The Faith we Possess

The writer of Hebrews tells us that we are to hold firmly to the faith we possess. Today I find that when you mention faith you get a number of different responses. Some think of faith as a creed that you follow while others see faith as a force that you can build within you. They take Jesus' words when He said that if you have faith you could move mountains. While that is true it is not something that we produce within ourselves. So we say when the mountain is not moved that we didn't have enough faith,
All the faith you can muster within yourself will not accomplish anything but the faith that comes from without can and will accomplish much. I heard James MacDonald say that we had to have more faith and he quoted the song "Faith is the victory." Is faith the victory? I don't think so unless that faith is a person and that person is Jesus Christ.
So let's go back to the title of this article, the faith we possess. What is the faith we possess? Is it a creed? Is it a force? or is it a person?
Paul tells us in Romans that faith comes by hearing (not by striving) and hearing comes by the Word of God. The faith we possess is much more than a creed because it is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Faith is the victory if faith is Jesus Himself as He is the victor.

Our Great High Priest

As I read Hebrews 4:14 - 16 I could not help but notice the symbolism that is there and I am sure that if I saw it the original readers knew exactly what the author meant. He said, "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. 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."
The High Priest once a year went through the veil into the Holy of Holies to make an atonement for the people. Jesus has gone through the veil (the heavens) into the Holy of Holies (the presence of God). The High Priest did this once a year as it was always temporary but Jesus, our Great High Priest, has done it once for all.
Even after the High Priest made the atonement for the sins of the people they could not come into the presence of God themselves but our Great High Priest has opened the way so that we can go into the very presence of God with confidence that our prayers will be heard.

Randy Alcorn

Randy Alcorn once asked a group of students if they believed that a person could lose their salvation or not. He then proceeded to divide them into two groups, those that did and those that didn't. He then gave each group a list of Scriptures to study but what he didn't let them know was that the two groups had different scripture references. The group that said that did believe that a person could lose salvation he gave verses on eternal security while to the group that didn't believe you could lose your salvation he gave verses that warned against coming short. Much of scripture has that tension and we must not use our doctrinal bias to filter scripture but that we would check our doctrinal biases by Scripture. One thing that is important for us to remember is that we must always view human choice through the lens of the sovereignty of God.

Let the Beauty of Jesus

We used to sing a little chorus that went:

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me
All His wonderful passion and purity
Oh, Thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine
Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me

Maybe we should have sang it this way:

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen by me
All His wonderful passion and purity
Oh, Thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine
Till the beauty of Jesus be seen by me

I think one of the reasons why we are danger of drifting is that we lose sight of the beauty of Jesus. When I go to church I want to see the beauty of Jesus. When I read the word I want to see the beauty of Jesus. It is important that the world see the beauty of Jesus in us but they won't until we see the beauty of Jesus.

The right to be saved

Do I (or you or anyone) have the right to be saved? THe simple answer is "no". We have the right to be condemned. When we see that we have the right to be saved we minimize sin but even worse than that we become idolators in that we are involved in the worst "ism" of all, humanism. When we see that our only rightful destiny is damnation then we will take a much different look at salvation and guard that great salvation that was given to us.

Possess your Possessions

"Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess." Deuteronomy 11:8
How do we possess our possessions? The possessions are gifts from God and the strength to possess them is also a gift from God. Is it works-righteousness to possess what is ours in Christ Jesus? Absolutely not! He gives us both the gift and the strength to obtain that gift. It is all about Him.

Gospel in the Old Testament

"For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith." Hebrews 4:2
So how was the Gospel preached to the people in the Old Testament? Certainly the sacrifices spoke of their need of a Saviour. The tabernacle showed the Gospel. The Law also showed the Gospel. How quickly the people turned the Law into something that it was not intended to be. The Law was not an end in itself but pointed to a Saviour, the Gospel.

Sinless Perfection

Do the warnings in Hebrews tell us that we are to become sinless, that is a state of sinless perfection? That certainly is not the case as other scriptures will testify to. I heard a lady say that she hadn't sinned in 9 years. Besides the obvious sin of pride one has to wonder what she did 9 years ago. The warnings are against sinning as sin will lead to a downward spiral but sin will happen because we live in a fallen world. The warnings are against apostasy. How do we guard against apostasy? We must fix our eyes on Jesus.

Quick Sand

In 1981 we built a house on a semi-rural lot. Before we could build the lot had to be cleared. One day I took our oldest son, who was six at the time, with me while I took the chain saw to clear the lot. I told him to stay away from where I was working so he played by the road and in the ditch. After awhile I had to shut off the chain saw and I heard him calling me. He sounded scared. I ran to him and found him stuck in the ditch. He couldn't get himself out of the mud, it was just like quick sand. I had to find a board and crawl out to him. Then I had to reach down and pull each leg separately from the mud. We were extremely dirty when we arrived home that evening.


