"We are the clay, and Thou our potter; and we shall be the work of Thy hand."
Isaiah 64:8
What can you do with a hardened heart? A hardened heart cost Pharaoh his kingdom in the days of Moses. It kept the Jews from following their long-awaited Messiah. However, Jesus' disciples were molded and shaped into powerful spokesmen because they were pliable in His hands. The Lord patiently shaped them as a potter might fashion a lump of clay into a vessel of beauty, righteousness, and usefulness.When our hearts are easy to mold, God can do great things through us!
Our lovely song, "Have Thine Own Way, Lord," is one of my all-time favorites. Our beautiful song speaks of the relationship between the clay (ourselves) and God the Potter.
"Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?" (Romans 9:21)
Isn't it amazing what God can do through us if our heart is pliable! We have the hope of being molded into what He wants us to be and not stuck in our old ways of living, the unrefined old man of sin. Our God does the refining, molding, and reshaping. This process of metamorphosis or transformation can only be accomplished through His Word. God's Word can pierce our soul and spirit and judge our hearts' thoughts and intentions. Our Master Pottercan take us as a lump of clay and change us into something beautiful and new. However, the "clay" must humble themselves, be willing to yield and realize that God can transform them into the likeness of Christ as they submit to Him, the Potter. The Potter has the power to fix and mend us. The clay must be humble enough to see themselves as broken vessels needing the Master Potter to fix them.
"Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness." (Romans 6:13-18)
The clay must humbly look to God to cleanse them from sin.
"The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 'Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear[a] my words.' 3 So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. 4 And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. 5 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 6 'O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. 7 If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, 8 and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. 9 And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, 10 and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it. 11 Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘Thus says the Lord, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.’ 12 'But they say, ‘That is in vain! We will follow our own plans, and will every one act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.''" (Jeremiah 18:1-12)
The Potter can cleanse the clay from impurities (sin) when the clay humbly bows before Him in complete submission (Phil 2:20). The clay must allow the Potter to rule their hearts. A heart that is willing to yield, be molded, and shaped by the Master Potter is exemplified by the plea,"Have Thine Own Way, Lord."
In Jeremiah 18:1-3, God is pictured as the Potter and man as the clay. God commanded the prophet Jeremiah to go to the house of a potter (Jeremiah 18:1-12). By Jeremiah going to the potter's house, he would hear the message that God would give him and also have it illustrated before him. God uses physical things, common things, to illustrate and convey His message as in this case. The prophet Jeremiahgoes to the potter's house and notices that the potter is making something at the wheel. As Jeremiah was watching the potter working at the wheel, he noticed that the vessel made of clay was marred or ruined in the hand of the potter. The vessel was not suitable. It could not be used for the purpose it was intended. So, Jeremiah watched as the potter carefully took the clay and began remolding it in his hands to form a vessel that would be useful and suitable for its intended purpose.
In His mercy, our Lord and Savior looks for humble souls that will allow Him to shape and mold them into instruments of righteousness. God can mold us into whatever instruments of service that He and the Body of Christ need and require. As clay in the hands of our Potter, our Father, we are totally pliable to our Creator's will, subject to his acts of creation, desiring to be the product of a great Creator.
God is the Potter who shapes and molds.
God is in control and knows what He is making. Indeed, God can make something useful and suitable for His purpose. He doesn't toss the clay, but rather He remolds it. And just as the potter in Jeremiahpatiently began remolding the clay, our God is doing the same with us, the clay.We are clay in the hands of a mighty God. God, the Potter, knows what kind of vessel He intends for us to be. The Master Potter wants useful and suitable vessels for His service. Thus, we must allow the Potter to mold us to His glory (Isaiah 64:8).
The clay must be soft and pliable, willing to develop and thrive in the potter's hands.
However, when the clay begins to harden, it cannot develop properly, the way the Potter needs it to be to continue working on us.How wonderful it is that the Potter is willing to shape us and reshape us if we humbly allow Him to have His own way with us!! Our God wants to reform the clay to be fit and useful for Him. We are the work of the Potter's mighty hands!
