Hebrews – Page 3 – Be Still…

Hebrews 11:1-16 – Got Faith?

Read Hebrews 11:1-16

What a beautiful Chapter this will be to reflect on faith. We can’t help but be refreshed and renewed when we receive clarity like this! Before we can know if we’ve “got faith,” we need to understand what faith is. The Preacher does a great job here of clarifying that for us. How can you not have faith when you truly believe this statement. “By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.”

The Preacher also uses Old Testament heroes of faith to illustrate how faith works. We can take clues from their faithfulness and apply them to our lives. Which of these spoke to you the most? (1) giving back to God; (2) pleasing God; (3) seeking God; (4) listen to God even when it’s unpopular; (5) obeying God even when you don’t understand; and (6) confidently trusting God to keep his promises.

Hebrews 10:32-39 – Confidence in God

Read Hebrews 10:32-39

When I started reading this passage, I immediately remembered my first memories of hearing about Jesus as a wide-eyed child. And then the Preacher yanked me into a dark place, recalling the persecution the faithful endured in his day. That was a profound moment to reflect on the differences in how we first experienced Jesus.

It’s certainly a good reminder to count our blessings. It’s way too easy to take the love of God for granted and forget he wants to be in relationship with us. The more we learn about God through his word, the more confidence we have in him and our faith is strengthened.

Hebrews 10:26-31 – Fear of the Lord

Read Hebrews 10:26-31

I like the meme that lists all the sins I haven’t committed yet today, adding “now it’s time to get out of bed!” We sin all the time. And, we’re probably even oblivious to much of our sinfulness, but God sees. Today’s text convicts us to be mindful of our sinning, especially if we’re continuing to sin in the same way over and over. It doesn’t matter the reason or purpose we’ve created to minimize the guilt, we are to avoid deliberate sin. Period!

These would be the sins we do on purpose or do even though we know they are sinful. When is the last time you did a deep dive into your own faith life and uncovered some sins that might have soon become “deliberate”? Maybe you’ll find some deep dark sin tucked away, but you’re unable to give it up. Examples that come to mind are addicts and atheists. Whether you’re doing things that distract you from God or you’re not living to honor God, you are sinning.

Hebrews 10:19-25 – Live In Community

Read Hebrews 10:19-25

The Preacher has given us a lot to think about over the past several readings. How do you respond knowing “Jesus opened a new and life-giving way” giving us the ability to “go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him”? Have you let the magnitude of that promise really sink in?

Maybe you’re even asking yourself, “now what?” When our hearts start to overflow with gratitude and admiration, we call that praise and worship. Our response can simply be to honor God with our worship. When we fully trust God, we start to see the blessings in our lives more clearly. We can’t help but want to give thanks and praise to God.

Hebrews 10:1-18 – Sins Erased

Read Hebrews 10:1-18

The Preacher does it again. We are whisked back into the Old Testament to deepen the meaning of the message he is delivering. Understanding the old covenant would have been a lot easier for the Jews in his first audience. This description of the old covenant is quite something! The Preacher calls it a “dim preview of the good things to come.” Since we’ve been living in the new covenant our whole lives, it does us good to know and appreciate the “upgrade” done for our benefit. Keep in mind your response to God for his forgiveness and grace, the gifts included in this new covenant.

One such Old Testament reference is a quote from Psalm 40:6-8 which speaks for Jesus. Do you suppose the psalmist, David knew the depth of meaning his words had as they pointed to Jesus? Perhaps David had one of those “Holy Spirit moments” when he wrote something but wasn’t sure where it came from. I know there are times when things come out of my mouth that sound “so good”—I’m sure they came from the Holy Spirit!