Category: Hebrews

Equipped

I love how the writer of Hebrews closes his letter.

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)

So often in our Christian lives, we forget the grace of God and think we have to live this life in our own strength.

We think that when trials come, we must endure in our own strength. That we must hold on to faith through our own mental toughness and willpower. That we must achieve holiness through our own efforts and those efforts alone.

But here, the writer of Hebrews brings us back to basics: that it is God who gives us the grace to do all these things.

Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins and make us right before God. And now, that same power God used to raise Jesus from the dead is at work in us.

It is God himself who equips us with everything good in order to do his will. And day by day, he works in us what is pleasing to him.

We’re not on our own. We were saved by God’s grace. And we live each day by his grace.

How are you living your life?

Are you living each day tired because you are relying on your own strength and wisdom to achieve the things you think God wants you to do?

Are you discouraged because you just don’t seem to have the willpower to change yourself with all your sins and faults?

Remember that you were saved by God’s grace. And that grace is not simply for your salvation, but to transform you into the person God has created you to be.

You are not on your own. So don’t try to live that way.

Instead live each and every day resting in his grace.

Grace be with you all. (Hebrews 13:25)

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, equipped, grace, salvation

Hebrews

Following and praying for your leaders

Post author By Bruce
Post date January 22, 2016
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I have great respect for the pastors who have been over me.

I’ve been teaching God’s word for a long time, but have never sensed the call to be a pastor.

If all being a pastor meant was teaching God’s word, I could probably do that. But a pastor is called to do much more in shepherding the flock God has given them.

We forget that sometimes. And not only do they have the responsibility of shepherding the church, they have the everyday responsibility of shepherding their families as well.

These are heavy responsibilities. And most take them seriously because they know that one day they will answer to God for what they have done.

More, they know that because of the specific responsibilities they have over God’s flock, they are held to higher account than most people.

And so the writer of Hebrews tells us,

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account.

Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage of you. (Hebrews 13:17)

Like I said, being a pastor is tough as it is. It becomes even tougher when his own flock starts sniping at him. Criticizing him. Tearing him apart for every mistake that he makes. Questioning every decision he makes in leading the church.

The writer of Hebrews tells us, “Don’t do that. Follow them. Submit to their authority.”

Why? Because God is the one that gave them that authority. And ultimately, he is the one they are accountable to. He is the one who will judge them if they go off the right path, not you.

When we are constantly criticizing and tearing down our pastors, their job becomes a burden instead of the joy God intends it to be.

That’s not only bad for them. It’s also bad for us. Instead of being able to focus on all the things God has called them to do, they are forced to put out all the fires in the church.

And all the while Satan laughs.

So don’t be a part of that.

Is there no room, then, for criticism of a pastor? Certainly, there is.

If they’re getting into false teaching, they must be confronted.

If they’re neck deep in sin and immorality and will not repent, they must be confronted. And Paul deals with such situations in 1 Timothy 5.

But if you’re simply dealing with differences of opinion, in the direction of the church, in how things are run, etc., follow the leader God has given you. It’s entirely possible that they see things that you cannot.

And if your pastor does make a mistake in these things (and they inevitably will)? Don’t snipe. Don’t criticize. Build them up. Encourage them. And above all, pray.

The writer of Hebrews said,

Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. (18)

Most pastors are the same. Even though they feel like they have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way, they still fall. They still make mistakes. So pray for them.

What is your attitude toward your pastor?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, obey, pastors, pray, sniping

Hebrews

Serving the one who never changes

Post author By Bruce
Post date January 21, 2016
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Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

This is a famous verse, and one of my favorites.

It reminds me that my Lord is unchanging. And that is comforting in a world where people change all the time, and not always for the better.

In Jesus, we have someone we can always rely on, someone whose word we can trust, and someone who will always be faithful to us.

That’s why the writer of Hebrews tells us,

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. (7)

For the Jesus that transformed them, and who worked in them and through them is the same Jesus that transforms us, working in us and through us.

So as we look at our leader’s faith and all that God did in their lives, we can be encouraged that if we walk in faith, we too will see God’s work and faithfulness in our lives.

And it’s why the writer of Hebrews tells us also,

Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so. (9)

In other words, Jesus brought us the message of grace. And because he is unchanging, his message will not change. He will not all of a sudden say, “Hey, you need to eat and avoid certain kinds of food to be right with my Father.”

So we should run from anyone that would bring us teaching that would take us away from the grace of God.

We no longer live by law, but by the grace of God.

Our goal is no longer to please God to earn our salvation. Rather, because we have already received our salvation through Christ, we seek to please him out of gratitude and our love for him.

The writer of Hebrews then tells us the great privilege we have in Christ. He says,

We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. (10)

What is he talking about? He’s talking about the priests and the sacrifices of atonement they offered for sin.

The priests were allowed to eat from some of the sacrifices, but they could not eat from the sacrifices made on the Day of Atonement.

Instead, the sacrificed animals were completely burned outside of the camp where the Israelites pitched their tents (11).

But at the altar of the cross, we “eat” of the one who is the Bread of Life.

That is, in coming to Jesus and putting our trust in his work on the cross, we now have eternal life.

So the writer of Hebrews tells us, “We have a right that even the priests of the Old Testament didn’t have. They could not take part of the sacrifices of atonement. In Christ, we can.”

And then the writer of Hebrews goes back to the theme of the unchanging Christ.

And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. (12)

That is, this Jesus in the past offered his life completely to atone for our sins outside of Jerusalem.

Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. (13)

In other words, let us now go to that same Jesus who is waiting for us outside the camp, that is this world.

Put another way, let us leave behind all the sin and pleasures of this world, being willing to suffer for doing so, just as Jesus suffered for us.

For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. (14)

This world is not our true home. Our true home is in heaven, where this same Jesus reigns forever and ever.

And so the writer of Hebrews concludes,

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (15-16)

Each day then, through our words and our deeds, let us glorify this Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, grace, Jesus, leaders

Hebrews

What we love, what we put our trust in

Post author By Bruce
Post date January 20, 2016
No Comments on What we love, what we put our trust in

I’ve gotta admit, having money makes life easier.

It makes it easier to deal with serious health problems, as we can afford more expensive types of treatments. It allows us to have better cars or homes when our old ones are breaking down.

And of course, it not only makes life easier, it can make life more comfortable and enjoyable as well.

But I suppose the question we need to ask ourselves is, “What do we love?”

And just as importantly, “What do we put our trust in?”

Those are the questions, the writer of Hebrews poses to us. He says,

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

What do we love? Money, and the things that money can buy?

These things pass away. They can buy happiness for a short time, but eventually we tire of them, or they grow old and break, and discontent stirs in our hearts again.

There are many people in this world who go through that endless cycle of discontent, never finding true happiness.

On the contrary, many people actually wreck their lives out of their love for money and things.

They go bankrupt, they destroy their marriages and families, they wreck their health, all for the love of money and pleasure.

And so God says, “Keep your life from the love of money and be content with what you have. Stop pursuing these things.

“You will never find contentment from these things. You can only find contentment in a relationship with me. I will never leave you nor forsake you. All that you need to make you happy and content you can find in me.”

Who or what do we trust to solve our problems?

Again, it is so easy to put our trust in money. Money can solve a lot of our problems. But it can’t solve all of them. And in some cases, it can actually make things worse.

But when we turn to God, we find the one who can uphold us in all circumstances. More, he will not abandon us in the hard times.

And because of that, we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.”

How about you? Who or what do you love? And who or what do you put your trust in?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, Contentment, love, money, trust

Hebrews

Honoring our marriages

When you look at the spiritual and moral landscape of the United States, Japan, and many other countries, it’s amazing to see how the concept of marriage has deteriorated.

You don’t even need to dip into the idea of gay marriage to see this; just look at heterosexual ones. How far have we departed from God’s intention for marriage?

Marriages where two people truly become one, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Marriages where they remain one for life. Marriages where they are so united, that it would be unthinkable to cheat on their partner.

What do we have instead? Cold marriages. Abusive marriages, both physically and verbally. Affairs. Selfishness, divisiveness, and ultimately divorce.

Why? We don’t honor marriage. We definitely don’t honor the marriage bed anymore. Is it no wonder that our marriages are in the state they are in?

And so the writer of Hebrews admonishes us,

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. (Matthew 13:4)

Think about this. When you don’t honor marriage, and when you don’t keep the marriage bed pure, God doesn’t just turn a blind eye to it. He judges it.

If you stray from your marriage and go the arms of another man or woman, he will judge you for it.

When you despise the marriage bed and you sleep with someone before you are married, God judges you for it.

Why? Because you are meant for one person. You are meant to join yourself as one to only one person, not two or three or more.

So when you sleep with people before you get married or you cheat on your spouse, you despise the marriage bed and what it represents, the joining of two people as one in a permanent bond.

But you also despise the marriage bed if you are cold to your partner. If you withdraw physically and/or emotionally from them. If you’re selfish, only looking out for your own needs, and not caring a whit for your partner’s needs. If you’re abusive toward your partner.

When you act these ways, it’s totally contrary to what the marriage bed represents.

Do you honor marriage?

Do you honor your own marriage, seeking to bring true oneness to it?

Do you honor others’ marriages, refusing to engage in adulterous activity that would break that marriage up? Do you instead do everything you can to encourage that couple draw closer to each other as one?

If you’re single, do you honor your future marriage, keeping yourself sexually pure for the one you will marry?

If you don’t, God will judge you. It is no light matter to him. He will judge you.

What does God see when he sees your attitude toward marriage?

Tags adultery, Bible Original, Bible verse, honoring marriage, marriage, marriage bed

Hebrews

Remembering the imprisoned

Post author By Bruce
Post date January 18, 2016
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I considered just finishing up Hebrews today, but I did want to look at some tidbits in this final chapter a little more closely.

Here in verse 3, as a part of showing brotherly kindness, the writer of Hebrews says,

Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. (Hebrews 13:3)

I think it’s pretty clear from the context that he’s saying to his readers not to forget their fellow Christians who were imprisoned or suffering for their faith.

Paul certainly suffered that kind of abandonment as we saw in 2 Timothy.

Perhaps there was fear of being associated with those in prison for their faith. Perhaps there was a feeling of helplessness at the situation and wanting to distance themselves emotionally as a result.

But the writer of Hebrews tells them, keep showing love. Don’t abandon them, in your heart or your actions.

That’s the context. But as I read this passage, God spoke to me in another way.

