RUN with ENDURANCE... Finish Strong!

“Run with endurance the race that God has set before you” Hebrews 12:1

Endurance is the key to running God’s race and finishing strong. Endurance is the thing.   

Press on to the finish. Run steady.  When obstacles block your path, run around them, keep a steady forward pace, don’t waiver, there are no breaks in this race, no coasting through the hills and valleys waiting for things to smooth out.  This race is not easy, its a life lived “in Christ” with no promises of an easy journey.  This race will be marked by troubles, periods of stress, extreme exhaustion and at times a strong desire to give up.  There are invisible forces pulling, pushing and prodding at you to throw in the towel, give up, take a rest you deserve it.  Saying you tried to finish is not good enough... you must finish this race... there are no prizes for “I tried, got close, did my best.” Only those who finish well will win the final victory and God’s crown of eternal life.  Endurance... without that internal chutzpah, you will never make the finish. 

A few famous philosophers have spoken of the quality of endurance and how important it is to the human spirit and life experience:  Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory. (William Barclay) Endurance is patience concentrated. (William Carlyle)  Every calamity is to be overcome by endurance. Come what may, all bad fortune is to be conquered by endurance. (Virgil)

This race God has set before you begins not when you are born, but when you are immersed into Christ in obedience to the gospel and his gift of the Holy Spirit begins dwelling within you (Acts 2:38).  The race for me began 31 years ago when I heard the truth of God’s Word and obeyed the gospel.  That decision was the starting point of the race God set before me, and I’m still running that race.  

The race is fulfilling the unique role God gives you to influence others for Christ. That is the prime directive and goal of our journey with God, to seek and save the lost, teaching them to be lifelong disciples.  Paul describes the tasks of his race in Colossians 1:28,29.... Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. (ESV)  My race revolves around teaching the Bible, shepherding and serving my brethren in my local church, mission activities in southeast Asia, living each day of my life set apart to His service and doing whatever I can to make people – the unsaved – aware of God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.  Your race may be different than mine—but it will always revolve around showing and sharing Christ’s love to people who don’t know Him and encouraging people who do to persevere in their journey with God.

This race requires endurance, it is a marathon—not a sprint.  It begins with your baptism into Christ and lasts until you die or Christ returns.  The key is not how fast you start the race, but how consistently you run... steady to the finish.

It is a steeple-chase marathon—it is filled with obstacles, including opposition from people who aren’t in the race and don’t want you to be in the race, from a cultural value-system that beckons you to live for self instead of for Christ, and from demonic spirits that hate Christ and want to knock you out of the race completely.

The fact that the Bible calls on us to run this race with endurance means that there is a danger that we will drop out of the race.  All people who call themselves Christian do not automatically finish their race.  Many start well but end poorly or not at all. They’ve taken their eyes off the prize... the race to finish well is no longer motivating, they’ve fallen under the powers of this fallen world.  As Paul says... Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. (2 Tim. 4:8)  You cannot afford to run this race without an understanding that there are forces that want to derail your run, to ruin your chance to reaching the finish and God’s reward.  What will help us have the endurance we need to finish well?  

Get rid of all baggage that will hinder you in your run.  If you have ever watched runners in a real marathon, they run light, without much to hinder their movements.  As they near the middle of the race you’ll often see runners stripping off extra shirts and jackets, everything but the one with their race number.  Everyone gets as light as possible, it’s a long race and they don’t want to carry any more weight than they have to so they can finish strong.  You never see anyone lugging a backpack in a 26 mile run!

Hebrews 12:1 says... throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,  That’s the author’s point, isn’t it?  You can’t finish this race with endurance if you’re carrying extra weight.  If you want to run this race, you need to get rid of all baggage that can hinder your ability to run and finish.  Notice that the text speaks of two different kinds of baggage.

The most common baggage is “the sin that so easily entangles or hinders our progress.”  This doesn’t mean that you can’t run the race if you commit sins, we’d all be out of the race if that were so. However, it means that you can’t stay in the race long if you are clutching on to and rationalizing things that you know God says are wrong and destructive.  When you’re clutching on to and rationalizing sexual immorality or substance abuse/dependence, it will sap your motivation and stamina.  When you clutch on to and rationalize bitterness and hatred, it will sap your motivation and stamina (Eph.4:32).  When you’re clutching on to and rationalizing things like materialistic greed, it will sap your motivation and stamina (Mark 4:18,19).

By distinguishing  “the sin that so easily hinders our progress” from “every weight that slows you down,” the author implies that even things that are not overtly morally wrong can be baggage that we need to lay aside, because they simply don’t fit into the course and race God has set before us. The Apostle Paul says these things may be okay in an of themselves, but when they are enslaving you, it’s time to put them down (1Cor. 6:12).

How about you?  Are you mired in baggage?   Has God shown you that you’re clutching on to some sin that is hindering your progress?  Has he pointed out a weight that is slowing you down?  Have you been complaining to yourself that living for Christ is exhausting, when the real problem is that you’re carrying burdensome baggage?  Get rid of it!   It sure helps to have some Christian friends in your life who will help you in this area. We need to be accountable to one another, to help one another identify the baggage in our lives, to pray with one another and to agree with God on this issue of throwing off every weight that hinders our progress.

