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INDEX
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COLLECTIONS
Commentaries,
Word Studies, Devotionals, Sermons, Illustrations
Old and New Testament |
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Hebrews 13:5 Make
sure that your
character is
free from the
love of
money, being
content with
what you
have; for He
Himself has
said, "I WILL
NEVER
*
DESERT YOU,
NOR WILL I
EVER
*
FORSAKE
YOU," (NASB:
Lockman) |
|
Greek:
Aphilarguros
o
tropos;
arkoumenoi
tois
parousin;
autos
gar
eireken,
Ou
me
se
ano
oud'
ou
me
se
egkatalipo;
Amplified: Let your character or moral disposition be
free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving
for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present
[circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said,
I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without
support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave
you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)!
[Assuredly not!]
(Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
Barclay: Let your way of life be free from the love of money. Be
content with what you have for he has said: “I will never fail you
and I will never forsake you”; (Westminster
Press)
NLT: Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have.
For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” (NLT
- Tyndale House)
Phillips: Keep your lives free from the lust for money: be
content with what you have. God has said: 'I will never leave you nor
forsake you'. Phillips:
Touchstone)
Wuest: Let your manner of life be without love of money,
being satisfied with your present circumstances. For He himself has
said, and the statement is on record, I will not, I will not cease to
sustain and uphold you. (Eerdmans)
Young's Literal: Without covetousness the behaviour, being
content with the things present, for He hath said, ‘No, I will not
leave, no, nor forsake thee |
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References |
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Albert Barnes
John Calvin
Adam Clarke
Steven Cole
Steven Cole
Thomas Constable
Explore the Bible
Dan Fortner
F W Grant
Scott Grant
Dave Guzik
Matthew Henry
Jamieson, F, B
S Lewis Johnson
Lange's Commentary
John MacArthur
Alexander Maclaren
J Vernon McGee
F B Meyer
James Moffatt
Phil Newton
A W Pink
John Piper
John Piper
John Piper
A T Robertson
Gil Rugh
Chuck Smith
Speaker's Com
C H Spurgeon
C H Spurgeon
C H Spurgeon
C H Spurgeon
C H Spurgeon
C H Spurgeon
C H Spurgeon
C H Spurgeon
Ray Stedman
Ray Stedman
Ray Stedman
Today in the Word
Today in the Word
Marvin Vincent
Drew Worthen
Precept Ministries
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Hebrews 13 Commentary
Hebrews 13 Commentary
Hebrews 13 Commentary
Hebrews 13:5-6 Cultivating Contentment
Hebrews 13:7-14 The Antidote for False
Teaching
Hebrews 13 Commentary
Hebrews 13:1-8,12-19 Love One Another
Hebrews
13:1-7;13:5;
7-14
Hebrews 13 Commentary
Hebrews 13:1-6;
13:7-19
Hebrews 13 Commentary
Hebrews 13 Commentary
Hebrews 13 Commentary
Hebrews 13:1-6;
7-9
Hebrews 13 Commentary
Hebrews 13:1-4;
5-6;
7-16;
7-8,17-19
Hebrews 13:5, 6 God's Voice and
Man's Echo
Hebrews -
115 Mp3's
Thru the Bible Commentary
Hebrews 13:5 The Pilgrim's Staff
Hebrews Commentary
Hebrews 13:1-6 ;v4;
7-14
Hebrews 13:1;
1-3;13:4;13:5;
5-6;
7-8
Hebrews 13:1-6 Let Marriage Be
Held in Honor Among All
Hebrews 13:1-6 Small group life in the power of God's
promise
Hebrews 13:7-16 Be strengthened by grace
Hebrews 13 Greek Word Studies
Hebrews 13:7-14 Spiritual Duties
Hebrews 13:5,6 Contentment;
Hebrews 13:5,6
Hebrews 13 Commentary
Hebrews 13:5 A New Year's Benediction
Hebrews 13:5 A Lesson and a
Fortune for Christian Men of Business - Pdf
Hebrews 13:5 Never! Never! Never! Never!
Never!
Hebrews 13:5, 6 Never, No Never, No Never
Hebrews 13:5 Never, No Never, No Never - Sermon Notes
Hebrews 13:5 A Lesson and a Fortune for Christian Men
of Business - Pdf
Hebrews 13:5,6 A Vile Weed and a Fair Flower - Pdf
Devotionals:
Hebrews 13:5;
Hebrews 13:5:
Hebrews 13:5;
Hebrews 13:6
Hebrews 13:1-25. Faith At Work
Hebrews
13:1-6 Keep Love and Purity Central
Hebrews 13:7-19 Life in the Church
Hebrews 13:1-6;
1-6;
1-6;
1-6;
1-8
Hebrews 13:7-19;
7-19
Hebrews 13 Greek Word Studies
Hebrews 13:1-3;
4-6;
7-9
Download lesson one of
Part
1;
Part2 |
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MAKE SURE THAT YOUR
CHARACTER IS FREE FROM LOVE OF
MONEY:
Aphilarguros o tropos: (Character - Exodus
20:17; Joshua 7:21; Psalms 10:3-note;
Ps 119:36-note;
Jeremiah 6:13; Ezekiel 33:31; Mark 7:22; Luke 8:14; 12:15, 16, 17, 18,
19, 20, 21; 16:13,14; Romans 1:29-note;
1Corinthians 5:11; 6:10; Ephesians 5:3-note,
Ep 5:5-note;
Colossians 3:5-note;
1Timothy 3:3; 6:9,10; 2Peter 2:3-note,
2Pe 3:14-note;
Jude 1:11 )
Reputation is what others think you are.
Character is what God knows you are!
Character
(5158)
(tropos from trépo = turn or guide towards a thing, turn
one’s self, direct one’s attention to a thing, be occupied with it)
originally referred to a turn or direction. In this context it speaks
of the manner in which something is done or one's manner of life, with
focus upon customary acts.
Tropos -
13 uses in the NT - Matt. 23:37; Lk. 13:34; Acts 1:11; 7:28; 15:11;
27:25; Ro 3:2; Phil. 1:18; 2Th 2:3; 3:16; 2Ti 3:8; Heb. 13:5; Jude 1:7
Free from the
love of money (866)
(aphilarguros from a = negates + philarguros =
avaricious from phílos = friend or loving + árguros =
silver, money) is literally
"free from affection for silver". Notice the target that
"love of money" takes aim at! Our character! Loving money as a dear friend must be avoided
for it
becomes a substitute for faith in God’s loving watchcare and produces a
false sense of trust in an unreliable supply, for as Solomon reminds
us in
Pr 23:5-note “wealth certainly makes itself wings.” (cp Eccl 5:10, Lk 12:15, Ps 62:10-note,
Job 31:24,25, 28, Mt 6:8-note)
Aphilarguros
is to be one of the character traits of prospective elders...
1 Timothy 3:3 not addicted to wine
or pugnacious, but gentle, uncontentious, free from the love of
money.
The law of getting and
wanting - The more you get the more you want.
Focus on material things, and you getting will never catch up with
your wanting! This is nothing short of greed which is no small sin.
Greed has kept many out of the kingdom, and causes the loss of joy in many believers.
Mark it down that when you trust in money you are demonstrating a distrust in God.
Love of money displeases God and separates us from Him.
Luke 16:13 "No servant can serve
two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or
else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God
and mammon." 14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were
listening to all these things, and they were scoffing at Him.
Study the following Scriptural examples of "love of money" and what it
"cost of loving money" -- Achan
(Joshua 7:1, 5, 25).
Gehazi, Elisha’s servant (2Ki 5:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23,
24, 25, 26, 27),
Judas (Mt 26:14,15).
Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:12, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10).
Wealth has its disadvantages. It is difficult to have it and not trust
in it. Material possessions tend to focus one’s thoughts and interests
on this world alone. It can enslave so that one becomes possessed by
possessions, comforts, and recreations. The writer of Hebrews would
exhort "Lay aside these temporal, worldly encumbrances." Jesus said,
“the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the
desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes
unfruitful.” (Mk 4:19). Do not even entertain the tiniest thought of
church leadership if you are a lover of money. (1Ti 3:2-3).
The psalmist
writes...
Psalm 10:3 For the wicked boasts of
his heart's desire, and the greedy man curses and spurns the LORD.
Spurgeon comments: The
evidence is very full and conclusive upon the matter of pride, and no
jury could hesitate to give a verdict against the prisoner at the bar.
Let us, however, hear the witnesses one by one. The first testifies
that he is a boaster.
For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire. He is a very silly
boaster, for he glories in a mere desire: a very brazen faced boaster,
for that desire is villainy; and a most abandoned sinner, to boast of
that which is his shame. Bragging sinners are the worst and most
contemptible of men, especially when their filthy desires, -- too
filthy to be carried into act, -- become the theme of their boastings.
When Mr. Hate Good and Mr. Heady are joined in partnership, they drive
a brisk trade in the devil's wares. This one proof is enough to
condemn the prisoner at the bar. Take him away, jailor! But stay,
another witness desires to be sworn and heard. This time, the
impudence of the proud rebel is even more apparent; for he blesseth
the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth. This is insolence, which is
pride unmasked. He is haughty enough to differ from the Judge of all
the earth, and bless the men whom God hath cursed. So did the sinful
generation in the days of Malachi, who called the proud happy, and set
up those that worked wickedness (Malachi 3:15). These base pretenders
would dispute with their Maker; they would --
"Snatch from his hand the balance
and the rod,
Rejudge his justice, be the god of God."