There are many people around us who are imprisoned in other ways. They’re in an emotional prison. Or they’re imprisoned by illness or circumstances.

And it can be so easy to distance ourselves from such people, in part because we feel helpless, in part because it’s emotionally hard on us to deal with them.

But God says, “Remember them too. Don’t distance yourself from them emotionally. Visit them in the prison they are in, and do what you can to help.

At the very least, be there for them and show them you care, even if you don’t know what to say.”

And then there are others in spiritual prison. Satan has locked them up, captives to their own sin.

And God tells us, “You were there once too. You remember what that was like. Satan once made your life miserable too. So remember them. Reach out to them with my love that they may be set free.”

How about you? Do you remember those who are imprisoned around you? Do you show them the compassion of Christ?

Or do you just kind of distance yourself from them?

Remember the words of Jesus.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (Matthew 5:7)

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse

Hebrews

Because we have this inheritance

Post author By Bruce
Post date January 17, 2016
No Comments on Because we have this inheritance

We’ve talked the last couple of days about the inheritance God offers us in Christ and the dangers of refusing this inheritance.

But if as Christians we have now received this inheritance, how then shall we live? The writer of Hebrews tells us,

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. (Hebrews 12:28)

What does that mean practically? Basically chapter 13 tells us what true worship is. And it’s not just singing songs.

It’s loving those around you, especially your brothers and sisters in Christ. (Hebrews 13:1)

It’s showing hospitality, even to those you don’t know. (13:2)

It’s showing mercy to those around you. (13:3)

It’s honoring your wife and husband and keeping your marriage bed pure. (13:4)

It’s loving and trusting God more than money. (13:5-6)

It’s following the example of the spiritual leaders God has put in your lives. (13:7)

It’s living a life based on the grace of God, not on legalistic rituals and rules. (13:9-10)

It’s being willing to suffer for Christ, and holding to the eternal, not the temporal. (13:11-14)

It’s worshiping God with a sacrifice of praise. (13:15)

It’s doing good and being generous with those around you. (13:16)

It’s being subject to the leaders in your church, building them up and not tearing them down, bringing strife and division into the church. (13:17)

It’s praying for those around you, especially those involved with ministry. (13:18)

How about you?

Have you received the inheritance of the children of God? And out of the thankfulness of your heart, are you offering daily sacrifices of worship to God?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, inheritance, worship

Hebrews

If we turn our backs on God

Post author By Bruce
Post date January 16, 2016
No Comments on If we turn our backs on God

There are two sides to every coin.

And we see that in this passage. On one hand, there is the inheritance that God offers to us if we will become his children and heirs.

On the other hand, there’s judgment if we refuse.

Considering the awesomeness of the inheritance that could be ours, and the great love Christ showed by paying the price for it on the cross, how can we refuse?

Yet many do. They trade the temporal for the eternal. And instead of living for God, they live for themselves.

This despite the fact that in doing so, they end up hurting God, others, and even themselves. And because of this, when they die, they will be judged.

As long as we have breath, we have the chance to turn and repent.

But once we die, there is no turning back, no repentance, and no chance of blessing. As with Esau, many will seek God’s blessing with tears, but will not be able to gain it.

As the writer of Hebrews said earlier,

Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment. (Hebrews 9:27)

And so now he warns,

See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks.

If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven…for our “God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:25, 29)

Often times, the picture of God as a consuming fire is a picture of his holiness and judgment.

You see it on Mount Sinai when he gave his law to Moses. You see it when he judged Aaron’s sons and the enemies of Israel. And you see it here.

If you refuse him and his offer of life, only judgment remains.

Nobody likes to hear that. They like to hear only of God’s love.

But God must judge rebellion and sin. Either you let Jesus pay the price for you, or you pay it yourself. There are no other options.

What will you choose?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, inheritance, judgment, love

Hebrews

The inheritance we have

We saw yesterday that the writer of Hebrews warned us not to be like Esau who tossed aside his inheritance because of his ungodliness and was unable to regain it though he begged for his father’s blessing with tears.

And we said that many people are like that today. God has offered them the right to become his children and heirs, but because of their love for sin and the things of this world, they reject the inheritance that could be theirs.

Why is that so bad? Because of just how awesome and precious that inheritance is, and the price that was paid so that we might take hold of it.

It’s hard to see the connection between verses 17-18 in the NIV, but there is one. Just add the word “for” at the start of verse 18. (It’s there in the Greek. For some reason, the NIV omits it).

The writer of Hebrews says,

[For] You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”

The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” (Hebrews 12:18-21)

When God revealed himself to the Israelites on Sinai and gave them the first covenant that included the promise of an earthly inheritance, it was an awesome thing. There was a fire, darkness, gloom and storm, and a fearful voice.

And the people were commanded, “Don’t approach the mountain. If even an animal touches it, it must be killed.”

Even Moses was frightened to approach God on this holy mountain.

But all that said, it was a physical mountain. It was of this world. And the inheritance they received based on this covenant was only a temporal one.

Now though, we approach a completely different mountain, with a new covenant, and an eternal inheritance. The writer of Hebrews tells us,

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God.

You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.

You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. (22-24)

Note the differences here. We’re not going to an earthly mountain to approach God, but a heavenly one.

And we don’t come before God cowering with fear, but with rejoicing. Why?

Because while we come to a God who will judge all people, Jesus is our mediator, and he put the new covenant into effect with his own blood.

And while the blood of Abel cried out for justice and vengeance, the blood of Jesus rings out with a cry of forgiveness and mercy.

So we won’t be standing before God trembling in fear. Rather we will stand in wonder at his grace.

More, although this earth will one day be shaken and all old things removed, we will receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken and will stand forever. (28)

All this awaits us.

How then, can we be like Esau, and reject such an awesome inheritance paid for at such a great cost?

How about you? God offers you life. Will you accept it?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, Esau, heaven, inheritance, Sinai, unshakable kingdom

Hebrews

Holiness

“Sure, I’m a Christian. I believe the Bible. I believe in Jesus.”

Many people in the church say this, and yet their lives don’t show it. They’re still living the way they always have, and there is no change or growth in their lives.

When pressed on this point, many say, “This is just the way I am. I’ll never change.”

Or, “You’re being too judgmental.”

Or, “Yes, but there are reasons for my actions. Surely God understands.”

Or, “I don’t believe that this part of the Bible is for today. It doesn’t apply to me.”

Or worse, “It doesn’t matter how I live. God’ll forgive me. So I’ll just sin, and ask for forgiveness later.”

But if there is no real change or growth in your life, and these are your attitudes, then it may be time to seriously question your Christianity.

Throughout church history, there have always been tares among the wheat. People who proclaim to be Christians, who even make confessions of faith and are baptized, but were never truly saved.

And that’s why I think the writer of Hebrews says what he does in this passage. He said,

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. (Hebrews 12:14-15)

“Without holiness, no one will see the Lord.”

Do you believe that? You cannot live a willfully unholy life and still claim to be a Christian.

There is a vast difference between a person who truly mourns for their sin, yearns for holiness, and grows in holiness as time goes on, and the person who simply doesn’t care.

The grace of God is for the former. There is no grace left for the latter.

How can you claim the grace of God when all the while you’re spitting on the work Jesus did on the cross by indulging in sin?

And how can you claim to love God when you don’t care that you’re doing things that hurt him?

There were people like that in the time of Moses. Moses, in fact, warned about people like that, calling them “bitter roots,” and the writer of Hebrews alludes to this.

Moses said,

Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison.

When such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself and therefore thinks, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way.”

This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry.

The LORD will never be willing to forgive him; his wrath and zeal will burn against that man. All the curses written in this book will fall upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven.

The LORD will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law. (Deuteronomy 29:18-21)

In short, there were people among the Israelites who thought that because God had made a covenant with the nation, that Israel would be his people and he their God, that they were now safe.

They thought that because they were part of the Israelite community, God would bless them even if they went their own way.

And Moses said, “No. Though they are part of this community, they are not safe. And God will judge them.”

More, he warned, “Expel such a person. His attitude will spread like bitter poison to those around.”

In the same way, many people go to church thinking, “Hey, I’m part of this church community. So God will bless me even if I go my own way the rest of the week.”

And the writer of Hebrews warns them, “That’s not how it works. God will judge you.”

Then he adds, “Don’t be like Esau who threw away his inheritance by seeking temporal pleasures. Though he later sought the blessing with tears, he was unable to get it.” (16-17)

So it is with us.

Many people will stand before God someday and seek the inheritance of the saints, but be unable to get it, though they shed many tears, because while they were here on earth, they spit on Jesus and his work on the cross by living selfish, ungodly, and unholy lives.

So take a good look at yourself. Do your attitudes show a love for God and a desire to be holy as he is holy? Or do you really not care?

If it’s the latter, you’re deceiving yourself if you think God will accept you, and you will end up missing the grace of God on the day of judgment.

Where is your heart?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, bitter root, Esau, holiness

Hebrews

When we face trials

No one likes to face trials in life. But God does allow them. Why? The writer of Hebrews tells us in verse 10.

God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. (Hebrews 12:10)

We are broken people in a broken world. But God’s goal is to heal us and make us into the whole people he created us to be.

He desires to purge all the filth from our lives and make us holy as he is holy. To make us perfect reflections of him.

And he does so by fire. Our character is revealed by fire. What we really are is revealed, not during the good times, but during the bad.

If our character is good, trials will reveal it, just as they did with Job. If our character is not, that will be revealed too as it was with King Saul.

But in facing ourselves for who we really are, we are then confronted us with a choice. To stay the way we are, unholy and sinful. Or to turn to God and cry out, “God I’m a wretch. Save me. Change me.”

And when we do, we will see not only God’s amazing grace, but God’s amazing transforming power.

As we listen to him and by faith obey him, doing the things he tells us to do, we’ll see him shape our character into his likeness.

Is it a pleasant process? Generally not. The writer of Hebrews tells us,

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (11)

The question is again, though, what will we do when we are in the fire?

What should we do?

First look to Jesus.

Look to him in faith knowing that he started the process of salvation in your life, and he will finish it.

He hasn’t merely said, “Well, I’ve given you all the tools to change. You’re on your own now.”

Rather he says, “Let me show you how to use those tools.”

And step by step he works with us. And he will not leave our side until the job is complete.

Look to Jesus knowing that he endured hardship too. He endured the cross itself. He knows how hard life can be. But his trust in the Father was rewarded, and he is now sitting at the Father’s side.

Our trust too will be rewarded, and we will be seated with him in glory someday if we persevere.