Draw encouragement and strength from other veteran runners.  Hebrews 12:1 speaks of a “great cloud of witnesses” and Hebrews

chapter 11 names the first honor roll hall of fame of faithful men and women who pioneered this race... and they finished well.  The imagery you should construct in your mind is a stadium nearing the middle to the end of the marathon... filled with thousands of people who are cheering on the runners.  Anyone who has run a marathon (or even half-marathon) knows how much it helps to have people along the race course cheering you on.  But these ones mentioned in Hebrews 11 and called “a great cloud of witnesses” are a special group – they are veteran “runners” who made it to the finish. They are “witnesses to what it means to live a life of faith.”  The point is that if you want to run this race with endurance, you need to draw strength from other veteran runners.  And they are not just these ancient ones from the Old and New Testament, many are with you in your church family.  They can give you insight, motivation, and encouragement to keep going when you want to quit. Without question, the most beneficial source of strength is the inspired record of how God worked through specific people to advance his plan to rescue a lost humanity.  This is one reason to get into a daily Bible reading plan... you will meet and learn a lot from these “runners” who have already finished well.  You will even begin to understand those around you in your church family who are living as the faithful ancients as they run their race.  Imitate them... its your fuel for endurance.

The Old and New Testament figures, [and living faithful ones around you], can teach you a lot about how to run the race.  One of the most encouraging things you’ll learn is that they were not super-heroes.  They were normal people like you and me, who had weaknesses, character flaws, and made mistakes.   Noah built the ark—but he also got drunk after the flood.  Abraham followed God into a land he’d never visited—but he also chickened out twice about Sarah being his wife.  Moses forsook the power and prestige of Pharaoh’s court and stood against his world’s super-power—but he also whined and complained and mistreated God’s people.  David was a man after God’s heart who in many ways foreshadowed the Messiah—but he also fell hard through his adulterous affair with Bathsheba.  The encouragement here is that God is able to work powerfully through very flawed people, if only the trajectory of our lives is to trust him and follow his directions.

With New Testament figures, like Peter and John and Paul, you can read about what they did in the Book of Acts, and then peer into their hearts through their epistles. You can also learn a lot about mistakes to avoid by reading about Old Testament negative examples, people who dropped out of the race or didn’t finish well.  You can also get strength from reading stories and biographies of other Christian workers... Christ-followers over the last 2000 years.  You will learn about ordinary people like who lived extraordinary lives for Christ.  You will be encouraged to see that anyone who has ever stood up and served God faithfully, had weaknesses and fears and all kinds of problems, yet God worked powerfully through them to advance His plan because they stayed in the race.  They never gave up!

You can also get strength from workers God has placed in your life.  When you get in the race, God sovereignly brings people into your proximity who can help you learn how to run your race more effectively.  They also are a unique source of strength because of the tactical knowledge about following Christ you can get from them.  Run with them, follow their example.

What about you?  Are you flagging because you’re trying to run the race by yourself?  Get strength from these other veteran “runners.”  This is one of the best things about fellowship with like-minded believers, you get to be around other “runners” who have already run through the part of the course you’re presently in.   You get to rub shoulders with people who have endurance, who can teach you how to fine-tune it for your run.  You get to learn from them how to study the Bible’s “runners” and get strength from them.  Don’t neglect the precious resource of fellowship.   Get involved, seek out fellow believers and ask them to mentor you.  

Here’s what you have to run your race: (1) a “great cloud” of those who have gone before you, (2) a “great crowd” of fellow runners with you now, heading to the same destination, (3) the Holy Spirit to equip and enable you to meet life’s challenges as you run for your crown (4) The Bible, prayer, fellowship, personal study, teaching, mentors, accountability partners, service opportunities, caring for others, giving, etc, etc.  Living the Christian Life.

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. Hebrews 10:36

A Great Cloud casts a Giant Shadow...

Run a marathon... 26 miles?  No way!  That sounds difficult if not impossible!  I really don’t have the desire, nor the stamina to take on such a challenging endeavor.  Tell you what, how ‘bout I just stand along the way of the race and watch everyone else running?  I’ll cheer them on, encourage them.  But, I can’t run.    

Now, that might be the reaction from many of us to running a real marathon of 26 miles.  I know its not on my bucket list.  But how do you feel when you contemplate your journey as a Christian?  Are you prepared for the long haul?  Do you have the stamina and strength to make the journey?  We’re told that our lives in Christ will be much like a marathon, not a sprint.  

Actually, the question is not so much whether the Christian life is a short sprint or a long marathon, but do we really understand that the Christian life is a race that must be run if we want to claim what God has promised awaits us at the finish... a crown of life? Just like what happens in a real race, some train and finish well while others are in it for the free T-shirt and suntan. Which one are you?  How do we run in a way so we can win?  First, let me say, winning this race, is simply finishing the race.  It’s not about beating fellow runners to a finish line.  In this race, finishing and finishing well is the victory.

Okay, if you are a Christian you will need help to run this race to victory.  It’s not a race we can run on our own strength.  We can depend on God’s grace and His help to run the race. In fact, at times He will even carry us along the way during difficult times.  God as your race partner is essential to even be in the race.  But I think we need more.  We need examples of real flesh and blood sin-prone humans who have run the race and finished well.  God has provided just what we need... its like a hall of fame... a legion of honor, made up of people just like us, who ran and finished God’s race.

