My readings these days have taken me through the book of Hebrews. Arguably one of the most theological of all the New Testament letters - along with Romans - Hebrews takes us through the heart of God in fulfilling, through Jesus, the Old Testament Covenant. The Priesthood, sacrifices, offerings, holy days, all find their fulfillment in Christ Jesus. When all is said and done, He is the "author and perfector of our faith". And that is the purpose - to have complete trust or faith in Him for our lives.
Faith is that element of our living in Christ that becomes practical every day.
In chapter 11 the writer describes this to us:
Hebrews 11:1, 6, 13, 34, 38-40 NLT
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.
Faith causes us to hang in there, persevering in "seeking" him for everything.
Faith is trusting EVEN WHEN we don't see the end result.
Faith is recognizing that our weakness is the opportunity for God's strength to be on display.
Faith is knowing that we don't live for ourselves, nor die for ourselves, but that those who follow us will gain the benefit of moving on towards faith in Christ because we had faith.
Faith is everyday, in everyway, a challenge to embrace.
Peace
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