Standing Firm

Matthew 24:10-13: "At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."

The above passage is part of Jesus' teaching concerning the end of the age, when God, the Holy and Righteous Judge, will return to bless the redeemed and judge the reprobate. The setting of this teaching by the Lord took place as Jesus and the disciples were leaving the Jerusalem temple. The disciples were rambling on about the impressiveness of the temple buildings as well as the amount of offerings being given to the priests (see Luke 21:5). Of course, Jesus challenged the disciples' consumption with external display by telling them that the magnificence of the temple buildings would not endure into eternity. He then began His teaching of the coming day when His disciples would experience persecution for their allegiance to Him as the Messiah.


Most noteworthy are Jesus' words concerning the end of time, for He vividly presents the disposition of the world when He returns to the earth a second time in glorious splendor. Jesus tells His disciples that many professing Christians will "turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other." The context of this passage deals with the heightened persecutions that the true Church will experience at the end of the age. Many within the church walls will cave to the pressures of persecution, and they will both renounce the faith and betray those who remain loyal to Christ. Still others who are filled with hate will see opportunity to destroy those to whom their hate is directed. The Scriptures tell us that these people that harbor such hate are not true followers of Jesus Christ; instead they are apostates who mask themselves as Christians (see I John 4:19-21).

We also find in the Matthew 24 passage that with the increased wickedness of the world, the "love of most will grow cold, but (the one) who stands firm to the end will be saved." The parallel passage in the Gospel of Luke says, "by your endurance you will gain your lives" (Luke 21:19). In the last days, people will become consumed with love for themselves and will justify any behavior that promotes their own selfishness above all others, including God. They will not "put up with sound doctrine; instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear" (see 2 Timothy 3:2f; 4:3f). The persecution of the true Church of Jesus Christ will be great, for everyone who lives his life in godly obedience will be persecuted . . . and the intensity of persecution will get progressively worse (2 Timothy 3:12-13). Nonetheless, this persecution will have a purifying effect of separating the true followers of Christ from those who only label themselves as "Christian" but who in fact have no personal relationship with the Lord of Hosts.


Still, God expects faithfulness during this oppressive time. Followers of Jesus Christ must continue to turn away from wickedness, even though it may not be the popular thing to do. Tragically, the end of the age will bring vehement persecution upon the righteous at a level of distress that will be greater than the accumulated volume and intensity of persecutions from the beginning of time until that day (see Matthew 24:21; 2 Timothy 2:19). Fortunately for the elect, God will shorten the duration of that persecution with His unexpected return, which will be like a thief in the night (see I Thessalonians 5:2). For the majority of people who will have turned to wickedness and thus forsaken any allegiance to the One True God, the Lord's return will bring widespread mourning. This is because these recalcitrant ones will be judged for their rebellion against the Lord, and they will be assigned for eternity to the place where there is "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 24:51).

Whereas the true Church of Jesus Christ has yet to experience the level of persecution that Jesus mentions above, this passage is a word of warning that it is coming. Our Savior entreats us to stand firm in our faith, no matter the level of intensity of persecution from wicked men, who hate Jesus Christ and anyone who claims to follow Him as Lord (see John 15:21). Although many will fall away from the faith due to the level of distress from persecution, Christ compels us to "keep watch" and to "be ready" for His return (Matthew 24:42,44). Our Savior's return will make our steadfastness in the midst of tribulation worth it all, for we will be ushered into His glorious presence for all eternity, never again to experience the level of pain that we experienced at the hands of ungodly men who are controlled by the Evil One.