Our Path Forward

What should Christians do when the going gets tough?  Should they sit down and quit?  Should they go back to their old life?  How should they respond to the discouragement they feel and the persecution they fear?

Divine Discipline

Discipline is not a pleasant thing to endure, but it produces good results in our lives.  We are constantly faced with encouragement to be disciplined in getting exercise and in controlling our diet.  At the same time many people in our culture think disciplining children is generally a bad thing.

God thinks parents should discipline their children and he sets the example by disciplining his spiritual children.

Looking Unto Jesus

The author of Hebrews was writing to Christians who had come out of Judaism.  Now they were tempted to give up on Christianity and go back to Judaism because they were discouraged and persecution was heating up.

But the author says - "Look at Jesus."  He is the founder and perfecter of our faith.  When we consider who Jesus is and what he has done for us, how could we consider going back to any other religious system?

In The Long Run

The Hebrew Christians were discouraged and tempted to drop out... but the author of Hebrews says that is inconsistent with a life of faith.  We are not called to run a sprint.  We are in a marathon race - onward and upward for the glory of God.