suffering

	Call To Solid Teaching. Recently, I heard a teacher refer to that “old fashioned teaching” and say that it should be thrown out. Then he gave his own insights, rejected the truth taught in the scriptures, and ended up slandering God. Yes, he had a new teaching, but it was not biblical.      Do you think the old fashioned faith needs to be updated to modern times? If so, you are running towards trouble. It appears from the next verse that some of the readers of Hebrews were struggling with the same issue.     Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were thus occupied were not benefited. (NASB) Heb. 13:9   The Holy Spirit has already made the point that the life of faith - that old fashioned faith - does not change with time just as Jesus does not change. Now He says the content of our faith does not change either.      A few years ago I read a book in which the author said that the apostle Paul was not completely honest about God’s view of the role of husbands and wives. He claimed that God “hid some truth” because He feared the Jews and Greeks would reject Christianity if the complete truth were revealed. This person went on to say that now we know the truth and the old view of the roles of men and women can be rejected. The question we must ask is, “How did he discover that God was not completely truthful,” if it is not revealed in scripture? We are not free to find new truth in the white spaces in the Bible. His conclusion was wrong. Biblical truth does not change with time. The mark of a spiritually mature Christian is that of one who has an unchanging faith and holds on to God’s unchanging truth.          Call To Suffer. The next mark of a mature Christian is the same mark of the great men and women of faith in Hebrews 11 - a willingness to suffer for Jesus.     We have an altar, from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Hence, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. (NASB) Heb. 13:10-14   The altar on which animals were sacrificed by the Jewish priests was located in the tabernacle during Israel’s wandering in the desert, and then later in the temple in Jerusalem. Usually the priests could eat what was left of the animal sacrifice, but on the Day of Atonement the sin offering had to be taken outside and burned.      When Jesus died on the cross, He died outside the walls of the city of Jerusalem. When Jesus died, He suffered outside as our sin offering. Yes, we have an altar. It is the cross on which Jesus died. Therefore, the Holy Spirit calls us to go outside to Jesus. He also asks us to be willing to suffer public humiliation, rebuke, and insults because we follow Jesus. Another mark of a mature Christian is a willingness to suffer for Jesus just like the saints in Hebrews 11.      Call To Sacrifice. The Holy Spirit gives us another mark of a mature Christian. It is a willingness to sacrifice ourselves.     Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (NASB) Heb. 13:15-16   Do you find it difficult to thank God for what He has done for you? The answer is yes if you find that you forget to thank Him or find it hard to admit that only He can provide for you. To thank Him that you are nothing and that He provides everything is sacrifice. A mature Christian understands that everything is a gift from God.         < Back    Next >
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