Obedience helped by discipline
Key Verses: 1-2, 7, 11, 17, 22, 28
As chapter eleven outlined, there are many who have walked the life of faith, even through persecution and death. They stand as witnesses to the truth of the Gospel, the truth of God’s working in the world. They stand and encourage us not to lose focus or get distracted. We must keep our eyes on Jesus, the object of our faith, and give up in discouragement.
It is so easy to get discouraged in our spiritual walk. Most of us know what it takes to stay on track: the Word, prayer, fellowship, sharing our faith. And yet, we sometimes neglect one or more of these. These are like air, food and liquid for our spirit. Without them, we die. So if you are discouraged, get back to the basics of the Christian walk.
This is especially true if you are undergoing God’s discipline. It happens to all believers because God loves us too much to leave us the way we are. He wants us to be like Him in character. And we have a long way to go, so He uses discipline to get our attention and refocus us on what is important. When we have allowed discipline to correct our glidepath, righteousness and peace are the byproducts.
Repentance does not always restore what was lost during rebellion. Our relationship with Christ can be restored, but we might have to live with the natural consequences of our sin. If we murdered someone and we repent, that person does not automatically come back to life. If we had an affair, the baby conceived does not automatically get unconceived. If we gamble away our grocery money, the money is gone, even if we repent. Esau had to live with a rash, impulsive decision. We might have to live with the results of ours.
The contrast between the Old Testament manifestations of God’s presence and what we have promised in the Gospel is a stark one. We have hope and rejoicing, restoration and forgiveness. We don’t need to be afraid of God’s presence. Our relationship with our Holy God has been restored in Jesus. So we need to listen to His message.
His message is unshakable. We need to grasp it and live it. Thankful. Worshipful. Dedicated.
The Arnold Journey 