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The Daily Word of Righteousness
A Warning to the Backslider, #9
For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. (Hebrews 10:37-39—NIV)
The just shall live by faith. Living by faith means we do not shrink back but keep pressing forward in Christ.
If we shrink back we will be destroyed, as far as having any part in Christ is concerned.
If we keep pressing forward in faith we shall be saved in Christ. Therefore salvation is a goal toward which we must keep fighting, running, and pressing. There is to be no looking back once we put our hand to the plow.
The entire eleventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews is a definition of "the just shall live by faith." We discover in this chapter that true faith is hope in the invisible God that He will reward those who seek Him diligently. We find also that faith is the obedient response to that which has been revealed by the Lord.
Faith is not so much a doctrinal stance as it is a life of seeking God and of obedience to what He shows us. There are other kinds of faith, such as miracle-working faith. But the faith by which the righteous live is that of a steady seeking of God and delighting in God.
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—NIV)
Here the theme is repeated. We are exhorted to run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Paul employs the figure of running a race as does the writer of Hebrews. The Christian life is not one of adopting a set of theological positions and then waiting to go to Heaven. Rather it is a race. Paul tells us that we must run with the idea of winning, not jogging along aimlessly. Toward the end of his life Paul still was endeavoring to win, or gain Christ.
How many believers in America are striving with all their might to gain Christ? These are the true disciples of the Lord. These and these alone will be raised from the dead and caught up to meet the Lord when He appears.
The remainder are just churchgoers. Probably the churchgoers who are not fervent disciples are in the majority. What their end will be I have no idea. I do know the Bible means exactly what it says, and it is the overcomers who will inherit the Kingdom of God.
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. (Hebrews 12:4—NIV)
Are we to be struggling against sin or did Jesus do it all for us? What do you think, from the above verse?
See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears. (Hebrews 12:16,17—NIV)
Why are we reminded of Esau? Because of the thesis found in Hebrews that if we turn away from Christ we lose our birthright as a son of God. When this happens there is no gaining it back. A terrifying warning indeed.
To be continued.