Meditation of October 7th 2024 HEBREWS 3 - prerequisites to finishing spiritually strong

Day 1

Hebrews 3

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.

As we have seen so far, the book of Hebrews has a very important message about the basis of the Christian faith. It clearly shows us that it cannot be mistaken for Judaism. As Christians, we must interpret the Old Testament in light of the New Testament.

In chapter 1, having established that Jesus is the one who gives the final word, the writer goes on to give reasons why we should take Christ’s message seriously. Any other source of information is not from the Creator, and Jesus is the Creator. In chapter 1, the writer says Jesus is far superior to the angels! If you think His power comes from an angel, you are mistaken.

Then, chapter 2 says that if Jesus is truly who He says He is—bigger than anything created and the Creator Himself—shouldn’t we be very careful with what we do with His message? If you ignore it, there is no other hope for you to please the Creator! The reason you should be careful with His message is that Christ is giving the final word for any credible belief system in God to which you need to commit yourself. Christ is able to communicate better because He is God who became human! The writer takes time to show that Christ is divine and that He is God.

In chapter 2, he also shows how Jesus was made human. Why? So that in the process, He could conquer death. From the time of Jesus, you no longer need to live under the fear of death.

In chapter 3, although we are saying He is human, we are shown that He is actually greater than any other human. He is greater than Moses. Therefore, we must be careful with how we handle His message. He came to update the message of Moses in the Torah, in the Old Testament. It is important that this is understood.

Therefore, we are not to ignore His message. We should be careful to take it seriously and act on it because that is important. But we must also be able to answer the question: why is the message of Jesus much higher than what you can read in the Quran, the Hindu scriptures, or the book of the Rastas or whoever else?

It is because He was both human and God. This is an important message that we must fully understand. When He speaks, He speaks as someone who understands our pain and failures, but He also understands the standards that God wants us to follow. That is why He came—to tell us what God’s will for humankind actually is.

Like we have seen so far, the book of HEBREWS has a very important message about the basis of the Christian faith. it clearly shows us that it cannot be mistaken for Judaism. As Christians we must interpret the old testament in the light of the new.

 

so, in chapter 1, having established that Jesus is the one who give the final word, the writer then goes on to give the reasons why. Take Christ message seriously because any other source of information is not from a creator, and Jesus is the creator. so, chapter one he says he is far superior to the angels! if you think the power he has he has gotten from an angel.

then chapter 2 says, if Jesus is really who he says he is, bigger than anything that is created, that he is the creator himself, shouldn’t we be very careful with what you do with his message? This is because if you ignore it, there is no other hope for you to please the creator! the reason why you should be careful with his message, is the fact that Christ is giving the final word for any credible belief in God system that you need to commit yourself to. Christ is able to communicate to that better because he is God became human! The writer has taken time to show that Christ is divine, and he is God.

in chapter two he takes times to how show he was made human. why? so that in the process, he can conquer death so that from the time of Jesus, you no longer live under the fear of death.

then he comes to chapter three, where, although we are saying he is human, we are shown he is actually greater than any other human. he is greater than Moses. and we thus should be careful how you handle his message. he actually came to update the message of Moses in the Torah, in the old testament. I think it will be important that that is understood.

so, we are not to ignore his message. we should be careful that we take the message seriously, we must therefore take it seriously and then act on it, because that will be important. but we must keep being able to answer the question, why is the message of Jesus much higher than what you can read in the Quran, or what you can read in the Hindu book? what you can read in the book of Rastas or whoever?

It is because he was both human and God. Such is an important message that we certainly must be able to see. when he talks, he is talking from somebody who understands our pain, understands our failures, but he also understands the standards that God wants us to follow. because that is why he came! to tell us what God’s will for humankind actually was.

 

Day 2

Hebrews 3

² He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. ³ Jesus has been found worthy of greater honour than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honour than the house itself.