How often have we heard the wicked
man speaking in terms of honour of the covetous, the grinder of the
poor, and the sharp dealer! Our old proverb hath it, --
"I wot well how the world wags;
He is most loved that hath most bags."
Pride meets covetousness, and
compliments it as wise, thrifty, and prudent. We say it with sorrow,
there are many professors of religion who esteem a rich man, and
flatter him, even though they know that he has fattened himself upon
the flesh and blood of the poor. The only sinners who are received as
respectable are covetous men. If a man is a fornicator, or a drunkard,
we put him out of the church; but who ever read of church discipline
against that idolatrous wretch, -- the covetous man? Let us tremble,
lest we be found to be partakers of this atrocious sin of pride,
"blessing the covetous, whom Jehovah abhorreth." .
BEING CONTENT WITH WHAT YOU HAVE: arkoumenoi (PPPMPN)
tois parousin (PAPNPD):
(Exodus 2:21; Matthew 6:25-note,
Mt 6:34-note;
Luke 3:14; Philippians 4:11,12; 1Timothy 6:6, 7, 8)
Being content
(714)
(arkeo) in the active voice meant to be enough, to be
sufficient, to be adequate (eg, see God's supply of grace to Paul in
his weakness - 2Co 12:9). In this passage arkeo is in the passive
voice which conveys the meaning to be satisfied with or contented with
something. The
present tense
calls for this to be one's continual attitude.
Does this describe you
beloved? If not, ponder
Paul's testimony...
Not that I speak from want; for
I have learned to be (present
tense =
continually) content (autarkes
from autos =
reflexive pronoun = self + arkeo = be sufficient, suffice)
in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble
means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every
circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and
going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do
all things through Him who strengthens me. (Php 4:11, 12-see
note Php 4:13-note)
Comment:
Be (eimi) means to exist and in the present context
describes Paul's existing in a state of contentment. The verb is in
the
present tense
which speaks of his experience as a continuous one and the
indicative mood
signifies that this was a real event, not a figment of his
imagination. Contentment is not a hypothetical postulate available to
just a few but is the practical potential available to every person in
Christ. Paul was totally independent of man because he was totally
dependent upon Christ. He knew that the chief end of man is not to
have his needs met, but to glorify God and enjoy Him forever and
because of that, he was satisfied with whatever God graciously granted
him.
Arkeo - 8
times in the NT - Mt 25:9; Lk 3:14; Jn 6:7; 14:8; 2Co. 12:9; 1Ti 6:8;
He 13:5; 3Jn 1:10. There are 7 uses in the Septuagint - Ex 12:4; Num.
11:22; Jos. 17:16; 1 Ki. 8:27; 2 Chr. 6:18; Prov. 30:15, 16.
Wuest
writes that...
The word “content” is the
translation of arkeo “to be possessed of unfailing strength, to
be strong, to suffice, to be enough,” finally, “to be satisfied,
contented.” The underlying thought is that one should be satisfied
with that which meets our need, and not desire a superfluity. The
cognate noun of this verb is compounded with the personal pronoun
“self” in Philippians 4:11 to mean “self-sufficient.” This latter word
was used by the Stoics to express the favorite doctrine of the sect,
that man should be sufficient to himself for all things, able by the
power of his will to resist the shock of circumstance. Paul was
self-sufficient because he was Christ-dependent. The word “content,”
therefore, in our Hebrew passage means more than “satisfied.” It
refers to the ability of the Christian dependent upon the Holy Spirit,
to be independent of outward circumstances.
(Wuest,
K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans
or
Logos)
Wiersbe
adds that...
The word content actually
means “contained.” It is a description of the man whose resources are
within him so that he does not have to depend on substitutes without.
(Wiersbe,
W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor)
Asaph
expounds on the ultimate source of contentment asking and answering
the question we would all do well to ask ourselves...
Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And
besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may
fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Ps
73:25, 26)
Spurgeon comments: Whom have I in heaven but Thee? Thus,
then, he turns away from the glitter which fascinated him to the true
gold which was his real treasure. He felt that his God was better to
him than all the wealth, health, honour, and peace, which he had so
much envied in the worldling; yea, He was not only better than all on
earth, but more excellent than all in heaven. He bade all things else
go, that he might be filled with his God.
How small
is the number of those who keep their affections fixed on God alone!
(cp Col 3:1-note,
Col 3:2-note)
We see how superstition joins to him many others as rivals for our
affections. While the Papists admit in word that all things depend
upon God, they are, nevertheless, constantly seeking to obtain help
from this and the other quarter independent of him. John Calvin.
It
pleased David, and it pleases all the saints, more that God is their
salvation, whether temporal or eternal, than that he saves them. The
saints look more at God than at all that is God's. They say, Non
tua, sed te; we desire not thine, but Thee, or nothing of
thine like Thee. Whom have I in heaven but Thee? saith David.
What are saints? what are angels, to a soul without God? It is true of
things as well as of persons. What have we in heaven but God? What's
joy without God? What's glory without God? What's all the furniture
and riches, all the delicacies, yea, all the diadems of heaven,
without the God of heaven? If God should say to the saints, Here is
heaven, take it amongst you, but I will withdraw myself, how would
they weep over heaven itself, and make it a Baca, a valley of tears
indeed. Heaven is not heaven unless we enjoy God. It is the presence
of God which makes heaven: glory is but our nearest being unto God. As
Mephibosheth replied, when David told him, "I have said, thou and Ziba
divide the land:" "Let him take all, if he will," saith Mephibosheth,
I do not so much regard the land as I regard thy presence; "Let him
take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace to his
own house," where I may enjoy him. So if God should say to the saints,
Take heaven amongst you, and withdraw Himself, they would even say,
Nay, let the world take heaven, if they will, if we may not have Thee
in heaven, heaven will but be an earth, or rather but a hell to us.
That which saints rejoice in, is that they may be in the presence of
God, that they may sit at His table, and eat bread with Him; that is,
that they may be near Him continually, which was Mephibosheth's
privilege with David. That's the thing which they desire and which
their souls thirst after; that's the wine they would drink. "My soul,"
says David (Psalms 42:2-note),
"thirsts for God, for the living God; when" (I think the time is very
long, when) "shall I come and appear before God?" Joseph Caryl.
Heaven
and earth ransacked to find a joy equal to the Lord himself. Let the
preacher take up various joys and show the inferiority.
And
there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. No longer
should his wishes ramble, no other object should tempt them to stray;
henceforth, the Ever living One should be his all in all.
My
flesh and my heart faileth. They had failed him already, and he
had almost fallen; they would fail him in the hour of death, and, if
he relied upon them, they would fail him at once.
But God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
His God would not fail him, either as protection or a joy. His heart
would be kept up by divine love, and filled eternally with divine
glory. After having been driven far out to sea, Asaph casts anchor in
the old port. We shall do well to follow his example. There is nothing
desirable save God; let us, then, desire only him. All other things
must pass away; let our hearts abide in him, who alone abideth for
ever.
God is
the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. The Hebrew carrieth
it, but God is the rock of my heart, i.e., a sure, strong, and
immovable foundation to build upon. Though the winds may blow, and the
waves beat, when the storm of death cometh, yet I need not fear that
the house of my heart will fall, for it is built on a sure foundation:
God is the rock of my heart. The strongest child that God hath is not
able to stand alone; like the hop or ivy, he must have somewhat to
support him, or he is presently on the ground. Of all seasons, the
Christian hath most need of succour at his dying hour; then he must
take his leave of all his comforts on earth, and then he shall be sure
of the sharpest conflicts from hell, and therefore, it is impossible
he should hold out without extraordinary help from heaven. But the
psalmist had armour of proof ready, wherewith to encounter his last
enemy. As weak and fearful a child as he was, he durst venture a walk
in the dark entry of death, having his Father by the hand: "Though I
walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me," Psalm
23:4-note.
Though at the troubles of my life, and my trial at death, my heart is
ready to fail me, yet I have a strong cordial which will cheer me in
my saddest condition: God is the strength of my heart.
And my portion. It is a metaphor taken from the ancient custom among
the Jews, of dividing inheritances, whereby every one had his allotted
portion; as if he had said, God is not only my rock to defend me from
those tempests which assault me, and, thereby, my freedom from evil;
but he is also my portion, to supply my necessities, and to give me
the fruition of all good. Others, indeed, have their parts on this
side the land of promise, but the author of all portions is the matter
of my portion. My portion doth not lie in the rubbish and lumber, as
theirs doth whose portion is in this life, be they never so large; but
my portion containeth him whom the heavens, and heaven of heavens, can
never contain. God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for
ever; not for a year, or an age, or a million of ages, but for
eternity. Though others' portions, like roses, the fuller they blow,
the sooner they shed; they are worsted often by their pride, and
wasted through their prodigality, so that at last they come to want --
and surely death always rends their persons and portions asunder; yet
my portion will be ever full, without diminution. Without alteration,
this God will be my God for ever and ever, my guide and aid unto
death; nay, death, which dissolves so many bonds, and unties such
close knots, shall never part me and my portion, but give me a perfect
and everlasting possession of it. George Swinnock.
Dwight
Pentecost wisely explains that...
Air and water are two entirely
different elements or spheres, and it is impossible to have a vessel
filled with air and water at the same time. One that is filled with
air must have the air displaced in order to be filled with water.