The Bible calls such ones “a great cloud of witnesses” and they can be our encouragement and we can draw strength from their experiences.  Who are “the cloud of witnesses” mentioned in Hebrews 12:1?   Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Here the writer to the Hebrews exhorts all who profess faith in Jesus Christ, the “author and perfecter of our faith” (v. 2), to do two things. First, we are to remove or put off any burden that keeps us from Christ-likeness, especially sin because sin ensnares us and keeps us in bondage. Second, we are to persevere, patiently enduring all things until we grow and mature in the faith.  James reminds us that trials serve to strengthen our faith and bring us to maturity (James 1:2-3).  Hebrews 12:1 is reminding us to persevere through our trials, knowing that, by God’s faithfulness, we won’t be overwhelmed by them (1 Corinthians 10:13).

So who are the “cloud of witnesses,” and how is it they “surround” us? To understand this, we need to look at the previous chapter, as evidenced by the word therefore beginning chapter 12.  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the rest of the Old Testament believers looked forward with faith to the coming of the Messiah.  The author of Hebrews illustrates this eloquently in chapter 11 and then ends the chapter by telling us that these men and women of Old Testament times had faith to guide and direct them, but God had something better planned. They didn’t have a clear picture of the future or of the magnitude of God’s promises, but they trusted in God enough to build a sustaining faith that carried them through a life of loyalty and obedience to God.  They had hope and trusted by faith that God would fill in the details of His promises in His due time.  

Hebrews chapter 11 recognizes these faithful men and women who paved the way for us.  Trail blazers!  Pioneers!  What the Old Testament believers looked forward to in faith—the Messiah—we look back to, having seen the fulfillment of all the prophecies concerning His first coming.  

We are surrounded by the saints of the past in a unique way.  It’s not that the faithful ones who have gone before us are spectators to the race we are running.  Nor should we expect them to be engaged spiritual helpers for us in our journey.  Rather, they are a figurative representation and means of encouragement... they did it... they made their journey with God and finished well... so can we!  That’s the message of Hebrews chapter 11 and 12:1-2... many many have gone before you and me with much less information, much less clarity, and they held fast to a faith in a God who never fails to keep His promises.  

So, a great cloud of witnesses have gone before us! Since God and man began carving out a relationship, men and women from all walks of life, from all places on the earth, from all generations, can attest to the power of God in their lives.  Most especially has this been encouraging since the Day of Pentecost, when the  Church was born and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit came into the lives of born again believers:  they heard, they listened, they trusted, they obeyed and they succeeded in their journey with God’s help.  Countless millions over the past 2,000 years have run their race to glory.  Some known, but most are nameless and faceless, known only to God for their faithful lives and their races finished well.  

Today, we should act as if they are all in sight and cheering us on to the same victory born of a life of faith that carried them to the finish and their crowns of eternal life. We should be inspired to keep on keepin' on... motivated by the godly examples these saints who have gone before us, whose lives of faith encourage us to run the race for life... eternal life, strong to our finish. 

Run for the crown!  You can make it.  We all can, if we simply trust and obey and look to those who are already there.  We can draw courage and strength from “that great cloud of witnesses” for the race set before us!

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  
1 Timothy 4:7

Are YOU willing...?

Then Jesus said to them all:  “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”  Luke 9:23; Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34.

What did Jesus mean when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me”?

Let’s begin with what Jesus didn’t mean. Many people interpret “cross” as some sort of burden they must carry in their lives: a strained relationship, a thankless job, a physical illness. With self-pitying pride, they say, “That’s my cross I have to carry.” Such an interpretation is not what Jesus meant when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me.”

When Jesus carried His cross to be crucified, no one was thinking of the cross as a symbol of a burden to carry. To a person in the first-century, the cross meant one thing and one thing only: death by the most painful and humiliating means human beings could inflict.  The Romans forced convicted criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of crucifixion, bearing a cross meant carrying their own execution device while facing ridicule along the way to death.

Christians today view the cross as a cherished symbol of atonement, forgiveness, grace, and love.  But is that the ultimate message Jesus was seeking to convey in His words... “Take up your cross and follow Me?  Most importantly... what does it mean to “take up your cross daily?”

“Take up your cross and follow Me” means being willing to “die to self” in order to follow Jesus. It’s a call to absolute surrender. After each time Jesus commanded cross bearing, He said, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” (Luke 9:24-25). Although the call is tough, the reward is priceless.

Wherever Jesus went, He drew crowds. Although many of these multitudes often followed Him for selfish interests, those who did see Him as Messiah, had a distorted view of who He really was and what He would do. They thought the Christ would usher in the restored kingdom of Israel. They believed He would free them from the oppressive rule of their Roman occupiers. Even Christ’s own inner circle of disciples thought the kingdom was coming soon through armed conflict (Luke 19:11). When Jesus began teaching that He was going to die at the hands of the Jewish leaders and their Gentile overlords (Luke 9:22), His popularity sank. Many of His followers who heard such talk rejected Him. Truly, they were not able to put aside [put to death] their own ideas, plans, and desires, and exchange them for His.

Following Jesus is easy when life runs smoothly.  Our true commitment to Him is revealed during life’s challenges and trials. Jesus assured us that trials will come to His followers (John 16:33). Discipleship demands sacrifice, and Jesus never hid that cost.

In Luke 9:57-62, three people seemed willing to follow Jesus. When Jesus questioned them further, their commitment was half-hearted at best. They failed to count the cost of following Him. None was willing to take up his cross and crucify upon it their own self-focused interests.

