Establishment’s Objective: Walking Faith

Posted by anointedplace on July 12, 2014 · 4 Comments 

Hebrews 11:1-3, 6, 13-14, 16-19

Verses 1 – 3

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. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Verse 6

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Verses 13 -14

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.

Verses 16 – 19

But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

 

Hebrews 10 establishes our beginning and makes us aware of the author of our faith.  In that chapter we get a sense of history. We get a starting point to the life we lived and the life we are trying to save on our own. We see just how far away we were from God. We see that with our best efforts we would still be lost. We see the importance of holiness and that we just don’t have it and can’t earn it or even offer enough bulls, goats, lambs, or doves. We see that even though the world will take our possessions as a down payment on our debts, the best of the flock God takes no pleasure in it. God wants our hearts not what we have. As badly as He wants to our sin keeps us apart because we don’t trust God. We make offerings in the hopes God will take them instead of us because we don’t trust God with our lives. Yet, God gives us the faith to believe, Jesus is the author of that faith because it is hearing the Gospel about him that faith comes to the hearts God has raised from the dead. Thus God establishes our assurance and confidence in the faithful of Christ and all that God has promised. As Christ denied himself and died to self, he took up his cross and walked in the Fathers purpose following God the Holy Spirit as he is led to that hill. His resurrection guaranteed our salvation and receiving Christ’s righteousness and rightness before God. The seating of Christ on the Father’s right hand establishes even more. But here in chapter 11 our faith is given legs to walk out the path that chapter 10 establishes for us. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for” Our faith is Jesus and the drive force of that faith is Jesus, are reason to have faith is Jesus. There is a promise in this faith that we over look and it’s the promise of resurrection and seeing God as he truly is. The things we hope for is to be with Christ and made into the likeness of Christ, to be resurrected. Paul says that if there is no resurrection than we are all foolish to bear such sufferings for Christ sake. So we walk out this confidence, this assurance, this hope, this faith in Christ because of the promise outweighs the pleasures of this world. We walk out by faith down a path that is already set before us by God who already knows how it will end as well as what will be found on the path. Because Jesus already walked out this faith on this very same road we are on now.

 

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” If we don’t have faith, then we have not foundation and there is no road set before us. If there is no road, there is no walking if there is no walking there is no destination and without a destination we have no promise or reward. Since we are not moving at all, not even towards God we can’t draw near to him and he will not draw near to us. Without faith in God, we will put it in ourselves and use bulls, goats, lambs, money, people, careers, homes, and everything we get our hands on to please “God” but the “God” we please is not the God of the bible but ourselves. We will tell us what we must do to be save and have eternal life… Live comfortably, achieve a lot of goals, be accepted by others, buy approval so this world(country) will remember us so we can life on forever. But this is so hard because everybody else has the same plan, everyone wants to be worshiped as a god. That’s why having people believe you, believe in you, have faith in you, trust you is so important to your self-worth as a god.

 

“and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.” Once we have faith and the road is set before us, we are placed on a faith walk as we are God’s workmanship and we operate in this. But what is it that causes us to persevere in the midst of suffering? What moves us forward and how can we deny ourselves in this world, how do live idol free, how do we not fall into having faith in ourselves over God? When we see that we don’t belong here, when we acknowledge that we are strangers, that we are a royal priesthood, we are a people set apart for Jesus Christ. When we see that we are being conformed into the image of Christ so that the promise the Father made to Christ will be fulfilled. That Christ will be the firstborn among many brethren. The children of God will let the world know as well as their flesh that we seek a homeland that is not found in this world. We will receive in part when we are absent from the body but fully at Christ’s return. Yet, as we press forward to the promise our position is reserved in heaven as we are seated with Christ right now. “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” The heart of our faith is this promise, it is Jesus Christ who holds our heavenly place that he has prepared. Because we desire to be with Christ and to fellowship with him God longs to be called our God. Because our hope is not resting in what we can achieve or what we can accomplish to save ourselves but our hope rest in Jesus. We long for His return and not our hitting it big, this is a faith that moves, and it’s a faith that produces works. It is a faith that is living and not dead as we march to the promise of the resurrection but not just the resurrection but the promises that come along with being God’s workmanship.

“He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.” This living faith knows no boundaries because Jesus has none. This living faith that walks the path set before it by God trust all that God does even in the situations of impossibility because God made promises. Abraham moved towards the promise by faith and that the obstacle of losing the son that the promise involved did not stop him. Why? Because God is faithful and how do we know God is faithful? Jesus lives, that how we know God is faithful. Jesus is not just our present but he is our promise, the beginning and the end; alpha and omega author and finisher. Jesus is our faith, the object of our faith, the reason why we believe, he walked out that faith down the very road set before us. Jesus showed us that the promises are real and God can be trusted. You can never have real living faith that produces the works of Christian living if you never realize the bloody alter of our dead lives as we trying to overcome the flat lining. You can never live it out now if you are not bold but you can’t be bold if you believe you belong here. Our desire to be liked keeps us from acknowledging that we are strangers and adopting the world’s desires, we will never desire a better country. Since we won’t desire a better country, the heavenly one, God will be ashamed to be called our God.  We can’t live in both worlds and have two masters, even though one is lying to us. Jesus is our only hope.

Related articles

• Establishment
• Got Faith? Where Is It? Part IV
• Got Faith? Where Is It? Part IV
• The Christological Hymn of Colossians 1
• How to Have the “God-kind” of Faith (Part 4)

Filed under Christ, Christian, Faith, Jesus Christ, mankind, Righteousness, Salvation, Sin, The Gospel, Word of God · Tagged with Abraham, alter, Christ, Christ Jesus, Epistle to the Hebrews, Faith, God, Hebrews, High Priest, HolySpirit, Isaac, Jesu, Jesus, Jesus Christ