That is the message of Hebrews chapter 3. The writer is telling us that if we put ourselves under Moses, we will not have victory over sin! But under Christ, we will have victory over everything. The writer is addressing Christians and telling them: I know you are already Christians, but please take this message more seriously. "Fix your thoughts on Jesus" means there is no need to put your thoughts elsewhere; anything else you hear must be compared with what Jesus has said. Why? Because He was faithful to the One who appointed Him. In other words, what Christ is telling us is what the Father told Him. And God is the builder of everything. What that passage is saying is that we are God’s house, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.so, that’s the message of Hebrews chapter 3. he is telling us, that if we put ourselves under Moses, we will not have victory over sin! But under Christ we will have victory over everything. The writer is calling these people he is addressing himself to, Christians, and telling them: I know you are already Christians but please get this message more seriously. ‘fix your thoughts on Jesus’ means, there is no need of putting your thoughts elsewhere, anything else you hear, you must compare with what Jesus has said. why? he was faithful to the one who appointed him. in other words, what Christ is telling us, is what the father told him. and God is the builder of everything. what that passage is saying is, we are God’s house, if he hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.

Day 3

Hebrews 3

⁷ So, as the Holy Spirit says:

“Today, if you hear his voice,⁸     do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness,⁹ where your ancestors tested and tried me,    though for forty years they saw what I did.

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”

This means it is possible to actually hear this message as God’s final message and still say, “Ah! I will start thinking about it tomorrow.” No, no, no! Do not harden your hearts! The warning is repeated here:

“So, I declared on oath in my anger,

‘They shall never enter my rest.’”

If you harden your heart like the saints of old, you will end up in trouble.

The warning continues in verse 12:

"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God."

Therefore, the first problem may be hardening your heart, and the next is unbelief. Verse 13 says, "But exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today.’" If you do not want to go down that bad route, encourage one another daily while it is still today.

Then, in verse 14, he continues: "Hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first." In other words, it is possible to begin this journey and fall off along the way! Act while it is still today.

Verse 19 emphasizes this:

"So, we see that they were not able to enter because of their unbelief."

Unbelief can get you off the path to heaven. So, what are we saying? Several things: chapter 3 tells us that if you truly want the life being described—to be among the people who do not fall off in their faith because they realize they have made a commitment to Jesus, the God-man, fully man and fully God—then you will understand that this passage suggests several things you need to do.

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts,

that means it is possible to actually hear this message as God’s message, this final message, and yet start saying “ah! I will start thinking about it tomorrow” no, no, no! don’t harden your hearts!

The warning is repeated here…

So, I declared on oath in my anger,

`They shall never enter my rest

that if you actually harden your heart like the old days saints, you will actually end up in trouble.

The warning is continued in verse 12,

take heed brethren. lest there is any of you, with any evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

so, the first problem maybe hardening your heart, next one is unbelief. verse 13 is saying but exalt one another daily! if you don’t want to go to that bad route, exalt one another daily while it is called today.

Then in Verse 14, he continues. hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. in other words, it is possible to begin this journey and fall off along the way! act while it is still today. verse 19 emphasizes this.

, So, we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

So, unbelief can get you out of your way to heaven. so, what are we then saying? Several things, that this chapter 3 has told us. that if you truly want the life he is describing, to be among people who don’t fall off their faith, because they realize they have made a commitment to Jesus the Godman- fully man and fully God, then you will understand that the passage has suggested several things you need to do.

 

Day 4

Hebrews 3

¹⁰ That is why I was angry with that generation;    I said, ‘‘Their hearts are always going astray,    and they have not known my ways.’’¹¹ So I declared on oath in my anger,    ‘’They shall never enter my rest.’’ ¹⁰ That is why I was angry with that generation;    I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,    and they have not known my ways.’¹¹ So I declared on oath in my anger,    ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”^[b]

 

First, the passage tells us to realize that only finishers can get the crown, not starters.

Look at verse 14 again:

“We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.”

Please note that the word if is conditional. If we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first, only then can we end up in heaven. I know there is a big debate between Catholics and non-Catholics on the statement "once saved, always saved," but here is God’s word on the issue—if is your answer! God has put an if there. We will only be partakers of Christ’s heaven if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast. When we commit ourselves after we are born again, we must hold it steadfast until the end.

