Throughout history, people of God, to various degrees, have faced those who have wished and worked for their eradication. Yet, after two thousand years of new covenant church history, the church remains—because Jesus Christ remains! The Lord has preserved his people and continues to build his church, just as he said he would (Matthew 16:18). This is a major lesson and encouragement in the text before us. Despite appearances, God was at work among his people to accomplish what he had promised.