03 27 08 Opportunities to Rejoice

“So do not throw away your confidence, because it has great reward.
For you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised.
For just a little longer and he who is coming will arrive and not delay.
But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back,
I take no pleasure in him.
But we are not among those who shrink back and thus perish,
but are among those who have faith and preserve their souls.”
(Hebrews 10:35-39 NET)

The author of Hebrews had been writing concerning the triviality of which the believers were treating the sacrifice of Christ, to the point of insulting the Spirit of God. God is still the ultimate Judge we need to fear Him I how we act and how we handle His instruction (verses 26-31).

Recalling Paul (Romans 3:17) and the prophet Habakkuk (Habakkuk 2:4) the writer reemphasizes that the righteous ones, the redeemed will live by faith. That faith needs to be an active faith revealing the grace of God in the repentant’s lifestyle. There needs to be evidence of change. There needs to evidence of the Spirit’s work in the life of the believer. Continuing in sin not only insults the Spirit of the living God, but it opens one up to God’s judgment. That is a fearful thing indeed! (verse 31).

To fall back into the same lifestyle as before knowing Christ shows a lack of confidence in His saving and staying power. As believers, we need to be like the author and find no pleasure in those who shrink back into the temptations of the world. The NKJV Study Bible explains that those who live by faith invest their physical life for eternal benefits. This is a description of what faith does…it allows us to live through circumstances here on earth to the glory of God and by His Spirit within us.

The following chapter 11) goes on to describe many who absolutely lived by faith. We have no excuse. We have the history of those who have gone before us. Most importantly, we have His power! To ignore it is to be ashamed of Him. To rely upon other means of strength is putting the world’s means of handling things above God’s. Do we want God’s judgment…or His grace, mercy, wisdom, and power?

We can’t keep running from trials and tests. We need to confront them. James would tell us to draw near to God…cleanse our hands…purify our hearts…and not to be double-minded (chapter 4). He instructs us to be joyful (opportunities to rejoice) as we face various trials as they are to be considered tools for growth to refine and purify our faith…bringing patience and endurance!