How can we imitate "those who through faith and patience inherit the promises"? Setting Our Aim “So that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:12) Faith That Looks Beyond Sight • Faith rests on God’s unchanging character: “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) • Faith takes God at His word, counting His promises as literal facts, even when circumstances disagree. • Faith focuses on the Promiser, not the odds: “Being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised.” (Romans 4:21) Patience That Perseveres • Biblical patience is not passive waiting but steadfast endurance. • It refuses to quit: “You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.” (Hebrews 10:36) • It turns trials into tools: “The testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:3-4) Examples Worth Copying • Abraham – waited decades for Isaac; “And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham obtained the promise.” (Hebrews 6:15) • Noah – built an ark on dry ground for years, trusting a coming flood (Hebrews 11:7). • Joseph – endured slavery and prison yet held to God’s dream (Genesis 50:20). • Moses – chose mistreatment with God’s people rather than palace comfort, “looking ahead to his reward.” (Hebrews 11:26) • The prophets – “who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience.” (James 5:10) How to Imitate Them Today 1. Feed on the promises • Read and memorize passages like 2 Peter 1:3-4; Psalm 19:7-11. 2. Pray the promises back to God • Turn His words into daily petitions, aligning requests with His stated will. 3. Obey while you wait • Abraham moved to Canaan; Noah hammered nails. Act on the light you have. 4. Guard against spiritual lethargy • Reject “sluggish” habits (Hebrews 6:12). Schedule regular fellowship, worship, and service. 5. Encourage fellow believers • “But encourage one another daily…so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:13) 6. Keep eternity in view • Remember promises stretch beyond this life: “Here we have no lasting city, but we are seeking the one to come.” (Hebrews 13:14) 7. Refuse to give up • “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9) Promises Worth Waiting For • Salvation’s completion (1 Peter 1:5) • Resurrection bodies (1 Corinthians 15:52-53) • Eternal inheritance (1 Peter 1:4) • Christ’s visible return (Acts 1:11) • Rewards for faithful service (2 Timothy 4:8) Faith grabs these promises; patience holds on until they arrive. Live like the heirs you are, and you will find yourselves inheriting alongside the faithful who have gone before. |
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