How wonderful it is that our Master Potter will not throw away the marred clay, but He will continue to make the clay that is soft and pliable into a suitable and acceptable vessel!
Are you willing to become that servant, be humble, and meet the needs within the Body of Christ as clay?
Are you willing to become that servant when our Lord needs zeal and enthusiasm?
Will you allow the Master Potter to make you and mold you into what He wants you to be?
Will you allow God, the Master Potter, to make you and mold you into a vessel of honor, useful to Him and prepared for every good work? (2 Timothy 2:20-22).
Or will you prefer to remain as vessels of dishonor, comfortable in their marred state of selfishness and sinfulness?
For the Master Potter to reshape you,you must be willing to yield and let Him push you away from your comfort zone of pleasure and sin.Our Lord wants useful, holy vessels, and He will find them.
And though the process of being shaped and molded is not an easy task, the Master Potter is willing to make a beautiful masterpiece of the clay, though it will take time and effort. However, God, the Potter, is willing to do it. Are you?
"Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?' declares the Lord. 'Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.'" (Jeremiah 18:6)
May we humbly allow our Master to have His own way with us, the clay. May we, the clay, allow Him to mold and refine us into vessels of righteousness. May we be submissive, pliable, and moldable clay in the mighty hands of our Mater Potter.
I hope the lovely words of our beautiful song, "Have Thine Own Way, Lord," stir your soul the way it does mine.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:3
Few ideas grip the imagination like the image of a worm transforming into a butterfly. The apostle Paul said, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” and he used the word for “metamorphosis.” (Romans 12:1-2) You can become what you are not! Jesus said you must be “born again.” The power that brings that about is the power of the Gospel message (Romans 1:16).
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'"
The beloved song, “Ye Must Be Born Again,”stresses the need to be born again. Our song recounts the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews who came to Jesus by night(John 3:1-2). Nicodemus recognized Jesus as a teacher who came from God. He was about to ask Jesus about His message, but Jesus stopped him with these words, “you must be born again”(John 3:4-5).
"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, 'Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.' 3 Jesus answered him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.' 4 Nicodemus said to him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?' 5 Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.'"
Jesus’ message to him applies to all “children of men” (humanity) because all have sinned (Romans 3:23).
All humanity must attend to Jesus’ Word, for they will be judged according to that Word.
"The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day" (John 12:48).
The message of His Word is that we all must be born again by the Gospel.
"For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (1 Cor. 4:15-16).
Thus, all humanity is compelled to respond to the Gospel message of Christ to be saved. Those who wish to have eternal life must be born of God.
"And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life" (1 John 2:25).
"Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God" (1 John 4:4-6).
There is a glorious rest for those born of God.
"Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.[a] 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, 'As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’ although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: 'And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.' 5 And again in this passage he said, 'They shall not enter my rest.' 6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 again he appoints a certain day, 'Today,' saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.' 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.'" (Hebrews 4:1-10)
The ransomed will sing the song of blest.
"And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.'" (Revelation 5:8-10)
Those who respond to the Gospel Message and are thus born again by the incorruptible seed will receive their final reward.
"Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for 'All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.' And this word is the good news that was preached to you.'" (1 Pet. 1:22-25)
This is the hope for those who the precious blood of Jesus has ransomed.
Thus,
“Ye must be born again, Ye must be born again; I verily, verily, say unto thee, Ye must be born again.”
CONCLUSION:
Sadly, many call themselves Christians but misunderstand the concept of being born again. Jesus stresses the need for regeneration to enter the kingdom of God by saying, “Ye Must Be Born Again.”To be born again, one must obey the Gospel, God’s terms of pardon.
It is widely taught that one is “born again” before and without baptism. The problem with this teaching is that Jesus clearly taught that one cannot be born again without obeying the true Gospel of Christ. Peter calls it the imperishable seed (1 Peter 1:22-23). John 3:3-7 says that to enter the kingdom of God, he must be born again. So what does that new birth include?Simply two essential elements: one must be born of water and of the Spirit to become a child of God. Those who disregard what Jesus taught on this matter are not abiding in the doctrine of Christ and do not have God and are thus misleading many into error.They are teaching the doctrines and commandments of men! They are blind guides misleading and deceiving many souls to their own destruction (2 John 9-11; Gal. 1:8,9; Matt. 15:9,14; etc.). New birth and radical transformation must happen for Jesus to heal us of our sins. We can only have a relationship with Him when we look to Him, desiring to do His will.