Sin is like that. We don't notice that it is sucking us in until we try in our own strength to get out on own and then we realize that we need help. If we ignore it any longer we are doomed.
Hebrews warns us against allowing us to be drawn in by sin. Do we heed the warnings?

Haiti

Over the past few days we have been looking at some of the most heart wrenching pictures of one of the world's worst disasters. Some people have been quick to point out that Haiti had made a pack with the devil and now the Lord is punishing Haiti for doing that. Now I know that choices that individuals and nations make do effect them but if God judged that way for choices then our nation could expect a similar disaster. Should we look at the disaster that way? I am not saying that God may be judging that nation but we must examine ourselves. It is easy for us to feel superior if we are not being judged while they are. We talked about it in our adult class and my feeling is that we must treat it the same way as Jesus told the people that they were to treat the people who suffered death in Luke 13, "Unless you repent you will likewise perish." These events should be warnings to us that we should heed the words of Jesus and repent.

Rosie Ruiz

A few days ago I posted a blog about running a marathon. Now I didn't do it but my son did.
In 1980 Rosie Ruiz wanted to win the Boston Marathon and she did in record time. However, it was discovered that she had cheated. She came out of the crowd and joined the race near the end. Since she was fresh she had no trouble beating everyone else to the finish line.
When we run the race of a Christian we must run by the rules. The rules are there to keep us from dropping out or compromising the faith. They are not there to make us a competitor but rather to help us as runners.

A Prayer

When I read the warnings in Hebrews I pray, "Lord, give me the desire and strength to continue on the journey of faith." The warnings are a reminder that we need the Gospel everyday of our lives.

Fork in the road

One of my favourite funny man, baseball players was Yogi Berra. Yogi was known for his statements which didn't make much sense. One thing he said was "If you come to a fork in the road, take it."


Many people look at the warnings in Hebrews as if they were forks in the road but they are not. There is only one road and you are either on it or you aren't. The warnings are signs to help us stay on the road.

Warnings and Assurance

One of the concerns that people have when they read the warnings in Scripture and particularly in Hebrews is that if these warnings are to be taken seriously then doesn't that destroy assurance of our salvation. If the warnings are read properly they don't destroy confidence but bolster it. Warnings are to be taken along side the promises. They are not unlike warning signs along the highway. If warning signs are taken seriously then they can give us assurance in our driving rather than the opposite. Warnings are there to keep us safe not to make us unsafe.

The Promise

First we have the warning, a warning against unbelief. Then we have the appeal, an appeal to hear, believe, obey and share the Word. Then finally the promise.
The promise is a promise of rest. When the Israelites were brought out of Egypt they were brought out to be brought into the promised land, a land of rest but because of their unbelieving hearts they were denied entry. The warning to the Hebrew Christians was that they too were endanger of missing out on the promised rest because of unbelief.

The Appeal

After giving the readers (and us) a warning from Scripture the author goes on to make an appeal. The appeal is for the Word of God. We must hear the Word, remember Paul said that faith comes by hearing. But we must not stop at just hearing the word we must believe it, but again we are reminded that even the demons believe but they are condemned. So what more is there? We must obey the Word. To hear the word and believe the word is like a man who looks at his messy hair in a mirror but walks away and does nothing about it. But it doesn't stop there. We must be also share the word. The Israelites heard the word, believed the word and even obeyed the word but kept it to themselves. We must share the good news. This is the appeal of this warning.

Who wrote it?

In the warning in Chapter 3 of Hebrews the author begins by quoting Psalm 95. However, he doesn't say, "as the Psalmist said." but rather he recognizes the true author and says, "as the Holy Spirit says."
Many people have suggested that a proper way to study scripture is to get into the mind of the author and the people to whom he is writing. Now that is important but we must never forget who is the true author and what He is trying to say to us today.
By the way, Psalm 95 was my mother's favourite.

From a serious student

I received the following email re the book of Hebrews. I think it is well worth reading.

I have a lot of trouble with this book. I was originally inclined to believe that the book is written to Christians, and I still do, however the idea popped in my head that the 'we' that is spoken of could also be Paul identifying himself with the Jews as a Jew. But this just generates a long list of more questions. Whoever the author of this book is has a good knowledge of Jewish scripture and law, and I believe that the author is a Jew, whether it is Paul or not.

The word in 2:3 is 'ignore' in my NIV bible, but the word comes up in Strong's dictionary as 'neglect' or 'make light of'. As I read Ch1 and into Ch2 to try and get context, it appears that the author is writing to people who do not need to be convinced that Jesus is the Son of God. But the argument that the book jumps into is more like that the Son is greater than the angels. It seems to me that they need to be convinced that Jesus was in fact not just the Son, who was another angel. The author argues that exclusively before moving into chapter 2. There he says that since Angels were messengers of God, they must be true. Therefore, since they were correct in what they said (from his arguments in Ch1) 'how shall we escape if we neglect (ignore) such a great salvation?'

Who is this book written to? Christians or Jews? Where we find things like 'we' and 'holy brothers who share in the heavenly calling' (Ch3:1) it may be that these can be interpreted as a Jew speaking to his Jewish brothers. Can it not?? Don't forget 1 Cor 9:20 where Paul says 'To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.'

I think the answer is better found in Ch 5:11 - 6:3. It seems that the author is writing to Jews who were struggling with the message of Grace. Ch6:2 says it great, for even though they should be teachers, they still don't understand the basics. The gospel seems like a tough message for these recipients .. but they seem inclined to accept it. Where are they in their walk of salvation? At the beginning, it seems.

I found a comparison to Romans 9:30 - 10:4. Paul talks about the Jews and his love for his Jewish 'brothers'. They were zealous for God, but their zeal was not based in knowledge. They tried to establish their own righteousness, and in doing so did not submit to God's. For righteousness was never meant to be of works, but of faith. 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness', not 'Abraham did good things that he decided were good enough, and God was pleased.' The author of Hebrews wants these people to get it already, and understand and move on!!

The Hebrews 6:4 warning is of course very concerning, and very confusing. Even in its context I have trouble understanding what it means. I read one commentary that said that the Greek word "parapipto" for 'fall away' was the same used in Ezekiel 20:27 and 18:24. A very similar warning in those verses is it not? And very serious.

But I need to remember what that warning cannot mean. It cannot mean that if we become Christian, and sin, that it is impossible for us to repent. If that was the case, what came of David when he sinned and repented. Or moses when he struck the rock? Or Peter when he caused others to stumble in Galatians 2:11. Or Jonah who disobeyed God to his face. And so many more. Were not these men considered to have received God's blessing? And what about 'forsaking Jesus', something that we would take very seriously. What about Peter who called curses upon himself and even swore "I DON'T KNOW THE MAN". Do we not revere him as one of the holy apostles?? So what is this "parapipto" forsaking or falling away that is spoken of? I don't know, but you're a mathematical person. The theory must align to the practical examples, and vice versa.

What I also need to remember is that as a Christian I will sin, and it does have its consequences. Just reading 2 Chronicles 6:36-39, Hosea 5:13 - 6:2, Hosea 14, 2Chronicles 7:14, shows me that it is the Character of God to forgive when we repent. And not just once, but repeatedly. How great is God!

And the question as to can we lose our salvation? I don't know, but I do have an inclination. But like you said, if we cannot, they why the warnings? Warnings have to be meant for something. When I am driving my car in the winter and I see the sign that is on a bridge that says "bridge deck may be icy" I heed the warning and slow down, because it may be true. But we both know that the Ministry of Highways leaves those signs up all year, so when I drive over the same bridge in the summer, and read the same sign, I disregard the warning, because I know it is meaningless. The warning must warn of something real, or it is meaningless.

Ryan Fullerton

I have just heard a great sermon on Hebrews 2 by Ryan Fullerton of Immanuel Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Click here to hear the sermon. By the way Ryan is a Canadian.

So what are we escaping?

In Hebrews 2 the author says, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?" I have put off writing about this because I need to ask again, What are we escaping? The question is directed to Christians as the author includes himself in the "we". I need help. What do you think? Does it relate back to the judgment against the angels? Let me know, I would love to hear from you.

Marathon

I have never run a marathon but my son has and I have included a picture of him in one of the marathons. As I said, I have never run a marathon but I would imagine that there are signs along the course of the race. Some of these signs are warnings, some give directions, others ... So what is the purpose of the signs? It isn't to discourage the runners so that they will quit but rather to encourage them to keep on running and not quit. They may tell of possible dangers but that too is to encourage them to keep running and finish the course.
It is the same with the warnings in Scripture. They are not there to make us quit or to discourage us but rather to encourage us so that we can finish the course. The author of Hebrews as well as Paul uses the image of running as a picture of the Christian life. The writer of Hebrews says, "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

Words from the Fire

I have just finished reading Albert Mohler's book, Words from the Fire. In this book Dr. Mohler shows how the Ten Commandments are not just a relic from the past but is extremely relevant to us today. As he goes through each of the commandments he shows that they apply to our lives today and our relationship with Christ. He shows that they are not simply rules to obey but shows us the very heart of the Gospel. I found his sermons on the Commandments better but I do recommend this book to all Christians. It is interesting that some want to make the Commandments rules for life as if we come into a saving relationship by obeying the commandments while others write them off as having no relevance for us today. They want to talk about grace but grace is meaningless without judgment and judgement is meaningless without seeing the holiness of God. The Ten Commandments show us that.

