“But now God has invited us to live in something better than they had – faith’s fullness” (Hebrews 11:40b)
You may already know Hebrews Chapter Eleven is known as the faith chapter. In it, the author recounts the faith of many people from the Old Testament who did incredible things because of their faith in Him. They did it in faith looking forward to Messiah (Jesus), our faith looks back to the cross and forward to His return. They lived for what Messiah promised to do, we live for what He has done for us. This is where the writer of Hebrews says we were “invited . . . to live in something better than they had – faith’s fullness!”
Today I realized chapter twelve is a continuation of this thought and a directory of how to live in the fullness of faith Jesus died and rose again to attain for us. To live in less than this is to suggest His act was not enough. If there has ever been a time in history for us to live in fullness it is now. If we are walking in the last days, we truly need to walk in the fullness of all Jesus died to give us. Those who have gone before us only dreamed, but never realized. We are living their dreams. Let us not disappoint.
Chapter twelve begins in verse one with the well-known statement about the great cloud of witnesses. I realize as I allow chapter eleven to flow into chapter twelve the writer is speaking of those of faith who he just wrote about. Because we have such a cloud of witnesses, because we have had so many go before us and have success through faith, so must we. Let us walk a faith-walk worthy of their testimony so we might raise up a testimony of glory to Jesus Christ today.
What does chapter twelve first suggest to us for walking worthy? Let go and run. He says let go of wounds (roots of bitterness) that pierce. It is time to cut the ties of unforgiveness which are holding you back. He also says to let go of those sins which you so easily fall into. If unforgiveness binds you and sins hold you down, you cannot run the race. The writer says to let go of these things and run the race with passion and determination. Let go of two things: wounds and sins, and exchange them for passion and determination which will make you able to run this race.
Heart check: If you feel tied up or held down, maybe you need to take a sober look at yourself to see if there is a wound you are holding onto or a sin you are sliding into.
“But the end of all things is at hand;therefore, be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another,for “love will cover a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:7-8).
Our writer does not leave us hanging. In verse two he moves directly to the how. He tells us to keep our gaze upon Jesus. We are to turn our eyes from the natural to the supernatural. Nothing will ever be the same as we see this world through our filter of faith, which can only be fully employed as our eyes are fixed on Him. Jesus birthed faith in us and He is the One who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. There is nowhere to go without Him. Fix your eyes on Him today. He knows the path forward, so follow His footsteps closely.
We also have Jesus’ example to understand and follow. We first look at His example as it benefits us. First, we are told where His focus was. His focus was on the joy of our salvation. Therefore, He endured the cross and conquered humiliation and now sits exalted. He died and rose again so we could be saved. He made the way for us to let go of wounds and sins. He made the way for us to forgive and to live holy lives. We receive what He did for us, but the writer of Hebrews is calling us to the next level as we look to Jesus’ example.
Heart check: Are you living your life with joy for those who will come to know Jesus through your sacrifice? Are you willing to take up your cross and follow Him anywhere He leads, not just because you love Him, but also because you have a strong desire for others to know this great salvation you have found? Are you willing to be humiliated and wrongly accused and suffer atrocities if it means the salvation of just one soul? Jesus is the example to which we look, not just to know how great a salvation we have received, but also as an example to follow.
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:12-13).
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).
Skipping ahead to verses twelve and thirteen, our writer tells us how to overcome weakness. He says the way to be made strong is through praise and worship. As we raise our hands high and proclaim Him worthy of all praise, honor, and glory, we remind ourselves He is still sits exalted. Our faith is bolstered by remembering it is only by Him and through Him we can do anything. It is not about our strength, but His strength in us. We are told the way to overcome weakness in the knees is to keep going. Do not stop. Do not lay down. Fix your gaze on Jesus and keep going! He promises if we will continue “walking forward on God’s paths all [our] stumbling ways will be divinely healed!” (Hebrews 12:13; Isaiah 36:3-10).
Heart check: Where are you today? Are you struggling to keep going? Are you feeling weak and weary? Are you having devotions daily? Is Jesus your primary focus throughout your day, or is He hidden between the pages of the Bible you rarely open? Maybe you are doing all your devotions and really trying to live your life for Jesus, but you are still feeling like things are not going in the right direction. Maybe you are becoming weary in waiting. May I encourage you to employ these helps with faith in the promise of divine healing? Raise those weary hands and give your Lord the praise and worship due His name! Take a deep breath and then take one more step, then another, and just keep going until God rains healing down upon you and restores the vigor of your walk once again. He will do it; He has promised.
“Give to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness” (1 Chronicles 16:29)!
Our Hebrews writer weaves a beautiful directive for how to live in the fullness of faith. He has had a lot of good personal suggestions for us to live in fullness. However, once we’ve done all to make ourselves ready, there is one more step to fullness – living in community.
Verse fourteen encourages us to choose peace and to run toward holiness. Actually, The Passion Translation says to choose peace instead of competition. “Love does not envy” (1 Corinthians 13:4). It also says, “run swiftly toward holiness, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). You will find yourself walking in the fullness of faith when you passionately pursue Christ and love others as He loves.
Heart check: You know what to do. How are you measuring up in these areas? What can you do going forward to improve or continue in these areas?
“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another” (Romans 12:10).
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).
We are then encouraged to “watch over each other” (Hebrews 12:15). We truly are responsible for our faith community. In short, here are some things to consider: Don’t let anyone miss out on the full “revelation of God’s grace”. Too many people are still trying to measure up, but we have been made righteous through Christ. We need only to walk in it, knowing we are fully accepted in Him (Ephesians 1:6). This, at it’s core, is helping each other walk in fullness. Help those living with “bitter roots” or strongholds to let them go. Don’t shy away from those who are troubled, or those who cause trouble. Seek to help them cut ties and let go of unforgiveness and sin in their life. Finally, do not tolerate immorality among your faith group. Deal with it as Jesus dealt with yours. Make necessary sacrifices to help them find fullness of faith, too.
Heart check: What is your church service like? Are you going to church as something you have to do? Are you going empty looking to be filled? Are you filling up before you go ready to help anyone who might be in need of the above? It could be any one of these on any given Sunday. I don’t know about you, but I have been feeling a draw to be much more intentional about my church services going forward. I don’t want to just go to get filled up, I want to go and be of service to someone else in need. This is not just bound to church services. This is for every aspect of our lives.
“And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh” (Jude 1:22-23).
Our final key:
“Since we are receiving our rights to an unshakable kingdom we should be extremely thankful and offer God the purest worship that delights His heart as we lay down our lives in absolute surrender,filled with awe” (Hebrews 12:28, 29).
Yes, Lord. I say yes to all you have for me. I surrender all. How about you? Will you surrender all to Him today?