DOES YOUR FAITH NEED AN OVERHAUL?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our
eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him
he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand
of the throne of God.
(Hebrews 12:1-2)

MEDITATION:
What does it mean to say that Jesus is the “Pioneer” (some translations
use “Author”) and “Perfecter” (some translations use “Finisher”) of our faith?

To say that Jesus is the “Pioneer” or “Author” of our faith,
means that He is the Leader, Captain, or Prince of our faith.
For our faith to be nourished and grow,
we need to fully commit to following His lead and example.

To say that Jesus is the “Perfecter” or “Finisher” of our faith,
means that He is the Completer of our faith.
Our faith in Jesus has many moving parts,
which means our lives are basically being overhauled as a result.

Defective parts of our lives are removed and replaced
with new, durable and lasting parts.
As a result, we think and act differently than we did in the past.
Some people resist these changes and miss out on the blessings He has for us.

Jesus paid a huge price so that we could be saved.
He also remolds us so that we can ‘run the race’ of our faith.
Jesus is our example; He is our Leader; He is the One we follow.
He is the One Who fills (completes) the voids in our faith.

If we want our faith to ‘run’ and ‘complete’ the race of life,
then we need to keep our eyes on Him.
We should strive to develop His characteristics and incorporate them into our lives.
A few examples are: love, patience, listening, compassion, peacefulness,
not rude, not arrogant or egotistical, not prideful, thinking of others first, etc.

Each of us can probably name some of His characteristics that will be
difficult for us to develop in our lives, and Jesus knows our struggles.
The Lord not only shows us how to run the race, but He
enters into us through the Holy Spirit, and runs the race through us.
We are never alone in our efforts to be more like our Savior!

ACTION:
Rather than wasting our time trying to figure out how we can look better in
the eyes of men and the world, we need to spend valuable time developing
the traits of Jesus, so we will look better in the eyes of God.

Worship the Lord in prayerful praise for not only being the Author your faith
by giving it to you as an unmerited gift, but for also being the Finisher
of your faith by securing your salvation with His atoning blood!

Look at what Paul said in his letter to the Philippians:
“…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will
carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6)

Be honest with yourself (and with the Lord) and admit that
there are areas in your life that need to be ‘perfected’ by the Lord.
Things that are preventing Him from running the race through you.
Then ask the Lord to remove the defective areas of your life which are
preventing you from becoming an effective and faithful follower of Him.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me an example to follow if
I want to enjoy my faith to its fullest. Forgive me for holding on to the
things that are detrimental to my faith. I pray that You will help me
replace them with the things that will enhance my faith, so that I will
be more pleasing to You. Impress on me that I am running a race now,
so that I can sit down and rest with You in eternity. Thank You for
Your promises to those who commit to following Your Son, Jesus.”

blog: UTVOLWOODY.WORDPRESS.COM