Second, remember that all that you’re suffering through is not because God hates you or is because he is sadistic, wanting you to suffer. Rather, he disciplines you because he loves you. He wants the very best for you.

Our earthly fathers may or may not have shown the loving discipline they should have. Their motives or methods may have been wrong at times. But God’s motives and methods are always pure and loving.

Therefore.

Strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. (12)

Or, as my sister likes to say, “Buck up, baby.”

And,

Make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. (verse 13 from the ESV)

In other words, do what is right. Follow the path God has shown you.

You’re already lame. You’re already hurting. And if you keep following the path you’re on, your bones will go out of joint.

But if you follow the path God is showing you, you will find healing. It may be hard. It may be unpleasant. But you will find healing.

What will you do?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, discipline, fathers, holiness, trials

Hebrews

We also

Post author By Bruce
Post date January 12, 2016
No Comments on We also

Running has never been my thing. I recently have picked it up again though my runs tend to be very short, no where near a 10k, no less a marathon.

But as Christians, we are called to join the great race, the race of God’s kingdom.

To some degree, we are already in God’s kingdom. Jesus said the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21).

And each day we are to live as subjects of that kingdom. We are to live for the purposes of that kingdom, and the King who reigns it.

But the day will come when we see the kingdom in all its fullness. And as Christians, that is what we all long for.

It is what the great men and women of faith lived for. And it is what the writer of Hebrews charged his listeners to live for.

His listeners were going through a tough time and were suffering because of their faith. Others were struggling with sin in their lives. And still others were weighed down by their love for the world, by doubts, or other things.

And so the writer of Hebrews tells them,

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1)

For some reason, the NIV and some other translations omit a word in their translation here. It’s a simple word: “also.”

The ESV reads this way,

“let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

Maybe the translators for the NIV just felt it wasn’t so important to translate. I don’t know.

But when I read that “also,” it makes me think that these men and women of faith that the writer mentions in chapter 11 were just like me.

They also had to lay aside sin in their life, sin in which they struggled to get untangled from. They also had to lay aside the weights of doubt and the things of this world. And because they did so, God commended them for it.

And now, we too are called to follow their example and lay aside the sin and other things that would weigh us down as we run this race we’re in.

At the same time we lay these things behind, however, we are to look ahead. To what?

To Jesus. He was the author or pioneer of our faith. He blazed a trail for us to reach the Father. Through the cross, our sins can now be forgiven and we can have peace with God.

And he is also the perfecter of our faith. Though we are now imperfect, though we struggle with sin and doubt in our lives, he will not stop working in us until we are complete.

And so through every trial, through every struggle, we are to keep our eyes on him.

When we look at what’s around us, it is easy to get discouraged by what we see. By the evil we see. By our sin.

But take your eyes off of these things. Fix them on Jesus.

Then run, shedding the things that are keeping you from doing so, and especially the sin that would cause you to fall.

And Jesus will lead you home.

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, faith, Jesus, pioneer, race

Hebrews

What a life of faith does not mean

Post author By Bruce
Post date January 11, 2016
1 Comment on What a life of faith does not mean

There are a number of people who seem to think that if you have enough faith, your life should be all smooth sailing. No health problems, no financial problems, just a happy-go-lucky life.

They apparently have never read this chapter.

Certainly, many of these men and women of faith had their shares of victory.

But others were tortured, mocked, flogged, put in chains and imprisoned, stoned, sawn in two, went about clothed in sheepskin and goatskin, destitute, afflicted, mistreated, wandering about in deserts, mountains, dens, and caves.

And none of them…I repeat…none of them received their full reward while here on earth.

Were these excoriated for their lack of faith? They would be by a lot of these “faith-teachers” today.

“Why were you destitute? Why were you living out in the desert? God intends for you to be wealthy and prosperous. Clearly you didn’t have enough faith.”

“You were imprisoned and put to death for your faith? Surely if you had had enough faith God would have delivered you.”

“You didn’t receive all the promises of God here on earth? Clearly you didn’t have enough faith or God would have HAD to give it to you.”

But is this what the writer of Hebrews says of them? No.

He says,

These were all commended for their faith. (Hebrews 11:39)

And rather than saying they were not worthy of the good things of life because of their lack of faith, he says,

the world was not worthy of them. (Hebrews 11:38)

In short, God never promises that if we have enough faith, we’ll just sail through life. All of chapter 12 as we’ll see says just the opposite.

Life can be hard. We may suffer despite our faith.

But what a life of faith means is that though this life may be hard, we see beyond those hardships to the reward that awaits us. The writer of Hebrews tells us,

God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:40)

Through Christ, all the saints of old along with us will be made perfect, free from sin forever. And at that time, when all things are made new, all sorrow and suffering will be a thing of the past.

That’s what faith ultimately looks to. Not to the joys we experience on this earth (although God in his grace does give us that too). But to the joys of life with him in eternity.

How about you? Are you expecting that your faith will lead to an easy life here on earth?

God never promises that. But what he does promise is that if you keep your eyes on the promise of eternity, you will ultimately not be disappointed.

To what are you looking to?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, faith, hardship

Hebrews

Faith and grace

I have to admit that I have trouble understanding why people like Gideon and Samson are mentioned in the “Hall of Faith” despite their failures.

It’s amazing to me that their failures are not even mentioned in this chapter.

But perhaps we see in this list the grace of God. That though we are flawed, though we sometimes stumble in our faith, through Christ, God does not see our flaws. Rather he only sees us as people clothed with the righteousness of Christ.

And that should be a comfort to us.

So often, we beat ourselves up for our failures, for the times that we failed to trust God and made a mess of things.

But while it is important to repent in those times, we should not let these failures discourage us or make us think we’re now worthless in God’s sight.

Remember instead that when God sees you, he sees his Son who died for you. And though you may have failed time and again, he holds no record against you. Your record has been wiped clean.

He will not accuse you on the day of judgment. Rather, he will welcome you with arms open wide. Not because you are perfect. But because you have put our faith in the One who is, and who died for us and rose again.

So as much as you may fall, you too may someday find yourself in that “Hall of Faith.”

And as with all the Baraks, Jephthahs, Gideons, and Samsons, God is not going to be pointing out all your failures, but all your successes.

So as Paul said,

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, faith, grace

Hebrews

When we trust God

Have you ever noticed the people that the writer of Hebrews mentions as “paragons” of faith in verse 32? Most of them were hardly paragons.

Samuel, though he was a great judge and prophet, failed greatly when it came to raising his sons.

And while David was the greatest king in Israel’s history, he stumbled badly twice, once in his sin with Bathsheba, and once in counting his fighting men out of his pride.

Yet at least for the most part, these were good and faithful men.

The rest?

Most people when they think about Gideon only think about his triumph over the Midianites. But after that, his actions were hardly stellar.

He took vengeance on two cities that refused to help him in his fight against the Midianites.

Then, although he refused kingship, he nevertheless started to act like one taking multiple wives, and even naming his son Abimelech which means, “My father is king.”

More, he made a golden ephod which was usually a garment that priests used for consulting God. So it almost looks like he was trying to take on that duty as well.

Worse, the people started to worship that ephod and it became a snare to him and his family.

Barak? He refused to go to war against Israel’s oppressors unless Deborah the prophetess went with him.

Samson? Sure he brought a measure of deliverance to the Israelites from the Philistines. But he broke all his Nazirite vows in the process, drinking wine, touching dead carcasses, and allowing his hair to be cut.

More, he was sexually immoral and vindictive. The fact that he delivered the Israelites seemed more incidental than intentional on his part.

Jephthah? By a foolish vow he made, he either unintentionally was forced to put his daughter into the service of the Lord, never to marry or have children, or he actually sacrificed his daughter on an altar, completely contrary to the commands of God.

Why in the world, are these latter 4 mentioned as paragons of faith?

Maybe for the simple reason that they are not paragons.

They were ordinary sinners just like us. They did many awful things. But when they actually did put their trust in God, they did awesome things.

What can we learn from them? God can use you to do great things if you’ll just trust in him day to day.

But when you fail to do so, you are also capable of doing horrific things.

How people will look at you at the end of your life will greatly depend on how you live.

Will you consistently, day in and day out, put your trust in God? Then people will look at you as they do with Daniel and his friends. As men that shut the mouths of lions and quenched the fury of the flames.

But if you are one day trusting him, and one day living for yourself, you’ll find yourself with the legacy of a Samson or Gideon. People who accomplished great things when trusting God but making an utter of mess of things when they didn’t.

Which will you choose?

Tags Barak, Bible Original, Bible verse, Daniel, David, faith, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, stumbling

Hebrews

A faith that knows who to fear

Post author By Bruce
Post date January 8, 2016
No Comments on A faith that knows who to fear

It has often been said, “If you fear God, you need not fear anyone else.”

Jesus himself warned us,

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.

Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)

And that’s what you see in these people. People who knew who to fear. Not kings or rulers or anyone else, but God.

More they knew that if they did not put their trust in God, nothing and no one would be able to protect them from his wrath.

Moses’ parents feared God, and so even though the Pharaoh commanded that all Hebrew babies be killed, they hid their son. And when they could do so no longer, they left him in God’s hands, and God honored them for it.

Moses could have led a comfortable life as a prince of Egypt, the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. But out of his fear for God, he left it all behind, and was willing to suffer reproach and abuse for the sake of Christ.

All the pleasures of this life, he knew, would mean nothing if his relationship was not right with God.

More, he knew that by following God, he would find true reward, a reward that is eternal. And so he left Egypt with the people of God, not fearing Pharaoh’s wrath.

He also showed fear for God by keeping the Passover, and because he and the Jews did so, they were spared the death of their firstborn.

The Egyptians, secure in their own faith on the other hand, found that they had feared the wrong gods. Even Pharaoh himself lost his son.

Because the Israelites feared God, they could pass through the Red Sea unharmed. The Egyptians, however, feared the sea and their Pharaoh even more than that, and drowned as a result.

Because the Israelites feared God, they took Jericho by following what others would have called a futile plan, marching around a city for 7 days, blowing their horns.

And while the rest of the residents of Jericho put their trust in their walls, Rahab refused to do so. She feared God and protected the spies that had come into the city.

So while the rest of the people in Jericho were killed, Rahab and her family were spared.

The long and short of all this is, “Who do you fear?” And “Who will you put your trust in?”

If we trust in our money to protect us, our government, or our own abilities and skills, and we fail to trust God above all, when judgment day comes, all those things will prove to be futile to save us.

