Remaining Steadfast
I doubt it’s possible for anyone to be very involved in marriage restoration ministry without a great burden and desire to understand what makes the difference between those who experience the fulfillment of their dreams and those who end up quitting and giving up on their marriages…AND God. A thought that kept coming to my mind when thinking about that was “being steadfast.” So I did a Bible study on being steadfast today and found a very important passage of Scripture that seems to offer an answer and explanation for why some remain steadfast and others don’t in 2 Peter 3:14-18 (NKJV), which says Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. So unless we CONTINUE to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, we are ALL capable of being led away by the error of the wicked and right into the destruction caused by twisting and misunderstanding God’s Word! So we need to make sure that we’re found to be living in peace, without spot and blameless, which we can do by diligently studying the Scriptures to insure that we’re living in accordance with what the Bible teaches. The following verses give us an even greater understanding of the blessings and importance of remaining steadfast as we stand for the restoration of our marriages:
2 Chronicles 27:6
Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the LORD his God.
Psalm 112:7
He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.
1 Peter 5:10
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Psalm 108:1
My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.
Psalm 11:7-8
The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness.
Needless to say, there’s an awful lot of wise counsel and incredible assurance in the above verses, so we need to meditate on them often, especially when we’re struggling with remaining consistent and steadfast.