December 18
Hebrews 4:14-7:28
Each of us who have entered God's family through the blood of Jesus Christ had a life B.C., or before Christ. Each of us is genetically unique. Each of us is born in a unique set of circumstances: different parents, different neighborhoods, different friends. God does not desire uniformity, it is this uniqueness which makes his army so effective. Each of us then go on to live a portion of our lives in disobedience to God. Those times when God says go right, and we choose to go left. This is generally when we learn obedience the hard way. Receiving the consequences of disobedience through suffering we hopefully mature. This is the minefield in which God chooses his precious metals, His children. We are rugged, sharp edged, not yet effective for the kingdom. Though there is much potential, we are still pretty rugged. Consider that chunk of unrefined gold that is first mined out. But this is only the beginning. Once we give our lives over to Jesus, the suffering does not stop. This suffering is now often for obedience. It is persecution for taking our stand of faith. This is how God refines us. He buffs out the rough edges, melts us, polishes us, etc. Now refined we can place on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18), side by side, each unique, but in unity, and move forward in our own mission fields, uniquely chosen for us by God. Yes, God's process might be painful, but it is necessary. You are necessary. You are essential. We don't ask why, because He alone knows why. As His vessels we await His marching orders.
We read one of those difficult verses in Hebrews 5:8, "Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered." How can Jesus, who was perfect always, be further perfected through obedience? There are certain things we can only learn through experience. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He expressed His own desire when He said, in Matthew 26:39, "“My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me." But in prayer He then says in 26:42, "“My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” He, the Son, learned obedience, as He, as a Man, submitted His will to the will of the Father. Thus He was perfected, and made completely ready to save us from our sins. Jesus is not aloof, He knows what it is that we go through as we read in Hebrews 4:14-15, "So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin." Likewise, we too must suffer to be ready for what God has planned for us, as we read in 6:10-12, "For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance."
The refining process is not easy. It is difficult and it hurts, but it is necessary. We read in James 1:2-4, "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." God knows what we need to move towards maturity. When you feel it is beyond what you can handle, remember 1 Corinthians 10:13, "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." So, my fellow, unique, foot soldier for Jesus Christ, run with enthusiasm as you go through God's course in basic training. Through this uniqueness there might be situations and opportunities that I am better positioned to handle, but there are those situations which your unique training makes you better than me to take charge of. It is this uniqueness under the banner of unity in Jesus Christ which should render God's army the best equipped and most prepared army in the universe. We need you, and we need to seek out opportunities for new recruits.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: