4. Practice Perseverance
Peter then warns us to add perseverance to our goals. This word, also translated “patience” in the King James Version, comes from the Greek word hupomone. It means, “steadfastness, constancy, endurance in the NT the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings patiently, and steadfastly a patient, steadfast waiting for a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance.”
I’m reminded of Jesus words in Matthew 24, where He’s talking about the signs of the times an the end of the age. He warns not to let anyone deceive us and prophesies that many will come in His name to deceive many, that there will be wars and rumors of wars, that nation would rise against nation and there would be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places. He said false prophets would rise up and deceive many, lawlessness would abound and the love of many would grow cold. Then He said, “He who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matt. 24:12).