Through Jesus, the new birth and radical transformation are possible, for He can heal us of our sins when we seek Him by faith, following Him and doing His will, and pursuing a sincere relationship with Him. Through the blood of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins is available to all. The new birth, the new life, is “in Christ” (1 Cor. 4:15; 15:22; 2 Cor. 5:17). We are “born again” by the incorruptible seed, which is God’s Word, the Gospel preached to us (1 Peter 1:22-25). The new birth is the product of the seed planted (the Gospel, the Word of God) and then germinates and produces abundant fruit. We become children of God through His Word (Luke 8:11) that is planted in the hearts of men when they hear the Gospel. The sincere heart heeds the words of Jesus, believes them, and obeys them, thus becoming “born again” as Christians, experiencing the new birth, the new life in Christ (Cf. James 1:18; 1 Cor. 4:15). The seed reproduces after its kind (Galatians 6:7). So we must make sure that the seed, the Message, that we teach for others to hear is the true Gospel! Why? Because we can plant the wrong seed in God’s Garden and not be able to grow the kind of plant that God wants. We cannot be born again when we accept a different Gospel.
May we teach those living in darkness how to enter the kingdom of God and be born again. May they understand that to be born again, they must obey the proper seed, the Gospel, to become a child of God and be in His kingdom. May we grow in grace and knowledge as those who have been born again of water and the Spirit.
A ruler once came to Jesus by night
To ask Him the way of salvation and light;
The Master made answer in words true and plain,
‘Ye must be born again.’
Ye children of men, attend to the Word,
So solemnly uttered by Jesus the Lord;
And let not this message to you be in vain,
‘Ye must be born again.’
O ye who would enter that glorious rest,
And sing with the ransomed the song of the blest,
The life everlasting if ye would obtain,
‘Ye must be born again.’
Chorus,
Ye must be born again, Ye must be born again;
I verily, verily, say unto thee, Ye must be born again.
“This is the token of the covenant which I make between Me and you…I do set My bow in the clouds.”
Genesis 9:12-13
Noah and his family endured over a year of the storms that battered the ark. Although they were safely inside, they could only imagine the destruction that God poured out on the earth, destroying all of the world and its inhabitants, the world that they had spent their lives in. When finally God’s wrath was satisfied, and the family stepped into the new world, God smiled on them by placing a bow in the clouds with the promise that He would never destroy the earth again with such a flood. For thousands of years now, the rainbow has been a symbol of God’s grace and peace.
Our lovely song, “There’s A Rainbow in the Cloud,” expresses how God sets His bow in the cloud in His children’s lives. Singing songs of praise comforts me when my heart is distressed because the songs compel me to look to God for strength and peace. God’s children can confidently look for God’s rainbow amid life’s toils and tears. Our Gracious God has promised His children He will hear our prayers when we cry to Him. He will give us peace and make us smile, even in our moments of anguish (Psalm 39:12). God’s rainbow reminds us that we lack nothing because our LORD is the Shepherd who will lead us safely into green pastures and beside the still waters. But, we, His children, must trust Him (Psalm 23:1-2). Since our Shepherd LORD leads us to peace and tranquility, we can live without the spirit of fear (2 Tim. 1:7).
God has given His children the assurance of a rainbow in the cloud when our nights are dark with worry, when they grow long and dreary, and no friend seems to be near. The darkness of night represents loneliness (Ps. 6-6-7). Indeed, our journey here on earth is often dreary and full of troublebecause we are flesh (Job 14:1). Yet, the rainbow reminds us that God is near to comfort us even when no friend seems near (Matt. 5:4).
We can look for God’s rainbow amid life’s seasons:
Storm and rain.
Fields of golden grain.
Winter’s cold and pain.
Summer’s harvest grain.