Therefore, Jesus appeared to dissuade them. How different from the typical Gospel presentation you may hear today.  How many people would respond to an invitation that sounded something like this... “Come follow Jesus, and you may face the loss of friends, family, reputation, career, and possibly even your life”?  There is one benefit to this blunt honesty... the number of false converts would likely decrease.  Such a call is what Jesus meant when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me.”

If you wonder if you are ready to take up your cross, consider these questions: Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing some of your closest friends?  Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means alienation from your family?  Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means the loss of your reputation?  Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your job?  Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your life?  Are YOU willing.......?

In some places of the world, these consequences are a daily reality. But notice the questions are phrased, “Are you willing?” Following Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean all these things will happen to you, but are you willing to take up your cross?  If there comes a point in your life where you are faced with a choice... Jesus or the comforts of this life, which will you choose?

Commitment to Christ means taking up your cross daily, giving up your hopes, dreams, maybe your possessions, even your very life if need be for the cause of Christ.  

Only if you willingly take up your cross may you be called by HIM on of His  true disciples (Luke 14:27). The reward is worth the price. 

Jesus followed His call of death to self (“Take up your cross and follow Me”) with the gift to us of a life in Him: “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25-26).  

There is no greater or clearer teaching anywhere of the meaning of being a disciple. This is how our Master lived, so this is how His disciples must live. We must live our lives in complete and total submission to the will of God.  Reaffirm your commitment daily, and you will actually prosper in the Lord, even though your choice to serve Him may from time to time bring you trials and hardships.

A Golden Parachute

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.  Matthew 7:13-14

Two men are seated in a plane. The first man is given a parachute and told to put it on because it will improve his flight. He’s a little skeptical at first; he cannot see how wearing a parachute on board a plane could possibly improve his flight.

After some time, he decides to experiment and see if the claims are true. As he straps the apparatus to his back, he notices the weight of it on his shoulders and he finds he now has difficulty sitting upright. However, he consoles himself with the flight attendant’s promise that the parachute will improve his flight, and he decides to give it a little time.

As the flight progresses, he notices that some of the other passengers are laughing at him because he is wearing a parachute inside the plane. He begins to feel somewhat humiliated. As they continue to laugh and point at him, he can stand it no longer. He sinks low in his seat, unstraps the parachute, and throws it to the floor. Disillusionment and bitterness fill his heart because as far as he is concerned, he was told an outright lie.

The second man is also given a parachute, but listen to what he is told. He is told to put it on because at any moment he may have to jump out of the plane at 35,000 feet. He gratefully puts the parachute on. He does not notice the weight of it upon his shoulders, nor is he concerned that he cannot sit upright. His mind is consumed with the thought of what would happen to him if he had to jump without the parachute.

Let’s now analyze the motive and the result of each passenger’s experience. The first man’s motive for putting on the parachute was solely to improve his flight. The result of his experience was that he was humiliated by the other passengers laughter, disillusioned, and somewhat embittered against those who told him to wear the parachute.  As far as he is concerned, it will be a long time before anyone gets one of those things on his back again.

The second man put on the parachute solely to survive the jump to come.  And because of his knowledge of what would happen to him if he jumped without it, he has a deep-rooted joy and peace in his heart, knowing that he has been saved from certain death. This knowledge gives him the ability to withstand the mockery of the other passengers. His attitude toward those who gave him the parachute is one of heartfelt gratitude. He knew that the parachute was going to save him from certain death. In the same way, as Christians we have “joy and peace in believing” (Romans 15:13) because we know that the righteousness of Christ is going to deliver us from the wrath to come.

Christianity’s popular appeal of the gospel basically says... “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. He’ll give you love, joy, peace, fulfillment, and lasting happiness.” In other words, Jesus will improve your life [your flight]. The sinner responds, and in an experimental fashion puts on the Savior to see if the claims are true. And what does he get? Likely his life does not change. He may even experience temptation and persecution. 

He finds it difficult to live an upright life. Not only that, but other people mock him for his faith. So what does he do? He takes off the Lord Jesus Christ; he is offended for the Word’s sake; he is disillusioned and somewhat embittered—and rightly so because he feels like he was duped. He was promised love, joy, peace, fulfillment, and lasting happiness, and all he got was “more of the same” along with trials and humiliation.

His bitterness is directed toward those who gave him the so-called Good News. Because he thinks he tried Jesus and it didn’t work out, his latter end becomes worse than the first—he is now another frustrated and bitter “backslider.”

Instead of teaching and preaching  that Jesus will “improve one’s flight,” we should be warning sinners that one day they will have to jump out of the plane. “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). When a sinner understands the horrific consequences of rejecting God and His free offer of salvation, he will be motivated to seek the Savior in genuine repentance, to escape the wrath that is to come.  

Escaping God’s coming wrath, is that the primary motive for a Christian?   Obviously, from a study of God’s Holy Word we learn that “escaping His wrath” is not all God wants and expects from us.  Actually, if our motive is only to secure what we might call a fire insurance policy, we will not succeed as followers of Christ.  God wants our true love and genuine devotion.  He wants us to fall in love with Him and allow Him to transform us into “new creations” in the likeness of Christ.  But that is rarely if ever the beginning of a Christians walk.  Such depth in heart and soul only comes as we grow and mature.  The FIRST motivation of a hearer of the gospel, should be to line up on one side or the other... with God or against Him.  Refinement of the heart, the mind and our spirit will come with teaching and a lifelong commitment of discipleship.   First, you make a decision to stand with God, fearing His wrath, with a clear understanding that He offers nothing more than the security of being “on His side” of the battle with His adversary Satan.  

