OUR FATHER WHO WILL NOT BE  SEEN WITHOUT HOLINESS

The book of Hebrews chapter 12 verses 12 - 17 says this;

12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; 16 lest there be any fornicator or [f]profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. 17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO CHASTENS THOSE HE LOVES

The writer of the book of Hebrews chapter 12 verses 3 - 11 adjures the readers to keep in mind that their salvation was attained by the Lord Jesus who endured violent hostility to the point of death thus those who are being saved must perservere through hardships with the understanding that they are subject to correction by their Father in heaven and even when the chastening feels unpleasant, it yields the peacable fruit of righteousness that synchronizes us with the civilization of heaven where we can be partakers of His holiness.

If our human fathers benefitted us when they chastened us with their limited understanding, how much more will our heavenly Father's corrections yield righteousness unto life in our lives if we subject ourselves to it.

3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:

“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,

Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;

6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens,

And scourges every son whom He receives.”

7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHOSE SON SET THE EXAMPLE OF ENDURANCE 

The book of Hebrews chapter 12 verses 1 - 2 says this;

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The saints of old are watching the race as a great cloud of witnesses to see how the faith they practiced in their day will play out in the culmination of all things.

They are like a relay team that passed the baton from one generation of faith to another and then they all gather at the finish line to see how their team completes the race.

The writer of Hebrews encourages us to lay aside all encumberances and discard the sin that so easily ensnares us and run our race with endurance to the end.

Amen.

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 OUR FATHER WHOSE PEOPLE IDENTIFY WITH HIM BY FAITH

The book of Hebrews chapter 11 verses 30 - 40 says this;

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. 31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.

32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again.

Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

After listing the exploits of faith of the generations of prophets and judges, the writer of Hebrews concludes this passage by indicating that inspite of their robust in which they carried out their note-worthy lives, they did not receive the promise of God in their time because it was in our time that God provided the better promise so that the saints of old would not be perfected apart from us who appeared later but we would all be perfected into the one faith, the one family of God.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHOSE MEDIUM OF INTERACTION WITH HIS PEOPLE IS FAITH

The book of Hebrews chapter 11 verses 23 - 29 says this:

 23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command.

24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the [g]passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures [i]in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.  

Amen.

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