B-Side - Mark 13:11-13
The verses of Mark 1:1-31 are not written or taught sequentially; they form a chiasm, an A-B-C-B'-A'-style structure... (though here it's an ABCDEFE'D'C'B'A'!) In the Olivet Discourse, v1-9 establish themes. v10 is the center of the chiasm (so it's the central thought), and in v11-31 Jesus works back through the themes of v1-9, and he expands upon them.
v11... The government can be weaponized against the Church. This is Satan's plan.
It's a good idea for the Church to work toward two ends: making our government Christian, and making our government small. Revelation shows us the evils of an overgrown Antichrist government. The bigger the government becomes, the greater persecution we can expect.
The Holy Spirit can speak through you in times of trial! A special provision for those brought to trial for their faith.
v12... The persecution will divide families, brother delivering his brother to death, father delivering child... but endure to the end and you will be saved! Luke 21: by your endurance, you will gain your lives.
John 8:31: Abide in my Word and you're truly mine. We must endure to the end!
1 John 2:18ff: if people had truly been Christians, they wouldn't have left. We must endure to the end!
The term "backslidden Christian"... sometimes the backslidden never slide back. Just because we once had an emotional experience of Jesus doesn't mean we're saved. If we "give our life to the Lord" and then live like a child of hell, we are not saved. We must endure to the end! We must walk with Jesus, abide in Him!
God's mercy is deep, and Heaven will be filled with people who lived messy lives. But the simple existence of a prior experience with God is not a basis for confidence in salvation!
Someone who's walked away from the Lord doesn't need to hear that they're just "backslidden"... they need to hear that they're in danger of missing Heaven! They need to come to Christ and abide in him! Live as a believer, forsaking not the assembly, getting baptized, obeying His commands and living to please Him.
2 Peter 2:20ff: it would be better to have never known Jesus, than to have turned away after knowing Him! Much is required from him to whom much has been given. We must endure to the end! And to those in our lives who have walked away, we need to come to them and warn them that Heaven is for those following Jesus, and they're not following Him!
The one who endures to the end will be saved!