Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. Hebrews 11:1–2, ESV
So begins the chapter affectionately entitled “The Hall of Faith.” This chapter is filled with examples from the Old Testament of saints who trusted the promises of God and received what was promised. Each of these saints of old encourages us to continue in the faith. Chapter 10 ends with a call to keep on in the faith until the reward is received. Chapter 11 provides evidence that the endurance-reward relationship is one we can depend on. The definition of faith that begins chapter 11 reminds us that faith is more than wishful thinking. Though focused on things that are unseen and hoped-for, faith is assurance and conviction—not just wishing. When we place our faith in Jesus as our Great High Priest, we are declaring that we have found our new identity in Christ and, for that reason, stand confident in the blessings that He has promised us. Even though these blessings may not come until the end of this age, they are concrete and real to us even today. It is this kind of faith that brought the Old Testament saints to their reward. This is why every Christian comfort hinges on faith. As the Puritan John Flavel wrote, “All other graces, like birds in the nest, depend upon what faith brings in to them; take away faith, and all the graces languish and die: joy, peace, hope, patience, and all the rest, depend upon faith.”[1] This being true, it seems that we might consider devoting more of our time and energy to growing our faith. How do we do this? If faith is assurance and conviction in the yet unseen but promised reward, then faith grows along with confidence in the One who made the promise. And confidence in the One who made the promise, because He is perfect in holiness, grows as we come to know Him better. We come to know God better by spending time in His Word and as we experience His fidelity. Today I want to encourage you to spend some time faith-building. Set your mind on Jesus. Look to Him. Step out in acts of faith. Learn more about Jesus that your faith—your “assurance of things hoped for,” and “conviction of things not seen,” might grow. I am praying for you in this righteous endeavor, Pastor Don [1] John Flavel, The Method of Grace, in the Holy Spirits Applying to the Souls of Men the Eternal Redemption Contrived by the Father, and Accomplished by the Son (etc.). (United Kingdom: Religions Tract Society, 1875), 100. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For,
"Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. Hebrews 10:36-39, ESV Hebrews 10:19-39 contains what may be the sternest warning passage in the book. It can strike fear even in the heart of the faithful when they first read, “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries” (10:26-27) or, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (10:31). We know that we still sin. We can remember times when our sin was even deliberate. Does this mean that God’s grace has run out for us? Are we doomed to eternal judgment? The key to understanding this warning passage in Hebrews is to read the verses around it. The stern warning is followed by this reminder: But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward (10:32-35). We are not only being called to remember our sin but our moments of faith and endurance as well. The warning passage, as verse 35 makes clear, is a warning to the faithful to stay the course. Their endurance for the sake of Christ reflects their confidence in Him. That confidence of faith will be rewarded by God. Verses 36-39 summarize the passage. Those who have endured much in their walk with the Lord are called to bear even more for the sake of the great reward promised to them. They do not endure to earn the reward. They endure because their faith is real faith. Christian endurance builds confidence in the heart of the believer. If they were to shrink back in the face of trials, there would be destruction. But they will not, for they are people of faith. I pray that you will continue to grow in the confidence that comes from faithful endurance. Stay the course. Do not shrink back. Have faith. The object of your faith is true, and He will be faithful to bring you your reward. May your confidence grow, even today, as you walk by faith in Jesus. Pastor Don Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:19-25, ESV
Jesus, our Great High Priest, offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice to atone for sin. He entered into the holy of holies in the heavenly tabernacle and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice. This is our confession. It is what we believe. In our passage today we are reminded that we who believe must act in ways fitting that belief. In the words of our passage, “since we have confidence . . . let us . . . let us . . . let us.” Our confidence in Christ compels us to draw near to our God. His grace creates in us the desire to be near Him. Since we believe that Christ has cleansed us from the filth of sin, we can draw near our Holy God. Confident in Christ, we do so in praise and prayer. Our confidence in Christ is anchored in His divine reliability. Therefore, we need not drift from our faith. If our faith was anchored in itself, we would be in a perilous situation. Our weak faith tends to shift like desert sands. But Jesus is a solid bedrock. Faith that is anchored in Him will hold. Our confidence in Christ motivates us to gather together and encourage one another in “love and good works.” Why is getting back together as the physically gathered body of Christ such a strong pull in these days of isolation? It is in part because we recognize that the work of Christ that draws each one of us to God is drawing us together so that we might motivate one another to reflect the love and righteousness of God in our individual lives. Confident in the person and work of Jesus, we go to God. We stand firm in Jesus. We gather together to promote love and righteousness. May God grant us grace that we may soon be gathered together to do just that. Pastor Don And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. Hebrews 10:11-14, ESV
