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Hebrews 10:38a - Living by Faith.

Hebrews 10:38a - Living by Faith.

Hebrews 10:38a (KJV) Now the just shall live by faith: 

Hebrews 10:38a (NCV) The person who is right with me will live 
by trusting in me.  

CONTEXT

A Call to Persevere in Faith: Hebrews 10:19-39.

  Faithfulness (19-25). The same Savior who died for you now 
lives for you and invites you to come into His presence to worship and 
to share your needs. The Old Testament high priest could go behind 
the veil only once a year, but we can come into God's presence any 
time. Be sure that you are cleansed and prepared to meet Him. You can 
trust Him: "He who promised is faithful" (v 23). 
  Fearfulness (26-39). The privilege of entering His presence 
rings with it the responsibility of obeying His precepts. This 
exhortation applies to those who repeatedly defy God's will and disgrace 
God's name. God deals with His children; He will not have them acting 
like rebels. The chapter closes on a note of encouragement. God warns 
us so that we will not be presumptuous, but He comforts us so that 
we will not be discouraged. The hard heart needs the warning; the 
broken heart needs the comfort. [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by 
Warren Wiersbe] 

COMMENTARY APPLICATION

  Often our feelings and emotions are mistakenly substituted for 
faith. Pleasurable emotions and deep, satisfying experiences are part 
of the Christian life, but they are not the essence of it. Trials, 
conflicts, battles, and testings lie along the way and are to be counted 
not as misfortunes but rather as part of our necessary discipline. 
  In all of these various experiences, we are to rely on the 
indwelling of Christ in our hearts, regardless of our feelings, as we walk 
obediently before Him. And this is where many Christians get into trouble. 
They try to walk by feelings rather than by faith. 
  A believer once related that it seemed as if God had totally 
withdrawn Himself from her. His mercy seemed completely gone. Her 
loneliness lasted for six weeks, until the heavenly Lover seemed to say to 
her, "You have looked for Me in the outside world of emotions, yet 
all the while I have been waiting inside for you. Meet Me now in the 
inner chamber of your spirit, for I am there." 
  Be sure to distinguish between the fact of God's presence and 
the feeling of the fact. It is actually a wonderful thing when our 
soul feels lonely and deserted, as long as our faith can say, "I do 
not see You, Lord, nor do I feel Your presence, but I know for 
certain You are graciously here--exactly where I am and aware of my 
circumstances." Remind yourself again and again with these words: "Lord, You are 
here. And though the bush before me does not seem to burn, it does 
burn. I will take the shoes from my feet, 'for the place where [I am] 
standing is holy ground"' (Ex. 3:5). London Christian 
  Trust God's Word and His power more than you trust your own 
feelings and experiences. Remember, your Rock is Christ, and it is the 
sea that ebbs and flows with the tides, not Him. Samuel Rutherford 
  Keep your eyes firmly fixed on the infinite greatness of 
Christ's finished work and His righteousness. Look to Jesus and 
believe--look to Jesus and live! In fact, as you look to Him, unfurl your 
sails and bravely face the raging storms on the sea of life. Do not 
exhibit your distrust by staying in the security of the calm harbor or 
by sleeping comfortably through your life of ease. Do not allow 
your life and emotions to be tossed back and forth against each other 
like ships idly moored at port. The Christian life is not one of 
listless brooding over our emotions or slowly drifting our keel of faith 
through shallow water. Nor is it one of dragging our anchor of hope 
through the settling mud of the bay, as if we were afraid of 
encountering a healthy breeze. 
  Sail away! Spread your sail toward the storm and trust in Him 
who rules the raging seas. A brightly colored bird is safest when in 
flight. If its nest is near the ground or if it flies too low, it 
exposes itself to the hunter's net or trap. In the same way, if we cower 
in the lowlands of feelings and emotions, we will find ourselves 
entangled in a thousand nets of doubt, despair, temptation, and unbelief. 
"How useless to spread a net in full view of ALL THE BIRDS!" (Prov. 
1:17)."Put your hope in God" (Ps. 42:5).J. R. Macduff 
  When I cannot feel the faith of assurance, I live by the fact 
of God's faithfulness. Matthew Henry [Streams In The Desert By 
Cowman] 

  For some followers of Christ, faith is not merely a private 
matter but a timid one as well. It's as if faith is such a delicate 
thing that unless one carefully protects it, the world will surely 
destroy it. 
  However, Hebrews challenges believers to a different way of 
living. Faith that is alive and growing need not be treated like a pet 
bunny rabbit that is periodically brought out of its cage to be adored 
and fed on special occasions, but then quickly returned to its haven 
of safety. To be sure, we live in a world of roaring lions (1 Pet. 
5:8) and therefore must be on guard. Yet the safest way to live in a 
world of spiritual dangers is to build up our strength, not to hide 
our faith in secrecy. Hebrews offers some suggestions: 
*	We can take confidence by freely entering into God's presence 
through Christ (v. 19, 22). 
*	Our faith can rest in full assurance that because of Christs' 
work on our behalf, our sins have been forgiven (v. 2 1-22). 
*	We can keep a firm grip on the basics of our faith, which rest 
on the integrity of Christ (v. 23). 
*	As believers we can stir each other up to loving, active faith 
(v. 24). 
*	We can meet with other believers regularly for encouragement, 
accountability, worship, end prayer (v. 25). 
*	We can leave judgment and repayment up to God, who is the 
ultimate Judge of people (v. 29-31). 
*	We can keep a loose grip on privilege, comfort, and 
possessions and instead show compassion toward those in need, such as 
prisoners (v. 32-33). 
*	We can condition ourselves for the long haul so as to finish 
well (vv. 35-39). 
  Spiritual strength and health means integrating our faith with 
every area of life. Faith is not just one more thing on a list of a 
hundred things, but rather the foundation of who we are. If our walk 
with Christ is real, it should become evident to others (James 2:14, 
26; 3:13). Faith that is alive and growing is faith unleashed! [Word 
In Life SB] 

  Picture it this way. Imagine that you are an ice skater in 
competition. You are in first place with one more round to go. If you perform 
well, the trophy is yours. You are nervous, anxious, and frightened. 
  Then, only minutes before your performance, your trainer 
rushes to you with the thrilling news: "You've already won! The judges 
tabulated the scores, and the person in second place can't catch you. You 
are too far ahead." 
  Upon hearing that news, how will you feel? Exhilarated!
  And how will you skate? Timidly? Cautiously? Of course not. 
How about courageously and confidently? You bet you will. You will 
do your best because the prize is yours. You will skate like a 
champion because that is what you are! You will hear the applause of 
victory.... 
  The point is clear: the truth will triumph. The father of 
truth will win, and the followers of truth will be saved. (From the 
applause of Heaven by Max Lucado) [Inspirational SB] 

LINK TO A BEAUTIFUL MUSICAL TESTIMONY:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4Hv6Al435I