I have been a Christian for over 50 years. I should be saying I have been preaching for over 50 years, as both are true! But the Word of God is telling me that despite walking with the Lord for so long, if I do not hold my confidence, if I do not hold my trust steadfast beyond 50 years, I will not be a partaker of Christ! I am only a partaker of Christ in the end if, by the time He calls me home, I am still trusting in Him and walking with Him.

I think one of the reasons people lose their faith is when they think, “Ah! Once saved, always saved!” But it depends on which scriptures they are basing this on! Here, the book of Hebrews tells us otherwise. Earlier, we read: “How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” (Chapter 2). Now, in chapter 3, the same message is repeated! If you ignore the faith—despite knowing it, despite having it for a few years, and then dropping it to run your life your own way—you will not be a partaker of what there is in Christ! You are only a partaker of Christ if you hold the beginning of your confidence steadfast until the end.

It is my prayer that all of us Christians reading this will take the message of Hebrews 3:14 seriously. The book has already laid the groundwork, showing us that there is no other source of information worth trusting. Nobody can be compared with Christ—not Mohammed, not your traditional religion, not your ancestral worship, not Lwanda Magere of the Luo or Mugo wa Kibiru of the Gikuyu. It does not matter which tribe you come from or who your prophets were. The Bible says that in former times, you could listen to your medicine men, but now, in the last days, God has chosen to speak to us through His Son, Christ. That’s Hebrews 1:1-4. And chapter 3 is repeating the same: once you put your trust in Christ, hold this confidence until the end.

Let me take you back to verse 1:

“Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest whom we confess.”

From this, the first thing I am suggesting is: please know it is possible to backslide, so stick fully with the Lord. The second thing is the need to concentrate and fix your eyes on Jesus. You know, Peter the Apostle took a big step of faith when he said, “If it is You, tell me to come” on the water. You know the story: the boat was on the water, and he saw Jesus. He said, “Is that You? If it is You, tell me to walk!” So, he got out of the boat and literally walked on the water! This is something gravity cannot allow, but this was a miracle! But after walking on the water for some time, he realized, “Wait a minute! Is that me—a human being—walking on water?” He stopped looking at Jesus and started looking at the water, and that’s when he began to sink. Fortunately, he had come near enough for Jesus to take hold of him and help him out.

So, what are we learning? Don’t be like Peter. Fix your eyes fully on Jesus, not on the problems, not on the challenges, not on what human beings are saying. You know, if you do not keep your focus on Jesus all the time, there will be things around you that make you fear and lose your faith in God. Or you might feel, “Whoa! I’m walking on water! Look at me!” Pride can set in, and that will also make you sink. So, if you don’t want to backslide, if you don’t want to lose your faith, fix your thoughts fully on Jesus. This should be done not for one day, not for two days, but for all the days. That does not mean there won’t be other thoughts, because thoughts come from everywhere. But for you, every thought must be compared with what Christ is saying, because your eyes are fixed on Jesus.

 

first, I hear, the passage telling us, realize that only finishers can get the crown, not starters.

look at verse 14 again, ¹⁴ We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.

please note the word if is conditional. if we hold firmly till the end the confidence, we had at first…only then can we end up in heaven. I know there is a big debate from Catholics and non-Catholics, on the statement… once saved always saved, but here is God’s word on the issue! if is your answer! God has put an if, that we will only be a partakers of Christs heaven conditional if, we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast. when we commit ourselves, after we got born again, we hold it steadfast until the end.

            I have been a Christian for over 50 years. maybe I should be saying I have been preaching for over 50 years, for both are true! but the word of God is telling me, the fact that I have been walking with the Lord for that long, if I don’t hold my confidence, hold my trust steadfast, beyond 50 years, then I will not be a partaker of Christ! I am only a partaker of Christ in the end if by the time he calls me home, I am still trusting in him, I am walking with him.

