Thursday, September 5, 2013

Thoughts on Hebrews 11: What does a faithful person look like in God's eyes?

Hebrews 11 has always been a humbling chapter for me to read.  This is for two reasons.  The first is the obvious that I look at the faith of some of the greats from the Old Testament and wonder if I could ever be like one of them.  This is particularly difficult for me over the past couple years as I've felt like I've been walking blind and the goals I thought God had laid out for me I don't see any path to achieving.  Looking at Noah and Abraham in particular is particularly humbling in this light.

The second reason that this chapter is always humbling to me is that I realize some of the things I focus on are not exactly God's.  I consider myself a "good person".  I authentically live a very clean life and don't commit the big, obvious sins that most people do.  This chapter reminds me that I should not be proud of that.  Take a look at the list of people applauded for their faith, especially in vv. 31-32.  Included in this list we have a prostitute, an adulterer, a murderer, someone led to do really stupid things by his sex drive, and someone who sacrificed his daughter after making a stupid vow.  That's a list of people who commit some sin whoppers that we should avoid.  Yet they got into the "Hall of Faith".  This shows me that God does not emphasize the same things that I do, and that I need to watch my attitude.

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