Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ~ Hebrews 12:2-4
When we talk about our faith, I mentioned that the certainty of our faith is hinged on what we hear or read from the Word of God. So, what does the Word say about Jesus in relation to our faith?
Hebrews 12:2 says Jesus is the author and perfecter (other translations say finisher) of our faith. The reason why there is Christianity is because of Jesus Christ. What Jesus had done – enduring the cross and its shame so that we may have redemption from our sins – is the foundation of our Christian beliefs. Why did he do it? For the joy set before him that people who believe in him would be free from the bondage of sin.
Now, freedom from the bondage of sin doesn’t exempt us from suffering and trouble in this world. It is still as real as it is to anyone else in this world. But if we continue to fix our eyes on Jesus, He will help us through all our troubles. Jesus, himself, suffered opposition from sinful men, but he said, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
So, let us not grow weary and lose heart when we are faced with troubles and tribulation in this world. We have Jesus whom we could count on to help us in our times of need. In Him, we begin our Christian journey; in Him we will find the perfection of our faith, if we continue to run the race to the finish line.
Lord, all I need is You as I live my life in this world. Yes, there are all sorts of trouble and suffering that I may face, but I trust that You will be with me until the end. Amen.