I think that’s one of the things that make people lose their faith, is when they think “Ah!, once saved always saved!”. But it is based on which scriptures?! here is the book of Hebrews telling us other wise. earlier we read, how can they get saved if they ignore such a great salvation? In chapter 2. now chapter three he is repeating the same message! that if you ignore the faith, despite the fact that you knew it, you have had it for a few years then you drop it to run your own life your own way, then you will not be a partaker of what there is in Christ! you are only a partaker of Christ if you hold the beginning of your confidence steadfast until the end. and it is my prayer that all of us who are Christians reading this will take that message of Hebrews chapter 3:14 seriously.

The book has already laid the groundwork and showed us that there isn’t other source of information worth trusting, nobody can be compared with Christ, not Mohammed, not your traditional religion, not your ancestral worship, not Lwanda Magere of the Luo or Mugo Wabiru of the Gikuyu, none. it does not matter which tribe you come from and who your prophets were. The bible is saying, in the former times, you could listen to your medicine men, but now in the last days, God has chosen to talk to us through his son, Christ. that is Hebrews chapter 1:1-4, but then chapter 3 is repeating the same. once you put your trust in Christ, hold this confidence until the end.

 

then I take you back to verse 1,

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.

From this, the first thing I am suggesting is, please know it is possible to backslide, so stick fully with the Lord. number two, need of concentrating, fixing your eyes on Jesus. you know, peter the apostle took a big step of faith! when he said, “if it is you tell me to come” on the water. You know the story. the boat is on the water, and he sees Jesus, he says, “is that you? if it is you telling me to walk!” while he is still in the boat. so, he came out of the boat, and he literally walked on the water! on top of the water! This is something gravity cannot allow but this is a miracle! But after walking on water for sometimes he realizes “wait a minute! is that me! a human being! walking on the water?”. he stopped looking at Jesus and started looking at the water, and that is how he actually started to sink. fortunately, he had come near enough for Jesus to take hold of him and helped him out. so, what are we learning? don’t be like peter, fix your eyes on Jesus fully, not on the problems, not on the challenges, not on what human beings are saying.

you know, if you don’t fix it on Jesus all the time, there will be things around you that make you fear and lose your faith in God. or you can feel like “whoa! I am walking on water! look at me!” instead of walking on the water you look at yourself, “I am special!’ with pride! That will make you sink also. so, if you don’t want to backslide, don’t want to lose your faith, fix your thoughts on Jesus fully. This should be dome not for one day, not for two days, but all the days. that does not mean there will be no other thoughts, because thoughts come from everywhere! source of thoughts will be everywhere. but it will mean that for you, every thought you get must be compared with what Christ is saying, because your eyes are fixed are fixed on Jesus.

Day 5

Hebrews 3

⁵ “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,”^[a] bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. ⁶ But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.⁷ So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice,

Let’s look at verse 7, which says:

“So, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.’”

Therefore, realize that you can fail spiritually, so do not take your salvation for granted. Number two, fix your thoughts on Jesus and not on the things around you. And number three, know your spiritual condition currently because what matters is not how you served the Lord in the past, but where you are now.

You know, I talk to my age mates, and they always talk about the things God did through us in the 1970s! We talk about the miracles God performed and the many missions we went on, which is true! But now you are over 70, my friend—are you walking with the Lord? Are you trusting Him in your old age? What about those who are no longer teenagers? Now that you’ve finished university, do you keep remembering your spiritual exploits in high school or primary school? That’s good, and we thank God for the journey He has taken you through, but the question is: how are you today?

Verse 7 says:

“So, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.’”

Underline the word today or currently. Don’t allow yesterday’s exploits and miracles to make you lose focus on how you are walking with the Lord today. Are you trusting Him today or not?

You can see that the message in verse 7 is similar to what verse 14 says about holding steadfast to the end. Here, the emphasis is on “today!” Don’t worry about what will happen when you are dying, or when you are old, or when you can no longer work. That’s in the future! But what about today? Are you walking with the Lord? Let’s be clear tomorrow is not yours! We must make the best of today because today is ours, while yesterday is gone. There is nothing you can do about it, but today is here. God expects you to make use of today, for tomorrow is still in His hands.

