Surrendering for victory
We continue our study of Hebrews 10 with a counter-culture view of surrender
Verse of the Day: “Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” - Hebrews 10:36
“Patient endurance is what you need now”.......If there are two things our flesh hates, it’s having to be patient and having to endure something that is not pleasant. In our flesh, we cannot stand waiting. That’s why companies charge more for expedited shipping, and we often fork up the extra cash to get what we want sooner. God is not Amazon. And He does not operate in a microwave society type of manner. As we grow in Christ, we have to surrender our way. We have to surrender how we want to do things and the way that we lived before coming to Christ. We are called to endure. We are called to stay strong in the faith and not waver. Just a few verses back, the writer of Hebrews tells us:
“Remember how you remained faithful though it meant terrible suffering” - Hebrews 10:32
The walk with Christ is one of magnificence, because we become reborn and live the lives God designed us to live, but it also comes with suffering. We have to endure that suffering and have a hope for the greater glory to come that will minimize what we suffer today. 2 Corinthians 4:17 says “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever.”
“So that you will continue to do God’s will”.......The word ‘continue’ really sticks out for me. In my current season of spirituality, I am really feeling God forcing me to grow in endurance and consistency. He wants me to know that the walk with Christ is a walk for eternity. I am going to have to endure and continue staying strong in the faith. I won’t get the results that come from an obedient walk with Jesus if I decide to do things His way on Monday, but go back to my own way the rest of the week. We have to continue to do God’s will. And we can only do God’s will when we surrender our way. Jesus explains it plainly to us in Matthew 16:25 - “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”
“Then you will receive all that he has promised”.......Our God is so counter cultural. Everywhere else in the world, no matter the setting, surrendering means suffering a loss. If I step on a basketball court and surrender with five minutes left, I will lose the game. If my country is at war and surrenders to the enemy, everything we have and own will likely fall under the control of the enemy. However in the walk with Jesus, surrendering means victory. We actually gain way more than what we lose when we surrender to Jesus. One chapter prior in Hebrews 9:23, we are reminded of the faithfulness of God. “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise”
Eternal life in paradise with Jesus Christ is what lies on the other side of a faithful, obedient life in Jesus Christ. What we suffer here today, in this broken and sick world, is worth it for the eternal glory that is to come. Let that eternal joy that lies on the other side of this life encourage us today to not waver in our faith, but to stand firm. Jesus Christ has never let us down and He never will.
Hebrews 10 ends in a perfect way:
“But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.” - Hebrews 10:39
A great lie the enemy has ever gotten people to believe is that God is not a merciful, loving God, and that our suffering is His fault. This has caused people to turn from God and into the violent, destructive hands of the enemy. God’s word in Hebrews 10 lays out two paths for us.
When we go His way, our souls will be saved.
But when we turn away from Him, we are led into our own destruction.
Let us choose salvation. Let us choose Jesus. Amen!