And though our loving and merciful God gives us rain, we often think of it as a time of sadness and gloom (Jeremiah 10:13). Winter also represents cold and pain, and it’s often thought of as a time of hardship (Song of Solomon 2:11).
Despite our seasons of life, the rainbow reminds us that there will be summer's harvest gain after the winter and the rain are gone (Acts 14:17).
Indeed, we can look for the rainbow during our storms of life. In the Bible, the storms often represent various trials and tribulations that God’s children experience in life (Acts 14:21-22). However, the rainbow reminds us that there will be better days, days of joy, when life’s storms pass by (Ps. 30:5). We must trust in God’s promises! Since we trust in God’s promises, we look forward to being in that city fair to receive the crown of life as our reward (2 Tim. 4:6-8).
CONCLUSION:
The chorus stresses the need for God’s children to keep on pressing on, looking for the rainbow that shines in the cloud to help us run life’s race victoriously and receive our crown. Despite life’s troubles, toils and tears, we must keep looking to heaven to see God’s rainbow in the cloud.
I hope this beautiful hymn may stir your soul the way it stirred mine.
"Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy."
Psalm 86:1
"I Need Thee Every Hour" is a beautiful song that expresses the need for our Lord and the peace He brings to those who sincerely trust in Him, a peace that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:4-7). Our Lord graciously speaks to us with a tender voice so that we may hear Him and live (John 5:25).
"Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live."
We need our gracious Lord in times of temptation and trials. He has promised to stand by us to help us and provide for our spiritual needs.
"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' 6 So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'" (Heb. 13:5-6)
"Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Cor. 10:12-13).
But we must draw near to Him with a sincere heart and the full assurance of faith that He will do what He has promised.
"Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Heb. 10:22).
"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded" (Jas. 4:8).
Since life is filled with joy and pain (Phil. 4:11-12), we need the Lord to abide with us.
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:4-5).
Life is vain when the Lord does not abide with us (in faith and hope).
"Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope[a] in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied" (1 Cor. 15:12-19).
Moreover, we need the Lord to teach us to know and do His will.
"If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority" (John 7:17).
God wants us to do His will always. By striving to do His will, we can rest assured that He will exceedingly keep His promises to us.
"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).
"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire" (2 Peter 1:3-4).
We need the Lord to fully belong to Him and be made His since He is the most Holy One.
"What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God" (Mk. 1:24).
"But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you" (Acts 3:14).
"So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's" (1 Cor. 3:21-23).
And since His beloved Son gives us life and we are His, we have the hope of eternal life.
"And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son" (1 John 5:11).
CONCLUSION:
The song "I Need Thee Every Hour" is a prayer to me that reminds me that I can talk to my God during my trying and difficult times of tribulation and grief as well as times of happiness and peace.
Therefore, my humble heart bows down to tell Him repeatedly, "I Need Thee Every Hour."
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:1-2
Our afflictions in life leave us weak and injured, not only in body but also in spirit. Our faith compels us to look up to God for strength and guidance when our hearts are fainting. Our lives are indeed uncertain, like a “dark maze.” Without faith, it is impossible to please God(Hebrews 11:6). Faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
Hebrews 11helps us grasp what faith looks like, for faith is certain in the unseen things. Faith helps us to have the assurance that God exists and rewards those who diligently seek Him. In chapter 11 of Hebrews, we are given a long list of heroes with that faith. Their faith helped them to endure great tragedy, massive trials, and the loss of everything. Their amazing faith helped their eyes and hearts to be focused on Heaven and not the things of this world. The faith that looks up to Jesus walks by faith, not sight. Since we have these heroes of faith, we are compelled to live with the same faith approved by God. Their faithfulness encourages us to run the race and finish well.
I. THE NEED FOR FAITH:
Looking to Jesus, The Founder, And Perfecter of Our Faith:
In Hebrews 10, the writer concludes this chapter by reminding us that the righteous must live by faith, not sight. He urges us to have that faith that endures until the end and saves our souls. Why?Because those who give up and shrink back are destroyed. Indeed, he describes those who live by faith. When we consider the detailed description of faith in Hebrews 11, it is easy to see today's many misconceptions of faith.Why?
