Hello everyone,
Having had a bit of a "dry spell" for a few weeks, I've started reading Hebrews in my quiet time, starting today with chapter 1. I'm using quite an old commentary published by Banner of Truth called "Hebrews: A Digest of Reformed Comment" by Geoffrey Wilson. Despite the name, it was published in 1970, and is quite good if one can get past the slightly ornate language, which reads like a lightweight Puritan, and certainly not like anything recently published. Plus it uses the AV as a starting point, which isn't always that clear!! But it is quite punchy, and has enough meat without being too overwhelming. Also the convenient A5 format and 189pgs means it doesn't take up too much room in my briefcase!!
As stated, I read chapter one today. For those unaware, this is about the absolute supremacy of Christ. I was struck by v.3, which reads "He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power" (ESV). I particularly struck by the understanding of Jesus as the "exact imprint of (God's) nature". In Jesus we see an exact revelation of the Father, yet at the same time they are clearly distinct persons. "The image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15), through whom we see the Father.
The passage goes on to affirm the sonship and divinity of Christ (v. 5, 8), and his "making purification for sins". That God Himself through His Son would come to earth to redeem fallen mankind is absolutely staggering in its grace and mercy, and I was simply humbled afresh by the grace of God, and His work in Christ on our behalf.
Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians scattered and under seige. They were doubtless strongly tempted to cast off the Christian faith, and turn back to their old legalism. But the writer asserts here the absolute supremacy of Christ in all things: "he (Christ) upholds the universe by the word of his power" (ESV). What a confidence we have; that in all things Christ is upholding them and directing them to their ultimate purpose. We are not without hope; we are destined for eternity with God if we believe in Christ's sacrifice for our sin. And we can be certain that if we are Christians, we will make it through to the end: "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6).
"The Christian’s fight is a good fight because fought with the best of issues and results. No doubt it is a war in which there are tremendous struggles, agonizing conflicts, wounds, bruises, watchings, fastings and fatigue. But still every believer, without exception, is "more than conqueror through Him that loved [him] " (Rom. 8:37). No soldiers of Christ are ever lost, missing or left dead on the battlefield. No mourning will ever need to be put on, and no tears to be shed, for either private or officer in the army of Christ. The muster roll, when the last evening comes, will be found precisely the same that it was in the morning."
(John Charles Ryle, Holiness, Ch.4.3)
Blessings in Christ
Will
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2 comments:
Good post dude. Hebrews is a fantastic book. Where do you think we as western Christians/the C of E/ CU have forgotten/need to remember the supremacy of Christ? The obvious one that springs to mind are people in the Brian Mclaren stream of theology..
Hmm, good question! Obviously the Emerging Church/ Steve Chalke school does spring to mind. I think the big problem is that if your view of Christ and His work is deficient, you are going to have deficiencies at the very heart of your faith, which will ultimately lead either to a deformed faith, or worse false teaching. At the end of the day, it is Christ who justifies us, and as that quote from Spurgeon reminds, that is what it all hangs on. Take it away, and you have nothing to comfort yourself, or give away to others. Arguably that is the biggest problem in the C of E today; since many Anglicans have sadly never grasped the grace of God, they have no idea where they're going, and they have nothing to offer the rest of society.
But I think another problem potentially for all Christians is forgetting our reliance on Christ and looking to other things to satisfy us, or worse to save us. Whether it's material things, or a cosy church/cu where everything's nice and always the same, the problems are the same- a placing of one's trust in a thing, not Christ. Definitely something to look out for
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