Similarly, if a man’s life is given over to the pursuit of material
things, that life cannot then be filled with Jesus Christ. Until that
love for material things is displaced, that life cannot and will not
be filled with Jesus Christ. When a man gives himself to the pursuit
of all that is involved in this world and makes its position and its
material things his goal and his standard and the center of his life,
he will not find the satisfaction that comes from making Jesus Christ
the center of his life. To be content is the opposite of to be
covetous, to be greedy, to be worldly, to be materialistic... The
reason material things can never make a man content is that a man is
never able to get enough of them to satisfy him... Someone once asked
John D. Rockefeller how much money is enough. He thought a moment and
said, “Just a little more than one has.” The world’s wealthiest man
has yet to say, “I have enough to be satisfied.” (Pentecost,
J. D. The Joy of Living: A Study of Philippians. Kregel Publications)
Jesus
warned
Beware, and be on your guard
against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance
does his life consist of his possessions. (Luke 12:15)
We can never
accumulate enough "things" if "things" are what we crave. Jesus
implies one can easily fall into this deceptive trap. So "Beware"!
Material things give no lasting satisfaction. It is only in what Jesus
provides that can we can find genuine satisfaction and contentment.
Being satisfied with...Why? because of His
"faithful Word" which the writer goes on to quote. The truth is that when
you come to the point in a particular circumstance or relationship
where you realize that all you have left is Jesus, then you come to experientially know
that Jesus is all you need. (cp 2Co 12:9,10)
What you have (pareimi)
means to be present and here is used to describe that which is present
and at one's disposal (one's possessions). The literal idea is the
things which are at present around one, especially one’s
circumstances.
Pareimi - 24 uses
in the NT - Matt. 26:50; Lk. 13:1; Jn. 7:6; 11:28; Acts 10:21, 33;
12:20; 17:6; 24:19; 1 Co. 5:3; 2 Co. 10:2, 11; 11:9; 13:2, 10; Gal.
4:18, 20; Col. 1:6; Heb. 12:11; 13:5; 2 Pet. 1:9, 12; Rev. 17:8
The basis for such contentment is God’s promise of His presence and His
power, of His ability to supply the necessities of life (Mt 6:25, 26,
27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34-see
notes).
It refers to the ability of the Christian dependent upon the Spirit of
Christ, to be independent of outward circumstances.
Discontentment -
One of man’s greatest sins
Contentment -
One of God’s greatest blessings
><>><>><>
Pastor Steven Cole's
sermon
Cultivating Contentment
A Jewish man in Hungary went to his
rabbi and complained, “Life is unbearable. There are nine of us living
in one room. What can I do?” The rabbi answered, “Take your goat into
the room with you.” The man was incredulous, but the rabbi insisted,
“Do as I say and come back in a week.”
A week later the man returned looking more distraught than before. “We
can’t stand it,” he told the rabbi. “The goat is filthy.” The rabbi
said, “Go home and let the goat out, and come back in a week.” A week
later the man returned, radiant, exclaiming, “Life is beautiful. We
enjoy every minute of it now that there’s no goat- only the nine of
us.” (Reader's Digest [12/81].) Contentment is more a matter of our
perspective than of our circumstances, isn’t it!
But even among God’s people, true contentment is not common. The
Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs captured this fact by titling his book, The
Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. The philosopher, Immanuel Kant,
saw this when he observed, “Give a man every-thing he wants, and at
that moment, everything will not be every-thing” (cited by Richard
Swenson, Margin [NavPress], p. 190).
Though rare, contentment is not just nice for believers. The
participle implies a command: “Be[ing] content with what you have.” To
grumble about our circumstances is to challenge the love and goodness
of our heavenly Father. To be discontented implies that He has not
provided us with what we need. Discontent was the sin of Israel in the
wilderness. God had just miraculously delivered them from slavery in
Egypt and He was miraculously meeting their needs, yet they grumbled
about their hardships and threatened to return to Egypt.
The exhortation of our text may stem from what the author said in He
10:34-note,
where he reminded them that in the former days (He 10:32-note),
“you … accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that
you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one.” But
now they needed endurance (He 10:36-note).
Perhaps after their property had been unlawfully seized, anxiety had
set in. Some of them now were focused on regaining their possessions,
no matter what it required. But, pursuing material things can easily
cross the line into loving them. And the love of money or things (He
13:5) is opposed to the love of the brethren (He 13:1-note).
So the author calls them to contentment and shows them how to
cultivate this rare, but essential, Christian jewel.
Contentment is cultivated by pulling the weeds of greed and by
building your life on God and His promises.
1. Contentment must be cultivated.
Like a beautiful garden, contentment does not grow without deliberate
aim and effort. The apostle Paul wrote from prison (Phil. 4:11-note),
“I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” If Paul
had to learn contentment, then so do we.
What is Christian contentment?
Jeremy Burroughs defines it as
“that sweet, inward, quiet,
gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in
God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition” (in Swenson, p.
200).
John Owen wrote,
“… contentment is a gracious
frame or disposition of mind, quiet and composed; without, [1.]
Complaining … at God’s providential disposals of our outward concerns;
[2.] All envy at the more prosperous conditions of others; [3.] Fears
and anxious cares about future sup-plies; and, [4.] Desires and
designs of those things which a more plentiful condition than what we
are in would supply us [with]” (An Exposition of Hebrews [The National
Foundation for Christian Education], pp. 411-412).
To develop and maintain
contentment, we must realize that…
A. The world constantly seeks to
make us feel discontented.
All advertising, whether on TV, billboards, or in catalogs, is
designed to make you think, “I need this product to be happy!” A PBS
television program stated that the average American sees over a
million commercials by age 20 (Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle
[Multnomah Publishers], p. 50). I don’t know how they came up with
that number, but it averages out to 137 per day, if you start at
birth! Even a fraction of that many commercials has got to affect us!
So we have to fight the influence of the world, or its swift cur-rent
will sweep us downstream.
Before we go farther, we should address the question that our text
raises, “Is it wrong to seek to better our circumstances through hard
work and a better income?” The opposite question would be, “Should we
be unconcerned about material things and our financial condition?”
Should we just drift through life without ambition, living from hand
to mouth?
As with many biblical principles, there is a balance that we must
maintain by holding seemingly opposite truths in tension. On the one
hand, the Bible condemns laziness and calls us to work hard to provide
for our family’s and our own needs (Pr 10:4, 5; 24:30, 31, 32, 33,
34). Paul strongly states (1Ti 5:8): “But if anyone does not provide
for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied
the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” He reminded the
Thessalonians of his own example of hard work to provide for his needs
(2Th 3:7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12). He commanded them (2Th 3:10), “if anyone
is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.”
The Bible also commends wealth as a sign of God’s blessing (Ps 112:3-note;
Pr 10:22). It commands us to manage the money and possessions that God
has entrusted to us carefully and to have the foresight and discipline
to provide for anticipated future needs (Pr 6:6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11;
13:22; 15:6; 21:5, 20; 27:23, 24, 25, 26, 27).
On the other hand, the Bible warns us about the dangers of wealth (Pr
11:4, 28; 30:8, 9). Jesus shocked the disciples when He said, “Truly I
say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven”
(Mt. 19:23). Paul warned (1Ti 6:9, 10),
“But those who want to get rich
fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires
which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a
root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered
away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
As you hold these truths in
tension, your motive for seeking more money is crucial. To seek to
meet legitimate personal or family needs so that you don’t become a
burden to the church or society is proper. To want more money so that
you can give more is good (2Co 9:8; Eph. 4:28-note).
But if you drift into trusting wealth rather than the Lord for present
or future security, you’re off course (Pr 11:28; Jer. 17:5, 6). If
you’re storing up treasures on earth, rather than in heaven, you’ll
lose it all (Mt. 6:19-34-note).
If you live in abundance, but don’t help the poor, you’re committing
the sin of the people of Sodom (Ezek. 16:49). If you’re seeking
contentment in money or things, rather than in God Himself, you will
come up empty (1Ti 6:5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10). So, be careful so that you’re
not deceived.
B. Contentment does not grow without cultivation and maintenance.
You may be content in the Lord today, but tomorrow you could be
tempted toward greed or envy. Contentment and greed are attitudes that
start in your mind. To cultivate contentment, you’ve got to guard your
thought life and constantly work at developing a biblical view of
life, of material possessions, and of eternity. You have to avoid
comparing yourself with others, recognizing that God is sovereign and
that He has different purposes for different people. Perhaps He knows
that if He entrusted more money to you, you would stop trusting Him
and be spiritually ruined.
So to cultivate and maintain contentment, you must daily bow before
God’s sovereignty, trust Him to provide for all of your needs, and
keep an eternal perspective. The beloved Psalm 23 is a picture of a
contented sheep, enjoying the provision of the Good Shepherd. Meditate
on it until it becomes your perspective.
But our text recognizes that the garden of contentment does not grow
weed-free. Therefore,
2. Contentment is cultivated by constantly pulling the weeds of
greed.
“Make sure that your character [or, way of life] is free from the love
of money.” This is not the only place where greed is listed in the
same context as sexual immorality (Ro 1:26-note,
Ro 1:27-note,
Ro 1:29-note;
1Co 5:10, 11; Ep 4:19-note;
Ep 5:3-note,
Ep 5:5-note;
Col 3:5-note;
1Th 4:3-note,
1Th 4:4, 5-note,
1Th 4:6-note;
2Pe 2:14-note).
