FAITH OR SECULARISM

I was reading the following text this morning: Hebrews 12:14/15, "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: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;". As a holiness preacher, I have heard verse 14 over and over again in how it pertains to the "sanctified" message. Although, this is a good one, let's look at the context of this message to see if it relates to an additional idea or thought. You see the writer has been talking about faith and has correlated faith from chapter 11 with chastening in chapter 12. I have been sharing with my congregation about this very subject for the past couple of weeks. Chastening is God's way of teaching and training His children to hear His voice...to walk by faith. Imagine with me the "great cloud of witnesses" that have gone on before us who walked by faith. These hero's of faith had something deep down inside that empowered them to face turmoil and even certain death, without giving in to fear or rejecting God completely. This empowerment is not found by earthly measures. It is not rocket science that this power is only found in the kingdom of God. There really is no earthly power that people can tap into that keeps fear away and instills joy in spite of treacherous circumstances.

As a believer, should we pursue this empowerment that comes from God? Is this sensationalism? Are we supposed to seek after the experience? Well what experience are we really seeking after? Are we trying to seek after an experience that brings happiness or peace? The above text instructs us to seek after two very important experiences...Peace with all people and holiness. Not just peace with all people and not just holiness. How are these two connected with faith and chastening and especially how will these two points empower us to walk by faith regardless of our circumstances? I heard an very enlightening message by Dr. Nelson Perdue, so some of what I write here will be excerpts from his message as well as my own insights that I sensed from the Holy Spirit.

Dr. Perdue shared the differing circumstances between what happened with Esau as described in Hebrews 12:15-17 and Moses experience in Hebrews 11:24-27. The distinction between the two experiences were that secularism infiltrated Esau's life and he chose to follow his head and the temporal experience over his birthright and over his own identity and inheritance. He squandered it all for a bowl of soup! Moses, however, gave up his secular life and rights as an Egyptian royal family member and the pleasures of secularism for the sake of pleasing God. Hebrews 11:25 says, "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin". Where are you believer and what are you pursuing? Are you allowing the cares of this world to infiltrate into your your life and causing it to not only change to course of your lives to pursue your dreams and wishes, it also will affect your eternity. If you have traded in your birthright (your membership into the Kingdom) for your position here on earth and have chosen the pleasures of (that's right we are going to say it) sin, you are in the same experience and circumstance as Esau. How did that work out for him? Read what it says in Hebrews 12:17, "For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessings, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears".

Moses, on the other hand, chose to please God! He decided and chose after weighing the costs and the loss to lay his earthly drawing down and follow God. We know how Moses pleased God, because of Hebrews 11:6 says that "Without faith it is impossible to please God". Moses by faith laid aside his earthly/worldly and yes secular world rights to please the Father. This my friends brought power into the relationship! Don't want to believe me...read the old testaments of his life story. You'll find them in the 1st five books of the Bible. Also known as the "The Books of Moses" or the Pentateuch. You'll see where he experienced the power of God by splitting the Red Sea and saving millions of Israelite's and destroying his enemies. You'll see that the children of Israel were led by a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night. You'll see where they drew water from a rock. You'll see where God provided bread for them to eat every single day. You'll see where, when the children of Israel grew tired of bread that God provided meat (Quail) for them to eat. That's power!!!

God is the same God as He was 4 thousand years ago. His word tells us that He never changes. So, why would He be any different today? Hebrews 12:1b and 2 tells us to 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. 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 cloud of witnesses are before us, they laid it all aside and are bearing witness to our souls that, "IT CAN BE DONE"! We can experience this power today. If we can't, then there really is no hope for deliverance from this bondage of a sin sick soul. If we can't experience this, then there is no use for church, no use for words of exhortation to "pursue peace with all people and holiness", for we will not see God. You see there is no middle ground. You either believe in Him or you don't. You are either persuaded that Jesus is who He says He is....or you don't. If you do believe, then your life will represent what and whom you believe in. Your life will reveal what your heart believes. My dad and I were talking the other day and he asked me if I remember the words of Jesus when He said, "If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father". I said, "Of course I do". My dad then said that if we were really living our lives in Christ, these words would be true for us as well. When people say, "If you have seen me, you would see Christ". This kind of representation only comes via living by faith. Living to please Him. Remember, "Without faith it is impossible to please God".

This faith brings power and changes lives. I am a living example along with a whole host of others that are living today please God via by living by faith. To be honest with you, this life looks nothing like your life right now. It requires intimate fellowship with Him. It requires walking away from this world and it's pleasures and at times requires you to suffer afflictions with the people of God. It requires a fully surrendered heart pursuing peace with all people and pursuing holiness (right living according to the One who is always right), without which no one, I mean no one will see the Lord. You can choose not to make your paths straight and choose not to pursue peace and holiness, but look at what follows after you (Heb 12:15), "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". This of course, will lead you to choose the world or secularism over your righteous birthright.

What will you choose...today?