Because many think of faith as having any sort of spirituality.
People speak of having many faiths (Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc.).
Others speak of faith as believing that something good will happen to them (the popular teachings of Joel Osteen).
Some think faith is something blind, taking a blind leap against known facts.
The truth is that none of these descriptions are Biblical faith.
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation.” (Hebrews 11:1-2)
Consider a few translations that help us understand what the writer of Hebrews teaches us about faith.
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (NIV/TNIV)
"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." (NLT)
"To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see." (GNB)
The NLT applies the text well. The GNB does an excellent job of simplifying the concept and maintaining an accurate message.
Faith is the basis of our whole Christian life.
Faith is the basis of our hope.
Faith is an expression of our confidence in what God has revealed.
Faith looks upward and above toward things unseen, away from the things of this world.
Our song, “My Faith Looks Up To Thee,” reminds us and encourages us to keep or fix our eyes on the unseen reward, "looking to Jesus, the founder, and perfecter of our faith... "(Heb. 12:2). It encourages us to look up to Him in faith because He is the Lamb of Calvary who was offered as a sacrifice to take away our sins (1 Pet. 1:18-21; 1 John 1:18-21).
Our faith also looks forward to Christ’s coming (Hebrews 10:38).
Faith is trusting that God’s unseen promises will actually happen.
Our faith will lead us to be approved by God as we put our trust or confidence in Him alone.
The heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 trusted God despite their trials and hardship.
They triumphed because of their faith and their trust in God.
They clung tightly to God’s promises as they relied on God’s Word and remained faithful.
That picture of faith is portrayed in Hebrews 11:3 as a powerful example.
“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3)
The universe and everything created came into existence by things that cannot be seen. God commanded the universe into existence by His words that cannot be seen. Yet those unseen wordsbrought into existence the visible worlds. Our visible world was created by an invisible God who spoke an invisible command.
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
Hebrews 11:6is key to our teaching about faith.
Without faith, it is impossible to please God.
Without faith: relying on His promises, depending on His Word, and faithfulness toward God, it will be impossible to make it to Heaven.
Without faith, our eyes will compel us to focus on the things of this world.
Without faith, we will definitely shrink back and give up.
Without faith, we will not make it to Heaven.
Without faith (complete reliance on God), life’s difficult circumstances will cause us to shrink back and give up.
Faith is the certainty that God exists and cares.
Faith in God is not just mental affirmation or acceptance.
Faith is being certain of things we cannot see.
Faith believes in the God we cannot see.
Faith believes in God’s words and promises.
Faith believes that God rewards those who sincerely seek Him.
These things are tied to our endurance (Hebrews 10:36). We must have this kind of faith to be found pleasing to God. Without this kind of faith, we will shrink back and lose our reward.
II. RUNNING THE RACE WITH ENDURANCE:
"Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised." (Hebrews 10:35-36)
In Hebrews 10:36, the writer points out our need for endurance. We have a race set before our eyes that demands endurance or perseverance. We have already read in Hebrews 11 of the heroes of faith who ran the race set before them with endurance.Do you suppose Abraham did not need endurance? Indeed, he did. Like him and all the other heroes of faith, we must have the endurance to finish our race well.So how can we finish our race, exercising athletic discipline? Consider the writer’s answer in Hebrews 12:2
“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
The answer is to look to Jesus. We must fix our eyes on Jesus only. He must be our focus in this life and nothing else.
“No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16:13)
We get what we focus on. Sadly, we are often distracted by this world, taking our attention away from Jesus, the founder, and perfecter of our faith.We must determine to look to Jesus, fix our eyes on Him, not on sin and earthly things!Jesus must be our focus in life and nothing else. Our eyes must be fixed on the promised reward, not on earth. Jesus focused on the joy set before Him. He did not focus on the physical but on the goal. Are your eyes focused on Jesus, or are they focused on the things of this world? Is your focus heaven or hell?Remember, we will get what we focus on.We must focus our minds on what Jesus did and how He endured.