The Bible presents greed as a terrible sin, equal to idolatry (Ep 5:5;
Col 3:5). It ruined Balaam (2Pe 2:15-note),
Achan (Jos 7:1, 20, 21), Elisha’s servant, Gehazi (2Ki 5:20, 21, 22,
23, 24, 25, 26, 27), the rich young ruler (Mt. 19:16-22), Judas
Iscariot (John 12:6), Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 8, 9, 10), and Felix (Acts 24:26).
Jesus mentions “worries and riches and the pleasures of this life” as
the thorns that choke out the word from bearing fruit (Luke 8:14). He
warned, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for
not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his
possessions” (Luke 12:15). He went on to tell the parable of the rich
fool who planned to build bigger barns to hold his wealth, but died
that night. He concluded, “So is the man who stores up treasure for
himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21).
So greed or the love of money is a dangerous weed that keeps popping
up in each of our lives. You can pull it one day, and it comes back
the next. You will not enjoy God’s contentment unless you keep
weeding. Here are four ways to keep it from taking over:
A. To pull the weeds of greed, acknowledge God’s owner-ship of all
that you have.
Psalm 24:1-note
declares, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains.” Paul asks
rhetorically (1Co 6:19, 20), “Or do you not know … that you are not
your own? For you have been bought with a price; …” Jesus frequently
used parables in which God is the owner and we are His managers or
stewards (Mt 25:14-30). As such, the owner entrusts us with resources
that we are to use to make a profit for His purposes. The owner lets
us draw a reasonable salary, but to squander the owner’s assets on
frivolous things for our own use is to be an irresponsible manager. If
we do that, we’re forgetting that we don’t own the store. We just work
there, man-aging it for the owner. Someday He is going to check the
books to see if we made a profit for His interests.
To pull out the weeds of greed and to get God’s perspective on money
and possessions, yield it all to Him because He rightfully owns it.
You need to manage it and take care of it for Him, but if He takes it
away, that’s His business. I know that it’s painful to suffer a
financial loss or to have property stolen. But it’s less painful if
you can say, “Lord, they stole Your property!”
B. To pull the weeds of greed, put your treasure where you want
your heart to be.
Jesus plainly taught, “for where your treasure is, there your heart
will be also” (Mt 6:21-note).
You’ve experienced this principle. Perhaps you invested in a stock,
such as AT&T. You pick up the paper and read that some communication
giant has just bought out AT&T. Do you go, “Ho hum,” and turn the
page? No, you read that article carefully to learn whether your AT&T
stock is going up or down. You may read the Wall Street Journal to get
their take on things, and maybe call your broker. Why? Because your
heart followed your treasure into AT&T.
If you want your heart in the things of God, invest your treasure
there. If you support a missionary in China and you read about a
government crackdown on Christianity in China, you’ll have that
missionary and country on your heart in prayer. You’ll contact him to
find out what’s going on. Your heart is there because you in-vested
your treasure there.
C. To pull the weeds of greed, live in light of eternity.
Greed is always shortsighted, focused on this life only. Put a man on
his deathbed, and offer him a billion dollars. Apart from leaving it
to his heirs, the money would be worthless to him. Death isn’t a
pretty good chance-it’s a certainty! And you leave it al behind. Two
people were discussing the recent death of a wealthy man. One asked,
“How much did he leave?” The other answered, “All of it!” You never
see a hearse pulling a U-Haul!
You can’t take it with you, but you can send it ahead to the Bank of
Heaven. Both Jesus and Paul talked about laying up treasures in heaven
(Mt 6:19-note;
1Ti 6:17, 18, 19). Jesus told the parable about the unrighteous
steward (Luke 16:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8), who knew that he was going
to get fired. So he quickly used what he had to make friends for
himself for the future. Jesus applied it (Luke 16:9), “And I say to
you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of
unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the
eternal dwellings.” He did not say, “if it fails,” but, “when it
fails.” Money will fail us at death. Jesus is telling us to use
unrighteous money now to make friends for eternity. Use your money
that undoubtedly will fail to invest in something that certainly will
succeed, namely, bringing people to heaven.
D. To pull the weeds of greed, make it your aim to give more, not
to accumulate more.
Giving is God’s antidote for the poison of greed. But when we get more
money, we’re all tempted to spend or keep it for our-selves. God may
be sending you more to help you get some things to make life more
comfortable. As a loving Father, He does not deny His children good
things. But He may be sending you more so that you can channel it to
further His purposes. If you assume that it’s all to spend on
yourself, you may be misusing it.
As I’ve often taught, tithing (giving 10 percent) is not God’s
standard for New Testament giving. It may be a convenient low amount
to start with, but the New Testament standard is, as God has prospered
you (1Co 16:2). Remember, He owns it al, not just ten percent! In the
context of an appeal for giving, Paul wrote, “And God is able to make
all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in
everything, you may have an abundance for every new toy” (2Cor. 9:8).
No, he didn't say that! He said, “for every good deed”! When God gives
you an abundance, if your needs are met, prayerfully consider giving
the surplus to the Lord’s work.
George Muller, who depended on God’s people for his sup-port, lived
simply and gave away the rest. For many years, he al-most, if not
completely, supported the entire staff of 33 missionaries with the
China Inland Mission (Roger Steer, George Muller: Delighted in God
[Harold Shaw Publishers], p. 224)! In a typical year, 1874, he lived
on eight percent of his income, and gave away 92 percent (A. T.
Pierson, George Muller of Bristol [Revell], pp. 183, 338). Muller
could have been a wealthy man, living lavishly. He chose instead to
live simply and lay up treasures in heaven. Giving is God’s way to
pull the weeds of greed.
Contentment must be cultivated, and it comes by constantly pulling the
weeds of greed. But what’s the motivation for this?
3. Contentment comes by building your life on God and His promises.
“For He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever
forsake you,’ so that we confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I
will not be afraid. What will man do to me?’”
The first quote is not found in
this exact form in the Old Testament, but there are many similar
quotes (Dt. 31:6, 8; Jos 1:5; 1Chr 28:20; Isa. 41:10, 11, 12, 13).
Perhaps the author was lumping them together in summary form. The
second quote is from Psalm 118:6-note.
These verses could easily be expanded into another sermon, but note
briefly:
A. Contentment comes through building your life on God Himself, not
on something you want Him to give you.
If you are “using” God to give you what you want, you will never be
content, because things can never satisfy our hearts. You get what you
thought would make you happy, but the glitter quickly wears off, and
you go searching for something else. Only God can satisfy our hearts.
Israel in the wilderness craved intensely for meat. God sent them
meat, but with it they got leanness of soul (Ps. 106:15-note,
NASB, margin). Rachel told Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die”
(Ge 30:1). God gave her children, but she did die at the birth of the
second son.
By way of contrast, in Psalm 73, the psalmist was envious of the
prosperity of the wicked until he considered things in light of
eternity. He realized that God would judge the wicked, but that he
would go to heaven. Then he exclaimed (Ps 73:25-note,
Ps 73:26-note),
“Whom have I in heaven, but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may
fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Yes! Build your life on God
Him-self and your soul will be satisfied. David was in a barren
desert, with enemies seeking his life. But because he sought God, he
wrote, “My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth
offers praises with joyful lips” (Ps. 63:5-note).
B. Contentment comes through building your life on God’s certain
promises.
“He Himself has promised!” These promises are not the words of fickle
men, who may mean well, but who often fail. These are the promises of
the living God, who spoke the universe into existence, who never
fails! The author mentions two promises:
(1) Build your life on God’s promise never to desert or forsake
you.
Our English translations do not bring out the Greek, which has five
negatives for emphasis. Perhaps the best English rendering is the
hymn, “How Firm a Foundation”:
“The soul that on Jesus hath leaned
for repose,
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!”
God hammers home the assurance that
there are no circumstances, ever or anywhere, in which He abandons His
children. Even when His saints go through horrible persecution or
tortuous deaths, He is there with them and uses the trial to take them
to be with Him in heaven for all eternity. The reality of that
comforting truth enables us to be content in all circumstances. Our
money, our health, or our loved ones may all be taken, but God Himself
re-mains! Having God is all that we need for contentment!
(2) Build your life on God’s promise to be your helper.
The Hebrews were facing persecution, which is scary. But the author
quotes Psalm 118:6 to make the point, if God is your helper, what can
man do to you? In fear, you may say, “Man can take all my earthly
possessions! Man can torture me or kill me or my family!” True, but no
one can take the Lord or His riches in heaven from you, and that’s
what matters. As Martin Luther put it (“A Mighty Fortress is Our
God”), “The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still. His kingdom
is forever.”
Conclusion
Henry Kissinger observed,
“To Americans usually tragedy is
wanting something very badly and not getting it. Many people have had
to learn in their private lives, and nations have had to learn in
their historical experience, that perhaps the worst form of tragedy is
wanting something badly, getting it, and finding it empty” (cited by
Swenson, p. 196).
So, where do you begin to cultivate
contentment that will never disappoint? You have to start in the right
place. A. W. Tozer had it right when he said,
“The man who has God for his
treasure has all things in One” (Online
Book - AW Tozer - The Pursuit of God - Introduction).
A Puritan sat down to his meal and
found that he had only a little bread and some water. His response was
to exclaim, “What? All this and Jesus Christ, too!”