 If we are true and faithful witnesses, that is what we are teaching and preaching — that there is wrath to come, and that God “commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:30,31).

The issue for all humanity is not one of hooking up with God to enhance our happiness, but one of being declared righteous by Him.  It does not matter how happy a sinner is or how much he is enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season; without being aligned with the righteousness of Christ in all it aspects, depth and facets, we will perish on the day of wrath. The Bible says, “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death” (Proverbs 11:4). Peace and joy are legitimate fruits of salvation, but it is not legitimate to use these fruits as a drawing card or replacement for God’s true and genuine plan of salvation. If we do, the sinner will respond with an impure motive, lacking genuine repentance.

Hang on to your parachute... it is your most prized possession!

FAITH and OBEDIENCE

Today, professing Christians find it very difficult to connect Faith with Obedience to the Truth of God’s Word.  Any form of teaching and preaching obedience is considered 'legalism' and a taboo subject in most churches.  Too much talk of obedience, sin, and the consequences that come from disobedience scares people away from the church.  People are convinced they can possess the 'faith' of devils (who 'believe' and tremble - James 2:19) and still inherit the Kingdom regardless of their conduct. Yet the very essence of faith is OBEDIENCE to the truth of God’s Word! (Hebrews 11:1)  

The Bible has much to say about faith and obedience. For example, James 1:22 says... "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."  Faith according to James, is of little value without living obediently to what God says. Of this kind of “faith” James says that even the demons believe! And, they shudder because of it. 

Jesus himself says...  “If you love me you will obey what I command” John 14:15.  “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me” John 14:21.  “Jesus replied, 'If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him'” (John 14:23) 

Even Abraham (the Father of the Faithful, Galatians 3) is shown as one who had faith and obedience: “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” (Hebrews 11:8)

There appears to be no real faith without obedience. It is interesting that the Apostle Paul sometimes even appears to use “faith” and “obedience” so closely together that they are nearly interchangeable. Paul says in Romans 1:5... Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 

James told us that 'Faith without works it dead!' (James 2:17) He went on to say that, "By WORKS faith is made perfect!" (James 2:22) But the real force in his statement of truth, says that faith apart from works is not saving faith.  It’s a matter of love.  Do you truly love God and desire to be in a right and holy relationship with Him?  If you do and you are, then works are a nature result of genuine FAITH.  Works born of a genuine love for God and a deep desire to be obedient to His purposes is the only evidence that PROVES our faith is REAL!  In other words, if you have genuine faith you will be doing and acting and serving the Kingdom of God... motivated by as love for God from the depths of your heart.  Without evidence of your love for the Lord, demonstrated in your works, you are 'believing' in vain.   

In Christianity today, there is an incorrect understanding of the true Biblical nature of “soul saving faith.”   As a result, we have over 35,000 denominations with masses of unproductive professing Christians, convinced they are 'saved' forever because they once had a moment of true faith, or think they did. They can neither explain the nature of faith, the purpose of grace, nor do they produce the fruit of righteousness.  Yet they are told by renowned bible scholars that they are saved by 'grace' and 'nothing' else is required of them in order to be saved.  What about Peter’s answer to a profound question on the the day of Pentecost... as recorded at Acts 2:38?  I’ve read over and over his answer to the crowd of people who heard him speak on that momentous day, and can not come to any other conclusion but that “baptism” is required for salvation, to gain a right standing with God and to be empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit. 

It’s all about obedience to a requirement of God – baptism.  It’s the beginning of a walk with the Lord absorbed completely and solely in His Truth.  

The failure to make this Divine 'connection' between faith and obedience has resulted in multitudes of ruined lives and lost souls.  No one but God Himself can measure the devastation this has caused to mankind.  How many so-called Christians, who think “they’re good to go” are really lost because they 'believe' the lie – that GRACE means God no longer sees their sins and obedience is legalism?  How many marriages have been destroyed by this teaching? How many teenagers have killed themselves 'believing' they would go to heaven?  And how many preachers are in quiet bondage to sin and lust while promising others 'liberty' in Christ? (2 Peter 2:18) 

Christianity today is a 'selfish' religion, designed, morphed and parsed to fit the lifestyles of people who know little or nothing of the Truth of God’s Word.  The result?    People who call themselves Christians remain in bondage to their sin, pursuing the things of the world without the slightest concern for their own soul or the souls of others, believing themselves  to be “new creations” in Christ.  Sadly, they are destitute of true holiness and obedience from which a genuine faith grows. 

God SAVES you by His Grace [a second chance] when you repent of your sins, believe in Him and submit to baptism. The benefits are extraordinary... literally out of this world.  (Acts 2:38; Acts 20:21) But that doesn't mean you don't have to OBEY Him.  As Israel had to continue to OBEY to enter the Promised land, nothing has changed, certainly not God in His dealings and provisions for humanity.  "Diligent to enter that rest, lest you FALL after the same EXAMPLE of DISOBEDIENCE!" Hebrews 4:11.

Grace provides the POWER for you to WALK after the Spirit and not the flesh, thereby KEEPING His commands and fulfilling the righteous requirements of the law. (Titus 2:11-14, Romans 6:16, 8:1-4) That's why if you LIVE according to the flesh, as the children of Israel did, you will suffer the same fate. (Romans 8:13) 

Have you made the connection between 'faith' and 'obedience' in your life as a Christian?  When Jesus says to 'believe' on ME for everlasting life, it INCLUDES EVERYTHING He taught about remaining steadfast to the end! Matt 10:22.  