What Jesus Did:
Jesus is the pioneer, the perfecter of our faith.Hebrews 2:10 describes that language for us.
“For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.”
Jesus is our trailblazer, for He has blazed the trail ahead of us, beckoning us to follow.His way is not an unknown road. Jesus has shown us the road we must walk to bring our faith to completion. Jesus shows us the way.
How Jesus Endured:
How did Jesus do it?
He did it in the same way that the heroes of the faith did it inHebrews 11. Their eyes were fixed on the promised reward, not on earth. Jesus focused on the joy set before Him. He did not focus on the physical but on the goal. He looked to the purpose He came to accomplish on earth. Jesus endured the cross and its shame because of the joy set before Him. He could look beyond the cross because He did not focus on its weight and shame. He saw the joy of salvation as a result of His act. He could see the joy of salvation offered by His act. Jesus did not focus on the temporary suffering of the cross, the mocking, and the shame of the cross.The suffering, mocking, and shame meant nothing to Him because His joy was greater than the shame.As Jesus endured till the end, so must we endure, even amid our suffering and pain. When we fix our eyes on Jesus and the joy set before us, we endure suffering and trials. Joy is the result of our endurance.Hope helps us to endure and have joy amid our sufferings and trials.
Jesus looked beyond the cross because He knew that God keeps His promises and would surely exalt Him to the right hand of the throne of glory. Jesus’ faith enabled Him to accomplish His goal. Because He believed, He received His reward, and God could keep His promises. The same thing is true for us. When we look to Jesus in faith, we see through our suffering and know that God keeps His promises of a better country and a great reward.
“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” (Hebrews 11:13-16)
Hebrews 11:13-16 is vital to our faith. Notice that all those heroes died in faith, not receiving the things promised. They acknowledged they were strangers and exiles on earth. Faith compels us to focus on God’s heavenly things, not on the things of this world.Faith compels us to serve God without focusing on what we will receive right now. To serve God in such a way is idolatry. It is not faith!Faith believes in the unseen, not what can be seen right now.
The heroes of faith saw their promises from afar.
They saw their promises because they believed in the unseen without receiving them.
They were so confident of God’s promises and reward that they could see the unseen.
Though they did not receive the promises, they were so confident in their faith that they could see what they would receive.
Indeed, this world was not their home. They were seeking a better home (Hebrews 11:14). They were traveling through life to a better country (Hebrews 11:16).
When we focus on this world, we will return to it.
When our primary focus is this earthly life, we will shrink back and cling to the things of this world.
When our hearts are on earth, we want to stay here.
When this world’s physical and material things are more important to us than the better country that God has promised, Heaven will not be our home.
The heroes of faith desired a better country.True faith desires more than what the eyes can see. And though God made everything that our eyes can see, we must walk by faith, faith in the unseen. There is something better and greater, our heavenly country. So let us not trade in our heavenly country for the temporary, fleeting pleasures of this world that our eyes can see.
“But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” (Hebrews 11:16)
The words in verse 16are encouraging words. God is not ashamed to be called our God. God is willing to accept us as His people. What a glorious picture! The writer of Hebrews reminds us of what is awaiting us. God has already prepared a city for us. Notice that this statement is in the past tense. The reward is already waiting for us!Since our reward is certain, we must desire the better city, not the temporary pleasures of this world.
Moses chose to share the oppression of God’s people rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
“He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.” (Hebrews 11:25-26)
Moses traded the temporary pleasures, looking forward to the great eternal reward.
“And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40)
In Hebrews 11:13-16, the writer stresses that what we receive now must not be as important to us as what God has promised for us later. Knowing this,
Let us not give up true faith.
Let us trust in God completely to receive His promises.
Let us not throw away our confidence, which has a great reward.
Let us endure and finish our race well.
Let us strengthen our faith and grow stronger in the Lord, enduring life’s difficulties and gaining victory.
Let us keep doing the will of God even amid our times of suffering.
Remember that if we endure faithfully until the end, we will receive the promised reward.Oh, what a glorious day that will be!