If we fear people and what they can do to us instead of God, we may preserve our lives but lose our souls for all eternity.

But if we fear and trust God, we will find favor with him, and he will reward us.

Who do you trust? Who do you fear?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse

Hebrews

A faith that believes that God is good

Post author By Bruce
Post date January 7, 2016
2 Comments on A faith that believes that God is good

“God is good.”

“All the time.”

“All the time…”

“God is good.”

I’ve been to a couple of churches for which this was kind of a mantra.

But how many of us really believe it? Oh sure, in good times it’s easy to believe and say with enthusiasm.

But in hard times?

Or how about in times when we don’t understand what God is doing?

Or in times when we can’t see what the future holds?

Do we still believe that God is good?

This is a fundamental question of faith. For as the writer of Hebrews says,

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

“He rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Put another way, “He rewards those who believe he is good. That he will keep his promises. That he will not let our labors go in vain. That our struggles are not for nothing.”

But do we believe this enough to keep seeking him no matter our circumstances? Unless we do, we cannot please God.”

Abraham believed this. God promised that he would have many descendants through Isaac. But then one day, God turns around and says, “Abraham, give your son to me as a sacrifice.”

Not a simple dedicating of Isaac’s life to God’s service. But a literal sacrifice.

How Abraham’s mind must have spun. For the three days it took to reach the mountain where he would sacrifice his son, what thoughts went through his mind?

“How can God ask this of me? He promised I would have descendants through Isaac. But how can that be if Isaac is dead?”

But in the end, Abraham concluded, “God is good. He will keep his promises. And if he asks me to sacrifice my son, then it must be that he will raise him up again. He is the God of life and death. And he is good.”

He lifted up his knife to kill Isaac, and as we know, an angel stopped him and said, “No, you don’t have to do that. Now I know that you fear God.” (Genesis 22:10-12)

God was good.

Isaac saw this and because of that, he could bless his sons Jacob and Esau although the future was still cloudy.

In his time, he still hadn’t truly inherited the land God had promised. He only had the plot of land that his father Abraham had purchased. But Isaac believed God was good, and blessed his sons in that belief.

Jacob went through a lot of trials in his life, most through his own doing, some not. But through it all, he saw God’s goodness and faithfulness to him, and so when he was ready to die, he also was able to bless his sons with that knowledge.

Joseph too went through a lot, being taken to Egypt as a slave, but seeing God’s goodness and how God used that situation not only to save himself but his entire family.

And though he had a good life in Egypt, he knew that God was good and would return his family back to the land God had promised. And so he gave instructions that when that time came, they would bury his bones there.

How about you? What are you going through in life? Can you say from your heart God is good? That God is faithful? That God will keep his promises to you?

Unless you truly believe that, you will never be able to please God.

What kind of faith do you have?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, faith, God is good, pleasing God

Hebrews

Faith to see beyond (part 2)

Post author By Bruce
Post date January 6, 2016
No Comments on Faith to see beyond (part 2)

“It’s impossible. I can’t do it.”

How often do we see situations in life and say that, if not with our mouths, then in our hearts?

That’s how Abraham and Sarah must have felt.

God first gave them the promise of a child when they were 75 and 65 respectively. Twenty-four years passed and still no baby had come.

In the meantime, they had made their own plans to have an heir, as Sarah gave her slave Hagar to Abraham in order to have an heir through her.

But God said, “No, this is not what I meant when I said I’d give you a son. You will have a son through Sarah.”

At this, Abraham laughed. And now with them 99 and 89 years old, God again promised that Sarah would have a baby, and this time Sarah laughed. It seemed utterly impossible.

But eventually, they both saw past their own limitations and saw that with God, all things are possible. And so they kept on trying to have a child.

And the writer of Hebrews tells us,

By faith Abraham, even though he was past age–and Sarah herself was barren–was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.

And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. (Hebrews 11:11-12)

How about you? What situations are you going through that seem utterly impossible?

Many things seem utterly impossible because of our own weaknesses and limitations. But God has no weaknesses or limits.

DDo you have the faith to see beyond your own weaknesses and limits and put your trust in him who has no limits?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, faith, impossible, limitations, weaknesses

Hebrews

A faith that sees beyond

This earth is not our home.

Most Christians know this. But how many actually live this way?

Abraham did. The writer of Hebrews said of him,

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.

For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:8-10)

For Abraham, the land he would receive as his inheritance was Canaan. For us, it is a new heavens and new earth.

Abraham made his home in Canaan, even though it really wasn’t his yet. And until its “transformation” into the land God promised him, he lived there as a stranger in a foreign country.

In a land that was filled with paganism and sin, he lived a life that was pleasing to God.

In the same way, this world we live in now will someday be transformed and we will inherit it as God’s children. But until that day, it is filled with sin and the worship of things that are truly not gods.

So here we live, not as citizens of this present world, but as strangers in a foreign country, looking forward to the day when all things will be made new.

So how should we live? We should live doing all that God asks us to do even if we don’t see all the results in our lifetime.

For Abraham, God promised to make him a great nation and to give him many descendants that would inherit the land of Canaan.

And so Abraham left his father’s household and his very country to go where God directed him. But when he died, he only had one son and the small plot of land he had purchased in order to bury his wife Sarah.

The same could be said of Isaac, except he had two sons.

And the same could be said of Isaac’s son Jacob, except he had twelve sons, and he died in Egypt where God through his provision kept him and his family alive in a time of famine.

Each of them followed God’s will. But none of them saw the promises completely fulfilled. And the writer of Hebrews says of them,

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.

And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.

People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.

If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country–a heavenly one.

Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:13-16)

God always keeps his promises. He did make Abraham into a great nation. And though nations have come and gone over the millenia, Israel still stands.

And the day will come when all Christians, both Jews and Gentile will stand as one great nation, pointing to Abraham as our father.

But until that day, do the things God has asked of you.

You like Abraham may not receive everything God has promised in your lifetime. But you will see his promises realized in the end.

And even on earth, your children and your children’s children will reap the benefits of your faithfulness.

Moreover, remember that this world is not your home. If you’re always looking back at your old life, you will have opportunity to return. But in doing so, you’ll lose all the good things God had planned for you.

So keep longing for your heavenly home and be faithful, knowing that God has prepared a city for you, and that one day he will come back for you and make all things new.

Remember what Jesus told his disciples,

In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.

I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:2-3)

Amen. Come soon, Lord Jesus.

Tags Abraham, Bible Original, Bible verse, faith, Sarah

Hebrews

A faith that prepares for judgment

Post author By Bruce
Post date January 4, 2016
No Comments on A faith that prepares for judgment

Judgment day.

It’s not a subject that people like to talk about. Particularly non-Christians. Oh, they don’t mind the thought of criminals and other “evil” people being judged by God.

But somehow, when they think of “evil” people, they never seem to include themselves in that number. They somehow fail to see just how evil their sin is in God’s sight, or they brush it off as trivial.

But judgment day is coming.

And for us as Christians, true faith recognizes that and prepares for it.

We see that in the life of Noah. The writer of Hebrews tells us,

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.

By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. (Hebrews 11:7)

God told Noah that a day of judgment was coming. That a flood would come that would wipe out the entire population of the earth. And because of that, he was to prepare.

So Noah did. Despite the jeers of his neighbors for building an ark in the desert, despite the mocking he took for warning them that the day of judgment was coming, he prepared. And by doing so he was saved.

More, through his actions, the world’s lack of faith was highlighted, and so when judgment came for them, there was no excuse.

The question for us then is, do we have that same faith that Noah had? Do we really believe a day of judgment is coming?

Are we doing what we can to save our family, preaching the gospel to them? And are we warning those around us of the judgment to come no matter what abuse we may take for doing so?

Will God be able to say of us on judgment day that our faith stood out in a world that was lacking in it?

What will God say of you when judgment day comes?

Tags being ready, Bible Original, Bible verse, judgment

Hebrews

The need for faith

Why is faith so important?

Because for whatever reason, it is the one thing that God desires from all of us as his creatures.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that it is for their faith that God commended all that came before us. (Hebrews 11:2)

More, it is our faith and that faith alone that will commend us before God even now. For from that faith, everything else springs: the love we have for him, the worship we offer him, and the obedience and loyalty that we have for him.

Think about it. If we do not believe that he exists, that he loves us, and that he is looking out for our best, will we love him? Will we worship him. Will we be loyal to him and obey him?

Fear may take care of the latter three, but God does not want us to worship him, be loyal to him, and obey him out of fear. Rather, he wants us to do these things out of our love for him.

And for this reason, the writer of Hebrews tells us,

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Think about Cain for a moment. Why was his sacrifice rejected?

We don’t know all the details, but from what the writer of Hebrews tells us, it ultimately came down to the fact that his offering did not come from his faith in God.

Perhaps he gave his offering grudgingly, muttering in his heart, “Why do I have to give this to God?”

Perhaps God had required an animal sacrifice, and Cain thought, “Why aren’t the things I grow as a farmer enough? I’ll just give what I want to give.”

But whatever the reason, Cain failed to show faith in God. And because of that, God rejected his offering.

Abel, on the other hand, offered his sacrifice by faith. And because of his faith, he loved God, was loyal to him, and obeyed him. So when God saw his sacrifice, he gladly accepted it.

Think about Enoch. He was one of two people that never tasted death. (Elijah was another). God simply took him to be with him.

Why? Because “he walked with God.”

When the Old Testament was translated into Greek, they translated “walked with God,” as “pleased God.”

In short, to please God, you need to walk in close relationship with God.

But you cannot walk in close relationship with God if you don’t believe he exists, believe that he loves you, and believe that he’s looking out for your best. It is simply impossible.

How about you? Do you want to live a life pleasing to God? Do you want to have his commendation in your life?

Then ask yourself: Do I truly believe he exists? Do I really believe he loves me? Do I truly believe he is looking out for my best?

Until you can answer yes to all three questions, you’ll never be able to truly please him.

Where is your heart today?

Tags Abel, Bible Original, Bible verse, Cain, Enoch, faith, pleasing God

Hebrews

The foundation of our faith

Post author By Bruce
Post date January 2, 2016
No Comments on The foundation of our faith

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. (Hebrews 11:1-2)

A lot of people see these verses, and think of them as the definition of faith.

But how often do we think about what exactly we are putting our faith in? How can we be sure of what we hope for, if the object of our faith is not reliable?

How can we be certain of what we do not see, if the one who makes the promises we rely on is powerless to fulfill them?

