It Really Is That Simple!

"So what is Jesus saying [in Matthew 10:22 and Mark 13:13]? He is saying that perseverance to the end is God's means by which anyone will be saved. At the same time his words assure all who persevere and remind us that there is no other way to face persecution, even unto death, if we want to be saved in the final day. It is really that simple! But you ask, 'What if I should fail to persevere to the end?' The answer from the context is simply that you will not be saved, if you fail to persevere to the end. Again you may ask, 'So, are you telling me that Jesus' words mean that is is possible for me to lose my salvation?' No, that is an unwarranted conclusion to draw either from the text or from our explanation of the text. Jesus' words say nothing about the possibility of losing one's salvation; that is not the function of his conditional promise. Rather, his words function to assure you that you will be saved, if you persevere. You must persevere if you want to be saved. You ask once more, 'So are you saying that if I do not persevere to the end, that will prove that I was never truly saved in the beginning?' Though the theological answer is 'Yes,' it inverts Jesus' words. Here, Jesus does not give us a test of perseverance by which we may know whether or not we are saved. Notice his orientation. He is prospective, not retrospective." (Schreiner and Caneday, TRSBU, p. 152)