The writer quotes together Isaiah 26:20 and Habakkuk 2:3-4. The righteous live by faith. When we live by faith, we do not put our trust and confidence in the things of this world: the physical, material things. When our faith looks up to Jesus, we will never give up, even when we suffer tragedy and loss. We will never shrink back and give up because we know we will be destroyed. God has no pleasure in those who give up. Thus, let us not lose heart and lose our faith, for we must preserve ourselves through faith. Let us not turn away from God, listening to Satan’s lies.Life in God is better than possessions, fleshly desires, and power. Jesus did not use His power of divinity to obtain these things. His fulfillment in life was the kingdom of God. True satisfaction comes from God, not from physical, temporary things.
CONCLUSION:
Let us not grow weary, but instead, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the leader of faith, to endure and finish the race set before us.Stop and think for a minute about what Jesus suffered and endured. We must follow Jesus and the example of the cloud of witnesses that walked the path of faith before us. They could endure because they laid aside every weight that slowed them down from righteousness. They got rid of everything, every sin, to endure and not grow weary or fainthearted (Hebrews 12:3).
Our suffering has not been to the degree that Jesus suffered.Let us remember this! Jesus suffered all the way to the point of death, and so did many of the heroes of faith recorded in Hebrews 11. We must not feel sorry for ourselves when suffering. Nor should we grow weary and give up. Instead, we must consider the life of Jesus and the cloud of witnesses.It is easy to be discouraged, throw in the towel, andgive up! But we must acknowledge that we are fighting a big enemy, Satan, in a war against sin. We must remember that our battle is not even close to what Jesus had to endure for us.
We, children of God, are not excluded from suffering and hardship.We are not promised a smooth life filled with rainbows and sunsets. Remember the exhortation given in Proverbs 3:11-12.
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
Let us not take the Lord’s teaching lightly. God never promised an easy life. Hardship in life must be looked at as God’s method of training and discipline.Parents love their children by correcting and disciplining them. God trains and disciplines us into shape because He is our Father, and we are His children. God allows bad, challenging, and difficult things to happen to us to teach, reprove, discipline, and whip us into shape.Yes, God spanks us!What kind of Father would God be if He gave us an easy life? Stop and think about this!Every child needs correcting and hardship to learn. We learn from pain and change because of hardships. We need correction and hardships to be shaped into the image of God.
Difficult times bring about the fruit of righteousness in our lives.And though life is difficult and full of pain, we must not give up and quit! Instead, we must look to Jesus in faith and allow Him to teach us God’s lessons.Hardship is good for us, for it helps us change and bear fruit to the glory of God. Thus, let us be strong, get a grip, pull ourselves together, and stop whining.Let us lay aside everything except our faith and endurance!Let us allow God to heal us when we feel like we are falling apart under the weight of suffering.
In Hebrews 11:6, we are told that “it is impossible to please God without faith.”We won’t make it without faith when life falls apart in difficult times. Without God’s correction, reproof, discipline, and whipping, we will not see the Lord and receive the reward awaiting us.Yes, life is full of suffering, hardship, and difficulties!But are we going to throw away our eternal inheritance with the Lord just because we are suffering and life is hard?Do we prefer to be rejected by God and not receive the blessing He has promised us just because we find it difficult to endure our suffering?We have not suffered to the point of shedding blood like Jesus!So let us be strong and look through the suffering, fixing our eyes on Jesus and our eternal reward!Let Jesus be our main focus, and never trade away God’s blessings and His reward for a few crumbs of this physical world.
Our beloved song, “My Faith Looks Up To Thee,” reminds us that we must look up to Jesus in faith because He is our Mediator who has promised to hear our prayers to the Father (1 Tim. 2:5). We must look up to Him in faith because He has promised to give us strength, for His grace is sufficient to help us endure our trials and tribulations. He is the supreme embodiment of God’s Grace. When we put our faith in Jesus, His grace will help us bear our heavy burdens (2 Cor. 8:9; 12:7-9).
