Tag: faith

Hebrews 11:17-28

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            Christian faith looks ahead and sees as clearly as is right now in front of your face.  Because of taking such a long view of life, the mature believer in Jesus is able to set aside temporary pleasure in order to attain a future hope.  Today’s New Testament lesson says that “after Moses grew up, his faith made him refuse to be called the king’s son.  He chose to be mistreated with God’s people instead of having the good time that sin could bring for a little while.  Moses knew that the treasures of Egypt were not as wonderful as what he would receive from suffering for the Messiah, and he looked forward to his reward.”
 
            It is an understatement to say that our contemporary society assumes practicing instant gratification.  We want to feel good, and we want it now.  Impulse control may just be one of the best life skills that kids (and adults!) need to learn today.  A recent Psychology Today article effectively demonstrates through some classic and current research that “one of the most effective ways to distract ourselves from a tempting pleasure we don’t want to indulge is by focusing on another pleasure.”
 
            For the Christian who desires to follow Jesus in all things, looking ahead to a future heavenly reward which will be shared along with all God’s people needs to be kept at the forefront of our thinking.  If we only think about today, there is very little resource for responding to the temptations and fluctuations of life.  But if we will put some energy into clarifying and embracing our most cherished values, we will then let those values inform everything we do, or not do.  In the light of eternity, suffering a bit now is nothing compared to what Christ has in store for his people.
 

 

            Eternal God, I believe you will be there at the end of the age distributing reward to those who have faithfully served you.  Help me, by means of your Holy Spirit, to resist temptation, live for Jesus, and forsake the cultural values all around me so that I live strong for you.  Amen.

Hebrews 11:1-7

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment



            The Mackinac Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the Western hemisphere.  It is 26,372 feet long.  At its highest, the roadway is 200 feet above the strait that separates the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan.  All suspension bridges are designed to move to accommodate wind, change in temperature, and weight. It is possible that the deck at center span could move as much as 35 feet either east or west due under severe wind conditions. It is one thing to learn all the facts about the bridge, and it is quite another thing to actually drive on it and cross the strait.  Some people don’t try it.  I have driven on it several times, and it is a hoot!  In order to cross the bridge, we need to know it will hold us up above the water.  Then, we actually need to use it and drive on it.

 
True biblical faith is neither an existential leap into darkness, nor a simple recognition of certain facts.  Rather, faith is a reliance and commitment to Jesus that results in taking a risk.  Faith is knowledge that God exists.  Faith is stepping out and acting.  It requires both.  One can read all the facts about the Mackinac Bridge, but it isn’t the same thing as crossing it.  Conversely, one can cross the bridge, even daily, and have no real appreciation as to its true magnificence and structural wonder.
 
The author of Hebrews wanted a fickle church to know Jesus, both intellectually and experientially.  He knew that both elements were needed in order to sustain a faith that would endure.  A lack of high level commitment on the part of professing Christians points to the reality that many believers are missing a crucial part of real faith.  There are people who rush into situations half-cocked without a solid base of understanding.  There are others who talk an issue to death and never act.  We are to eschew both by embracing a full-orbed faith that seeks knowledge in order to respond in action.
 

 

            Almighty God, without faith it is impossible to please you.  Help me to be neither cocky, nor timid, but to live wisely in light of Scripture so that I might actively express faith in both words and deeds, through Jesus Christ my Lord.  Amen.

Luke 12:22-31

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            Let’s be as real and honest as we possibly can before God, because there is no way we are ever going to fool him, anyway.  We all worry.  Some folks might worry more than others, but worry is endemic to the human condition.  Telling someone not to worry (which we are in the obnoxious habit of doing with each other) is about as helpful as barking at another person about having hemorrhoids – it just isn’t going to do much good.  So, what do we do about worry?  We change the conversation and put the priority not on ourselves, but on God.  Jesus told a group of worry-warts to “put on God’s work first” (verse 31, CEV).
 
            We inevitably worry because we do not put the context of our concern in the realm of how really big God is in the world.  Here is some Jesus logic:  Birds and flowers don’t worry much, and are well cared for.  Birds and flowers aren’t as important as people.  Therefore God will take care of you.  So, then, our emphasis is to shift toward the ability of God, rather than our inability.  And this is right where Jesus wants us – recognizing that we are not self-sufficient independent automatons who are meant to function by themselves without ever needing help.
 
            Now we are the nub of the issue:  We don’t like being dependent.  We’ll do most anything other than admit we need help.  Sound familiar?  Here is some more Bible logic:  We need Jesus.  The church is the Body of Christ.  Therefore we need the church.  Some of us are more than ready to cry out to God, but have no intention of admitting any need to a group of people who might misunderstand or judge us.  We would rather worry.
 
            It’s time to get off the roller coaster and put our feet on the ground of God’s work, which is the church in the world.  We can run all we want, but we’ll never outrun worry or the reality that Jesus is tied forever to his church.  So, turn around, face them both squarely, and see what that kind of faith does in your life.
 

 

            Compassionate God, I believe I can trust you for everything, including my nagging worries.  Today I choose to take steps of faith in the understanding I have of you and the Body of Christ, and confront my worry in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Galatians 3:15-22

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment


              If the Apostle Paul were living in our day, I’m pretty sure he could have his own reality show if he wanted.  Paul is a terribly interesting man.  His adventures are legendary in church circles.  One of the most interesting things about Paul is his piercing intellect and flawless rhetoric.  Today’s New Testament lesson has Paul taking on a Galatian heresy.  Maybe we could call it “Law and Grace:  SFU (Special Faith Unit).”  
             The folks who were holding to the law were reminded by Paul that the promise to Abraham was a contract or covenant made by God that was binding, permanent, and divinely ratified.  The law, on the other hand, was not – it was designed to be in effect for a specific amount of time, temporary, and only bound the people of God until the promise was fulfilled in Christ.
             So, why in the world was there a law to begin with if it is no longer in effect?  Paul said, “It was added because of transgressions.”  So there we have it.  It was as if the Israelites were precocious and disobedient little children who needed some firm boundaries and rules in order to keep them safe and lead them to the time when they would grow to maturity.  Once adulthood arrived there was no longer any need for the law.
             The law was never designed to be permanent.  So, when Christians cling to a rules-based faith they are showing their gross immaturity and need to grow up and embrace the permanent reality of living in the Spirit.  Grace is the permanent and pervasive reality that governs everything Christians are to do and say.  It cannot be earned, only accepted, not achieved, but only given by God.  Until we can grasp this fundamental truth of Christianity, the Christian life will never make sense.  Only until we release our expectations of rules and let go of our orienting around law will we discover the liberation of a grace-filled existence.
             Gracious God, you saved me through Christ alone by faith alone.  Now help me to live by grace alone as the highest and greatest truth operative in the universe and in the kingdom of God.  Amen.