Hebrews 6-13 (Faith)

Christianity is hard...that seems to be the resounding theme that scripture and life is telling me.

In Hebrews the greatest temptation was to go back to Judaism. It was a fallback religion for those who could not stand the heat in the kitchen. The writer condemns this (6:4-6). It is impossible to go back once you fall away.
My understanding comes from Houghton college, this verse was a warning against those that wanted to be saved by Judaism beliefs. The audience had tasted the salvation of Christ, but didn't want the death and agony that came with it so they went to Christianity's cousin, Judaism. The point stands that disowning Christ has consequences. It breaks God's heart when we leave for selfish reasons. This is not simple falling away, the term crucifying Christ all over again is considered apostasy. To crucify Christ again means to side with his enemies, declare him guilty in trial and sentence him to death. By siding with Judaism, the audience was sending Jesus the same message.

I've seen some authentic hatred for Christian believers, but nothing irritates me more than a pot shot at Jesus. In a way, I feel sorrow for those who pass him off as irrelevant. They may have Jesus preached to them on a daily basis, but their soul won't budge.

One of the greatest benefits of Christ's death and resurrection is that we can enter a relationship with God that only the Jewish high priest could officially enter once a year. We can get close enough for God to love us and we can return that love. This is the covenant that God had penned up since the beginning. The other rituals were shadows, mucked up by sin.

Therefore brothers since we have confidence to enter the most holy
Place by the blood of Jesus. By a new and living way opened up to US
through the curtain, that is, his body. let US draw near to God With a sincere
heart in full assurance that of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse
us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with
pure water.
10: 10-22

Therefore, give yourself over to Christ. Do not shrink back and be destroyed, but believe and be saved (10:39). This is a call to be persistent in your beliefs.

Faith is powerful considering the hope and promises in Jesus Christ. It seems to be the fuel that makes the relationship with God work. The writer speaks of bold moves in faith through the Old Testament. Faith pleases God like Abel did, faith helps you listen to God's command to leave your land, faith let's you build an Ark when there is no rain, faith helps see the invisible God. Faith gets you through the hard times. Christianity is not a religion meant for strong willed souls, crazy lunatics, hermit shut-ins or heroes that love danger, but it is a world built on faith. This faith can turn any man into someone who sees God and acts in relationship with him. We may not have the miracles of the Old Testament, but we certainly can have the faith.

What can we learn from this?

The term that comes to mind is "buck up!" Christianity is hard, persecution sucks and no one likes discipline, BUT a life away from God's redemptive plan through Christ is far more terrible. That would mean you are denying the truth. Instead, we as believers should come boldly to Christ asking for help, rely on our brothers for encouragement and ask for heaping bowls of faith to get us through the hard times.

13: 11The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. ¹²And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. ¹³Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. ¹⁴For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

Hebrews

Hebrews

An unknown writer explains that the recently converted Jews should not abandon their Christianity in favor of Judaism. Even if Judaism was a legal religion at the time it does not change the truth in Christ.

Jesus was fully a man, but he was fully God's appointed son. He consisted of %100 human and God flesh. We're not talking Two Face; we're talking both at the same time. The author is battling two fronts in this letter 1) that Jewish beliefs are enough for salvation and 2) that persecution is too hard to keep a faith going.

1) Hebrews 2:9 (New International Version) 9But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

2) Hebrews 3 1Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.

4:15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

Hebrews 3:12-13 (New International Version) 12See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness

Hebrews has two ways to avoid the temptation of falling away. 1) Think about Jesus and his sufferings. He went through everything first. He was tempted and perfected in his suffering. Jesus had to face every single pain a Christian must face and therefore we should come to him knowing he can handle anything.

2) Go to your brothers to be part of the community of encouragement.

Hebrews 4:2 (New International Version) 2For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.[a]

Nothing is concrete to the five senses. For every visible, testable conclusion there is a doubt waiting. Not because God's truth is not truthy enough, but because of sin and its habit of making things mirky. In the end, its the strength of our faith that truly tells us to hold on.

The author argues that because of the Hebrew's decision to fall away they won't be recieving the rest, which is a metaphor for the promised prize at the end of life. Similar to that is the Old Testament rebellion of the stagnate generation that complained in the wilderness. I think we fall into the same folly when we believe that a certain president will make everything better or a system of thinking like Going Green will help everything. That is not the goal. Only Christ is the goal for us sinners.

The writer urges his audience to trust in scripture which is sharper than a two edged sword, able to cut through the crap of deception and reveal the heart and attitude of a person. This audience had total fear of commitment and we're using the option to run back to Judaism as an excuse. Scripture had chewed them out and revealed this nasty lie.

4:13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Finally, the lack of commitment from the Hebrews caused them to be weak at their faith. The writer calls them on it and says that they were still on the Baby Formula of scripture and couldn't even handle Solid Food. A Christian must always train up in their relationship with God. You can't stay in the same place with God, just like you can't stay in the Honeymoon forever with your wife. You need to grow and get wise in your relationship.
Stay tuned for more.

Philemon and Hebrews

Philemon is a short letter concerning Paul's love for a slave and their spiritual relationship. Only one verse stuck out in my reading.

Philemon 1:6 "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ."

I wonder what the full breadth of this verse means. Does that mean sharing our faith reminds us of how good we have it in Christ? Or does it mean that you can't have the full enjoyment of a relationship with God without sharing your faith? One thing is certain, God won't let a Christian leave this Earth without being a witness of who he is. The light of Christ must shine and the salt of his word must be in our actions or we are only using half of him.

I don't usually associate sharing my faith with others as a joy. It's definately something God enjoys and if people listen than they enjoy it, but I am the one who has to get nervous and wonder if I will be accepted. Maybe I am missing a point.