Editor’s Note: This is the first in a three-part series on perseverance, written by Andy Mathieson, 20scheme church implanter in Lochee, Dundee.
Someone very intelligent named Jonathan Edwards once said, “Perseverance is a necessary consequence of salvation. “What this means is that when someone is truly saved, when someone truly becomes a Christian, he will continue his whole life by loving Jesus and obeying His Word. . These people will sin and stumble along the way, sometimes they may even feel ashamed, but if they are truly Christians, if they are truly converted, they will always repent of their sins and run back to Jesus. Do it, after a week, after a few months, or even after 20 years, is because they have never truly been Christians, whatever they have said or done in the past, they died in sin and will face the consequences of sin, which is the good and just wrath of a holy God, in hell forever. Perseverance is very serious and the lack of perseverance is simply fatal. True Christians run to the end and, in doing so, receive the reward of their careers.
- So must we.
- Since we must surround ourselves with such a great cloud of witnesses.
- Free ourselves from all the weight and sin that harasses us tenaciously.
- We run.
- With perseverance.
- The career that is proposed to us.
- Looking at the author and Consumer.
- Jesus.
- Who.
- In exchange for the joy offered to him.
- Endured the cross.
- Ignoring ignorance.
- And sat to the right of the throne of God (Heb 12:1-2).
The main point of this text is the only command: CORRE !, everything else supports, explains or motivates it. Run the race! Don’t walk, don’t waste your time, don’t go aimlessly, run the race with perseverance, to the finish line, because it all depends on it.
We’ll divide the text into two parts. Let’s see what we’re going to do and how we should do it. What and how? In each part, we’ll look at three things, so let’s go to the first section: what should we do?Run!? Remember, this is the big point of the passage, what does it mean to really run?Don’t be ashamed, don’t let anything get in your way and don’t give up.
Don’t be ashamed
The book of Hebrews was written for a church that has become very comfortable in the world, ceased to be different and began to wander in life, and now the circumstances around it were changing and it was becoming unpopular and uncomfortable to be a Christian. There was a real temptation to surrender and regain the comfort and safety of their previous lives.
This book was written to warn people not to walk away from Jesus; it is full of warnings against Christ’s rejection and reminders of the consequences of his rejection.
Hebrews 2. 1-3 warns: “Therefore, it is important that we hold on more firmly to the truths heard, never to depart from them. How will we escape if we neglect such great salvation?”As believers, You must pay special attention to the things we hear and read in the word of God. This is not a joke; not paying attention to it leads to shipwreck, leading to inescapable judgment. Don’t be ashamed of God and His Word.
Hebrews 3: 12-13 warns again: “Brothers, beware that there is never in any of you a wicked heart of disbelief that draws you away from the living God; on the contrary, you exhort yourselves every day, during the time we call today, so that none of you will be hardened by the deception of sin?Beware, do not be ashamed, examine your heart, be accountable, and encourage one another not to make mistakes and harden in the face of sin. Individual responsibility and collective responsibility for church membership are really important because sin is misleading and those who read it are a sinner. Jeremiah 17. 9 says: “The heart is deceptive, more than anything, and hopelessly corrupt; who will know you
The author of Hebrews fears that people will not take care of their race; he is concerned that they will develop a lazy sense of safety and comfort. He fears that people will play with God and write this book to warn against this kind of laziness and madness. The author of this letter desperately wants us to see the danger of being shamed and wayless in the Christian life.
For, in fact, when they must be teachers, given the time that has passed, they have, once again, the need for someone to teach them, again, what are the basic principles of God’s oracles; Thus, you have become as needy for milk and not solid food; now everyone who eats milk is inexperienced in the word of justice, because he is a child; but is it a solid food for adults, for those who, with practice, have their powers exercised to discern not only good, but also evil?(Hebrews 5:12-14).
God expects Christians to advance their careers, growing from childhood to maturity. We must move from milk to solid foods: we must grow in righteousness, become more like Jesus, and be able to discern good from evil. There is no place in the Christian, to run to stand, relax or rest in achievement or decision. The reality for the believer is that we are moving toward or moving away from Him.
We never stayed in the same place, because the Christian race is going up, as a countercurrent to a escalator. When we stop running, when we stop and start relaxing, we go back to our starting point. Recognize that fallen hearts want to flee. God, don’t go to him.
John 3:19-20 says: “Judgment is this: that light has come into the world, and men have loved darkness more than light, for their deeds were evil; because everyone who does evil hates light and doesn’t reach the light. “, so that his works are not discussed?. When we leave our own careers, we turn away from God and live in a world whose constant flow is also far from God and piety. And remember, we also have an enemy who is more than willing to make us pull the escalator or use things to lure us in with beautiful things and paralyze us.
So let’s go back to our text and see why the author of this book is so eager to prevent us from committing to it. Playing and leaving the results in uncertainty leads to disaster, and that’s why there is one command: WE COURONS. A real effort is needed. Dig, dig deeper and move on.