Acts 14:22
Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Paul's exhortation to all he preached to was to continue in the faith. Paul understood that these believers would face many circumstances that would cause them to want to quit the faith, so he challenged them to continue in the faith. The word continue means to carry on, remain, keep going, proceed with, and keep at it. In other words, Paul was saying whatever you do, stay in the faith.
Many things in life will try to stop you from the faith, but you must determine to always continue in the faith. To continue in the faith means you never stop what you are doing in the faith; the only thing that makes you stop is death. There are five times that many quit on the faith that you must determine to continue in it.
First, continue in the faith in times of blessings. Many believers have strayed from doing right when God’s blessings came. Just because God blesses you does not mean you should stop doing what brought those blessings. The best way to keep God’s blessings coming is to continue doing what brought them. Many have gotten so focused on the blessing that they stopped continuing in the faith that brought the blessings. If continuing in the faith brought God’s blessings on your life or ministry, then continuing in the faith will keep God’s blessings coming.
Second, continue in the faith in times of famine. There will be times in your Christian walk when everything seems to dry up, but you must determine to continue in the faith. Continue in the faith when God’s Word seems to be just words, your prayers seem to be hitting the ceiling, and your soul winning seems fruitless. The famine is not a time to quit the faith, but it is time to prove that the faith is right, even if you don't see any benefits from it.
Third, continue in the faith in times of trial. Many have quit the faith when trials came their way. It does not mean that the faith is wrong just because your life seems to be falling apart as you serve God. Every day cannot be a mountaintop day, but the faith is right in the valleys just like the faith was right on the mountaintop. The faith doesn't stop being right because your life is experiencing trials. Job determined not to quit despite the trials he faced because he understood that the faith is always right even when your life doesn't seem to benefit from it.
Fourth, continue in the faith in times of persecution. The faith is still right when you lose your job because you won't do things against the faith that your job requires you to do. The faith is right when people falsely accuse you and attack you for standing for the faith. It does not mean that your faith is wrong just because others criticize and attack your faith. My friend, the faith is right when people applaud you, and it is right when they criticize you.
Fifth, continue in the faith in times of falling away. When others around you compromise and quit, the faith is still right. Just because those close to you quit the faith does not mean the faith was wrong. You should continue in the faith despite losing all your friends to compromise. You reveal how valuable the faith is to you when all your friends leave you standing alone as you stand for the faith.
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