unless God DOES raise the dead; because in that instance we are as good (or as bad I should say) as dead. But thanks be to God that he does indeed raise the dead, and will raise the dead, whether literally or in effect. It all goes back to Jesus because Jesus did raise from the dead, and is still alive today to raise those who have that death sentence in themselves, and are despaired of life. In fact, as Jesus said himself, "[He] IS the resurrection, AND the life" (Jn. 11:25). Because God's Son Jesus Christ became a man, and because he died for our sins and rose from the dead bodily and lives today, he can succor any man from any adverse circumstance up to and including death. The cross of Calvary wrought the victory over sin and everything connected to it, and the resurrection of Christ empowered that victory. Not only so, but his heavenly priesthood administers that victory to all who truly believe and rely fully on him and his finished work. Make not mistake, death itself is the main element connected to sin (Rom. 6:23).

The apostle Paul laid these things out for us nice and neat: "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? ... For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin" (Rom. 6:3,5,6). The baptism that puts us into the death of Christ with him, and into his resurrection as well, is the holy Ghost baptism administered from heaven by Jesus the high priest and mediator of the new covenant (Heb. 9:15; Heb. 10:12-15). It is the baptism of the Spirit which is the very witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as well as his death and his priesthood in heaven, as Hebrews 10:15 states. So if we are baptized with his Spirit with its accompanying sign of speaking with other tongues, we know of a certainty that Jesus is who he is, and has done the things that the Bible says he has done. The holy Ghost is in fact the very resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead, and that will one day also raise those who remain pure (Acts 1:8; Rom. 8:11; I Pet. 3:18; I Jn. 3:3). As long as we have that resurrection power by faith in his resurrection, there is always hope in any circumstance or spiritual malady, because Jesus rose from the dead and is still alive to raise us from any deadly despair or pain. The end result of a life lived in that hope, and that faith, and that power; is the only thing it could be: "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory" (I Cor. 15:52-54). We should be forewarned however, that there are some "sentences of death" that we will have to be raised from in this life, before attaining to that ultimate resurrection of our bodies at the Lord's coming. May God help us.