Conference Theme

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6, NIV)

The theme for the recent AFLC Conference was “God rewards the faithful” based on the Bible verse from Hebrews above. I’ve been puzzling over this. What is our reward? Some proponents of the “prosperity gospel” would have us believe that if we’re faithful we’ll receive worldly rewards — plenty of money, a great house, good health and so on. Others may assume that faith will ensure a happy family life and good relationships. Obviously, that isn’t true. And a careful reading of the context of this verse (the hall of fame of faith, it’s been called) lists people who suffered in a variety of ways. Yes, some were healed or spared from injury or saw miracles, but others:

“… were tortured…. faced jeers and flogging…were stoned… sawed in two…persecuted and mistreated…” Hebrews 11:35-37

Doesn’t sound like a great reward, does it? In Chapter 12, we see the rest of the story. When we endure suffering for God’s sake, because of our faith:

“…it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace…” Hebrews 12:11

Our reward is reconciliation with God through the imputed righteousness of Christ. If you’re wondering what this is here’s a definition:

“Imputed righteousness” is the doctrine affirming that the personal righteousness of Jesus Christ is instantly transferred to a sinner at the point of “saving faith.” Accordingly, the believer ceases to be the sinner he was and forthwith becomes a new creation–a perfectly righteous person.

When through faith, we become righteous, we will also be fruitful. Not prosperous in the things of the world, but in the things of God. We can be peaceful because we know that God is in control of our lives and will work all things out for our good, and the good of others. What reward is better than that?

For more posts about the book of Hebrews see:

Interactive Bible Study-Hebrews Chapter 13

Thankful for Leaders –Hebrews Chapter 13

Thankful for Faith -Hebrews Chapter 11

At All Times (Again)

In a previous post, I blogged about how as friends, we are told to love “at all times” (Proverbs 17:17).  I happened to notice recently that that there are some other things the Bible instructs us to do all the time.

“I will bless the Lord at all times;  his praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul makes its boast in the Lord;  let the afflicted hear and be glad.”  Psalm 34:1-2

Hmm…I guess if I am constantly blessing God, I’ll remember that all of my gifts come from Him (I won’t be arrogant) and others will be comforted by the way I handle my problems and troubles.  Sounds pretty good.

“Trust in him at all times, O people;  pour out your heart before him;  God is a refuge for us.”  Psalm 62:8

It’s nice to know there is Someone who will always listen, Someone I can count on, if I just remember to trust and turn to Him whenever I need solace. This should keep me from worrying so much.  Another good idea.

“Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times.”  Psalm 106:3

The word “blessed”  means extraordinarily happy.  Doing what’s right, not only benefits those around me, I’ll be happier myself. I won’t get tangled up in deceit or be consumed with regret and guilt.

All of these verses from Psalms are summed up in the following New Testament passage:

Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances;  for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

In other words, spend your time with God.  Pray to Him, praise Him, lean on Him, listen to Him.  He loves you and is  waiting to be your friend, AT ALL TIMES.

 

 

Taking the Long View

Sometimes it’s hard to see any change in ourselves or our circumstances.  After all, we live in the present.  That’s why it’s a good idea to occasionally  look back to get the correct perspective.  Not one of us is righteous, and few of us have a “Road to Damascus” experience (like the apostle Paul) that turns us around in an instant. However, when we walk with God, we do change.  Think about who you were and what you were doing 1 year ago, 5 years ago, 10 or more years ago…you’ll see God’s hand in your life and how he has molded and changed you.  Then give thanks and place your trust in His ability to make you into the person He wants you to be.

In Hot Pursuit

According to the dictionary, to pursue means to chase or run after something or someone.  We pursue the things we really want and are interested in. What are you chasing after in your life?  Is it money?  A beautiful home?  A prestigious job? An expensive car?  A certain someone who attracts you?  If we’re honest, we realize many (if not most) of the things we pursue have to do with worldly approval or success.

The Bible tells us to pursue a whole different set of things.  For example:

“Turn from evil and do good;  seek peace and pursue it.”  Psalm 34:14

Pursue is a verb, an action word.  This means I must not only think peace is a nice idea, I must do what I can to promote it.  Maybe this means compromise, or putting another person first.  Certainly it means caring more about the other person than winning or getting my own way.

Here’s another one:

“Pursue love and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts…” 1 Corinthians 14:1

Pursuing love means behaving in a loving way to all of God’s children–not just the ones I care about or the ones who treat me well.  It means using my gifts to encourage and support others, not to promote only myself and my own interests.

Finally:

“Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.”  1 Timothy 6:11b

Pursuing righteousness and godliness means going against my natural inclination by doing God’s will instead of my own.  Pursuing God’s way means trying to be selfless instead of selfish.

I know I’ll never completely stop pursuing the wrong things;  but staying close to God through study, worship and prayer will help me remind me of the things I really want.

“For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18b

Run after God.  Pursue the eternal.