Make the connection... Faith and Obedience!  This is not hard to understand. The warnings in Scripture are given in love, to show us the way.  Nothing about this is hypothetical or for someone else.  If you do not continue to Obey Him, you also will fall into Satan's trap and end up eternally alienated from God.  

GRACE provides the Power, you provide a willing heart by which it can work. (2 Thess 1:11)   You are NOT saving yourself.  His WORD saves you... as you OBEY it! 

"And we desire that each one of YOU show the same DILIGENCE to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you DO NOT become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith & Steadfast endurance inherit the promises!" Heb 6:11-12

"Therefore do not cast away your confidence which has great reward, for you have need of Steadfast Endurance, so that after you have DONE the Will of God you may receive the promise!" Heb 10:35-36

"Looking diligently lest anyone FALL short of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble and by this many become defiled." Heb 12:15

NO ONE will remain saved by Grace – God’s offer of a second chance,  IF one fails to OBEY continually, precisely and exactly the WORD of God.

Saving faith is total all-in commitment.

Saving faith produces good fruit.

Saving faith is obedience.

Do YOU Really Care about GOD’S offer of GRACE?

Everyone seems to relish a second chance.  In fact, its so important to us to have a second chance that we stop, slow-down, redirect our lives to earn one in personal relationships – with our spouse, our kids, our bosses.   A second chance in our personal relationships means we hope to get another chance to live up to the expectations of someone we've let down.

So, why is that people have such a hard time living up to the expectations and standards God has given us through His Word?  How do you explain the insanity of a dying world rejecting God’s gift of everlasting life?  Tough questions indeed. 

Do you really care about GOD’s offer of Grace – a second chance?  Think about it... we insanely run at Hell as though it were Heaven, and reject Heaven as though it were Hell itself. We long for others to have that same thankfulness we have as Christ followers, but we all to often fail to recognize that unbelievers cannot comprehend God’s Grace [a second chance] until they recognize their guilt.  

God’s Grace... “our chance to build a right relationship with Him” cannot be faithfully explained to unbelievers until they begin to comprehend man’s corrupt nature.  Not until you realize we are not as “good” as we like to think we are.  It is impossible for a person to fully realize his need for God’s Grace until they see how far short they are of living up to God’s standards.  Of course it goes without saying... to even get to that mindset, a person has to care about how God views them.

In Romans 5:20, Paul explains the essential need of a benchmark, something that allows us to measure in our minds where we are, our hopeless condition and what God offers.  “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.”  When sin exists, and it does in all of us, there is still a cure. Grace abounds much more and it’s that “second chance” with God that helps us see ourselves as we really are... sinful creatures that can’t resolve our hopeless situation without a more powerful ingredient... and that would be God’s Grace.  God showed His people, the nation of Israel, just how incomplete they were without Him.  His Law demonstrated the futility of man’s attempts to make himself righteous.  The Law of Moses, showed humanity that nothing really works except God’s love expressed in Grace... our second chance to seize God’s eternal promises.  

Look at sin like a wide super freeway where there are few limits and little or no enforcements. The whole world naturally goes with the flow. Who hasn’t had a lustful thought at one time or another? Who in today’s society doesn’t tell the occasional “white” lie? Who hasn’t taken something that belongs to someone else, even if it’s just a little “white collar” misappropriation? They know they are doing wrong, but their security lies in the fact that so many others are just as guilty, if not more so. It seems that God has forgotten all about sin and the Ten Commandments. The sinner “has said in his heart, ‘God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see’” (Psalm 10:11).  We go on our merry way speeding through life without care or concern for God or His Law.

Then, something happens.  maybe a tragic event rocks your world.  Maybe someone close to you dies or is stricken with a serious illness with little hope of recovery.  At times like this everyone suddenly remember God, and prays or thinks about a miracle to resolve the dilemma touching your life. If you care, if your serious about finding out what God wants from you, such times will bring you face to face with God’s standards.  They will be like lights flashing in your mind. 

A genuine seeking sinner’s heart will skip a beat.  You will begin to contemplate your internal life–speedometer... your conscience. Suddenly, it begins to show him the measure of your guilt in a new light—the light of what God expects, His standards. Ones sense of security, blostered by the flawed argument that there are multitudes doing the same thing becomes irrelevant, because every man will give an account of himself to God (see Romans 14:12).  Throughout our lives we are confronted by signposts, or events that grab our attention along to slow down and consider the bigger picture; our mortality; what’s the meaning of life; what happens when I die and on and on.   

You see your life path more clearly.  Sin not only becomes personal, it seems to “abound.”  You begin to quietly acknowledge that you’re a real stinker! The Law shows you that mere lust becomes adultery of the heart (see Matthew 5:27,28); your white lie becomes false witness; your “own way” becomes rebellion and a violation of the First Commandment; your hatred becomes murder in God’s sight (see 1 John 3:15); your “sticky” fingers make you a thief. “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound.”Without the entrance of the Law, sin is neither personal, nor is it a threat: “For without the Law sin is dead [the sense of it is inactive and a lifeless thing]” (Romans 7:8 AMP version)  As you begin to understand the seriousness of your sins in God’s eyes, you now see the need for a Savior. In Galatians 3:24 we read... Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  God’s Law serves as a schoolmaster, or tutor, to bring us to Jesus Christ, the “second chance,”  so we can be justified through faith in His blood.

