Encourage believers to live holy lives through the power of Jesus Christ, as guided by the teachings in Hebrews Chapter 12.
Good morning, brothers and sisters. Today, we're going to be diving into a passage from the book of Hebrews – Chapter 12. What a rich and enlightening book it is! It speaks directly to us, reminding us that Jesus is the source of our faith, God wants holiness in his people, and that we should be living a life of holiness through Jesus.
I'm reminded of a quote from C.S. Lewis. He once said, "The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us." Our holiness originates not from ourselves, but from our loving Father in Heaven!
In this passage, we see the author of Hebrews reminding us of a profound truth - that Jesus is the source of our faith. This is not a mere statement, but a deep, life-altering reality that has the power to transform our lives. The author uses the metaphor of a race to describe our Christian journey, and he encourages us to fix our eyes on Jesus, who is described as the "pioneer and perfecter of faith." This means that Jesus is not only the originator of our faith, but He is also the one who brings it to completion.
When we think about a pioneer: We think about someone who blazes a trail, who goes before us to make a way. In the context of our faith, Jesus is that pioneer. He is the one who has gone before us, who has lived a perfect life, died a sacrificial death, and risen again to secure our salvation. He has blazed the trail for us, showing us the way to the Father. Our faith begins with Him, with His life, His teachings, His sacrifice, and His resurrection.
But Jesus is not just the pioneer of our faith: He is also the perfecter. The Greek word for perfecter, "teleiotes," means one who brings something to its end or its goal. In other words, Jesus is the one who brings our faith to its intended goal. He is the one who sustains us, who strengthens us, who helps us to persevere in the race of faith. He is the one who will bring us safely home to the Father.
This is a profound truth that we need to grasp: Our faith is not something that we muster up on our own. It is not something that we can manufacture or manipulate. It is a gift from God, given to us through Jesus Christ. He is the source of our faith, and He is the one who sustains it.
This truth has profound implications for how we live our lives: It means that we are not alone in our struggles. It means that we do not have to rely on our own strength or wisdom. It means that we can look to Jesus, trust in Him, and rely on His strength and His wisdom. It means that we can rest in His love and His grace, knowing that He will never leave us or forsake us.
Shapes how we view our failures and shortcomings: We all stumble and fall in our Christian journey. We all have moments of doubt and despair. But when we understand that Jesus is the source of our faith, we can find hope and encouragement in the midst of our failures. We can look to Him, knowing that He is able to strengthen our faith, to help us to persevere, and to bring us safely home.
Holiness, in essence, is the state of being set apart for God, consecrated, and sanctified ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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