Faith life 68 (True Heroes)

Ayoola Fakeye

The true Heroes

 All those mentioned in chapter 11 of Hebrews and those referred to are the true heroes. They are true heroes because of their faith in the promised Messiah – Jesus Christ. These men received the promise of the messiah strongly by faith. God Himself reported about them, and He placed them in the His arrangement because they look towards the promise. God fixed them in the sequence of order of His dealings with man because they kept their eyes focused on the promise. This promise was a bond that maintained the circle of God's event and order until the messiah showed up.

Now he is the provision. I mean the propitiation (wrath-bearer) for our sins (1 John 2:2). Beloved, if the Old Testament saints received the promise strongly by Faith, and they rejoiced in the expectation of His coming, and they could cheerfully suffer for that sake (Hebrews 11: 33-38), How much more, we, that have the provision of the Messiah; how do we go about with the gospel? How do we relate to it? Are we ready to go full stretch for the sake of the gospel? Are we prepared to trade our personal goals for the Messiah’s goal for us? All these come back to our Faith life; is our Faith active in the Lord Jesus? 

Have you not turned the gospel truth into a religious cliché or terminology? That happens whenever you relate with the gospel base on your experience. For instance, we find it difficult to believe the word; “by His stripes you are healed” because you still feel sick. Or you find it difficult to acknowledge that Jesus has sanctified you once and for all because you still see some imperfections within you. You will never take the word seriously if you don't take the cross seriously. 

True heroes of the Old Testament were glued to purpose and destiny by their faith in the promise. Not by their experience. If they had relied on their experiences, they would not stay in God's arrangement because they never saw the promise eventually. But someone like Abraham believed unto death. He died believing that the promised messiah shall come in time.

 I will ask again, is our faith active in Christ? If you know Christ, it will compel you to walk with Him by faith. You will not want anything above Him. Imagine the God of all flesh, who stepped into humanity and experienced all that we experience in terms of human experiences. Then went to the cross of shame and reproach to be our sin/wrath bearer. Do you know the savior’s love? Do we realize the gravity of what He has done and the eternality of what He has bought for us?

What the fathers and mothers (the heroes of Faith) could only foretaste has been made real in our lifetime. But how well do we relate to our reality in Christ Jesus? What He's done for us on the cross is more real than our experience. If these fathers suffered different things for what they could only foretaste, then how much more should the saints be ready to suffer for what they’ve received?

 Beloved, we must be serious about what God has provided in His Son. That’s why we must focus on Christ. He is the goal! These men are true heroes because they didn’t cause an alteration in the circle of events. They kept the train moving because they focused on the promised messiah. And each one of them was applauded by God in their heart.

Are you a true hero? Are you altering the cycle of the events of God’s agenda? Are you causing disorderliness in church events? You need to know that you also have a destiny. You have a purpose in God’s arrangement for the church. Every believer is part of God’s building. I hope we will perfectly position ourselves by faith to fit the puzzle well. Amen!