The Law of God doesn’t help us; it just leaves us helpless.  It doesn’t justify us; it just leaves us guilty before the judgment bar of a holy God.

Given the state of the Church today, its clear that the Law of God, in its capacity to bring the knowledge of sin and drive sinners to Christ, is not a popular way for sinners to respond to the gospel. Modern evangelism chose to attract sinners using the issue of “life enhancement.” The real power of the gospel has degenerated into “Jesus Christ will give you peace, joy, love, fulfillment, and lasting happiness.”  

There is no true evangelism without the doctrine of sin.  There is no true understanding of the “gospel” without an understanding of what sin is and the hopeless condition humanity is in without coming to terms with what sin means to your future and what it does to your life.

Maybe you know someone who claims to have been born-again... multiple times.  Such a person might sound and look something like this:  “I got saved when I was six, then again at twelve. I then fell away, got into some bad stuff, and came back to the Lord when I was twenty-three... and again when I was forty-one.”  

It’s very apparent that such a person is not a Christian. He or she admits to being a fornicator, liar, and blasphemer, and has no desire for the things of God, but thinks they are saved because they have been “born again.” They are using the grace of our God to cover over their selfish pursuit of the flesh.  For them, it’s not a bad thing to trample the blood of Christ underfoot (see Hebrews 10:29). Why? Because they  have never been convinced of the disease of sin, the seriousness of sin, and never saw the gospel as their cure.

When we set aside the Law of God and its designed function to convert the soul, we remove the very means by which sinners are able to see their need for God’s forgiveness.

Perhaps you are tempted to say that we should never condemn sinners by using the Law.  You might even be among those who discount adherence to the Ten Commandments, as no longer applicable to New Testament Christians.

However, Scripture tells us that humanity is already condemned: “He who does not believe is condemned already” (John 3:18). All the Law does is show us our true state. If you dust a table in your living room and think it is dust-free, try pulling back the curtains and letting in the early morning sunlight. You will more than likely see dust still sitting on the table. The sunlight didn’t create the dust; it merely exposed it. When we take the time to draw back the high and heavy curtains of the Holy of Holies and let the light of God’s Law shine upon the sinner’s heart, the Law merely shows him his true state before God. Proverbs 6:23 tells us, “The commandment is a lamp, and the law a light.”

The Law-less message that “God has a wonderful plan for your life” does not cause sinners to tremble and cry out, “I have sinned against God!”  Though they may acknowledge that, like all men, they fall short of the glory of God, it does not show them the serious nature of their personal transgression. Consequently, the depth of their sorrow is in proportion to their shallow understanding of the seriousness of their sin. They do not experience a godly sorrow that is necessary for repentance. However, when we help sinners see the depth of their sin in light of God’s perfect Law, it makes God’s grace – a second chance – truly amazing.  Again, anyone confronted with sin, the being of God, his Holiness and the consequences of indifference and rebellion towards Him, has to care about these things, or nothing to convince them to take all of this seriously will matter.  

I guess the question to consider today would be... “do you care” about the second chance that God has extended to you?  Do you care enough to dig deeper, past the slick promotion of the gospel, to its real gritty depths and see who you really are and how hopeless your situation is without God’s Grace?

Being Christian MEANS Transformation

Christianity means change, radical change. Becoming a Christian means total transformation to a completely different way of life. It means you tune out the din of this world and tune in – loud and clear – the voice of God... spoken through His Holy Word the Bible as your guide for living.  It means a whole different way of thinking, believing and acting out one’s life. 

We must recognize that people do not automatically understand all God’s ways at the outset of conversion.  All wrong ways, values and beliefs must be unlearned, and everything that is good, pure and right—all things of God—must be learned!  This “transformation” is akin to physical, psychological and spiritual rehabilitation!

Think of yourself as a containment vessel... all the impurities and contaminants [sin and sinful thinking] must be purged from the vessel [that’s you], cleaned out and neutralized.  Then new clean, good and wholesome godly things are added in place of the former impurities that controlled your life.  The very first change must be to acknowledge that the things and thinking that dominated your life before conversion might not be good for you.  Accept that God just might know a bit more than you do and trust Him to know what’s best for you.

God says, “For MY THOUGHTS are not your thoughts, neither are your ways MY WAYS, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8-9).

This scripture is profound and far-reaching in meaning. It involves everything we think, say and do, including how we view the subjects of joy, happiness and living an abundant life. It means recognizing that this is what GOD wants. This may mean sweeping from your mind all previous false concepts of what you thought Christianity was supposed to be like.  

If you are Christ’s, then your eyes are fixed on the kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33). You understand that this is the biggest objective—the greatest GOAL —in your life! Never forget that everything in your life is subordinate to achieving salvation, and building character along the path to that end!

Pause and think for a moment. How many things could bring more peace and satisfaction than understanding where your life is going? The excitement, joy, thrill and enormous contentment that flow from this confident assurance will dwarf every trial, difficulty, hurdle, obstacle and problem you will ever face in your life.  That’s true abundant life in Christ!  If you truly grasp this concept, you have gone a long way toward comprehending why Christ said that His way represents a life more wonderful—more abundant—than we could ever imagine!

Serving God does not mean a loss of fun and giving up pleasures but rather understanding what real fun and real pleasures are—and enjoying them in the light of what they really are... blessings in an abundant life.