Acts 27

There is a very interesting account given to us in Acts 27. Paul is on a ship and they encounter a storm which threatens the safety of everyone on board. Paul says, "But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me." Acts 27:22 - 25
Paul knows that everyone will be saved but then something else happens. The sailors decide that they will try to get to land on their own and leave everyone else to fend for themselves. Paul finds out and says, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved." Acts 27:31
Will these people be saved? Yes. However, there is a condition that is now attached to their safety and that is they must stay with the ship. Will we be saved in the end? Yes. However, like the sailors we must stay with the captain of our salvation to be saved. Is this contradictory? Maybe in our minds but not in Gods. We must persevere to the end to be saved.

Neglect not reject.

Hebrews 2:3 says, "How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?"
This verse speaks volumes and it is important that we look at each word. First, it is addressed to "we" which would include the author and therefore it is addressed to Christians.
Second, we are told that we are to escape. What are we escaping? That will be a subject for another post but it is sufficient to say that it is not addressed to unbelievers as it uses the word "ignore" or "neglect" rather than reject. Therefore, we need to know that if we as believers ignore our salvation then we are in danger of punishment.
So what is the great salvation? Many have addressed this saying it is great in what it cost, what it does, who it does it for, etc. However this salvation is great because it is a person. Salvation is not a plan but a person, Jesus Christ our redeemer. Can Christians ignore Jesus? Yes they do and when they do they are in danger of judgment. We cannot become Christians apart from Jesus Christ and we cannot live as Christians apart from Him. When we do then we are ignoring the great salvation.

Were they Christians?

I know this isn't the right question but it is an important question. Now it is important that we let the Bible answer that question and not our pet doctrines. If they were not Christians then we may be inclined to ignore the warnings. If they were Christians but only in danger of losing their reward then we may not take the warnings as seriously as we should. If they are Christians then how do we explain the teaching of Hebrews 6:9 "Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation." The previous verses seem to refer back to the parable of the soils. I will have to return to this later.
It is enough to know that these warnings are to be taken seriously. If they are given to Christians then we must remember that our faith is is something that we need to guard against apostasy. That is only by the power of God that we can live the life of faith but we must always be on guard.

Roger Woodward

THe picture in Hebrews 2 is one of a person in a boat carelessly drifting to disaster. The following story about Roger Woodward illustrates this extremely well. Read his story, it is an amazing story. Click here for the story or click here to listen to Stuart McLean's interview with Roger Woodward on the Vinyl Cafe.

Warning: Danger ahead 2

The warnings that are given to us in the book of Hebrews have been a concern to theologians ever since this book was written. There have generally been four views that have been held by evangelicals over the years. However, there are problems with each of these views.

The first is the loss of salvation view. In this view the recipients were Christians who were being warned about the danger of losing their salvation. The problem with this view is that it contradicts the security of the believer that is taught in the rest of Scripture.

The second is the loss of rewards view. In this view once again the recipients were Christians but there is no danger of losing their salvation but their rewards. The problem with this view is that it minimizes the awfulness of apostasy.

The third view is the test of genuineness view. This view assumes that the recipients were not Christians but this does not fit with the rest of the epistle which assumes that the readers were Christians.

The final view is the hypothetical loss of salvation view. In this view the readers are once again believed to be Christians but the author is putting forward a hypothetical case. The problem with this view is that we would then just ignore the warnings because they really don’t have any meaning for us today.

I believe that we are asking the wrong question. We begin with our belief and then try to interpret the warnings in light of our doctrinal position. We ask the question, “How do these warnings line up with the promises of God?” The question we should be asking is "Why are these warnings in the Bible?"

Warning - Danger Ahead

When you see a sign like the one on the right it doesn't make you a better or worse driver but it warns you of danger that is ahead. It is not saying that rocks will fall but that they may fall.
It is that way with the Christian life. As we see warnings it is to make us aware of the dangers. It doesn't say that these dangers will happen but beware lest they do.