You know, the devil can use the past—if it is good—to make you lazy about today. He can also use your past if it is wrong. “Oh! You know, I slept with my girlfriend before we were married,” and yet now you’ve been married 30 years, but that is still haunting you! No, no, no! The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness. He takes our sins as far as the east is from the west.

The issue is not what you did back then, but how you are walking with the Lord today. Once you repent of something, leave it in history. The Bible says He takes our sins as far as the east is from the west. What sin is haunting you? It is true that your past may be terrible, but it does not determine how your today is, because God has forgiven you, forgotten it, and wants you to trust in Him fully today. That is something you need to ask yourself: how is your walk with the Lord today?

We are talking about steps to spiritual victory. Which steps? Christ is saying: be careful about today. Know your spiritual condition today. Why? Because it matters more than your spiritual exploits of yesteryears or your fears about tomorrow.

We are still in Hebrews chapter 3. Verse 2 says:

“He was faithful to the one who appointed Him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.”

What do I hear? Remain loyal like Christ if you are following Christ. Remain loyal and faithful to Jesus—no allegiance to any other god. They say your god is anything you fear most or love most. If that thing you fear or love most is not Christ, then that is your idol!

If you truly want to live a life of spiritual victory, be like Christ, who was faithful to the One who appointed Him. Are you faithful to Christ, who has saved you? Are you loyal to Him? Loyalty means you cannot let Him down; you cannot go behind His back. Of course, Christ has no back—He sees everything you do.

Loyalty to Christ is a very, very important thing. When the three Hebrew children—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—were told, “Hey! For the next number of days, you are supposed to worship this statue,” they said, “Oh! Never! That is not something we can do!” Why? “We are committed to our Lord. If you are saying you are going to punish us for that, our God can save us from your punishment. But if He chooses not to save us from your fire, our loyalty is still with Him.”

I am not committed to the Lord just because He does good things for me. Even if I am going through trouble and He seems to have abandoned me, I will still stick with Him. That is loyalty! When you stick with Him not just when He is giving you good things, but even when you are going through suffering, that is loyalty. Christ was faithful to the One who appointed Him, even in the painful garden of Gethsemane when He was facing death. Remember, He seemed to be saying to His Father, “Oh! This is now too much! Remove this cup from me, but oh! Not my will—yours be done! I am committed to your will.” That was Jesus to His Father.

We are told that Moses was similar in behaviour—he was faithful. That is what is expected of us too.

Look at verse 4:

“For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.”

What are we learning? Avoid putting your commitment in an apostle, a bishop, or a preacher, arguing, “He is the one who led me to the Lord.” It’s just like a midwife who delivers a baby. It would be very odd if she started claiming the baby as her own just because she delivered it! That baby has a mother! Similarly, if I lead you to the Lord, I am only a midwife. God is your Father! Of course, the midwife does a good job, and you must say thank you, but your allegiance is not to her.

Similarly, see yourself as just a steward of all your accomplishments. That’s also true for the person who led you to the Lord. Even you, with the things God has helped you accomplish, must see yourself as a steward. A steward is someone who is doing something on behalf of another. He never owns the thing—he is only doing it on behalf of the owner.

God is the builder of all your accomplishments. He is the One actually doing it, only using you. That way, you will never suffer from pride, and pride, the Bible tells us, comes before a fall. So, if you truly want to be a spiritual overcomer, you must take the concept of being a steward over everything you do or possess—whether spiritual, physical, or whatever else.

Thus, any accomplishment—whether spiritual exploits or financial exploits—God is the One who has made you accomplish it. Never see yourself as the owner—always be the steward, and let God remain the owner. Of course, when you are doing something, people will see that you are the one putting up the house, but it is God doing it through you. God is the builder of everything, as Hebrews 3:4 tells us. I think it will be very important for us to understand that.

