Stay In The Faith

"God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in theses last days spoken unto us by (through) the Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom he made the ages (aionas); Who being the brightness of his glory (essence), and the express image (charakter) of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." Hebrews 1:1-4

There is so much given in these verses about the person in the Ieosu that beggars speech.  And yet we attempt an explanation of them because of their vital richness.

Early on there had been controversy about the author of this compelling Scriptural document, and some have written about its place within the revealed canon.  However, this document is a highly important part of scriptural revelation because its bold and uncompromising Christology (doctrine of the person of Iesous).

According to the writer of this document revelation is from above, and it is singularly directed toward unveiling the person of the Iesous.  The Iesou is prominently featured here because of who he is, and what he has done for the human community.  Yahweh chose a unique family headed by a man Abram, and later named Abraham in order to carry forth Salvation History.

The history of the family of Abraham the father of the Faith (Aman) is recorder in the Tenach or what in the west is called the "Old Testament."  It may come as a shock to western believers that the Jewish people do not call their Scriptures the "Old Testament."

The words of the prophets were spoken for the most part in times of crisis. When they spoke into the current state of things it was to expose and explode the status quo. They were courageous and daring in their speech events.  Indeed, their speech events unleashed an intrinsic destiny for their hearers.

The prophets were oftentimes found to be abrasive and offensive to many.  There was no psycho-dynamic appeal in their compelling speech acts.  They were the embodiment of the Yahweh on behalf of his people. The prophets were sent ones.  They were directed by Yahweh and burdened with a compelling message that was not their own.  They were called to speak "Thus Saith the Lord."  Yahweh's word was their burden to those who had forgotten their appropriate destiny.

The writer of the book of Hebrews wrote to the same Jewish family.  These Jewish converts had come to realize that Iesou was indeed the Messiah promised in the Scriptures.  They had left behind the temple sacrificial system and the offering of the blood of bulls and goats as a covering for sin.  The entire Temple system had been set aside through the finished redemptive work of Ieosu.  They believed on him, and in his finished work on the cross.

But now persecution had come as a result of their commitment to the Ieous.  It was discouraging indeed to know that they were being harassed for their commitment of their lives to the Ieosu.  The writer of this document called it an exhortation because they were in danger of falling away from the Faith.  The pain of suffering was inviting them to question their faith in Iesou.  Did they really do the right thing in following the Iesou?

Their faith was being examined by suffering and it was a tough road.  The writer invites them to focus not on their suffering, but on the One who suffered on their behalf as an offering because of their sins.  Remember that the Iesou did not focus on his pain but on their salvation.  He was their model.  He was their enduring model of perseverance.  Never, never look back into the past as a safety net.  The past was not so secure as you journeyed through it.  

The past is sweet when we chose to remember only the best times.  We have a way of editing out the hard times when we need to keep on keeping on in the present.  The past becomes a comforting and deceiving lie when it is scoured of the barnacles of malignant troubles.

Beloved, remember the Ieosu when you are beset by troubles.  Yes, your faith is precious, and there are those who want to separate you from your living hope.  Remain steady. Do not give up, but press on in the faith for you will receive a great reward from God if you do not falter.

Do not look for excuses to quit the faith, but harvest many reasons not to fall away.  He is worth the struggle. Remember the battle is the Lord's as David said when he faced the Goliath-wall in his life.  The roaring Goliath with his impressive size, state of the art armor, and highly abusive words, did not discourage David.

Beloved do not remove yourself from the Faith, but trust in the living God and he will give you the faith to stay in the battle and not to give up.  God is on your side, but you have to believe that he is there for you in your time of stress and distress.

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