Journey to The Journey

Over the last few weeks in our study over the book of Hebrews we have slowed down to reflect on various aspects of faith. We've looked at what faith is and how it is manifest in the lives of believers through examples that the author puts forward from the Old Testament. What has hopefully started to come into focus is that faith is far more complex than one would probably imagine upon first glance.

"Simul justus et peccator." This Latin phrase was used by the great reformer Martin Luther to describe the tension that exists in the lives of every believer. It translates to "simultaneously justifed and sinner;" and it means that Christians live in both a state of freedom from the just penalty of sin, yet also in a state of human brokenness that still often leads us to sin.

We'd all love to have assurance, but experience has taught us that it is elusive. One need look no further in history than this year to see how quickly our lives can be turned upside down by an unforeseen event like a global pandemic. Often times in life, we hope for the best, but we plan and prepare for the worst. This is touted as wisdom. To be human is to struggle for a semblance of control that often proves to be merely an illusion. So, we spend $1.2 trillion on insurance!

I think the Christian faith may be the simplest thing on the face of the earth. Jesus died for my sins so I can be forgiven. We teach this to our children in rhymes and songs so that they can recite it back to us. It's not a complicated formula. There's no elaborate rituals one needs to participate in. The gospel is simple and to participate in it is even simpler. We enter into the hope of the gospel by faith. That's it! We merely have to believe upon Jesus to take possession of his promises for us.

The New Covenant is the foundation of the hope that Christians enjoy. Jesus ratified this covenant by the shedding of his own blood. It is by his blood that we are made righteous, holy, and perfect before God. Through this alien righteousness that lies outside of ourselves and our own works, we are guaranteed a future inheritance in God's eternal kingdom. This is a tremendous source of hope and confidence.

The theme of the priesthood of Jesus is one of the most unique characteristics of the book of Hebrews. It is central to the argument that the author is making, and in many ways a unique contribution to the New Testament, but it is firmly rooted in God's messianic promises of the Old Testament. In fact, according to the scriptures, God's Messiah would fill three important offices: prophet, priest, and king.

This week in our study over the book of Hebrews, we were introduced to a very important Biblical concept; that of the priest-king. While, as Cody rightly explained, Melchizedek is a relatively obscure figure in scripture, the importance of the priest-king is anything but. Of course, we see in Hebrews that Jesus is the ultimate priest-king, and the ultimate expression of both of these offices in redemptive history. However, the idea or concept of the priest-king is vital to not just our understanding of Christ as our Lord and Savior, but also to how we understand God's design for mankind, the creation narrative in Genesis, and the recreation of Revelation. I will do my best to briefly explain how each of these things tie together and why they are so important to our understanding.

Have you ever made a promise that you failed to keep? How often do you listen to the concerns of a friend from church and commit to pray for them, only to forget and fail to keep your commitment? If you've been there, fear not, you're not alone. In fact, I suspect I am safe in saying that everyone, as one point or another, has failed in this area. Despite even our best intentions, we as human beings are often far from reliable. We've all let down and been let down by others. It's a normal part of life.

This week as we dove back into in our sub-series over 1 Peter, we encountered a difficult, yet aptly timed passage about submission to rulers and authorities. Opinions, when it comes to social and political issues, are like snowflakes...no two are the same. To say that we, as a culture and a nation, are deeply divided over a number of important issues is a huge understatement. The gap between blue and red is often as far as the east is from the west. This often leads to ineffective stalemates where neither side is willing to budge and progress grinds to a screeching halt. Yet, this is the system in which we live, and like it or not, we must play the hand we've been dealt. At the end of the day, I still believe America is the greatest nation in the world and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else, but that doesn't mean there aren't some serious problems facing our country.

The Christian argument over faith and works is much like the chicken and the egg paradox. Of course we know that for there to be an egg, there must be a mother hen. And yet, a hen cannot exist without hatching from an egg. The question for the ancient Greek philosophers who first pondered the problem is which one comes first. So it is with the argument of faith vs. works. What we can all agree on is that neither can exist in a bubble. Both are required. But in what measure? Which comes first or is of greatest importance? Therein lies the disagreement.