The Powerful Gift of "Say-So"

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Hebrews 6 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. (Hebrews 6:10-12, NIV)


THE BIG PICTURE:
When I received the devotional writing schedule, I circled this particular one and was tempted to send Tres a nasty note for assigning it to me.

Hebrews 6 is one of the most challenging and controversial chapters in the Bible. In fact, I addressed this chapter in some detail in a sermon on May 16, 2010. If you are interested in learning more (or have insomnia), listen to the sermon online from our church website.

For our purposes here, I simply want to highlight an overarching truth from Hebrews 6 that is both sobering and hopeful: the decisions you make matter a lot! You have tremendous “say-so”!

The writer of Hebrews (I believe it was either Priscilla or Barnabas, but who cares) is writing to Jewish Christians in a time of persecution. The overriding concern is that they will abandon their commitment to Christ and return to Judaism.

• do “not drift away” (2:1),
• do not turn away from God as Israel did in the wilderness but “hold firmly till the end” (3:7-15),
• do not fall short of “the promise of entering his rest” (4:1),
• “through faith and patience inherit what has been promised” (6:12),
• “hold unswervingly to the hope” (10:23),
• “persevere so that” they you will “receive what he has promised” (10:36),
• “run with perseverance the race marked out” for you (12:1)…

The author is telling them to hang in there… don’t abandon your faith in Jesus!

It’s hard for us to overstate the radical shift it took for them to accept Jesus as the Messiah. They forsook the temple sacrifices because Jesus is now the final sacrifice once for all. They gave up their purification rites because of their baptism and forgiveness. They began gathering for worship on resurrection day (Sunday) rather than Saturday. They even changed their dietary habits and began eating with people from “the other side of the tracks.” (And you think you’ve had to adjust your worship practices over the years!)

And the author is imploring them to choose to remain faithful to Jesus.

MUSINGS:

You have the power to remain faithful to God, or not. 

I know this will create some uneasiness, but sometimes people overplay the “God is in control” card in an attempt to minimize personal responsibility. Just read the Bible in its plain language. People thwart the will of God all the time. Much that happens in this world right now is NOT God’s will. Whether it be rape, murder, pride, slander, greed, etc., those are not God’s will and we have the power to choose those things or not. God has given us significant “say-so” when it comes to whether or not we submit our lives to Jesus. 

Sure, God is certainly moving history toward a redemptive end (and He will accomplish His sovereign purposes come hell or high water… or using hell and high water), but people can choose whether or not to join Him or ignore Him or oppose Him. And Hebrew 6 tells us in no uncertain terms, that God will honor your choice—whether it be to “fall away” or to “show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure… to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”

The sobering truth is that God will ultimately honor the choices we make in regards to Him. But that is also an encouraging truth. Because of the sacrifice of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we can choose to freely love Him, remaining faithful and steadfast. Or not. It really is up to us.

And I find that both frightening and empowering at the same time.

EXTRA CREDIT:

Notice the truth of verse 10: we love God by loving others. He receives our service and help to others as love to Him.

As any parent will testify, the best way to bless us is to bless our children. When someone goes out of their way to pay attention to one of my kids or the help them in some way, it is as if they have served me personally.

In what ways can you express your love for God today through serving His people? 

POINT OF ACTION:

Thank God for the significant freedom He has given you, and pledge to honor Him with your choices today, by His grace.

WHO AM I?

My name is Greg Bland, and I love church. I’m not primarily talking about the Sunday morning worship gathering (that can actually be somewhat stressful, with the weight of creating a meaningful and nourishing experience for such a wide range of people). I mean I love the challenge of fostering long-term robust friendships, the hard work of bearing with one another in our sin and brokenness, the joy of seeing people come alive in Christ, the satisfaction of linking arms with others to practically serve those in our community, the adventure of taking the gospel to the far reaches of the world, and the shared excitement of experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit when we gather together to seek Him. 

I love that church defies all formulas but requires us to put our gifts “in play” as the body of Christ, each member as crucial as the other. 

Yep, I am a churchman. And I am tremendously grateful for those who have chosen PRF so we can BE the church together.