And so our faith starts and ends with God.

Who is he? Does he even exist? If he exists, does he really care for us? Is he trustworthy? Will he keep his promises to us? Is he even capable of keeping his promises?

This whole first section addresses these questions. The writer of Hebrews says in verse 6,

Anyone who comes to him must believe that [God] exists.

This is the one basic truth that lies at the foundation of our faith. That there is a God. That he truly exists.

Granted that, does he really care about us? Or did he just create us on a whim, and hasn’t given us a second thought since?

The writer answers that too.

He rewards those who earnestly seek him. (6b)

In other words, God does pay attention. He does care about us and what we do. And when we seek him, he does reward us.

But even granted that he wants to reward us for seeking him, does he have the power to do so?

The writer tells us in verse 3,

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

If everything was created at God’s command by things that were not even visible, does he not have the power to do anything he desires? Of course he does.

So in these verses we see the foundation of our faith. God exists. He cares. And he has the power to do what he has promised.

The only question is: do we truly believe these things in our heart? And will we put our trust in him?

A chair can be made of the strongest wood and put together by the finest craftsman. It is totally reliable, and it’s reliability is totally independent of what people may think about it.

But a person will not sit in it unless he or she first trusts it.

In the same way, God exists, he cares, and he has the power to do all that he has promised. All these things are real, and their reality is totally independent of whether we believe them or not.

But unless we truly believe these things, we will not put our trust in God.

How about you? Do you truly believe these things? How you answer that question will not only affect your relationship with God, but how you live the rest of your life.

We’ll talk more about that tomorrow.

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, faith, foundation

Hebrews

In a little while

God never promised us an easy life. In fact, Jesus promised us just the opposite. That there would be times of trouble. That people would even hate us for following Christ.

And while that may or not be real to you right now, it was very real for the people reading this letter.

They had been publicly humiliated and persecuted. They had been tossed in prison and had even had their possessions taken from them. Through it all, they had stood. For a while.

But now, they seemed to be teetering, and so the writer of Hebrews encourages them, “Don’t fall now. Don’t let all that you’ve endured until now be for nothing. Hang in there. You will be richly rewarded if you don’t give up.” (Hebrews 10:32-35)

Then he says,

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay. (Hebrews 36-37)

“In just a little while.” Those words resonate with me.

In just a little while, all these hardships will pass away. In just a little while, Jesus will come back for you.

And when he does, all these things you’re going through will become as shadows. All your hardships will become as distant memories in the light of Him.

Until then, what do we do?

But my righteous one will live by faith. (38)

In short, keep trusting God. Keep believing that he will do all that he has promised. For it is that faith that will give us the hope to keep going when everything is falling down around us.

But if we shrink back, if we lose our faith and constantly walk about in fear and doubt, we cannot and will not know the approval of God in our lives. For there is no way to please him if we live that way. (38)

But as the writer of Hebrews asserts,

We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. (39)

What hardships are you going through? What doubts are you struggling with?

Take your eyes off of these things. These things will only cause you to shrink back in fear. But these things are only for a little while.

So put your eyes back on Jesus. Remember his faithfulness. Remember his love.

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.

— Helen H. Lemmel

Tags a little while, Bible Original, Bible verse, faith, persecution

Hebrews

If we choose to reject Christ

Post author By Bruce
Post date December 31, 2015
No Comments on If we choose to reject Christ

What will you do with Christ?

When all is said and done, that is the ultimate question that everyone has to answer.

For those who decide to put their trust in him, they find life, both here in this world and in the world to come.

But for those who hear the message of Christ and reject it, there is no hope for them in this life or in the life to come.

And that’s what the writer of Hebrews warns in this passage. He says,

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:26-29)

What is the writer saying here?

If we deliberately sin by rejecting Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, there is no other way of salvation. There is no other sacrifice God will accept, whether it be animal sacrifice, the sacrifice of “good” deeds, of money, or anything else.

The writer tells us that even with the Mosaic law, a law brought by angels (2:2), people would perish for their rebellion against God on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

How much more then will people be punished for continuing to rebel against God when Christ himself offers us this salvation bought with his own blood?

It’s as if we are treating the precious blood he shed on the cross as if it were nothing. As if it were just ordinary blood as common as a bull’s or a goat’s.

And in rejecting Christ, we trample him under foot and insult the Holy Spirit himself.

The consequences of such behavior?

For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”

It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (30-31)

In short, we will be judged. If we will not let Christ pay the penalty for our sin, we will have to pay it ourselves for all eternity. And there will be no escape.

How about you? What will you do with Christ? Will you accept the gift of grace he offers that he paid for with his own blood?

Or will you spit on his gift, and continue to rebelliously walk your own way?

You can receive his grace or you can receive his wrath. Which will you choose?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, Christ, judgment, rejection

Hebrews

Opened up

This is one of my favorite passages in scripture, and one I committed to memory a long time ago.

Every year on the Day of Atonement, the people would wait outside the tabernacle as the High Priest went through the Holy Place and entered into the Most Holy Place with the blood of the sacrifices to sprinkle the ark of the covenant and make atonement for the sins of the people. (Leviticus 16:15-17)

But when Jesus went through the true holy places in heaven, he did something that no priest before him was ever able to do. He tore down the curtain that stood between God and us.

When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain that hung between the Holy Place and Most Holy Place was torn in two. (Matthew 27:51-52)

And by that one action, God was telling the people, “The way into my presence has now been opened up.”

And so the writer of Hebrews tells us,

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22)

After Jesus entered the Most Holy Place in heaven with his blood, he didn’t merely exit again with the barrier still standing between God and us.

Rather, he came out to us and said, “The way is now open for you to come into the Father’s presence. Come, let us enter together.”

And so the writer of Hebrews says, “Don’t just stand outside the tabernacle, away from God’s presence. Draw near. Jesus has opened up the way through his death on the cross.

“Just as the atonement cover was sprinkled with the blood to purify it from the sins of the people, so now your hearts are sprinkled by the blood of Jesus and made pure before God.

“So you no longer have to fear standing in front of God because of your unholiness. Through Jesus, you have been made holy.”

He then charges us,

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)

When trials in life hit, it can become easy to fall away from Christ and the faith that we have in him. We wonder if God really does care, if he truly is faithful and will keep his promises.

But Jesus proved his love and faithfulness to us by going to the cross. How then can we doubt him? So when times get hard, hold on to him, knowing that he is faithful.

And when you see others faltering in your faith, the writer tells us,

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (24-25)

Sometimes people say, “I don’t see why I need to go to church. I’m fine by myself.”

But that is a very selfish way of thinking. Even if it were true (and it isn’t), others need you. They need your encouragement. And you need theirs.

We are to spur one another on toward love and good deeds and not let ourselves get discouraged or complacent.

So consider, think, plot, and plan just how we can get our brothers and sisters to reach out in love and touch this world around us. Especially in light of the fact that Jesus is coming again soon.

The way has been opened up for us to come to God. Are you taking advantage of it and drawing near? And are you encouraging others to draw near to him as well?

The Father is waiting for you. What will you do?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, confidence, draw near, Most Holy Place

Hebrews

Why all this blood?

One of the key points for this passage that we’ve been talking about is shadows and copies.

And in the midst of all this, we’ve been talking about all the sacrifices of bulls and goats that were made as a shadow of the ultimate sacrifice Jesus would make on the cross.

But that begs the question: why do we need a sacrifice at all? Why couldn’t God simply just forgive our sins without the need for blood? Couldn’t there have been another way?

Really the only way I can answer that is to look at what Jesus went through. To look at Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane when he cried out, “If there’s any other way, please take the cross from me.” (Matthew 26:39)

If there truly was another way, wouldn’t have God found it?

But for reasons that are truly known only to him, a sacrifice was needed. The writer of Hebrews tells us that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (9:22)

We see the seeds of this from God’s commands in Leviticus 17:11. There, God said,

For the life of the creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.

The idea is that blood represents life. And so for one person’s life to be spared, another life had to be taken.

In the Old Testament, it was the life of a bull, sheep, goat, etc. But as we’ve seen, they were imperfect sacrifices.

For one thing, an animal’s life does not have the worth of a human’s life. For another thing, the animal’s death was not voluntary on its part.

But when Jesus came, he was not just fully human, he was fully God, and thus his life was sufficient to pay for our sins. And as we saw yesterday, it was a truly voluntary act on Jesus’ part. He told the Father,

“Here I am — I have come to do your will, O God.” (Hebrews 10:9)

There are two other things, however, that the writer of Hebrews points out that may help us to understand the need for blood in our atonement.

First, he calls Christ the ransom that set us free from sins we committed by breaking God’s law (Hebrews 9:15).

In other words by dying on the cross he paid the price necessary to set us free from the domain of darkness and bring us into God’s kingdom of light. (Colossians 1:13)

Second, he compares the new covenant with a will (the words for covenant and will are actually the same in Greek, so there seems to be a wordplay here).

And just as a will does not come into effect until the one who makes it dies, so the new covenant could not come into effect until God the Son died.

However you look at it, God deemed it necessary that Christ die in order for us to live. And now that Christ has done so, the Holy Spirit comes into those who put their trust in Christ and he transforms their hearts.

He writes the law of God in their hearts so that it become only natural that they start to do the things that please him. And as for their sins committed in the past, he says,

Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more. (Hebrews 10:17)

And so the writer of Hebrews concludes,

And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. (Hebrews 10:18)

As Jesus himself said, “It (the work of salvation) is finished.” (John 19:30)

I don’t know about you, but I marvel at it all.

Did Jesus have to die? In a sense, no. He could have let us perish and saved himself. But he loved us so much that he sacrificed everything you and me.

So let us always look upon the cross and the blood Jesus shed with awe. Jesus paid a terrible price, but he did it out of his love for us.

As one song puts it,

Amazing love!
How can it be?
That you my king should die for me?

Amazing love!
I know it’s true.
And it’s my joy to honor you.

In all I do, I honor you.

— Chris Tomlin

Tags atonement, Bible Original, Bible verse, blood

Hebrews

What shadows and copies can and cannot do

Post author By Bruce
Post date December 28, 2015
No Comments on What shadows and copies can and cannot do

For the last couple of days, we’ve been talking about shadows and copies.

Essentially what we’ve been saying is that all shadows and copies can do is show us pictures of reality.

A shadow can give us a general idea of what a person looks like. A toy train which is modeled after the real thing can show us what a train can do.

But ultimately, they can’t do all that the real thing does.