George Muller used to say that the
first business of every day is to be truly at rest and happy in God
(Pierson, pp. 257, 315). Start there! And make sure to spend some time
each day pulling the weeds of greed.
Discussion Questions
1. How can a believer know when “enough is enough” with regard to our
level of affluence?
2. Should Christians have
investments, savings and retirement accounts? If so, how do we know
how much?
3. How can a Christian determine
whether to take a job promotion that requires a move and more of his
time?
4. Where is the line between
seeking God for something you want Him to give you, and seeking God
for Himself? (Hebrews 13:5-6 Cultivating Contentment
-
See Archive of all of his sermons
which function like a verse by verse commentary -
highly recommended)
FOR HE HIMSELF HAS SAID
I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU: autos gar eireken (3SRAI)
ou me se ano oud ou me se egkatalipo
(1SAAS):
(Genesis 28:15;
Deuteronomy 31:6,8; Joshua 1:5; 1Samuel 12:22; 1Chronicles 28:20;
Psalms 37:25-note,
Ps 37:28-note;
Isaiah 41:10,17)
It is notable
that there are 5 separate Greek words (ou me...oud ou me) that convey
a negative sense. God wants to make it very clear that this is an
irrefutable, eternal promise to all of His children. Amen!
For (gar)
is always important to identify because it often introduces an
explanation. In the present context it introduces the reason why the
child of God can and should obey the preceding admonitions.
Has said - Mark it
down that the phrase "has said" is intensive and adds emphasis to the
fact that the following promise was spoken by the Lord Himself!
Furthermore, the verb said is in the
perfect tense
which means that God's statement has been made at some point in time
in the past and has not been retracted or reversed but is still in effect. His
Word is a faithful (trustworthy) Word (Titus 1:9-note).
I like
Wuest's rendering...
For He himself has said, and the
statement is on record, I will not, I will not cease to sustain and
uphold you
The context of Dt 31:6,8 (cp Jos 1:5) is a promise by the Lord to all
Israel first & then specifically to Joshua as he prepared to lead the
Israelites across the Jordan and into the promised land (of "rest"
Jos 1:13). The writer exhorts his Jewish readers with this well-known
OT promise, the promise of God’s presence going with before them and
with them. Jesus has made the same promise for us to claim as well
(Mt 28:20). And He has also entered in as a Forerunner for us into the
very presence of God, our Source of eternal Rest (Heb 6:19,20-note).
IF you really believe this promise, if you believe it is true, and
your heart is satisfied with the God Who promises to be there for you
and help you, THEN you will not crave money, you will keep your
marriage vows, you care for prisoners, welcome strangers and love each
other.
Faith in the promises of God is the power to live a radical, normal
Christian life.
Never - This is a
double negative - Never, ever is the idea. He could not state this
point any stronger! In the
Greek, the promise is very emphatic
I will never, never, never
leave thee.
Desert (447)
(aniemi) has
a range of meetings (see below) including to send back, to relax, to
loosen, not to uphold, to let sink but in this verse in Hebrews refers
to the fact that God will not abandon us. He is not going to leave us,
fail to uphold us or let us sink!
Aniemi
is used in [Acts
16:26; 27:40] meaning to loosen and in [Eph 6:9-note]
meaning to give up or forbear. Aniemi is used somewhat in this last
sense here in Hebrews, so that one might translate this phrase -- “I
will in no way let you go.” "I will not relax my hold on you." This is
God's good medicine for our anxious doubting souls (Mt 6:25-note,
Mt 6:30-note,
Mt 6:32-note)
This promise is of His presence the Old Testament promise he
quotes one which assures His power! This Truth should be cause for
contentment regardless of our circumstances!
Forsake (1459)
(egkataleipo from en = in + kataleípo = forsake,
desert <> kata = intensifies or strengthens the next word +
leipo = leave behind, idea of forsaking) means to abandon, desert,
or leave in straits. It speaks of forsaking someone in a state
of defeat or helplessness, even in midst of hostile circumstances.
Paul uses this verb to describe the way
Demas left him in a lurch, utterly
forsaking him, letting him down and bring disappointment to the great
apostle who sat in a prison cell!
Wuest
writes that forsake...
is a compound of three Greek words,
eg meaning “in,” kata meaning “down,” and leipo
meaning “to leave.” Leipo has the idea of forsaking one,
kata suggests rejection, defeat, helplessness, and eg
refers to some place or circumstance in which a person may find
himself helpless, forsaken. The meaning of the word is that of
forsaking someone in a state of defeat or helplessness in the midst of
hostile circumstances. The word in its totality means “to abandon,
desert, leave in straits, leave helpless, leave destitute, leave in
the lurch, let one down.” There are three negatives before this word,
making the promise one of triple assurance. It is, “I will not, I will
not, I will not let thee down, leave thee in the lurch, leave thee
destitute, leave thee in straits and helpless, abandon thee.” All of
which means that our God will come to our rescue when we find
ourselves in difficult circumstances.
(Wuest,
K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans
or
Logos)
(Amen! Praise be to His Holy Name!)
Egkataleipo
- 10 uses in NT - Matt. 27:46; Mk. 15:34; Acts 2:27, 31; Rom. 9:29; 2
Co. 4:9; 2 Tim. 4:10, 16; Heb. 10:25; 13:5
Poole
writes that this verb speaks of...
a desertion, as leaves destitute in
deep trouble or distress, when they should be helping. (Matthew
Poole's Commentary)
The promise to never leave was made to Joshua when
he succeeded Moses : [Dt 1:7-8, Jos 1:5,9] and is fulfilled in Jesus
[Mt 28:20, Acts 18:9, 10 1Ch 28:20]
The two quotations, one from Dt 31:6 and the other from Ps 118:6, reveal
that the answer to any kind of fear, including the fear of poverty, is
found in the commitment of God to ever be with us. There are many
warnings in Scripture against loving money. Jesus said it was
impossible to serve both God and money, and Paul had written young
Timothy in 1Ti 6:9.
Though credit cards were unknown in the first century, they often
constitute a trap today that results in financial ruin and
destruction. The point of danger is the love of money which cancels
out the sense of God’s love and promised supply, and launches the
believer into worldly schemes for financial security that belie all
trust in God. This is not to set aside the recognition that God can
and often does supply methods of financial support using banks,
insurance, securities and other means. But all these must be seen as
coming from his hand. It is always spiritually dangerous to grow
financially discontent. Remember Paul’s words in 1Ti 6:10.
C. H. Spurgeon said
I’ve been in a lot of testimony meetings, and
I’ve heard a lot of people share how they’ve sinned, and I’ve had
people come to me and make confession of sin. But in all my life I’ve
never had one person confess the sin of covetousness to me.
Spurgeon
adds that...
It is not possible to
satisfy the greedy. If God gave them one whole world to themselves
they would cry for another; and if it were possible for them to
possess heaven as they now are, they would feel themselves in hell,
because others were in heaven too, for their greed is such that they
must have everything or else they have nothing.
><> ><> ><>
The King & the Contented Man: A story received from ancient times
tells of a king who was suffering from a certain malady and was
advised by his wise men that he would be cured if the shirt of a
contented man were brought to him to wear. The search began for a
contented man, but none could be found. So emissaries were sent to the
edge of the realm, and after a long search a man was found who was
truly content. But he had no shirt! The consensus of enduring wisdom
is that contentment comes from a Source other than things or
possessions.
The soul that on Jesus hath lean’d for repose,
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
That soul, tho' all hell should endeavour to shake,
I will never, no never, no never forsake!
><> ><> ><>
F B Meyer - Our Daily Walk - OUR
RESOURCES
SUCH THINGS as ye have, plus!
The Greek literally means that there is within us an undeveloped power
only awaiting the call, and there will be enough. I may be speaking to
people who wish that they had more money, or more brains, or more
influence. They dream of the lives they would live, of the deeds they
would do, if only they were better circumstanced. But God says No! You
have present within the narrow confines of your own reach the
qualities that the world is wanting. Use them, and be content with the
things that you have. You have never explored the resources of your
own soul.
"Such things as ye have"--Moses
had only a rod, but a rod with God can open the Red Sea. David had
only five pebbles, but these with God brought down Goliath. The woman
had only a little pot of oil, but that pot of oil with God paid all
her debts. The poor widow was scraping the bottom of the barrel, but
with God the handful of meal kept her child, herself, and the prophet
until the rain came. The boy had only five tiny loaves and two small
fish, but with Jesus they were enough for five thousand men, beside
women and children. Estimate what you have got, and then count God
into the bargain! He never lets go your hand. He will never leave nor
forsake those that trust in Him!
Therefore be content! The most
glorious deeds that have blessed and enriched the world have not been
done by wealthy men. Our Lord had none of this world's goods; the
apostles had neither silver nor gold; Carey was only a poor cobbler;
Bunyan a travelling tinker; Wesley left two silver spoons. It is not
money, but human love and God that is needed. Therefore do not be
covetous; do not hoard, but give! Be strong and content. With good
courage say: "The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear"--for life or
death, for sorrow or joy!
The soul that to Jesus has fled for
repose,
He cannot, He will not, desert to
its foes.
That soul, though all hell should
endeavour to take,
He'll never, no never, no never
forsake! AMEN.
|
|
|
Hebrews 13:6 so
that
we confidently
say, "THE
LORD IS MY
HELPER,
I WILL NOT BE AFRAID.
WHAT WILL
MAN
DO TO ME
?"
