Living our Faith
The other day I was reading my Bible in the book of Hebrews. I was struck with several things:
- "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) Can I get an amen to that? We are found not guilty of our sin because of God's forgiveness. Now our part here is believing and having faith in Christ's life, death and resurrection to life as the ultimate priest and intercessor (offering prayers for us is his only mission until he returns, Hebrews 7:25) who is able to save us completely. Most of us know this part.
- We are REQUIRED to have a loving relationship with God and not with the world. In Hebrews we are warned to guard against drifting away from God (Hebrews 2:1). We are commanded to fix our thoughts on Jesus in Hebrews 3:1. Is this a given? No... I know in my own life if I get too busy and begin to put my life before my relationship with Christ, I become tempted to live more like what I am surrounded with... the world. This, if left unchanged, will lead to my drifting away.
- God is the same today as he was in the Old Testament. In Hebrews, the author gives the example of the Hebrews begin lead out of Egypt. God was angry with them because of their falling away:"That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.' So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.'" (Hebrews 3:10, 11)
"See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God." (Hebrews 3:12)
What does our becoming more worldly say about our faith? The Hebrews being lead out of Egypt were shown God's power and glory yet when something that seemed uncirmountable occurred they were quick to disbelieve what miracles that had seen and doubt God. They were given their daily directions and nothing more. When they went into the desert they quickly doubted God because they saw no water or food. When Moses had been on the mountain a while they considered themselves abandoned and formed a calf of gold to worship saying that it was their God and that it lead them out of Egypt.
Are the Hebrews here just a weak bunch? Or are we also dealing with things in our lives that seem uncirmountable? Things that to our human nature seem impossible to get through considering our God is invisible. We are serving a REAL GOD, the only TRUE GOD. He is not only capable of dealing with our problems but all the problems of believers everywhere.
God often allows things that seem impossible to come into our lives to build on our faith (James 1:2-4, 1:12). The fact that they seem impossible does that make them so for God.
We need to live a life that believes and has faith in God. That should lead us to a relationship with him, one that depends on him and not on ourselves. If we are not becoming less worldly we should ask why not? Are we living in faith which includes obedience to God's Word?
David's life was anything but perfect. Yet what made him righteous was that he had faith in God and what God said to him. When he sinned against God, by sending Bathsheba's husband Uriah to his death, what was his attitude? When Nathan calls him out and informs him that he will be greatly punished. He will ultimately lose his baby that he has with Bathsheba, one of his sons rapes one of his daughters and another of his sons kills his rapist brother and then turns on David and tries to take his kingdom. He takes 10 of David,s concubines and has sexual relations with them on the roof of Davids own house. This son (Absalom) is ultimately killed by Davids men. 2 Samuel 11:1- 19:8
How does David respond to this? David responded to God in a repentant heart he expresses Godly sorrow that Paul later speaks of (2 Corinthians 7:8-12). Read Psalms 51.
God Bless you all,
Sean
