How the writer of Hebrews defined, Faith.

My Brothers and Sisters,

It’s always good to put things into the right and true perspective, however, to simply say “others have it worse than I do” is not always the most appropriate attitude to have. Seems a random way to start an article, right? Well, let’s jump into it then.

Last night, our teens have begun looking at how the writer of Hebrews has defined “faith.” After all, how can we contend for it if we don’t know what it is, right? We began with Hebrews 10:32 and ended our lesson at 11:2. The beginning verse was probably the vast majority of the conversation. Why? Let’s look at it: “Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.” Is that your story? Great conflict? Full of suffering? What was the writer talking about? Well, let’s look at the following two verses for that: “Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.” Now, I can’t speak for you, but that is certainly not my story! In fact, we have a tendency as readers to look at this first verse and say, “Well, this won’t apply to me, so let’s read about how other people had it bad.”

Two major problems with this approach! First, that is never an appropriate approach to scripture. Remember that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” so we can never just move on or through any of it. Next, we have no right to discredit or discount anyone’s suffering for the sake of Christ, even our own. We have so much in common with the first century Church. No, our brothers and sisters are not being thrown to lions and gladiators, we are not lit on fire to decorate an evil dictator’s garden, Christianity is not illegal, our families don’t have a legal obligation to murder us for accepting Christ, the contrast feels so stark … but it isn’t.

No, seriously, we need to stop making light of our struggle by comparing ourselves to the sensational struggles of those around the world and the history of the Church. During the times of great conflict in Rome, in Jerusalem, in Islamic lands and so forth, Christianity grew. It did not shrink. Christianity was well defined. Christians were emboldened and empowered. Great stories have been lifted from the human bonfires, circus games, beheadings and public executions of the past and present brothers and sisters, inspiring the Church with their martyr blood. But what’s the persecution Satan prepared for the Western church of today?

Instead of our brothers and sisters being thrown to lions and gladiators, we publicly ridicule them, demean them, and humiliate them in both the legal court and court of public opinion through social media and frivolous accusations (that bear long lasting repercussions). Instead of being lit on fire to decorate an evil dictator’s garden, our loving proclamation of God’s truth has been declared as hate speech by the President of the United States. Christianity is not illegal, as long as it obeys the rules of our land which are becoming in direct moral opposition to God’s word. Our families don’t have a legal obligation to murder us, but death is a mercy compared to living in shame, ridicule and disownership.
In the home stretch of my senior year of high school, I heard the ground shaking news that rocked the very foundation of all my Christian classmates. Her name was Cassie Bernall. It was April of 1999; a young man came to Columbine High School, put a shotgun to her head, asked if she believed in God, and, united with the voices of every martyr before her, she said “yes” and immediately met her Father in heaven. At that moment, my classmates and I stood face-to-face with the question, “What would you say?” It was horrific, yet many of us became bold in our faith on that day. What happened to many of these very classmates over the last 25 years? Many of us stayed with our Lord, thank God! Some of my friends answered the siren’s call of homosexuality. Some became “too smart for God” and left what they perceived as ridiculous myths and hypocrisy. Some were drawn away by godless lifestyles. What’s my point?

My point is this: Hebrews 10:32 was written for you and me just as much as it was written to the Hebrew people. We need to stop holding scripture at arm’s length. Until we can grasp 10:32, we can never accept the writer’s definition of faith for ourselves which is written in verses 10:35-11:1, “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, ‘In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.’ (Isaiah 26:20 and Habakkuk 2:3) And, ‘But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.’ (Habakkuk 2:4) But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Our confidence and assurance is our faith. It finds its foundation on the evidence of God’s faithfulness while we were … and are … going through the persecution that is designed to tempt us to shrink back. Brothers and sisters, let’s contend for the faith, not shrinking back, but surging forward!

Encamped along the hills of light, ye Christian soldiers rise! And press the battle ere the night shall veil the glowing skies; Against the foe in vales below, let all our strength be hurled; faith is the victory, we know, that overcomes the world.

Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory that overcomes the world.

In His Grip,
BJ