(NASB:
Lockman) |
|
Greek:
hoste
tharrountas
hemas
legein,
Kurios
emoi
boethos,
[kai]
ou
phobethesomai;
ti
poiesei
moi
anthropos?
Amplified: So we take comfort and are encouraged and
confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be
seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can
man do to me?
(Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
Barclay: so that we can say with confidence: “The Lord is my
helper: I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Westminster
Press)
NLT: So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my
helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” (NLT
- Tyndale House)
Phillips: We, therefore, can confidently say: 'The Lord is my
helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?' (Phillips:
Touchstone)
Wuest: I will not, I will not, I will not let you down. So
that, being of good courage, we are saying, The Lord is my helper. I
will not fear. What shall man do to me? (Eerdmans)
Young's Literal: so that we do boldly say, ‘The Lord is to me a
helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me. |
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The writer combines the Septuagint translations from 2 psalms:
Ps 118:6: Lxx: kurios emoi boethos
ou phobethesomai (1SFPI) ti poiesei (3SFAI) moi anthropos
Ps 56:11: Lxx: ti poiesei (3SFAI)
moi anthropos (what can man do to me)
SO THAT WE CONFIDENTLY SAY:
hoste tharrountas (PAPMPA) hemas legein (PAN): (He 4:16-note;
He 10:19-note;
Ephesians 3:12-note)
So that
(hoste) is a conclusion based upon the truth that God will never leave
or forsake us. This truth gives us confidence and courage to proclaim
what follows.
Confidently
(2292)
(tharreo from tharsos = cheer, cheerful, courage - Ac
28:15) means to be of good cheer or to have confidence or certainty in
a matter. In the present context the writer is saying we continually (present
tense)
being full of courage, can act boldly in speaking or claiming the OT
promise that Jehovah is our Helper.
Are you confident of this
wonderful truth beloved?
Tharreo -
5 uses in the NT - 2Co. 5:6, 8; 7:16; 10:1, 2; Heb. 13:6
God has said he will never leave us nor forsake us. This should
evoke the bold statement -- “The Lord is my helper; I will not be
afraid. What can man do to me?”
Say - To
whom do we say the following? Our confidence in God gives us
the courage to say to people that He is our Helper. Don't read this
too fast. Ponder the thought a moment -- that the Almighty One, the
Living God, the infinite, transcendent, omnipotent, etc God, the very
God of gods and Lord of lords is our personal Helper!
Do I really grasp the
significance and practical import of this awesome truth?
THE LORD...MY HELPER: kurios emoi boethos:
(Genesis 15:1; Exodus 18:4; Deuteronomy 33:26,29; Psalms 18:1,2-note;
Ps 27:1-3,9-note;
Ps 33:20-note;
Ps 40:17-note;
Psalms 54:4-note;
Ps 63:7-note;
Ps 94:17-note;
Ps 115:9-11-note;
Ps 118:7-9-note;
Ps 124:8-note;
Ps 146:3-note;
Isaiah 41:10,14; Romans 8:31-note)
Related
Resource: See study on
Jehovah Ezer: The LORD our Helper
Genesis 15:1 After these things the
word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear,
Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great."
Deuteronomy 33:26 "There is none
like the God of Jeshurun (upright one" - a poetic or symbolic name for
Israel describing her ideal character), Who rides the heavens to your
help, And through the skies in His majesty.
Deuteronomy 33:29 "Blessed are you,
O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, Who is the
shield of your help, And the sword of your majesty! So your enemies
shall cringe before you, And you shall tread upon their high places."
Psalm 18:1 For the choir director.
A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the
words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the
hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said, "I
Love Thee, O LORD, my strength." 2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress
and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield
and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 27:9 Do not hide Thy face
from me, Do not turn Thy servant away in anger; Thou hast been my
help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation!
Psalm 33:20 Our soul waits for the
LORD; He is our help and our shield.
Psalm 40:17 Since I am afflicted
and needy, Let the Lord be mindful of me; Thou art my help and
my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God.
Psalm 54:4 Behold, God is my
helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.
Psalm 63:7 For Thou hast been my
help, and in the shadow of Thy wings I sing for joy.
Psalm 94:17 If the LORD had not
been my help, my soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of
silence.
Psalm 115:9 O Israel, trust in the
LORD; He is their help and their shield. 10 O house of Aaron,
trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. 11 You
who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and
their shield (Who are
those who can call God "their help and their shield"?).
Spurgeon comments: He is
their help and their shield. He is the friend of his servants, both
actively and passively, giving them both aid in labour and defence in
danger. In the use of the pronoun "their," the Psalmist may have
spoken to himself, in a sort of soliloquy: he had given the
exhortation, "trust in Jehovah," and then he whispers to himself,
"They may well do so, for he is at all times the strength and security
of his servants."
He does aid and protect all those
who worship him in filial fear, to whatever nation they may belong. No
doubt these repeated exhortations were rendered necessary by the
trying condition in which the children of Israel were found: the
sneers of the adversary would assail all the people, they would most
bitterly be felt by the priests and ministers, and those who were
secret proselytes would groan in secret under the contempt forced upon
their religion and their God. All this would be very staggering to
faith, and therefore they were bidden again and again and again to
trust in Jehovah.
John Gill: He is the help of
his people; they are helpless in themselves, and vain is the help of
man, for there is none in him; there is no help but in the Lord, and
he is a present, seasonable, and sufficient help. Jehovah the Father
has promised them help, and he is both able and faithful to make it
good; he has laid help upon his Son for them; and has set up a throne
of grace, where they may come for grace to help them in time of need.
Christ has helped them out of the miserable estate they were fallen
into by sin; he helps them on in their way to heaven, by his power and
grace, and at last brings them thither. The Spirit of God helps them
to the things of Christ; to many exceeding great and precious
promises; and out of many difficulties, snares and temptations; and he
helps them in prayer under all their infirmities, and makes
intercession for them, according to the will of God; and therefore
they should trust in the Lord, Father, Son, and Spirit.
Lord
(2962)(kurios)
refers to master or the one who exercises absolute control and is the
Greek word used to translate the Hebrew word Jehovah (in Ps 118:6).
Helper (998)
(boethos
is the noun form of the verb
boetheo)
describes one (Jehovah in
context) who runs on hearing a cry to give assistance. Ponder this
picture for a moment! Praise should be the natural outcome of
meditation on this awesome truth!
The Lord is my
Helper - There is no verb "is" in the Greek, so
it's almost like its God's name = "My Helper"! (see
Jehovah Ezer: The LORD our Helper) Awesome! Ps 19:14-note
translates David's affirmation of "O LORD, my rock" in the Lxx with "kurie
boethe mou" or literally "Lord my Helper", very similar to Heb 13:6.
Practically how would you come
to know God as your Helper even as David had come to know Him in such
an intimate way? We have to remember to cry out to Him for help in the
midst of the testing circumstances (which we do because we trust Him
and know He is faithful), when the waters are rising and all
we can see is disaster and doom. As we learn to do this as a lifestyle,
we will grow (like David did as he learned to depend on God while
fleeing from Saul) in our experiential knowledge that God alone is our
Rock, our Helper in times of temptation and like Paul we will come to
know that Jesus is our ever present Friend Who sticks closer than a
brother and Who will come to our cry for help. (see Paul's testimonies
in Php 4:11,12-note,
Php 4:13-note,
2Co 12:9,10, cp Jesus desire to come when we cry out for His help - Heb 2:18-note).
The writer is quoting from the
Septuagint (LXX)
translation of
Ps 118:6-note
a Messianic psalm (see below) which is therefore fulfilled in Jesus Christ
the One Who sticks closer than a brother. Contented Christians are people with priorities, and
material things are not high on their priority list. They have begun
to more and more lay aside those things that weigh them down and which impede
fruitful, focused ministry (cp He 12:1-note "encumbrances";
"20/20" spiritual vision in He 12:2-note).
Hebrew translation = NAS Psalm
118:7 The LORD is for me among those who help me; Therefore I
shall look with satisfaction on those who hate me. 8 It is better to
take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take
refuge in the LORD Than to trust in princes.
Septuagint (LXX)
translation = LXE
Psalm 118:7 The Lord is my helper; and I shall see my desire
upon mine enemies. 8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust
in man. 9 It is better to hope in the Lord, than to hope in princes.
I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT SHALL MAN DO TO ME?: (kai) ou phobethesomai (1SFPI) ti poiesei (3SFAI) moi anthropos:
(Ps 56:4,11,12-note;
Ps 118:6-note;
Daniel 3:16, 17, 18; Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:4,5, Isa 41:10)
Ps 56:4 In God, whose word I
praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can mere man do to me?
Spurgeon comments: In God I
will praise his word. Faith brings forth praise. He who can trust will
soon sing. God's promise, when fulfilled, is a noble subject for
praise, and even before fulfilment it should be the theme of song. It
is in or through God that we are able to praise. We praise as well as
pray in the Spirit. Or we may read it -- in extolling the Lord one of
the main points for thanksgiving is his revealed will in the
Scriptures, and the fidelity with which he keeps his word of promise.
In God I have put my trust. Altogether and alone should we stay
ourselves on God. What was a gracious resolve in the former verse, is
here asserted as already done.
I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. Faith exercised,
fear is banished, and holy triumph ensues, so that the soul
asks, "What can flesh do unto me?" What indeed? He can do me no real
injury; all his malice shall be overruled for my good. Man is flesh,
flesh is grass -- Lord,
in thy name I defy its utmost wrath.
