37 For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.”38 And, But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back."
Revelation 3:2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God
Hebrews 12:1-4
I am glad that Jesus did not resign in His prayer at the garden of Gethsemane! But prayed, nevertheless, not my will but thine be done. And He submitted to the Father's Will and endured the cross despising its shame, because the Joy set before Jesus was His enthronement back to God the Father to Share in God the Father's Glory that He enjoyed with he Father, before the foundation of the world as the Eternal Son of God. And now ruling the Church being fully God and fully Man, the King of glory indeed!
Whatever agony, whatever suffering the pope is undergoing in the frailty of his life, it cannot compare to the great suffering, physical pain and torture that Jesus endured on the way to the cross and on the cross and in His death. Jesus did not resign, put endured the agony, pain and suffering unto the end that He may bring many sons to glory.
And believing in Jesus name means that you are a follower of Christ and you are Jesus' representative here on earth, and to walk worthy of this calling means that you will not shrink away in shame when faced with the frailty of your physical body and life, but will endure the agony, pain, suffering and persevere unto the end even in resisting in temptation because God the Father will lead you out of temptation. It means not resigning and quiting, Jesus did not resign, nor did He ever quit! Henceforth, He secured my Salvation indeed.
Now I am called to walk worthy of my calling in Christ and the marks of a believer and follower of Jesus is that I persevere to the end through the pain, agony, suffering in this life unto death from this life to the next. If I am not persevering then I am not walking worthy of my calling and I am to be most pitied. But thanks be to God who gives me the greater grace to follow Him and endure to the end at the surrender of my will, facing the agony and pain of my suffering that I may endure to the end.
If you are going to be Jesus' Vicar and Ambassador and representative of Jesus Christ here on this earth in this present age, time and history, then the marks of being a follower of Jesus is that you endure to the end and persevere and not shrink away and resign.
And it is no accident that Lightening Struck St Peter's Basilica after the news of Pope Benedict's resignation, God is Sovereign over the elements of this earth: of air, water and fire and if you fear God then you will know that Jesus from His throne of Grace in His Sovereignty sent forth the lightening as a twofold sign of wonder to remind believers of His Chastisement for those who would dare name the name of Christ and then shrink away in obscurity and resignation. And As an encouragement for those who would follow Him that there is no resignation in that path of following Christ. But on the path of Grace and perseverance will bring forth His Grace like lightening and great awe and power. Wake up! O foolish and unbelieving people, who have no fear of God before your eyes, Jesus shot forth His lightening to quicken us to follow Him to the end and that our deeds maybe complete in His Sight! For Jesus was crucified, Dead and was buried and the third He rose from the Grave and ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father, from thence, He will come to Judge the living and the Dead!
______________ Westminister Confession of the Faith, Chapter XVII: Of the Perseverance of the Saints:
I. They, whom God has accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved
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