 

let’s look at verse 7 which says,

So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.

so, realize you can fail spiritually, so don’t take your salvation for granted. number two, fix your thoughts on Jesus and not on the things that are around you. But, number three, know your spiritual condition currently. because what matters is not how you have served the lord in the past, is where are you now? you know, I talk to my age mates, and they always talk about the things God did through us in the 1970s! and we talk about the miracles God did through us! which is true! we talk about the many missions we went! which is true. But, now you are over 70 my friend, are you walking with the Lord? are you trusting him in your old age? what about you others who are no longer teenagers? now you have finished university, you keep remembering your spiritual exploits in high schools or in primary school? that’s good! we thank God for the route he has taken you through, but the question is, how are you today? verse 7 says, So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion. under line the word ‘today’ or currently. so do not allow yesterday’s exploits, yesterday’s miracles, to make you fail to concentrate on how you are walking with the Lord today. are you trusting him today or not?

you can see message of vs 7 is similar to what verse 14 is saying about holding steadfast to the end. here the emphasis is, “today!” don’t worry about what will happen when I am dying later on? What will happen when I am old? what will happen when I can’t work again? that is in the future! But what about today? are you walking with the Lord? let’s be clear! tomorrow is not yours! we must make the best of today because today is ours, while yesterday is gone. there is nothing you can do about it, but today is here. God expects you to make use of today, for tomorrow is still in his hands. and you know the trouble is, the devil can use the past if it is good to make you lazy about today. the devil still can use your past if it is wrong, “oh! you know, I slept with my girlfriend before we were married “yet now you have been married 30 years, but that is still haunting you! no, no, no! the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness. he takes our sins as far as east is from west.

the issue is not what you did then, how is your walk with the Lord today? once you repent of something, leave it in history. the bible says he takes our sins as far as east is from west. what sin is haunting you? it is true that your past is terrible, but it does not determine how your today is, because God has forgiven you, forgotten it and he wants you today to trust in him fully today. and that’s something you need to ask yourself... how is your today spiritually?

so, we are talking about steps to spiritual victories? Which steps to spiritual victory? and Christ is saying, be careful about today, know your spiritual condition today, why? because it matters more than your spiritual exploits of the yesteryears, and then your fears about tomorrow.

we are still in Hebrews chapter 3, verse 2 says,

He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.

what do I hear? Remain loyal like Christ if you are following Christ. you remain loyal and faithful to Jesus. no allegiance to any other god. they say, your God is anything you fear most, or anything you love most. if that thing you fear most or love most is not Christ, that’s your idol! that’s your god. he is saying if you truly want to live a life of spiritual victory, be like Christ who was faithful to the one who appointed him. are you faithful to Christ who has saved you? are you loyal to him? loyalty means, you cannot let him down, you cannot go behind his back. of course, Christ has no back, he sees everything you do.

you know, loyalty to Christ is a very, very important thing. when the three Hebrew children, Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego were told, “Ei! for the next number of days you are supposed to be worshipping this statue!” they said, “oh! never! that is not something I can do!” why?” I am committed to my lord. if you are saying you are going to punish us for that, our God can save us from your punishment. but if he chooses not to save us from your fire, our loyalty is still with him”.

I am not committed to the Lord just because he does good things to me. even if I am going through trouble and he seems to have abandoned me, I will still stick with him, that’s loyalty! when you stick with him not just when he is giving you goodies, even when you are going through suffering then that is loyalty. Christ was faithful to the one who appointed him, even at the painful garden of gethsemane, when facing death. Remember, he seemed to be saying to His father “oh! this is now too much! remove this cup from me, but oh! not my will, yours be done! I am committed to your will”. that was Jesus to his father. we are told that Moses was similar in behaviour, he was faithful. That is what we expected to also be.

look at verse 4,

For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.

what are we learning? avoid putting your commitment on an apostle, a bishop, a preacher, arguing “he is the one who led to the lord”. just like a midwife, she delivers the baby, but it will be very odd if she starts claiming the baby because she is the one who delivered it! that baby has a mother! similarly, if I lead you to the Lord, I am only a midwife, eh! God is your father! of course the midwife does a good job, you really must say thank you to them, but your allegiance is not in them.