There were two verses of complaint (Ps 56:1,2-note),
and here are two of confidence (Ps 56:3,4-note);
it is well to weigh out a sufficient quantity of the sweet to
counteract the sour.
Hebrew translation = NAS Psalm
56:11 In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can
man do to me?
Septuagint (LXX)
translation = Psalm
56:11 I have hoped in God; I will not be afraid of what man
shall do to me.
Spurgeon comments: In God
have I put my trust. This and the former verse are evidently the
chorus of the Psalm. We cannot be too careful of our faith, or see too
sedulously that it is grounded on the Lord alone.
I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. Faith has banished fear.
He views his foes in their most forcible character, calling them not
flesh, but indicating them as man, yet he dreads them not; though the
whole race were his enemies he would not be afraid now that his trust
is stayed on God. He is not afraid of what they threaten to do, for
much of that they cannot do; and even what is in their power, what
they can do, he defies with holy daring. He speaks for the future, "I
will not," for he is sure that the security of the present will
suffice for days to come.
Be afraid
(5399)
(phobeo) means to be in an apprehensive state in which one
is frightened or alarmed.
Fear God (offer service with
reverence and awe because God is a consuming fire) not men.
Isaiah 41:10 'Do not fear,
for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold
you with My righteous right hand.'
Isaiah 41:14 "Do not fear,
you worm Jacob, you men of Israel; I will help you," declares the
LORD, "and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
Romans 8:31 What then shall we say
to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
Shadrach, et al
are a perfect OT illustration of application of this truth...
Daniel 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach and
Abed-nego (faced with certain death at least from a human perspective)
answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to
give you an answer concerning this matter. 17 "If it be so, our God
whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire;
and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 "But even if He
does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to
serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
This
is the mind-set that will ride the waves no matter how high the water
rises or how hard the wind blows—just as
Chrysostom did when he was brought before the Roman emperor and was
threatened with banishment:
“Thou canst not banish me for this world is my father’s house.” “But I
will slay thee,” said the Emperor. “Nay, thou canst not,” said the
noble champion of the faith, “for my life is hid with Christ in God.”
“I will take away thy treasures.” “Nay, but thou canst not for my
treasure is in heaven and my heart is there.” “But I will drive thee
away from man and thou shalt have no friend left.” “Nay, thou canst
not, for I have a friend in heaven from whom thou canst not separate
me. I defy thee; for there is nothing that thou canst do to hurt me.”
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Hebrews 13:7 Remember
those who
led you,
who
spoke the
word of
God to you; and
considering the
result of their
conduct,
imitate their
faith
(NASB:
Lockman) |
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Greek:
Mnemoneuete
ton
egoumenon
humon,
hoitines
elalesan
humin
ton
logon
tou
theou,
on
anatheorountes
ten
ekbasin
tes
anastrophes
mimeisthe
ten
pistin.
Amplified: Remember your leaders and superiors in
authority [for it was they] who brought to you the Word of God.
Observe attentively and consider their manner of living (the outcome
of their well-spent lives) and imitate their faith (their conviction
that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things, the
Provider and Bestower of eternal salvation through Christ, and their
leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and
confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness)
(Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
Barclay: Remember your leaders, the men who spoke the word of God
to you. Look back on how they made their exit from this life and
imitate their faith. (Westminster
Press)
NLT: Remember your leaders who taught you the word of
God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow
the example of their faith. (NLT
- Tyndale House)
Phillips: Never forget your leaders, who first spoke to you the
Word of God. Remember how they lived, and imitate their faith. (Phillips:
Touchstone)
Wuest: Be constantly remembering those ruling over you,
especially as they are those who spoke to you the word of God, whose
faith imitate as you closely observe the outcome of their manner of
life. (Eerdmans)
Young's Literal: 5 Without covetousness the behaviour, being
content with the things present, for He hath said, ‘No, I will not
leave, no, nor forsake thee,’6 so that we do boldly say, ‘The Lord is
to me a helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me.’7 Be
mindful of those leading you, who did speak to you the word of God,
whose faith—considering the issue of the behaviour—be imitating, |
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REMEMBER
THOSE WHO LED YOU: Mnemoneuete (2PPAM) ton hegoumenon (PMPMPG)
humon: (He 13:17,24;
Matthew 24:45; Luke 12:42; Acts 14:23; 1Thessalonians 5:12,13; 1
Timothy 3:5) (Luke 8:11; Acts 4:31; 13:46; Romans 10:17;
1Thessalonians 2:13; Revelation 1:9; 6:9; 20:4
Remember
-
present imperative
= keep on
remembering! Think back into the past, to leaders who have passed on
to glory (cp current leaders in He 13:17, 24). Remember those whose conduct you can survey
from beginning to end, and consider all of it but consider especially how
they ended! By way of application, a fruitful, encouraging practice
for modern believers would be to read sound, well written biographies
of saints who have finished their race and done so with "gusto". A
great "starting point" would be to read (and I also highly recommend
listening to) John Piper's biographical messages (click
here) which will
challenge and encourage your faith.
Pastor Cole agrees exhorting
believers to that...
Read the biographies of godly
Christians. I’m not talking about the biography of some sports hero or
movie star who claims to be a Christian. Read about the Reformers or
other great preachers, who proclaimed God’s truth in previous times.
Read about missionaries who braved all sorts of difficult conditions
to take the gospel to remote places. I have gained more from reading
such biographies than from any other source outside of the Bible. (I
have a bibliography, “Reading
Christian Biographies,”
click to open Pdf).
There is also on the web site an article I wrote on the benefits of
reading biographies, “Mining
for Gold.”
(Hebrews
13:7-14 The Antidote for False Teaching)
Remember
(3421)
(mnemoneuo from mnaomai = remember, call to mind, recall
information) means to use the faculty of memory given by God and keep
in one’s mind people, things, and circumstances because memory is
basis of learning and of motivation for future action.
Led (2233)(hegeomai)
means first to lead, then to think or regard. Obviously the former
meaning describing men in any leading position.
John Piper in his message on this section of Hebrews said...
Some of you may wonder why for 11
years at our pastors' conference I have given biographical lectures on
people in church history - Luther, Calvin, Edwards, Brainerd,
Spurgeon, Machen, Lloyd-Jones, etc. It's not just because they're
interesting. It's because God said, "Remember those who led you and
spoke the word of God to you. (Read
Piper's message "Be Strengthened by Grace")
WHO SPOKE THE WORD OF GOD TO YOU: hoitines elalesan (3PAAI) humin ton logon tou theou: cp Heb2:3;
see Heb6:12 "imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit
the promises." Who
(hoitines) whoever they were...no one specific in mind here.
Spoke
(2980)
(laleo)
(word
study)
which originally referred to the chattering of birds or prattling of
children and evolved in use to the highest form of speech, the thrice
holy God choosing language as His primary medium of
communication to fallen, sinful mankind.
The Word of God - What a
great "legacy". It should be every pastor and teacher and elder and
father's goal that this likewise be their "legacy" - that they were
those who spoke the Word of God!
Pastor Cole comments that...
God’s Word is the only source
for sound teaching. Yet we live in a day when very few pastors devote
themselves to teaching God’s Word in
a systematic way. Many evangelical churches, in an attempt to reach
the unchurched (“seekers”), have abandoned teaching through the Bible
verse by verse, for fear that some of the difficult doctrines may
offend people (Ed: Church should be a place where the pastor
preaches to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable!). They
aim the church service at giving the “customers” what they want:
topical messages on how to have a happy life. They avoid talking about
sin or judgment or anything controversial. In many cases, their
messages could have come out of Reader's Digest rather than the Bible!
You should evaluate any teaching by the criteria, “Does it explain the
text of Scripture in its context and apply it to my life?” (Hebrews
13:7-14 The Antidote for False Teaching)
AND CONSIDERING THE RESULT
OF THEIR CONDUCT: anatheorountes (PAPMPN) ten ekbasin tes
anastrophes: (Acts 7:55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
Considering (anatheoreo)
means to look again and again (and the use of the
present tense
even further emphasizes the importance of this "looking"!). Thayer
says the idea is "to survey a series of things from the lowest to the
highest". Clearly the meaning is to look attentively making certain
that one observes accurately and considers carefully. There is only
one other NT use...
Acts 17:23 (Paul in Athens where
his spirit within was provoked as he saw a city full of idols Ac
17:16) "For while I was passing through and examining
(anatheoreo) the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with
this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' What therefore you worship in
ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
Result (ekbasis)
speaks of the endpoint of an event, the outcome, and here in the
context of the result of one's way of life (with the implication of it
being spiritually "successful").
Thayer comments that
ekbasis refers
not merely the end of their
physical life, but the manner in which they closed a well-spent life
as exhibited by their spirit in dying.
The result of their conduct
- Its not just what they say but how they live (lips and live must
match!). Look closely at the outcome, literally, the "exit" of their
way of life.
Pastor John Piper feels that the
idea is to look at the whole course of their life, especially the end
of it. How did they run? Did they hold fast until the end? Did they
finish well? (cp Heb 3:6,14, 4:14, 10:23, 12:1) Did they do what this
whole letter of Hebrews is written to help us do - To persevere to the
end and be saved (Note: perseverance does not earn salvation,
but is a "marker" of genuine salvation, for the only one who would
persevere to the end would be the person who has the supernatural
power to do so, i.e., one who is born again and has the enabling,
indwelling power of the Holy Spirit of God.)