Our Lord and Savior bids darkness turn to day and wipes our tears and sorrows away through God’s Grace (2 Eph. 2:13-14, 17-18). Jesus has promised to be with us amid our sufferings and trials. He urges us not to be afraid, for He has promised to remove our fears and anxieties if we put our faith in Him. Thus, we must put our faith completely in Jesus and trust Him to help us, through His Grace, endure, run our race, and finish well, whatever life throws at us.Let this be our motivator when life is hard and full of tears!
Jesus removes our fear and distrust. Even in death, Jesus has promised to be with us. As a result, those who die in the Lord will have rest (Rev. 14:13). Thus, we must put our faith completely in Jesus, as did the centurion of Matthew 8:5-11. We have the hope that at life’s end, we may sit down with the saints of all ages in the kingdom of Heaven.
“When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, 6 ‘Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.’ 7 And he said to him, 'I will come and heal him.' 8 But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’ 10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, ‘Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.”’ (Matthew 8:5-11)
Therefore, let us walk this life of trouble, suffering, and hardship, always looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. Let us turn our hearts to Him and say, "My Faith Looks Up To Thee."
May our faith look up to Jesus, our Lamb of Calvary and Savior divine, to find strength amid our suffering and hardship. May He be our guide when life’s dark maze we tread and griefs around us spread. May our faith look to Jesus to bid darkness turn to day and wipe sorrows’ tears away. May we never grow weary but instead fix our eyes on Jesus, the leader of faith, to endure and finish well the race set before us and receive the reward that awaits us.
I hope the words of this lovely song compel you to look to Jesus in faith amid life’s trials and tribulations.
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me."
Galatians 2:20
Our lovely song "Christ Liveth In Me" reminds us of our walk with Christ. A walk that must be walked by faith so that Christ may live in us. There is great joy when we are crucified with Christ and allow Him to live in us. We have light when Christ lives in us.
Our sins separate us from God and make us distant from Him. We were once far from God and dead in our trespasses and sins. When we were disobedient to God and living in darkness, our hearts did not have the light of God.
"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth." (1 Jn. 1:5-6)
Because of our disobedience, we were children of wrath.
As a result, we were separated from Christ and the Father and without hope. But Christ's blood drew us closer to God and reconciled us to Him.
"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." (Eph. 2:1-3, 11-13)
However, when we come to Christ and surrender to Him, we find the light we need through God's Word.
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105)
We have life and love when Christ lives in us, for it comes from Him.
God made the sun to give us light during the day (Genesis 1:14-18). God has provided light to help the flowers and the grass to grow (Matt. 6:28-30). Because of Christ, God gives us life and love, for Christ is the Light of the world.
"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" (John 8:12)
We have the Spirit of Christ when we crucify our flesh and allow Him to live in us.
His Spirit dwells in us through His revealed Word.
"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit."(Ephesians 5:18)
"By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit." (1 John 4:13)
In the seed lives that power that produces a new flower, plants, or trees after its own kind.
"And God said, 'Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.' And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.'" (Genesis 1:11-12)
"You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body." (1 Cor. 15:36-38)
"His Son dwelleth in me."
When Christ dwells in us by faith, ruling our hearts, we are filled with all the fullness of God and His glory.
"So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Eph. 3:17-19)
For Christ to dwell in us, we must long to be transformed and shaped into His image, for this comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (2 Cor. 3:18)
Therefore, we must dwell on this wondrous thought that is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, worthy of praise, and excellent.
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Phil. 4:8)
Christ lives in those who are His faithful children.
Christ lives in us when we surrender to His will with complete obedience. Christ will lead our souls into all righteousness and salvation when He lives in us and rules our hearts. Therefore, I will rejoice because "Christ liveth in me."
I hope this beautiful hymn may stir your soul the way it stirred mine.
Once far from God and dead in sin, No light my heart could see,
But in God’s word the light I found–Now Christ liveth in me.
As rays of light from yonder sun, The flowers of earth set free,
So life and light and love came forth From Christ living in me.
As lives the flower within the seed, As in the cone the tree,
So, praise the God of truth and grace, His Spirit dwelleth in me.
With longing all my heart is filled That like Him I may be,
As on the wondrous thought I dwell, That Christ liveth in me.
