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Looking
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great
a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and
the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with
endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith………………….”
Hebrews 12:1-2
The Christian walk is one of faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. His vicarious suffering on our behalf means that our effort or good works cannot save us and therefore, as far as God is concerned, are dead. They have no power to influence God and can do nothing for us. We are saved by believing what Jesus did for us on the cross and then we continue to live in faith and this means that His life in us transforms us and changes us into His likeness. We are thus saved by faith, sanctified by faith and we serve God by faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God! This is the testimony of scripture. (Hebrews 11:6)
So, as Christians, it is the life of Christ within us that turns us into “new creatures” and this means that we shall only be what He wants us to be if we cultivate a living relationship with Jesus. When we fail in this regard all of our Christian endeavors and pursuits fail. In short we have to keep on “looking unto Jesus, the author ad perfecter of our faith.” we must begin by faith, walk by faith and end in faith! This is the message of Hebrews eleven. It is indeed a simple message but so many miss it and fail.
Looking unto Jesus or fixing our spiritual eyes on Christ is buoyed by a real encounter with Him that drives us forward to know Him every day. There is no other way to be a Christian since we are complete in Christ and need only to know Him better. We live in a Christian world that is filled with fads and so called keys to a victorious life. Much of this is sheer nonsense. The early church had no New Testament and only a few leaders had access to the Hebrew Scriptures and yet they were able to triumph and build a pattern for us all to follow. Thus we often hear people asserting that their local church is a New Testament church and so for them this is a badge of honor.
The question is; how did the New Testament church earn this reputation without the Christian resources that we have today? The answer is simple, they only had Jesus and so they spent their days “looking unto Him.” Consequently the world took note of them as having been with Jesus but we by contrast have everything but we neglect prayer, fellowship, Bible study and communion. We spend too much time waiting on one another and not enough time waiting on God. The church at Antioch waited on God and this literally changed the world as it led to the great Gentile Mission. (Acts 13:1-2)
It is worth noting that scripture urges us to gaze upon Christ’s glory for only this practice will lead us to character transformation. (2 Corinthians 3:18) Jesus can break every bondage in our lives but we have to appropriate Him by faith. We received Him by faith and we must walk with Him by faith. More than this we do not need! Christ in you the hope of glory.
Malcolm Hedding.
©Malcolm Hedding Ministries
Devotional