March 30 Daily Devotional

"He That Shall Endure Unto the End...."

the Rev. David Freeman

"But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."
"Matthew 24:13

Devotional

After an earthquake in a Philippian jail, Paul and Silas said to the fearful and trembling prison keeper, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

Now here the Lord tells his disciples, after giving them to understand that they must face anti-christs, wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, hatred, betrayals, and death, that only he who endures unto the end shall be saved.

What do we learn from these statements of Christ and His apostles? It is this: All who believe are saved, but no one can be saved unless he perseveres or endures to the end; therefore all who truly believe, being saved, will persevere.

It is not the man who puts his hand to the plough, and then looks back, that is worthy of the kingdom of God. Many there are who have begun well that are now living in unfaithfulness and sin. If all who once bore the Christian name are saved, then countless numbers are saved who have ended their courses in shame. "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?"

Do not say that you love the Lord when you have never put that love into action by caring for His cause. Love for Christ others cannot see, except as they see you enduring hardness for Him.

Do not say that you love the saints when you have no bowels of compassion for them and often shun them. When is it that we know we have passed from death unto life? When "we love the brethren."

But may not the Christian have even now the assurance of salvation? Yes, he may even now be enabled to say, "I know I have passed from death unto life." Nevertheless he only enters heaven after he has endured. Only he who has striven and won receives the prize. "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain."

(to be continued)

"Lift Up Your Heart" is a series of devotionals by the late Rev. David Freeman, an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church for most of his life. These devotionals, in fact, are part of the early history of our denomination. The first of them was published in The Presbyterian Guardian in 1935; the denomination now known as the Orthodox Presbyterian Church was officially formed in 1936. We believe that "the Word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:8; see 1 Peter 1:25). Thus it is no surprise that meditations based on that Word have continued relevance today. Dr. Freeman's devotionals are proof of that fact.

David Freeman was a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary (Th.B., 1928; Th.M. , 1930) and of Dropsie Univiersity (Ph.D., 1951). He served as pastor at Grace (later New Covenant) Presbyterian Church (OPC), Philadelphia, PA (1936-1946), Knox Presbyterian Church (OPC), Philadelphia, PA (1949-1962), and Grace Presbyterian Church (OPC), Fall River, MA (1962-1967). He authored many articles and (along with his son, David H. Freeman) is the author of the book A Philosophical Study of Religion, which appeared in 1964. He went to be with the Lord in 1984.

There is one change from the way the daily devotional was handled in the past with John Skilton's Think On These Things: New devotionals for the new series appear on weekdays only (Monday through Saturday. It is suggested that you use your pastor's sermon text(s) as the basis for your mediations on the Lord's Day.

We trust that you will find these devotionals, once again made available seventy years after they first appeared, to be a personal help in your own Christian walk today!