Putting God FIRST must be your passionate desire. Matthew 6:33 says... “But seek you FIRST the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things [material blessings] shall be added unto you.”  John also wrote, “Beloved, I wish above all things that you may PROSPER and be in health, even as your soul [life] PROSPERS” (3 John 2).

These verses express God’s will regarding receiving physical things—enjoying prosperity—in your life. In time, if you truly put God and His kingdom first, you have His sure promise that He will add physical—material—blessings to your life. It is impossible for God to lie (Heb. 6:18). When He makes a promise, He keeps it—and He has promised YOU that “these things” will flow into your life, if you put Him first.  But... this is a tricky realm... learning to put Him first and ourselves second, not when it’s convenient, but all the time.  When “Him first” is the manner and course of our lives, genuine from the heart, then God will add physical and material blessings to our lives.  Even then, don’t expect these blessings to be what you might want or would like to have... they will be what you need to continue in faithfulness doing His will.

Malachi 3:8-10 is an example of how this principle works in the mind of God—how He views faithful obedience. When we obey Him, good things happen—and sometimes lots of good things.

Be careful that you do not expect them right away.  Also be careful that you do not obey God simply because “there is something (material) in it for you.” Many Bible verses speak of the importance of being patient and waiting for answered prayers and blessings to come according to God’s timetable and instep with His Will.  If you think of God as a genie or granter of prayerful wishes, you will be very disappointed.  A genuine true heart is essential for God to bestow blessings.  He well knows how easy it is for man to be deceived by the material things of this world and begin to desire an covet them. (Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 12:15; Acts 20:35;1 Timothy 6:6-10)  Also, we must be sure that we are pleasing God, abhorring sin and living holy lives.  Again it is through His instructions to us, the Bible, that gives us the plan for successful thinking and living in Christ.  

Let’s read an important verse that ties obedience to confidence and answered prayer.  John wrote... Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. (I John 3:21-22). Take time to savor this verse. Internalize it and practice it—and then trust that God will respond your physical needs.

A Wonderful Way of Life, with all the vitality and abundance you can imagine, filled with pure joy and happiness, can be yours.  But you must recognize that God offers an entirely new and different way of life, nothing like what you might carve out for yourself from the patterns of this world.  It means living “by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4; Deut. 8:3). This means studying God’s Word and transforming your life pattern to conform to its every word. It means praying daily and seeking God with your whole heart—and resisting Satan and the influences of this world.

It also means periodically accepting the Bible’s correction, which can sometimes cut very deep (Heb. 4:12).  But the converted mind seeks to grow at every opportunity.  And receiving correction is also directly connected to happiness. Notice: “Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.” (Job 5:17). Of course, no one naturally enjoys correction, but yielding to it produces a by-product described as the “peaceable fruit of righteousness” (Heb. 12:9-11).

So, if even correction can bring happiness, just think of the joy that will come from practicing the many other aspects of the Christian way of life.

Practicing God’s Way will lead you to be concerned for those around you. You will move away from self-interest and replace it with an interest in others. You will want to humble yourself and value the lives of others, more than your own opinions—and your own needs. You will feel good will and cheerfulness in your heart. You will want to smile, lead a life of vigor and reflect calm when standing in the eye of a storm. You will find courage to step out in full and complete faith, knowing that God is with you—that you are not alone. It means understanding that you “can do all things through Christ who strengthens [you]” (Phil. 4:13) and that “with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26).

Those around you cannot help but see these things. You will become an example to them—a light (Matt. 5:14) in a world growing darker every day (John 3:19-21; 9:4). They will see that you have found meaning and purpose in a confused, disagreeable, unhappy world. And knowing that you are doing this will bring its own happiness and satisfaction to you—because it is what God intends for His faithful, all-in committed followers. Confidence will flow from this understanding, confidence in the promises and character of God.  It will no longer be about you, but about Him and how He has reset your self-confidence from worldly sources and your own strength, to His strength, His power and His Word.

You will not find yourself constantly carping, griping, moaning and complaining about life’s endless “injustices.” You will not want to speak evil of others, but will want to lift them up, rather than pull or put them down. You will be able to conquer loneliness. And this conduct will generate a never-before-realized strength, boldness and confidence that will literally DRIVE YOUR LIFE.

This may cause people to ask you for help, encouragement or advice. They will see that your life is “together,” while theirs is not.  People are drawn to strength—they are drawn to confidence. If you exude these things, radiating a power that is greater than anything they have seen, they will seek your help.  

Remember the goal of a Christian.  Paul wrote to the Thessalonians to “rejoice always” (I Thes. 5:16). This is one of only two verses in the Bible that contains two words, making it hard to forget. Yet it is a command from God to all those filled by the Holy Spirit. It is why  the ancient Psalmist approached each day by saying, “This is the day which the LORD has made; we will REJOICE and be GLAD in it” (Psa. 118:24). In the very next verse, he asked God to “send now prosperity.”

These are not vague, nebulous scriptures. They are clear, direct and plain—and vital instruction for you and me. John added, “truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ...THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL” (I John 1:3-4).

The Abundant Life. Your joy can be full, beyond your wildest dreams, if you walk and fellowship with God and Christ as a constant way of life that overarches your every word and deed.  

Yes, you can live the rich, radiant, full, happy, joyful, ABUNDANT life. All you must do is be willing to leave the old way of life behind—go to the SOURCE—and begin anew!