Do You Believe? - Message 18 - Looking unto Jesus. Concluding our sermon series through Hebrews 11, titled” Do You Believe?”, we hear the Word of God as He tells us that all of these listed in the Hall of Faith serve as a cloud of witnesses, encouraging us to continue to run the race of faith. From their example we see the profit of faith, the pain of sin, and the preciousness of Christ. We also learn that the Christian life is indeed a race that must be run with patience. In order to run rightly we must lay aside every ensnaring incumberance, learning daily to deny self, repent of sin, and press on in holiness. We also see that we cannot remain stationary. We are either moving forward, or we are backsliding in sin. There is no standing still, no neutral, no resting for us here in this life. We are commanded in Scripture to run, to press on, to finish, and to endure. Indeed, this is a race of endurance, and “he who endures to the end will be saved.” This race helps us see that we run now, and will continue to run for the rest of our earthly lives. It is a lifelong commitment. How can we do this? Only one way – we must look unto Jesus. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He gives us our faith as a gift by the power of His Spirit. He is also the finisher or perfector of our faith. He gives us grace, saving and sanctifying us, conforming us more and more into His image as we walk with Him and abide in Him and His Word. For the joy that was set before Him He endured the humiliation and horror of the cross. He was raised to life again on the third day, and He sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God. He had triumphantly finished the work for which He come. |