Similarly see yourself as just steward of all your accomplishments also. That is also what this person who led you to the lord is being asked. that even you, the things God has helped you to accomplish, you must see yourself as a steward. a steward is somebody who is doing something on behalf of another, he never owns the thing, he is only doing it on behalf of the owner.

so, God is the builder of all your accomplishments. He is God the one actually doing it, only using you. that way you will never suffer from pride, and pride, the bible tells us, comes before a fall. so, if you truly, truly want to be a spiritual overcomer, you must take the concept of a steward over everything you do or possess, whether spiritual, physical or whatever else.

Thus, any accomplishment, God is the one who has made you to accomplish; whether spiritual exploits, whether financial exploits, never become its owner, always be the steward, let God remain the owner.

of course, when you are doing something, we can see you are the one putting up a house, but it is God doing it through you. God is the builder of everything, as Hebrews 3:4 is telling us. and I think it will be very important that we understand that.

Day 6

Hebrews 3

¹² See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. ¹³ But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

 

So, he is saying, if you really want to be a spiritual overcomer, realize that without faith, it is impossible to please God. do not lose it!

 

He is saying that if you really want to be a spiritual overcomer, realize that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Do not lose it!

What is faith? Faith is the substance of things hoped for. In other words, you know you have not seen heaven, and you have not seen life after death, but because of what the final spokesman of God has said, and because you trust Him, you know there is heaven! Put your faith there—do not allow unbelief.

Then verse 13 is saying,

"But exhort one another daily while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness."

So, the next thing, if you want to be a spiritual overcomer, is that you must participate in fellowships where we exhort one another. Lone rangers? Not the way to go! Verse 13 is telling you: exhort one another! How will you be exhorted when you are running away from fellowship? Belong to a church. Although there is no perfect church, and there will be things you do not like about it, still, belong there! As long as they are seeking to honour God, join them. There will be things you will not be comfortable with but stay in fellowship. Be a part of a Bible study group, where a few people—not the whole church—meet together to study God’s word and exhort one another. That is what verse 13 is telling you to do. Avoid fellowship, and you face spiritual ruin!

Please realize that hell is a real place! Isn’t that what verse 18 is saying,

"And to whom did God swear that they would never enter His rest, if not to those who disobeyed?"

Then verse 19,

"So, we see that they were not able to enter because of their unbelief."

Hell, or a place of punishment, is a real place! And there are people who will enter there. You may be seen as part of the church, but you will not enter. Yes, you are part of the church, but you will not enter! Realize hell is real, just as heaven is real, so do not say that because we are saved by grace, you can live anyhow.

 

What is faith? faith is the substance of things hoped for. in other words, you know you have not seen heaven, you have not seen life after death, but because of what the final spokesman of God has said, and you trust him you know there is heaven! put your faith there, don’t allow unbelief.

then verse 13 is saying,

but exhort one another daily when it is called today, lest any of you be harden by sin’s deceitfulness.

So, the next thing, if you want to be spiritual overcomer, you must participate in fellowships where we exhort one another. lone rangers? not the way to go! verse 13 is telling you, exhort one another! how will you be exhorted when you are running away from fellowship! belong to a church. although there is no perfect church, and so there are things you will not like about the church but belong there still! as long as they are seeking to honour God join them. there will be things you will not be comfortable with but stay in fellowship. Be a part of a bible study group, where a few people, not the whole church, meet together to study God’s word and exhort one another. That is what verse 13 is telling you to do. avoid fellowship, and you face a spiritual ruin!

Please realize that hell is a real place! isn’t that what verse 18 is saying,

And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?

Then verse 19,

So, we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

Hell, or a place of punishment is a real place! and there are people who will enter there. and you are seen as part of church, but you will not enter. Yes, you are part of the church, but you won’t enter! realize hell is real just as heaven is real, so don’t say that because we are saved by grace, you can live anyhow.

Day 7

Hebrews 3

¹⁶ Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? ¹⁷ And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? ¹⁸ And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? ¹⁹ So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

You know, the hardening of the heart is the root of all other sins. If your heart hardens, you can fall into any sin. The sins of others, especially those of our close relations, should be a warning to us. When you see somebody fall, you should think about yourself. All sin not only provokes God, but it grieves God—especially when it is a Christian sinning. It is the wrong way to go. Sin appears vile; it may seem pleasant at first, but it is destructive! It promises much, but in the end, you gain nothing good. The decision to sin hardens the soul. Once sin is allowed, it becomes easier to commit the next sin. And every act of sin may soon become a habit of sin. That is something you must think about.