In a sense, one might then consider that dead heroes are more important
even than living heroes. The latter are
important to be sure, but we have yet to see the end of their race.
What if they cease to be "heroes" before they die? When this occurs
(as is all too common in modern day Christendom!), we are
disappointed, disillusioned, let down, even discouraged.
IMITATE THEIR FAITH: mimeisthe (2PPMM) ten pistin:
(He 6:12; Song 1:8; 1Corinthians 4:16; 11:1; Philippians 3:17; 1Th
1:6; 2Th 3:7,9) mimos =
mimic; in N.T. only here and 2Th 3:7,9; 3Jn 1:11
So ''Keep on imitating
the faith of the leaders.''
Considering how
well these leaders lived,
imitate
their faith, where faith of course speaks to both their faith and
their conduct. The author emphasizes their faith because he
wants us to see that faith in Christ is the firm foundation for
Christian conduct. In other words our behavior is not to be an outward
conformity to rules or rituals. Paul has a similar thought in his
letter to the Galatians...
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means
anything, but faith working through love. (Gal. 5:6) Not those who have an external "form of godliness". If you try to
imitate these men's conduct, you become a religious fake, deceived
just as they are. This is a frightening reality when you see it -
people who have learned the form of godliness and know nothing of the
power that comes from genuine faith (2Ti3:5). Instead the author says:
look at the whole course of their conduct and how they finished their
course, and get the same motor that made them what they were: their
faith.
The memorial marker to John Wesley in Westminster Abbey bears the
inscription:
God buries his
workmen, but he carries on his work.
Memories of godly lives help best when they turn us to the One who
never needs to be replaced and who is permanently available to his
people.
Faith
(4102)(pistis)
is synonymous with trust or belief and is the conviction of the truth
of anything, but in Scripture usually speaks of belief respecting
man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the
included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith and joined with
it.
It is notable that only the book of
Romans surpasses the book of Hebrews (click
to study the uses of pistis in Hebrews)
in the number of uses of
pistis
(Romans = 35, Hebrews = 31, out of 243 NT
uses)
Click
for links to all 243 uses of pistis (NAS) which is translated: faith, 238; faithfulness, 3; pledge, 1;
proof, 1.
As pistis relates to God, it is the conviction
that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things well as the
Provider and Bestower of eternal salvation through Christ. As faith relates
to Christ it represents a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus
is the Messiah, through Whom we obtain eternal salvation and entrance into
the Kingdom of Heaven. Stated another way, eternal salvation comes only
through belief in Jesus Christ and no other way.
See related studies on the
specific phrases (1) "the
faith" and (2) the "obedience
of faith ".
See also study on
pistos
True faith that saves one's soul includes at
least three main elements
(1) firm persuasion
or firm conviction,
(2)
a surrender to that
truth and
(3) a conduct
emanating from that surrender. In sum, faith shows itself genuine by a
changed life. (Click
here
for
W E Vine's similar definition of faith)
Respected theologian Louis Berkhof
defines genuine faith in essentially the same way noting that it includes an
intellectual element (notitia), which is
a positive recognition of the
truth”; an emotional element (assensus), which includes “a deep
conviction of the truth”; and a volitional element (fiducia), which
involves “a personal trust in Christ as Savior and Lord, including a
surrender … to Christ.” (Louis
Berkhof, Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1939)
Faith is relying on what God has done rather than on one’s own efforts.
In the Old Testament, faith is rarely mentioned. The word trust is
used frequently, and verbs like believe and rely are used to
express the right attitude to God. The classic example is Abraham, whose
faith was reckoned as righteousness (Ge 15:6). At the heart of the
Christian message is the story of the cross: Christ’s dying to bring
salvation. Faith is an attitude of trust in which a believer receives
God’s good gift of salvation (Acts 16:30,31) and lives in that awareness
thereafter (Gal 2:20; cf. Heb 11:1).
J. B. Lightfoot discusses the concept of faith in his commentary on
Galatians. He notes that in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, the definition of the
word for faith
"hovers between two meanings:
trustfulness, the frame of mind which relies on another; and
trustworthiness, the frame of mind which can be relied upon...the senses
will at times be so blended together that they can only be separated by some
arbitrary distinction. The loss in grammatical precision is often more than
compensated by the gain in theological depth...They who have faith in God
are steadfast and immovable in the path of duty."
Faith, like grace, is not static. Saving faith is more than just
understanding the facts and mentally acquiescing. It is inseparable from
repentance, surrender, and a supernatural longing to obey. None of those
responses can be classified exclusively as a human work, any more than
believing itself is solely a human effort.
Faith is manifest by not believing in spite of evidence but obeying in
spite of consequence. John uses the related verb
pisteuo to demonstrate the
relationship between genuine faith and obedience writing...
"He who believes (present
tense = continuous) in
the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see
life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36)
Charles Swindoll commenting on faith and obedience in John 3:36
concludes that...
In 3:36 the one who “believes in the Son
has eternal life” as a present possession. But the one who “does not obey
the Son shall not see life.” To disbelieve Christ is to disobey
Him. And logically, to believe in Christ is to obey Him. As I
have noted elsewhere, “This verse clearly indicates that belief is
not a matter of passive opinion, but decisive and obedient action.”
(quoting J. Carl Laney)...Tragically many people are convinced that it
doesn’t really matter what you believe, so long as you are sincere. This
reminds me of a Peanuts cartoon in which Charlie Brown is returning from a
disastrous baseball game. The caption read, “174 to nothing! How could we
lose when we were so sincere?” The reality is, Charlie Brown, that it takes
more than sincerity to win the game of life. Many people are sincere about
their beliefs, but they are sincerely wrong!" (Swindoll,
C. R., & Zuck, R. B. Understanding Christian Theology.: Thomas Nelson
Publishers) (This book is
recommended if you are looking for a very readable, non-compromising work on
"systematic theology". Wayne Grudem's work noted above is comparable.)
Subjectively faith is firm
persuasion, conviction, belief in the truth, veracity, reality or
faithfulness (though rare). Objectively faith is that which is
believed (usually designated as "the faith"), doctrine, the received
articles of faith.
Click
separate study of "the
faith (pistis)"
True faith is not based on empirical evidence but on divine assurance.
Spurgeon wrote that...
Faith is the foot of the soul by which it
can march along the road of the commandments.
When
missionary
John Paton
was translating the
Scripture for the South Sea islanders, he was unable to find a word in their
vocabulary for the concept of believing, trusting, or having faith. He had
no idea how he would convey that to them. One day while he was in his hut
translating, a native came running up the stairs into Paton's study and
flopped in a chair, exhausted. He said to Paton,
“It’s so good to rest my whole weight in
this chair.”
John
Paton had his word: Faith is resting your whole weight on God. That
word went into the translation of their New Testament and helped bring that
civilization of natives to Christ. Believing is putting your whole weight on
God. If God said it, then it’s true, and we’re to believe it.
Nothing before, nothing behind,
The steps of faith
Fall on the seeming void, and find
The rock beneath -- Whittier
Without “confidence” in God - in
his fidelity, his truth, his wisdom, his promises. The essence of
faith consists in believing and receiving what God has revealed, and
may be defined as that trust in the God of the Scriptures and in Jesus
Christ whom He has sent, which receives Him as Lord and Savior and
impels to loving obedience and good works (Jn 1:12; Ja 2:14 - 26).
Clearly faith is a key word in Hebrews. Study the 31 uses of
pistis
in Hebrews
in context (click the Scripture links to go to the notes on each verse)...
Hebrews 4:2
- For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but
the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith
in those who heard.
Hebrews 6:1
- Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press
on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works
and of faith toward God,
Hebrews 6:12
-so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith
and patience inherit the promises.
Hebrews 10:22
- let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having
our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed
with pure water.
Hebrews 10:38
- BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL
HAS NO PLEASURE IN
Hebrews 10:39
- But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those
who have faith to the preserving of the soul.
Hebrews 11:1
- Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things
not seen.
Hebrews 11:3
- By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of
God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
Hebrews 11:4
- By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which
he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his
gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.
Hebrews 11:5
- By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT
FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his
being taken up he was pleasing to God.
Hebrews 11:6
- And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God
must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Hebrews 11:7
- By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence
prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned
the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to
faith.
Hebrews 11:8
- By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which
he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he
was going.
Hebrews 11:9
- By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign
land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same
promise;
Hebrews 11:11
- By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the
proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.
Hebrews 11:13
- All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen
them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that
they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
Hebrews 11:17
- By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had
received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;
Hebrews 11:20
- By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.
Hebrews 11:21
- By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and
worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
Hebrews 11:22
- By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons
of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.
Hebrews 11:23
- By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his
parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid
of the king's edict.
Hebrews 11:24
- By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of
Pharaoh's daughter,
Hebrews 11:27
- By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured,
as seeing Him who is unseen.
Hebrews 11:28
- By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that
he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.
Hebrews 11:29
-By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing
through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.
Hebrews 11:30
- By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for
seven days.
Hebrews 11:31
- By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were
disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.
Hebrews 11:33
-who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained
promises, shut the mouths of lions,
Hebrews 11:39
- And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive
what was promised,
Hebrews 12:2
- fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the
joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down
at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 13:7
- Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and
considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.
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