A shadow of a person cannot talk, listen, or touch anything. A toy train cannot transport live people from one place to another.

And so the writer of Hebrews tells us that while the tabernacle, gifts, and offerings were pictures of our relationship with God and what needed to happen in order for us to draw near to him, ultimately, they could not actually bring us into his presence.

In particular, the sacrifices and gifts offered to God could not clear our consciences before him. They were just temporary regulations that were put in place until the reality came (Hebrews 9:9-10).

What is the reality? Christ.

Christ came to this earth, and after dying on the cross for our sins, he entered the true tabernacle in heaven. But unlike the earthly priests, he didn’t offer the blood of goats and calves, but his own blood.

And while the blood of goats and bulls could make things ceremonially clean, Christ’s blood can actually cleanse our consciences themselves and set us free from the penalty of sin. (9:11-15)

And because his blood shed on the cross was sufficient to do this, he only had to do it once, and after that he sat down at the right hand of God, his work of salvation complete.

The earthly priests, on the other hand, never really could rest from their work.

Rather, they had to bring sacrifices endlessly year after year because the sacrifices of bulls and goats they brought were not sufficient to clear our consciences.

All the sacrifices did was remind us of our sin and our need for forgiveness, the need for an ultimate sacrifice that would truly take away our sins (Hebrews 10:1-4)

But of Jesus’ sacrifice, the writer of Hebrews says,

He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. (Hebrews 10:14)

And so though all the Old Testament sacrifices were at one time required as a picture of Jesus and his work on the cross to come, once Jesus came, saying, “Here I am…I have come to do your will, O God” (10:7), the old, imperfect sacrifices were set aside to make room for the one perfect sacrifice that could truly make us holy.

Now because of what Jesus has done, we have hope. The writer of Hebrews tells us,

For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance–now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9:15)

And again,

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (9:27-28)

Shadows and copies cannot give us the hope of eternal life. But in Jesus we have that hope. More, we have the hope that he will indeed return someday and bring our salvation to completion.

No, our hope is not in shadows and copies. Our hope is grounded in the reality that is Christ.

So whenever we feel discouraged or without hope, let us always return our eyes to him, knowing that those who do will never be put to shame. (1 Peter 2:6)

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, copies, Hope, reality, shadows

Hebrews

Shadows and copies (part 2)

Post author By Bruce
Post date December 27, 2015
No Comments on Shadows and copies (part 2)

Yesterday we read in chapter 8 that the tabernacle was a shadow and copy of the true tabernacle.

Here in chapter 9, we see in what way it was a mere shadow and copy of the real thing.

The ark of the covenant was a symbol of the presence of God. He was said to be enthroned on the cherubim that sat on the cover of the ark.

The ark itself was placed in the Most Holy Place, and therefore the Most Holy Place was considered to be the place where God dwelt in the tabernacle.

Because of this not just anyone could enter the holy places. Only the priests could enter the Holy Place, the section just outside the Most Holy Place.

And only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place, and that only once a year on the Day of Atonement in which sacrifices were offered for the sins of the people.

And the writer of Hebrews tells us,

The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. (Hebrews 9:8)

In other words, the first tabernacle was in a sense a barrier to a relationship with God. People were actually physically blocked off from his presence by the curtain that hung between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.

For that matter, most people couldn’t even get as far as the Holy Place.

The same was true of Solomon’s temple, Ezra’s temple, and Herod’s temple which replaced the tabernacle. The physical barrier was a picture of the spiritual barrier that hung between us and God in heaven. Our sins separated us from him.

But as we will see in the next part, Jesus tore that barrier down.

All I’ll point out at this point are two things the writer of Hebrews brings up. That in order to enter the Most Holy Place, the priests had to pass two things: a lampstand whose light never went out, and the bread consecrated to God.

Is it any coincidence that Jesus called himself the light of the world and the bread of life? In order to go into the presence of God, you must go through Jesus.

And just as the high priest needed to bring blood when entering the Most Holy Place as an atonement for the Israelite’s sins, so Jesus entered the Most Holy Place in heaven with his own blood to atone for our sins.

Now because of what Jesus has done, we have free access to the Father.

It’s hard to fathom as a Christian not having that access. But for many years, people simply didn’t have it.

So as Paul wrote, and as I recall as Christmas season draws to a close:

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, copies, shadows, tabernacle

Hebrews

Shadows and copies

A lot of people wonder at the Old Testament and why we even have it. Especially the parts about the making of the tabernacle and all the laws, many of which are no longer applicable to us today.

The reason is found in these next three chapters, and is summed up in verse 8 of this chapter. They were all shadows and copies of spiritual realities.

The writer of Hebrews says specifically that the tabernacle was a shadow and copy of heaven itself.

Even though the tabernacle was obviously not even close to being as glorious as heaven, nevertheless, because it was a copy, Moses was warned to make everything exactly as he had been told.

But the tabernacle wasn’t the only thing that was a shadow and copy. Many of the laws that we don’t understand today were too.

The ideas of unclean and clean, for example, and the laws concerning food, leprosy, and even mildew were all pictures of sin and the need to stay pure as God’s people.

The sacrifices were shadows and copies as well. As we said yesterday, they were not sufficient to deal with our sins, but they looked forward to the perfect sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.

And finally, the covenant that God made with the Israelites at Mount Sinai was a mere shadow and copy of the the true relationship he wanted with us.

The laws he gave them were all external to themselves, and it was up to them to try to keep them all. And if they did, God said he would be their God and they would be his people. That they would be his priests and a holy nation for him.

But because these laws were not truly part of the Israelites, they were unable to keep them. And so God said,

“The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.

It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.

This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.

I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:8-12)

In the old covenant, God gave the Israelites law. But in the new covenant, God promises to put the law into our hearts, changing us from the inside out.

Under the old covenant, the Israelites had priests and prophets to teach people to know God. And even then, there was a distance between God and the people. They didn’t really have a personal relationship with him.

But now, Jesus is our priest, and he brings us directly before his Father and we will know him personally.

So let us rejoice that we no longer need to deal with shadows and copies which were imperfect, but that through Jesus, we now have what is real. A real relationship with God with hearts purified through his sacrifice on the cross.

And let us draw near to him, not just now at Christmas time, but every day.

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, copies, shadows

Hebrews

King of righteousness, King of peace, our Priest forever

Post author By Bruce
Post date December 25, 2015
1 Comment on King of righteousness, King of peace, our Priest forever

Merry Christmas from Japan, everyone.

As we remember Christ today, I suppose it’s only appropriate to read this passage and remember just who he is. And he is far more than a baby in a manger.

The writer of Hebrews calls him a king and priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Melchizedek was a character who “mysteriously” appears and disappears in Genesis 14.

I say this not in a supernatural way, but unlike most characters we see in the Bible, we see nothing of his genealogy.

We don’t know who his parents or children were. We see nothing recorded of his birth or death. He just appears in the story of Abraham, and then we never see him again.

As far as we know, he could still be living (although he most certainly isn’t).

And in Melchizedek, the writer of Hebrews sees a picture of Christ.

Melchizedek’s name meant, “King of Righteousness.”

He was also the king of Salem, a city whose name means “peace.” (It would later become Jerusalem).

And of course, in Jesus we see him who is the true king of righteousness and peace.

More, just as Melchizedek’s genealogy and very death is unknown, Jesus himself, though he had an earthly genealogy, lived much further back in eternity before the world even began.

And having been raised from the dead, he will live forever, never to die again.

Why is this important? Because he has also become our priest forever.

Back in the Old Testament under Mosaic law, there were many priests that came from the tribe of Levi. They served under a covenant that God made with the people, that if they would keep his commandments, he would be their God and they would be his people.

Why then do we need another priest if God’s law had already provided one, and not just one, but many throughout the years?

Because the covenant was imperfect.

In what way was it imperfect?

It was imperfect in that nobody could keep it perfectly, and could thus only bring judgment on those who were under it.

The priests themselves were imperfect. Day after day, they had to offer sacrifices for their own sins before they could offer sins for the people.

And even the sacrifices they offered were imperfect. As the writer will point out later, if they had been perfect, we would have had no more need for sacrifices. One would have been enough.

But the priests needed to offer the sacrifices day by day because they were insufficient to cover our sins.

So the writer of Hebrews tells us that we needed a better way to have a relationship with God and a better priest.

And both are found in Jesus. He was greater than all the other priests in several ways.

First, his “lineage.” He was of the spiritual line of Melchizedek, who blessed Abraham himself.

The writer of Hebrews points out that the greater is always the one that blesses the lesser, and so the priesthood of Melchizedek is greater than that which comes through Abraham’s descendant Levi. (4-10)

But more, God made an oath to Jesus that he made to no other priest. He said,

The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’ (21)

In that promise we see a third reason. Jesus was made a priest, not simply based on some law that said he had to be a descendant of Levi, but he was made a priest based on “indestructible life.” (16)

And so the writer of Hebrews tells us that now,

a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. (19)

In what way do we have a better hope?

Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. The writer of Hebrews explains.

Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Such a high priest meets our need–one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. (Hebrews 7:23-26)

Jesus offered one sacrifice for all time by dying on the cross for our sins. And because it was a perfect sacrifice, our salvation is complete. All we need to do now is put our trust in Him. (27)

That’s the hope we have.

So this Christmas, let us praise the King who makes us righteous before God because of his sacrifice, who brings us peace with God, and who remains our priest forever.

Merry Christmas!

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, king, Melchizedek, peace, priest, righteousness

Hebrews

Impossible (or “The reason for our hope”)

Post author By Bruce
Post date December 24, 2015
No Comments on Impossible (or “The reason for our hope”)

I said yesterday that if you hold that Hebrews 6 says it is possible to lose your salvation, then once that person falls away it is impossible to get it back (6:4-6). There is no out.

One reason is this passage here where the writer of Hebrews says something else is impossible. It is impossible for God to lie (18).

So the possibility of a person coming to repentance once they have fallen away is the same as the possibility of God lying: Zero.

But while one of these impossibilities should cause us to fear, the other gives us great hope. And that, more than anything, was what the author of Hebrews was trying to give us.

He says,

Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case–things that accompany salvation.

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. (Hebrews 6:9-12)

In short, “I know all this about the impossibility of repentance after falling away and being cursed and judged sounds scary, but I’m sure it doesn’t apply to you. Your life does seem to show the fruit of salvation.

“So I want to encourage you to hang in there, even though things are tough right now. For if you do, your hope in Christ will not be in vain.”

