We've seen that mans works no matter how religious they maybe do not have any accounting or bearing with God. Because He sees only mans trusting of His faithfulness to do as He has spoken, merely as the historical reward of his well-pleasing faith. It is clear throughout scripture that God is not pleased by man’s “works” of righteousness, but only by faith that allows God to do what He wants to do (Isaiah 64:6; Philippians 3:8,9; Galatians 3:11-14), and that the divine commendation is based on such faithful availability. We through Christ's essence are to be receptive and then allow His activities to flow through Christ essence (as the vein that supports the branch and the sap as it feeds the vein and the branch where it produces the fruit) that is within us to those around us. For it is Christ alone who can give glory to the Father. Paul builds the account of those in Hebrew history who exemplified such faith in God's faithfulness to do as He had promised but who never received the promised end as this end is only realized in Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 11:8
"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out not knowing whither he went."
Well, we’ve already talked about Abraham so we’re not going to stretch this. God didn’t pick Abraham up out of Ur of the Chaldees and supernaturally transport him over Canaan and give him a bird’s-eye-view, like even Moses had from Mount Nebo. And God didn’t take Abram out over Canaan and say, "Now Abraham if you believe me this is what I’m going to give you." No. God just simply told this man Abraham down there in the Euphrates Valley, "Leave your city, and your family. And go to a land that I will show you." Now that takes trust an obedience without questioning or doubting. How? He knew God! He wondered through a land that was not his own and looked forward to a city and land not yet seen signifying that even Canaan (Palestine) was not the land of promise.
That takes faith! He had to break with his family. He had to break with his business. He had to simply turn his back on everything and leave his homeland. That’s what trust has to do. All right, and so "he goes into a place which he should(not) afterward receive for an inheritance and Abraham obeyed." He did what God asked him to do, and that’s faith. "...and he went out not knowing whither he went." Keep in mind that all these examples are rehearsed for the sole purpose of strengthening the Palestinian Hebrew Christians faith to endure the hardships that were on the horizon as a forward looking faith to the greater reward. To keep the faith in Christ's working within them as they were already receptive of His workings. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him,” but the ultimate pleasure of God is not in the faith action itself, but in the fact that faith allows God’s Grace action to manifest His character and work. In his benedictory remarks, Paul prays that the Palestinian Hebrew Christians will allow God “to equip them in every good thing to do His will, working in them that which is pleasing to His sight, through Jesus Christ, to Whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (13:21).
Now when he finally gets there which is the land of Canaan years and years later, he’s still operating by faith.
Hebrews 11:9a
"By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country,…"
Which of course, God promised to him back there in Genesis chapter 15 and on. And so he, "lived by faith in the land of promise as in a strange country." Now what’s the lesson? That he was looking forward to the heavenly land that is to be realized in Christ Jesus, as promised.
You know Paul says in Romans that all these things back in the Old Testament were written for what purpose? Our learning. Right! And so what’s the lesson? Well, this is where you and I are. You and I were called out of the Ur of the lost estate or Egypt as an example of the world. We were snatched out of the slave market of sin, sickness and death. But when God transformed us and made us a believer, a receiver and declared us righteous, He didn’t take us to Heaven - be nice if He would! But He didn’t; He left us here. And so in the picture, where are we? We’re among the strangers. We’re amongst a hateful world. The world has always hated Christ-like ones, His disciples.
Now the Constitution fortunately has protected us thus far and for most of Western civilization their government has protected Christians. But you go into Sudan today, are Christians safe? Na! They’re dying by the thousands. Go into Indonesia. Are Christians safe? In Figi, you better believe that they are. It don't start this way there for they were a people of head hunters and killers of men. But in so most areas of the world, they’re living amongst a hateful enemy. And the only reason we don’t feel it is because our government guarantees our safety; but take that away and I think you and I would be shocked at how fast they would turn against us.
But here the picture is that Abraham was now dwelling amongst strangers. Oh, God deeded him the land in Genesis 15 but who was still occupying it? The Canaanites. So now you have to picture in your own mind, here comes this man Abraham with his flocks and his herds and his servants – what does he have to ask as he traverses the land? Permission. He would ask permission. "Can I bring my flocks on to your land? Can I bring my flocks into your orchards?" He had to because he was a stranger sojourning amongst strange people. But what was the promise? God was with him, and God blessed him. God protected him.
So it’s the same way with us today. Yes, we are now ‘citizens’ of Heaven by virtue of our salvation experience. But God didn’t take us to Heaven when we were saved; He left us here. And so we are dwelling amongst lost humanity around us but we are under His protective care. We’re His, we belong to Him and so all these examples of faith are for our learning. And this is the reason for Paul's rehearsing of these patriarchs of faith the strengthen them in their faith as the Romans build their strength to crush the Hebrews uprising of nationalism against them.
We’re in Hebrews chapter 11 and we’re about ready to go into verse 8 - and in fact we touched on it a little bit. This letter is written primarily, not exclusively, to Christian-Hebrew people who were having a hard time making the break with Judaism (with the Temple worship and the sacrifices and all its pom and circumstance), with the over whelming tide of nationalism and the prevailing winds of God's judgment of Daniel's prophecy. And stepping away from it into this Age of Grace and the New Covenant of Grace which is based on the power of an Endless Life through a death of all our self-will, our pride and ego, as well as to the power of the spirit of the world. By faith in Paul’s Gospel, plus nothing, theirs and our salvation. Though they face death daily he's telling them to NOT turn back to religion as they knew it but to stand strong in Christ, the rock, upon which they can stand if they hold fast to the end, even if it is their death, through which they'll receive the reward promised them, in Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment