Are You Walking in Fear or Faith?
Looking to Jesus
Today we reach the end of our Fear or Faithjourney together. How appropriate it is to end this series "looking to Jesus" as He is the founder and perfecter of our faith.
Read Hebrews 12:1-2
Founder - archēgos (G747) - chief leader, one that takes the lead in anything and thus affords an example, a predecessor in a matter, pioneer, author
Perfecter - teleiōtēs (G5051) - one who has in his own person raised faith to its perfection and so set before us the highest example of faith
Jesus is the chief leader of faith. He took the lead and set the highest and greatest example of faith when He went to the cross. He never walked in fear, only faith.
Read Jesus' last words on the cross from John 19:30 below.
When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Finished in the context of this verse is a verb. It is the word teleo, which means to perform, execute, complete, fulfill, (so that the thing done corresponds to what has been said, the order, command)
Jesus was indeed the founder and finisher of our faith. That which He started, He took to full completion when He went to the cross and conquered death through His resurrection. This is why we can "look to Jesus" as we are walking in faith. We can look to Him because our faith comes from Him (He started it and finished it) and our faith finds its rest in Him (He can be trusted because He is in authority seated at the right hand of the Father.).
This is a wonderful reminder for us. As we walk about our days and weeks and months and years, we do not have to walk in fear. All we need do is walk "looking to Jesus."
I am reminded of an old hymn by Helen Lemmel which says ...
O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There's light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.
Looking to Jesus is the key to our walk of faith. He guides us with His Word, His Spirit and through the sweet fellowship experienced in time spent with Him. Just as Jesus had to start and finish His work of faith in order for us to even begin walking with Him, so we must complete our journey of faith with Him. There will be times when He chooses to refine our faith, making it more beautiful in His sight. We look at these times as difficult, and they are if we walk alone. The beauty comes, however, as He pours out His glory and grace, we look to Him, take His hand and walk in faith because we know He is leading the way.
- How are you walking today?
- In your current struggle, to whom or what are you looking?
- What will you do today to turn away from fear and toward Jesus?
Blessings,
Jacqueline Heider
Women's Ministry
We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. 2 Chronicles 20:21b
Join me next week for a new series!