He then points to the promise made to Abraham, that God would bless Abraham and give him many descendants. Why? Because we are heirs to that promise. (Galatians 3:7-9)

When God made that promise he also made an oath, swearing by himself since there is none greater than God.

And because Abraham believed that promise, though he had to wait 25 years, God gave him a son in Isaac, and Isaac eventually became a great nation in Israel, just as God promised.

Now through Jesus, we who believe in Him are all children of Abraham.

Why did God feel it necessary to give an oath? Because he is unreliable? No. The writer of Hebrews says,

God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. (18)

Because God’s promise and oath are unchangeable, we can be doubly sure of our hope. And now the writer of Hebrews tells us,

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.

He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. (19-20)

When it says that Jesus went before us, it literally says in the Greek that he was our forerunner. What’s a forerunner?

When weather was bad and a ship couldn’t enter a harbor, a small boat, a “forerunner” would carry the ship’s anchor into the harbor and put the anchor down there.

And because the ship was already anchored in the harbor, the sailors could have hope they would eventually arrive there safely.

In the same way, Jesus enters into God’s very presence ahead of us. And because of that, we have hope that one day we will follow him into God’s presence, accepted and beloved as his children.

So when the storms of life hit, and our ship is tossed by the waves, let us not give up hope or think that God has abandoned us.

Jesus has gone on before us. He has anchored us, and we will come safely home someday.

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, forerunner, Hope, impossible, oath

Hebrews

Impossible

This is one of the more controversial passages in scripture. Many Christians use it to try to prove that it is possible for a person to lose their salvation. The writer of Hebrews says,

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. (Hebrews 6:4-6)

At first glance, it sure looks like it’s possible to lose your salvation.

But I want to bring into focus a single word in there: “impossible.”

If you are going to say that it is possible for a person to fall away and thus lose their salvation, you also have to say it is impossible for them to get it back. There is no out.

The word impossible there in Greek has exactly the same meaning in English: impossible.

The question, though, is if that is true in our experience? How many people do we know that “fell away” and yet later came back to God?

According to this passage, they must have never really “fallen away” because they came back.

So if you are going to say that a person can lose their salvation, you have to have a very narrow definition of “fall away.”

It has to mean someone who has completely hardened their heart to God such that they will never come back again. But we can never say with any certainty that this is true of anyone until they actually die.

And even if they do die, the question becomes, “Did they really fall away? Maybe if they had had a little more time, they would have eventually come back.”

I personally believe that once a God saves a person, they are always saved.

I don’t think it’s possible for God to choose someone to be saved before time began (Ephesians 1:4-5), and then be caught by surprise when they “fall away,” thus causing God to reject them.

What do I then make of this being “enlightened, tasting of the heavenly gift, sharing in the Holy Spirit,” and all the rest?

I think the best thing to do is point to Judas Iscariot. All these things perfectly describe Judas.

He had all the teaching of Jesus, perhaps was even convinced by it initially. He tasted of the heavenly gift, sharing in the power of the Holy Spirit, performing miracles and casting out demons like the rest of the disciples (Matthew 10:8).

And yet, Jesus knew from the beginning that he never had true faith and was going to betray him (John 6:64).

In short, he was the perfect tare in the wheat field. He looked like a believer, he acted like a believer, but he never truly believed.

And that’s what you see in the latter part of this passage.

Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.

But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned. (7-8)

The other 11 disciples, though they had their share of weeds, ultimately produced the crop that comes from salvation.

Judas, on the other hand, when all was said and done, only produced thorns and thistles in his life, and he perished because of it.

Add to this that the writer of Hebrews had also talked about the Jews who had come out of Egypt.

They experienced the giving of the law, experienced all the miracles, and yet because they never really believed, never entered the promised land.

From all this, I think the warning is clear: genuine faith is necessary for salvation.

What kind of “faith” do you have? Are you truly a believer? Then it should show in your life. You should be maturing, becoming more and more like Christ each day.

A “faith” that bears no fruit will ultimately shown for the counterfeit faith it is on the day of judgment, if not before, when those who claim to be Christians “fall away,” proving themselves to have been tares all along.

What kind of faith do you have?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, faith, lose, salvation

Hebrews

What true maturity is

There are some Christians that long to grow deeper in the faith. To learn the deep things of scripture that go beyond the simple gospel message. The question is, “Are they ready for it?”

The audience that was reading this letter to the Hebrews apparently wasn’t.

The writer tells them,

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.

In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! (Hebrews 5:11-12)

What does he mean by milk? He tells us in chapter 6.

It’s things like repentance from sin, the importance of faith, Christian baptism in contrast perhaps to Jewish washing rituals, the laying on of hands, perhaps in reference to receiving the Holy Spirit, and to resurrection and judgment.

All these things our basic to our Christian faith. We need to know them. But they are just a starting point.

A starting point to what? A starting point to being made complete and whole.

And that means going beyond hearing the message and having it become practical in your life.

To truly trusting that God loves you and that his way is best.

To believing we are really dead to sin now, and are called to live a new life in Jesus as new creations.

To loving God so much for what he has done, that our actions, our thoughts, and our very lives are colored by that love.

In short, we put away sin by the power of the Spirit who works in us, and put on righteousness becoming more and more like Christ each day.

That’s what maturity is. It isn’t simply knowing the Bible. It’s not simply knowing about the deep things of God. Maturity is becoming Christlike in every aspect of our lives.

Put another way, maturity is becoming whole as people. It’s becoming the people that God intended us to be from the very beginning.

But immature people are still very much incomplete in their character. They still don’t even know what it means to be whole as people. The writer of Hebrews puts it this way,

Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. (Hebrews 5:13)

In contrast, he says about the mature,

But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (5:14)

A truly mature person hears the Word of God and puts it into practice. And through that experience of putting the Word of God into practice, they learn what it means to be whole. They learn what things are truly good and what things are evil.

But many Christians are still slow to learn. The ESV puts it,

You have become dull of hearing. (5:11)

How does that happen? We hear God’s word, he pricks our heart to action, but we choose to do nothing. And in so doing we harden our hearts to him. But the more we do that, the less effect God’s Word has on our heart.

The result? We remain broken, incomplete, and immature.

How about you? Are you a doer of the Word? Or do you merely a hearer of it?

God wants us to be whole and complete. But that will never happen as long as we continue to harden our hearts to him.

How mature are you?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, maturity, righteousness

Hebrews

Why we can dare to draw near

Post author By Bruce
Post date December 21, 2015
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How would you like to have your whole life exposed for all to see? Nothing hidden. Your life an open book for the world to see?

Now think of standing before God on judgment day with that book open before him and him asking, “What do you have to say for yourself?”

The writer of Hebrews tells us,

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:11-13)

That is a scary thought. Not only will every action will be exposed, but every thought, every attitude will be laid bare before God. There will be no hiding of anything on the day of judgment.

If you’re totally honest with yourself, that ought to scare you to death. And yet, we can dare to draw near to God. Why? Because of Jesus.

The writer continues,

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin. (4:14-15)

We saw before that Jesus blazed the path to salvation before us as our pioneer. And now he goes before us into heaven before the Father to intercede for us.

And when the Father sees him, he delights in him. He’s not like some judges who have an adversarial relationship with criminal defenders. Rather, he himself appointed Jesus as our priest. (Hebrews 5:4-6)

More, when Jesus stands before the Father, he intercedes for us with compassion because he understand all we go through.

He understands temptation. He understands how difficult it is to follow the Father’s will in a world as broken as we live in.

While he was on earth, daily he offered up prayers with loud cries and tears before the Father. And at the garden of Gethsemane, he sweated blood in his anguish to obey the Father’s will.

He knows how hard it is. And yet, he obeyed his Father in everything, to the point of going to the cross. And now, he has become our source of salvation if we will just follow in the path of faith that he has blazed for us (Hebrews 5:7-10)

And when we falter, when we act ignorantly and waywardly, he deals with us gently, picking us up and setting us back on the right path. (5:2-3)

For all these reasons, the writer of Hebrews now tells us,

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

Do you have that confidence standing before God? Or do you feel like God is always looking down on you, ready to blast you for your sins?

Cast those fears aside. Jesus stands with you. He took your punishment for you. Punishment is no longer waiting for you. Rather, mercy and grace await you.

So draw near to the Father, knowing he loves you and will welcome you as his precious child.

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, grace, Intercession, judgment, Mercy, sympathy

Hebrews

The need for faith

Many people want to know God’s blessings in life. Many people want to find true life and joy. But far too few are willing to put their trust in God in order to obtain these things.

That’s the problem that the writer of Hebrews addresses in this chapter. He talks about a day of “rest” that comes from God.

There’s a three-fold meaning to that. One is the rest of no longer trying to work to gain our salvation, and simply putting our faith in Christ.

The writer says in chapter 4,

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. (Hebrews 4:9-10)

Here we see the true meaning of the Sabbath day as pictured in the Old Testament. God gave the Jews a picture of the true joy and contentment that comes from trusting in him.

Once a week, they would not work or labor, trusting God to provide for their needs. And in doing so, they found rest and peace from all their labor.

In the same way, when we put our trust in God and Christ’s work on the cross, we find rest from all our efforts to save ourselves and we find peace with God.

Secondly, we find peace and rest in our daily lives. Though we may have troubles, because we trust in God, we don’t panic or live in anxiety. Rather, we rest in the peace of God that surpasses all comprehension. (Philippians 4:7)

And finally, the day will come when we will truly rest. All the struggles and trials of life will be over and we will see Jesus face to face.

This was a rest that another “Jesus” couldn’t provide.

It may surprise you to know that Jesus and Joshua are the same name in Greek. And while most modern Bibles translate Hebrews 4:8 “Joshua”, the name is exactly the same one used for “Jesus.”

However, to avoid confusion, the translators used “Joshua” to point to the Old Testament figure.

What did Joshua do? He provided rest in the sense that he brought the people into the land God promised them.

But their rest was never complete there. Why? Because they failed to trust God. When things got tough in their battles against the inhabitants there, they gave up and settled for what they had conquered.

And so for the Jews and for all people today, there remains a day of rest that will come only when we fully put our trust in God. But as I mentioned before, the problem is too few do.

We see this all the way back in Egypt where the Israelite slaves labored for years. They longed for rest. They longed for salvation. They longed for true joy and life.

Moses promised that God would give it to them, and they followed him. But from the very beginning, you could see that they were lacking in faith.

You see it when Pharaoh made them work harder because of his confrontation with Moses.