By God’s design, symbolism has always had a key role to play in worship. Our passage refers to the symbolic sacrifices offered by the Old Testament priests. These were such valuable sacrifices that God encoded both the requirement for them and instructions on how to complete them into the law given to Israel through Moses. God desired that His people express their faith in Him by making sacrifices that symbolically looked forward to a better sacrifice to come. Nonetheless, the sacrifices themselves never actually accomplished atonement; they never actually removed guilt and shame from the shoulders of the sinner. Attending daily to this difficult and bloody work, the faithful priest was both calling Israel to faith in what God would do in the future and reminding them that this longed-for day had not yet come. Then Jesus came! Christ, acting as our Great High Priest, offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice to atone for sin. With His single sacrifice, the priestly work was finally finished. Jesus did not need to return to the work daily. He retired to the throne room and “sat down at the right hand of God.” We now live in the days of His waiting, while the consequences of His sacrifice are being worked out. His righteous offering stands in judgment of His enemies and will one day see their utter demise. It is sanctifying the saints who are forensically declared perfect and are being changed into the image of the One who sacrificed Himself for them. Returning to the idea of symbolism in worship, let us look at how our symbols have changed. In the place of the priestly labor of temple sacrifices, we sit and partake of a supper. We are offered bread to eat and the fruit of the vine to drink in remembrance of Christ and His sacrifice. The priests served in futility to make them hungry. We are served a meal to remind us of Christ’s sufficiency. I look forward to the day when we can live out this Lord’s Supper symbolism in gathered fellowship once more. Let us pray together that that day will come soon and, in the meantime, let us find peace and rest in the finished work of our perfect Priest. Pastor Don And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Hebrews 9:27-28, ESV
“It is appointed for man to die once.” About 56 million people died worldwide in 2017.[1] That is a lot of death. Hebrews 9:27-28 speaks of Christ in light of this mortality reality. It tells us that death is a one-time event that ends the life of man in this world and ushers him before the eternal Judge. Thankfully, along with this sobering truth comes good news. Good news part 1: just as death is a singular event for man, the sacrificial death of Jesus is a singular event. Jesus did not need to die over-and-over for each man’s sin. The value of His life was such that His death was a more-than-sufficient sacrifice to cover the sins of all mankind for all of time. Good news part 2: just as after death man appears before the Judge, Jesus will “appear a second time” to rescue those who are “eagerly waiting” for a Savior. He will gather those who have an enduring faith in Him, and they will be saved! It is estimated that 31% of the world’s population claims Christianity as their religion[2] and that roughly 26% of those who do might be considered evangelical.[3] These figures are optimistic in my opinion. All the same, they imply that only 4.5 million of the 56 million who died in 2017 were trusting in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that at least 51.5 million people entered eternity to face divine judgment without a Savior in that single year. Our passage speaks of the sufficiency of Christ’s saving work and the surety of salvation that belongs to each man, woman, boy, or girl who has faith in Jesus as their Savior. This is the source of our joy! However, when we also consider, in light of worldwide lostness, the surety of death and judgment for those without such a faith, may it drive us to greater urgency in our worldwide mission endeavor. How can you serve a bigger role in bringing the good news about Jesus to a lost and dying world? Let me encourage you to explore some of the information and opportunities with the International Mission Board here: https://www.imb.org/. May God bless you as you commit your prayers, your finances, and even your life to this vital work. Pastor Don [1] https://ourworldindata.org/causes-of-death. Accessed May 13, 2020. [2] https://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projection-table/2020/number/all/. Accessed May 13, 2020. [3] https://evangelicalfocus.com/world/5119/660_million_evangelicals_in_the_world. Accessed May 13, 2020. |
From Pastor DonWriting about the Bible and praying that it will be of some good for someone. Archives
June 2021
|