Staying Resolute

Let’s spend a little time on the word admirable. I am reminded of what the Hebrew writer said, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses…” (12:1; NIV). The word “therefore” connects these verses to the previous 11 chapters. And if you look back just one verse prior you’ll find these words, “since God has planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” That something better is the New Convenant with Jesus Christ. The forefathers did not receive this “something better.” It is experienced by those who live after the death and resurrections of Christ – for through him we have the “new.”

But I don’t want to chase that rabbit. After hearing the roll call of faithful believers throughout the centuries, illustrating true faith (chapter 11), the readers are challenged to also persevere in their faith. This picture in Hebrews uses the athletic imagery of a Greek amphitheater that has rows and rows of spectators. They do not witness as if they are just spectators, they witness through the record of their faithfulness that encourages those who follow them. We do not struggle alone and we are not the first to struggle with problems.

Our faith amidst the trials, problems, and struggles of life can inspire others to either stand firm in their faith or place their faith in Christ. We are surrounded by witnesses of other believers as well as nonbelievers and each side looks to professing Christians during these moments in life. If we can stand firm in the faith it just may send a message stronger and greater than any word we could offer.

Secondly, Be determined in the Lord’s Work. Let’s take a look at Paul’s words. Because of the promises he mentioned, the future resurrections, living eternally in the Kingdom, new bodies, we have motivation and responsibilities for life right now. Our time on earth is very valuable. In reality, we don’t have a whole lot of time. But we do have much work to do for the future kingdom. Others must be invited to join in and believers must be taught to grow in the Lord. In my preparation I came across this article that answered the question, “why are so many people young people falling away from the faith?”

Let me read to you a section of it. “Two studies conducted by both the Barna Group and USA Today, found that nearly 75 percent of Christian young people leave the church after high school. One of the key reasons they do so is intellectual skepticism. This is a result of our youth not being taught the Bible in their homes or in church. Statistics show that our kids today spend an average of 30 hours per week in public schools where they are being taught ideas that are diametrically opposed to biblical truths, e.g., evolution, the acceptance of homosexuality, etc. Then they come home to another 30 hours per week in front of a TV bombarded by lewd commercials and raunchy sitcoms or “connecting” with friends on Facebook, staying online for hours, chatting with one another, or playing games. Whereas the time spent weekly in the church Bible classroom is 45 minutes. It’s no wonder that our young people leave the home without a Christian worldview. Not only are they not being well-grounded in the faith, but they’re also not being taught to intelligently examine the views of the skeptics who will inevitably challenge their faith. Most of these students are not prepared to enter the college classroom where more than half of all college professors view Christians with hostility and take every opportunity to belittle them and their faith.”