Must believers ‘Endure until the end’ to remain saved based on Matthew 24:13?
“But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. ”
(Matthew 24:13 KJV)
I know many Christians believe that iof they do not endure to the end that they may lose their Salvation because many pulpits misuse this one verse in Matthew 24. Yet, using proper context, that is not correct from Scripture!
Notice that there are many passages of Scripture that state the opposite and that it is God ALONE who does the work of saving, securing, and keeping believers saved eternally.
In John 6:39, Christ states that He will not lose any saint.
“And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. ” ( John 6:39 KJV)
In John 10:28-29, it is Christ and the Father who promises to keep believers eternally saved and will never let go; not believers who hold onto God and keep themselves saved by any works we do.
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:28-29 KJV)
In John 17:12, it is Christ and the Father who do the keeping. And ‘none of them is lost’.
“While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. ” (John 17:12 KJV)
In Romans 4:5 Paul writes,
“But to him that WORKETH NOT, BELIEVETH ON HIM that justifieth the ungodly, HIS FAITH is counted for righteousness.” (Romans 4:5 KJV)
God IMPUTED our sin to Christ, and Christ’s righteousness to us and GOD MADE US, the righteousness of God, in Christ.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” ( 2 Cor. 5:17-22 KJV)
Paul states in Colossians 2 that this was done without our hands but that we are COMPLETE in Christ (present tense) by the operation of God; not by us.
“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And YE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision MADE WITHOUT HANDS, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried WITH HIM in baptism, wherein also ye are risen WITH HIM through the faith OF THE OPERATION OF GOD, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together WITH HIM , having forgiven you ALL trespasses; BLOTTING OUT the handwriting of ordinances that WAS against us, which WAS contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to HIS CROSS; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2: 9-15 KJV)
So many more Scriptures seemingly in contradiction to believers having to endure to the end to remain saved! And whenever we discover a contradiction in Scripture it means we missed proper context somehow. The many verses in proper context over rule any opposing view regarding Salvation.
“Immediately AFTER THE TRIBULATION of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: “: (Matthew 24:29 KJV)
I personally have come to believe that, by reading the words in Matthew 24 and especially verse 29, it shows it is all about the coming Tribulation Period where in the beginning of the Antichrist rule it will seem peaceful but warning signs will be happening and eventually the Antichrist will show his true evil colours. The Tribulation Period starts at the END of our current church age. So Matthew 24 and 25 are addressing the Jews of that future time period. This is the proper context of Matthew 24 and it makes all the difference in the world to the meaning of ‘endure to the end’. The END here is the END of the Tribulation period!
In fact, if we look not many verses later, at Matthew 24:22, we can see that the ‘enduring’ in verse 13 is referring to the physical state of the person under persecution of the Antichrist; not Spiritual salvation. Physically saved from Antichrist’s persecution.
“And except THOSE DAYS should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. ” (Matthew 24:22 KJV)
What days? The days within the Tribulation period, during the Antichrst’s rule on Earth, where God’s judgment is falling upon the Earth and the Antichrist is persecuting believers and all who do not take the Mark of the Beast (Rev. 13:17 KJV).
That is the true context of enduring in Matthew 24.
