*To stay the course is “to stand firm in pursuing a goal or course of action, to persevere in the face of whatever challenges or obstacles one may encounter. "Stay the course" allegedly originated as a nautical metaphor for maintaining a constant, unaltering course while navigating.
Have you ever resolved to do more for the Lord? Perhaps, to read so many verses a day, pray every day for a certain amount of time or maybe witness to so many people in a month’s time? It’s better to just run with patience & stay the course. This is not a fast race, it’s an endurance race. >Matt 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
*Those who persist in doing good, will reap the reward of eternal life >
Rom 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
*Wouldn’t it be nice to set our cars on auto pilot & nap while we ride to our destination? Any task that we do has to have our mental focus & physical action if we hope to succeed. If we don’t stay focused on pleasing God by being obedient, faithful followers, we will stray off course. So, how do we stay the course? We must endeavor (make a serious and sincere effort to achieve something) daily to be the person we were when we were first born again! He expects us to walk in righteousness.>
Heb 12:1...let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Lev 11:45 For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
1 Peter 1:16 …”it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”
James 2:5 ….Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
*Our ‘birthright’ is eternal life, if we are born again, but if we lose faith and fall into sin we can lose this birthright. If we have the Holy Ghost, we have the power to live right; we are no longer under the bondage of sin, although we might be tempted – it’s our choice – we choose to do right or we choose to do wrong. We keep ourselves in righteousness >
1 Cor 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection:..(control)
2 Cor 7:1 ….let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Col 3:5 Mortify (discipline) therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Ps 24:3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? (stand = to take or remain in a specified position, remain unchanged )
4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. (something that is clean & pure is not mixed with anything, but is free from anything that would impair, or defile / sinless, morally pure)
5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Ps 15: 1 Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
1 Cor 16:13- Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men be strong. (stand firm, unmovable/conduct yourselves like men, not helpless like children)
Ga. 5:1- Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke
of bondage. (freedom from sin, or anything that would bind us , any hold that satan would try to have on us)
Eph 6:11- Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
*There are obstacles & hindrances in life that will cause us to get off course if we’re not secure in the Word & in our faith. Our walk can’t be sporadic; it must be a patient, constant exercise in our lives. I use the word exercise, for we must continually be active in prayer & worship, always on guard against the things that would make us stumble. Paul said in 1 Cor. 9:24 that everyone runs to receive the prize, so we should run in such a way to obtain it. He said, “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection.” (1 Cor. 9:26,27)
*Like Paul, we must run this race with the confidence that God has placed in us by his Holy Spirit, keeping our flesh crucified so that we are not hindered by carnal things. >
Heb 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
1 Cor 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Comments