Paradise Regained

Hebrews 2:5-9

The church is engaged in battle with the forces of darkness.  This battle doesn’t let up it doesn’t take a vacation and it doesn’t sleep.  Our struggle with Satan consists mainly in the realm of faith.  He assaults our belief.  Everywhere we turn he has a stumbling block set in our way.  Our arch enemy, the destroyer of souls wants our faith weak and inoperative.  What does he do?  Rather than having our eyes fixed on Christ, he would rather our eyes be fixed on the things of this earth.  When we focus on the here and now and the things we see, we are not walking by faith but walking by sight.

The subject of faith runs throughout the Book of Hebrews.  It is important that we understand what faith truly is.

A biblical definition of faith:

Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

As we think about this definition we understand that faith really isn’t a thing to hold or to look at but it is the inclination or attraction of the heart to the promises made to us in the Bible.

Faith is saying, I believe so strongly that I will live my life in the shadow of these promises even though I’ve yet to see them firsthand. What we believe guides our lives.

We have a great example of what faith looks like at the end of chapter 11 of Hebrews.

Hebrews 11:13 (ESV)

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

These people lived their lives in the light of promises.

All these people died without receiving the promises but believed so strongly that they would come to pass pressed on knowing that this earth was not their real home. Continue Reading