Don’t Give Up: The Call to Endure in Faith
There’s something really simple yet challenging about the words “don’t give up, keep going.” In our most difficult moments, when faith feels heavy and the road ahead seems impossibly long, we sometimes just need to hear that straightforward encouragement. But endurance isn’t merely about gritting our teeth and pushing through—it’s about where we place our confidence and who we trust to carry us forward.
The Danger of Turning Back
The book of Hebrews presents us with one of Scripture’s most sobering warnings: the peril of deliberately turning away from Christ after receiving knowledge of the truth. This isn’t about the everyday struggles with sin that every believer faces. Rather, it addresses something far more serious—the willful rejection of Jesus as our perfect sacrifice in favor of returning to old systems of self-righteousness or worldly comfort.
For the original audience, Jewish Christians facing persecution, the temptation was to retreat back into Judaism’s familiar sacrificial system. For us today, the temptation might look different but remains equally dangerous. What are the things that tempt us to turn away from complete dependence on Christ? Perhaps it’s the allure of self-sufficiency, the comfort of religious performance without genuine relationship, or the pursuit of temporary pleasures that numb spiritual conviction.
The warning is stark: “If we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.” Jesus has already been sacrificed. That payment has already been made. To turn our backs on that finished work and attempt to earn our own way leaves us without hope.
Two Dangerous Ditches
When it comes to God’s grace, we can fall into two opposite but equally destructive patterns. The first is religious self-righteousness—the accumulation of good deeds, church attendance, and moral behavior as a way to prove our worthiness to God. We build up a sense of pride, thinking our efforts make us deserving of His love.
The second ditch is what theologians call licentiousness—presuming upon God’s grace. This mindset says, “God is loving and forgiving, so I can do whatever I want and just ask for forgiveness later.” It treats the costly sacrifice of Christ as something common, profaning the blood of the covenant and taking for granted what cost God everything.
Both approaches miss the heart of the gospel: we are saved by grace through faith, not by our works, yet genuine faith transforms how we live. We don’t earn God’s love, but neither do we treat it cheaply.
The Urgency of Now
Scripture reminds us that under the Old Covenant, those who violated God’s law could face death based on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more serious, then, is it to trample underfoot the Son of God, to treat as common the precious blood that purchased our redemption?
This isn’t meant to drive us to despair but to urgency. The invitation is clear and immediate: approach the throne of grace with confidence, confess your sin with humility, and receive the forgiveness that Christ freely offers. But don’t delay. Don’t presume that tomorrow is guaranteed or that God’s patience is limitless.
As the prophet Isaiah recorded, “All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people.” God’s arms remain open, but the question is whether we will continue to resist or finally surrender.
Remember Your First Love
When we first encountered Christ, many of us experienced a transformative zeal. Life looked different. Priorities shifted. There was an excitement and passion that seemed unquenchable. While that initial fervor may mature into something deeper and more tested over time—like the difference between new romance and a marriage built on twenty years of covenant faithfulness—there’s value in remembering those early days.
The early believers endured persecution, imprisonment, and the plundering of their possessions. Yet they did so joyfully because they knew they had “a better possession and an abiding one.” They maintained a heavenly perspective, recognizing that this world is not our final home.
When we face trials today, we can draw strength from remembering God’s faithfulness—both in our own journey and in the testimonies of believers who have gone before us. Every hardship we endure while trusting Jesus proves our faith genuine and deepens our confidence in His sustaining power.
The Refining Fire of Suffering
Why does God allow His children to suffer? Scripture teaches that trials test and prove the genuineness of our faith. James tells us to “count it all joy” when we face trials because they produce steadfastness. Peter explains that our faith is tested so its genuineness—”more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire”—may result in praise and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Suffering stretches us. It exposes what we truly believe and where we’ve placed our trust. In our honest moments, we can acknowledge to God that we don’t enjoy being tested, that discomfort and pain are difficult. But through it all, we can also look back and see His faithfulness, the ways He has sustained us, the strength He has provided.
The same power that raised Jesus from the dead now resides in every believer. That resurrection power enables us to endure what seems impossible, to find joy in suffering, to maintain peace amid injustice, and to resist temptation when we feel weakest.
Living by Faith
Three times in the New Testament, we encounter the declaration that “the righteous shall live by faith.” Each context emphasizes a different aspect of this truth. In Romans, the focus is on how faith makes us righteous. In Galatians, it’s that the righteous are freed to live by faith rather than law. In Hebrews, the emphasis falls on how the righteous conduct themselves—they live by faith.
We don’t shrink back when trials come. We don’t turn tail and run when persecution arises. We don’t abandon ship when the storms rage. Instead, we press forward, confident that the One who began a good work in us will bring it to completion.
Keep Going
The call to endurance isn’t a call to white-knuckle determination or self-generated strength. It’s an invitation to rely completely on Jesus, to trust His power working within us, to maintain a heavenly perspective that sees beyond present suffering to future glory.
We preserve our souls not by our own effort but by faith in the faithful One. We endure not because we’re strong but because He is. We don’t give up because we know that every day we trust Jesus through hardship is another confirmation of genuine faith, another step toward hearing, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
So whatever you’re facing today—whether persecution for your faith, the weight of ongoing trials, the exhaustion of a long journey, or the temptation to turn back to old comforts—remember this simple truth: don’t give up. Keep going. Not in your own strength, but in confident faith in the God who never fails.
This content was created with AI assistance based on a recent sermon preached at Cross+Crown and reviewed by church staff. You can access the sermon here.