The privilege of the saints is that they are made partakers of Christ. We all want to be part and parcel of Christ. The same spirit with which Christians set out in the ways of God should be maintained right to the end. Perseverance in faith is the best evidence of the sincerity of your faith.

The First Letter of John says, "If they fall away, it is because they were never truly part of us" (1 John 2:19). So, the proof that you are truly saved is that you continue in faith to the end. Be aware—the world can immunize you against God’s word. Hearing the word often is a means of salvation, yet if you have not hearkened to it, it will expose you to divine wrath. You can hear God’s word so much that you become immune to it! No wonder some pastors commit sins that shock their congregations, even though they’ve preached against the very same sins. The fact that you know theology, or have an M.A. in theology, does not guarantee protection. In fact, it could even contribute to hardening your heart.

The joy of being partakers of Christ and His complete salvation, along with the fear of God’s wrath, should motivate you to persevere to the very end. This is because there is wrath coming and eternal misery awaiting those who fall away. Let this stir you to continue in faith and prayer, striving to be numbered among the true believers who will enter heaven. When others fail because of unbelief, continue trusting in God, no matter what you are going through. Your obedience will follow according to the strength of your faith.

My prayer is that as you reflect on your faith, Hebrews chapter 3 will encourage you to trust in Him fully. This is what Christ is saying. Yes, He came to rescue us from fear and to give us hope—the opposite of fear. But that hope will only be realized if you hold on to the end, which is the message of Hebrews 3. Yes, fix your thoughts on Jesus, and that way you will remain a Christian to the end and be a partaker of heaven—unlike Peter, who, when he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the water, began to sink.

May the Lord help you to remember that the reward is not for beginners; the reward is for finishers. So, finish strong!

you know the hardening of the heart is the spring of all other sins. if your heart hardens, you can fall into any sins. the sins of others, specially of relations, should be a warning to us. when you see somebody falling you should think about yourself. all sin not only provokes God, but it grieves God! especially when it is a Christian sinning. it is the wrong way to go. sin appear is vile, it appears pleasant, but it is destructive! it promises much but from it you finally get nothing good. the decision to sin hardens the soul. once sin is allowed, it makes it easier to do the next sin. and every act of sin may soon become a habit of sin. that’s something you have to think about.

The saints privilege is that they are made partakers of Christ. we all want to be part and parcel of Christ. the same spirit with which Christians set out in the ways of God, it should be maintained right to the end. Please we have seen the perseverance in faith is the best evidence of your sincerity of your faith.

The 1^st letter of John says, if you fall off, it is because you were never part of us. so, the proof that you really are saved, is to continue to end. be aware world can immunize you against God’s word., hearing the word often is a means of salvation, yet if you have not harkened to, it will expose to define wrath. You can hear Gods word until you become immune to it. No wonder some pasters do sins that shock their members given they have heard them preach against same sin. the fact that you know theology, you have MA in theology, it does not help! it could even be the one making you hardened.

The happiness of being partakers of Christ and his complete salvation, and the fear of God’s wrath, should motivate you to the very end. This is because there is wrath coming and eternal misery. It should stir you to persevere in life right up to the end. that’s why you should be involved in prayer, to be numbered with the true believers who enter heaven. when all others fail because of unbelief, you continue trusting in God irrespective of what you are going through. your obedience follows according to the power of your faith.

My prayer is that as you think about your faith, Hebrews chapter 3 will encourage you to trust in him fully. that is what Christ is saying. Yes, he came to rescue us from fear, and to give us hope, the opposite of fear. but that will only be possible if you hold on to the end, which is the message of Hebrews 3. Yes, fix your thoughts on Jesus, that way, you will be a Christian right up to the end and be a partaker of heaven unlike peter who stooped looking at Jesus and looked at the water he was walking in .

May the Lord help you to know the reward is not for beginners, the reward is for the finishers. So, Finish strong!

 

 

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