You see it at the Red Sea when they were trapped by Pharaoh’s army.

You see it in the desert when they longed for food and water.

And you see it when they refused to enter the land God had promised because they feared the inhabitants.

They said they wanted life and joy. They said they wanted rest and the blessings of God. But ultimately, they never believed.

As a result, they never did enter the land. They all died in the desert. It was their children that entered, and again, even their children never entered into true rest because of their unbelief.

That’s what the writer of Hebrews was warning against.

There were many Jews among his readers that heard the message of the gospel, and like the Israelites coming out of Egypt, were drawn by it. But they never really believed and fell away. (4:2)

So the writer warns them time and again, “Don’t be like them. If you do, will never enter God’s rest. You’ll never find true life.” (4:11)

How about you? Do you want to find life and joy. Do you want to know God’s blessing in your life?

Then you need to trust God and his Word. It is God’s word that will test where your heart really is, and if you truly trust God. And it is by his word that God will judge you. (4:12-13)

What will he find when he does?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, faith, joy, peace, rest

Hebrews

Why we dare not ignore the gospel

Post author By Bruce
Post date December 19, 2015
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One of the key themes you see throughout Hebrews is the supremacy of Christ.

In chapters 1-2, you see his supremacy over the prophets and the angels. In chapter 3, we see his supremacy over Moses. And in chapter 4, we will see his supremacy over Joshua.

But there is a key point we need to remember as we consider Christ’s supremacy.

If he is indeed supreme over all the angels and the other messengers of God, and all of them proclaimed the message of God and people were held to account for what they heard, then we dare not ignore the message that Christ brings.

We see this in the first few verses of chapter 2, where the writer of Hebrews says,

We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?

This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.

God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (Hebrews 2:1-4)

Here, the writer of Hebrews seems to be referring to the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 33:2, Acts 7:53, Galatians 3:19).

And the writer says the people were judged when they failed to keep this law, even though it was brought by “mere” angels of God.

But now Jesus himself has come and given us the gospel through his own mouth and the mouths of the apostles, and God testified to their veracity by performing signs, miracles, and wonders, not to mention all the gifts of the Spirit that were poured out.

And if the Father, Son, and Spirit themselves testify to these things, not simply angels, will we not be held more accountable?

Of course we will. And there will be no escape from hell if we ignore this gospel that God in Trinity has testified to.

The writer then compares Moses to Jesus. Moses had been a great leader. God used him to deliver the people from slavery in Egypt and through him taught the people His law.

And yet, the writer says,

Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.

For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future.

But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast. (Hebrews 3:3-6)

Moses, the writer says, was a mere servant. A faithful servant, but a servant.

And as much as the Jews were held to accountable to a servant like Moses in keeping the law he taught, we are held far more accountable to Jesus because he is God’s Son and the builder of God’s house, the church.

Because of this, we dare not ignore the gospel of salvation he brings. There is no higher court of appeal to go to. He is our final judge.

So the writer tells us,

Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. (Hebrews 3:1)

How about you? Are you taking the gospel lightly? As a message that you can simply ignore?

Whether you like it or not, you will be held to account for it. So believe it and embrace it while you still can. And if you do, you will find life.

To reject it means judgment and death.

What Christmas is all about (part 3)

Post author By Bruce
Post date December 18, 2015
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For the past couple of days, we’ve been looking at Christmas through the lens of Hebrews.

First, we talked about how it was because of Christmas that we can truly see what God is like. That through Jesus, the invisible God became visible.

Then yesterday, we talked about the second reason Jesus came. That because of our sin, this world became messed up.

We were meant to rule over this earth as God’s representatives and children, but our sin made a mess of this world and our lives.

But when Jesus came, he paid the price for our sin, taking God’s wrath upon himself. Now he has blazed the way to salvation for us.

All we have to do is trust in and follow him, and God’s original plan for us will come to fruition. The day will come when we will reign with Christ for all eternity, crowned with glory and honor.

There is, however, a third reason Jesus came, and we see this also in chapter 2. He came to identify with us. To truly understand us.

So often, we think of God in heaven, and he seems too transcendent. How could such a God truly understand all that we go through.

But God came down to earth in Jesus Christ, and he experienced all that we do. The writer of Hebrews says that Jesus, our “pioneer”, was made perfect through suffering (Hebrews 2:10).

What does that mean? Wasn’t Jesus already perfect? Certainly in terms of sinlessness he was.

But he became more “complete” as a Savior by identifying with us in every way. By taking on human flesh and learning what it means to suffer in an imperfect world, to go through the strongest of temptations and overcome, and ultimately to die and overcome death itself.

Because Jesus did all of that, the writer of Hebrews says,

Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. (Hebrews 2:11)

In other words, because Jesus became a man, he truly became one of us. And he can call us brothers and sisters and really mean it.

Throughout the Psalms that are quoted in verses 12-13, you see the joy of Jesus as he calls us his own brothers, sisters, and children. He makes no distinction between us and him.

Again in verse 14-15, it says,

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil–and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

Like us, Jesus took on flesh and blood. But unlike us, he never sinned.

And now by offering the perfect sacrifice for sin, he destroyed Satan’s hold over us and has set us free from the fear of death and hell.

But there’s one last thing. The writer of Hebrews tells us,

For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (17-18)

Put another way, he understands our weakness as he never had before because now he himself has experienced it. And because of that, he has become a merciful high priest for us.

So when we now cry out because of our struggles with sin or the pains of life, he understands.

That’s the wonder of Christmas. Of “God with us.” The wonder is that he now truly understands us.

I love the song that says,

He knows all the struggles you are going through.
He knows the pain you’re feeling.

He hears the silent cries you hold within your heart.
And he wants so much to show you
That he knows.

–Brian Becker

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, Christmas, transcendent, understands

Hebrews

What Christmas is all about (part 2)

Post author By Bruce
Post date December 17, 2015
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What’s wrong with the world today? Until we answer that question, we can’t really answer what Christmas is about. And that’s what the author of Hebrews addresses here.

He says in verse 5 that in the world to come, when all things are made new, the earth will not be made subject to angels, but to the human race. And like the psalmist, he marvels, saying,

“What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?

You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet.” (Hebrews 1:6-8)

Here it seems the psalmist and the writer of Hebrews is speaking not of Jesus, but of people.

They both marvel at the grace of God that though we are but dust, lower at this time than the angels, that the day will come when we will be crowned with glory and honor, and rule over all things, even the angels.

Paul told us in 1 Corinthians 6:3 that the day will come when we will even judge the angels.

That’s what God meant for us from the very beginning. When he created Adam and Eve, he said,

Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.

Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground. (Genesis 1:28)

And the writer of Hebrews says,

In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. (8b)

And yet. Is that how things really are? The writer continues,

Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. (8c)

Why not? Because of sin.

Sin is what’s wrong with the world. Sin corrupted everything. It broke our relationship with God. It broke this world. And it broke us. Because of that, we see natural disasters, disease, and death.

And that’s why Jesus had to come.

The writer continues,

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (9)

Jesus left heaven, and became one of us. He lived among us, taking our form that was lower than the angels. A form that was mortal. A form that could get sick and die.

But through his death on the cross, he paid for our sin so that we would not have to pay for it ourselves.

And now, Jesus is crowned with glory and honor. He has become the “author of our salvation.”

That word “author” is now translated in the new NIV, “pioneer.”

Jesus went ahead of us, living a perfect life, and then suffering and dying for us. And now we follow the path of salvation he blazed for us.

We don’t have to find the path to salvation. The path has already been made. He’s done all the hard work. All we have to do is trust in and follow after him.

Why did Jesus come to this earth as a baby 2000 years ago?

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil–and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (14-15)

But not only we have been set free from the power of sin and death, now the way has been paved for us to be crowned with glory and honor and to rule this world as coheirs with Christ as God intended from the very beginning.

That’s what Christmas is all about.

So this Christmas, let us praise God not just for what he did 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, but praise him for what he is doing now, and what he will do in the world to come.

Tags angels, Bible Original, Bible verse, coheirs, glory, honor, Jesus

Hebrews

What Christmas is all about

Post author By Bruce
Post date December 16, 2015
No Comments on What Christmas is all about

As I write this, Christmas season is well in swing and is in fact just around the corner.

And in Hebrews, we find out just what Christmas is all about. Who is this Christ that came? And why is he so important?

The writer of Hebrews starts by telling us,

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. (Hebrews 1:1-2)

In other words, while there were many prophets throughout the centuries, now in these last days, we find one that was greater than them all. Greater than even Isaiah and Jeremiah, and Daniel.

While these men spoke many things clouded in mystery, these mysteries were all revealed in Jesus Christ. He is, as John put it, the very Word of God made flesh (John 1:1, 14), and all the scriptures find their fulfillment in him.

But who is he, really?

Jehovah’s Witnesses claim he is the archangel Michael. But the writer of Hebrews flatly denies this.

Instead, he said,

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. (3a)

The picture here is of a signet ring that was put into wax and then pressed onto paper. And Jesus is the exact representation of the very nature of God.

All that God is can be seen in Jesus. Jesus himself is the radiance of God’s glory.

The writer then says,

After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (3b)

Here we see the why of Jesus’ coming. To die on a cross that our sins may be forgiven. But after he died, he rose again, and now is sitting at the right hand of God the Father in glory.

And on the day Jesus rose from the dead, the Father said,

“You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” (Verse 5, but also see Acts 13:32-34 where Paul uses this passage in reference to the resurrection.)

In ancient times, a king who was over another had a “father-son” relationship with the king who was subject to him. God himself said that of his relationship with Solomon (2 Samuel 7:14)

And the writer of Hebrews makes very clear, “No angel ever had this said to them. Only Jesus.” (4-5)

More, when God brought Jesus into the world, he said,

Let all God’s angels worship him. (6)

We see that during the angel’s worship in front of the shepherds. And on the day Jesus returns to earth, God will again command, “Let all the angels worship him.”

That’s significant, because only God is worthy of worship. The Father could not say that if Jesus were not one with Him. (Luke 4:8)

And while angels are compared to things created things like wind and fire (7), Jesus is called the eternal God himself, and the creator of all things. (2, 8-12)

Finally, no angel had the position of authority that Jesus has. Rather their job is to serve those who will be saved because of the work Jesus did. (13-14)

In short, as glorious as angels are, Jesus is so much more. He is God himself in human flesh. And when he came, he revealed to us who God really is.

Not only that, but through him and him alone we find salvation from our sins and the gift of eternal life.

That’s what Christmas is all about.