In yesterday’s reading from the One Year Bible, Jesus says, “But the one who endures to the end shall be saved; and this good message of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:13-14). The gospels report the history of Jesus enduring to the end and rising from the dead to live and reign forever.
How do I know that I will endure to the end? God’s Word, ways, and sacraments give a powerful and objective answer to that question. God’s Word and Spirit regenerate our souls so that just as the Word of the Lord cannot be broken but endures forever, so will we. Our baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and absolution are ever ready to confirm God’s enduring work in us.