Thoughts on Hebrews 10:38

[Stan]

I get Bible texts emailed to me every morning, from various versions of the Bible

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />

Hebrews 10:38

Whoever has won favor in My eyes by his trust and

faith, will obtain spiritual life; but if any one loses

courage and draws back, My heart will take no pleasure in

him." Greber

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Thoughts on this?

[Robert]

• 5 Therefore, do not throw away your confidence [your faith in Christ], which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. 37 For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. 38 But My righteous one shall live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.... NASB

[LifeHiscost]

Quote:

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Quote:

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Hebrews 10:38

>>Whoever has won favor in My eyes<< ** by his trust and

faith,** ## will obtain spiritual life##; ++ but if any one loses courage and draws back++, My heart will take no pleasure in him." Greber

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Thoughts on this?

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Just one man's opinion. If I were to run across this text, without benefit of other qualifying knowledge, it would be difficult not to ascribe some personal works of my own as responsible for my salvation, something inherently within me, other than just believing what He had to say to me.

Re: >> << seems to indicate God's favor as something not ours for the acceptance, but something one must struggle to obtain. This does not fit into the premise that a gift comes with no strings attached(other than believing Him), otherwise it is not a gift. It may be a terrific bargain, but it wouldn't be a gift.

[:"red"] "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." [/] John 3:14-17 NKJV

Re: ** ** seems to indicate, when taken on its' own, that I must personally develop a measure of trust and faith of my own before I can be confident in the care and keeping of our Father in heaven.

[:"red"] "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." [/] Romans 12:3 KJV

[:"red"] "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" [/] 1 Cor 1:30 NKJV

Re: ## ## The term "will obtain", is a promise only to be fulfilled by the Person Who has the authority and power to bring it to pass, not by any measure of merit based on our own achievements, no matter how noble or laudible they may appear be.

[:"red"] "Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me." [/] Matthew 28:18 AMP

[:"red"] "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." [/] Matt 28:18 KJV

Re: ++ ++ Not to indicate that every person's circumstances must follow my own to be valid, if I were to base my assurance on whether or not I had always followed God's direction without discouragement, as a reason for hope in the future that He has promised those who seek Him, I would be under constant threat of falling prey to the suggestions of the evil one, and those he finds willing responders for accusations.

The redeeming value in this snippet of God's truth is not in a sense of eternal loss, but a valuable recognition that not all that we do brings Him pleasure, and yet His promises remain true despite our own failures, so long as we wish His will to supercede our inconsistencies.

[:"red"] "If we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him], He remains true (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself." [/] 2 Timothy 2:13 AMP

[:"red"] "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself." [/] 2 Tim 2:13 KJV

Keep the faith!

[Clio]

Quote:

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Hebrews 10:38

Whoever has won favor in My eyes by his trust and

faith, will obtain spiritual life; but if any one loses

courage and draws back, My heart will take no pleasure in

him." Greber

Thoughts on this?

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Paul is quoting from Habbakuk 2:4 which says Behold, his soul [which] is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

He then continues in his discourse saying that any who fall back "my soul will take no pleasure in him". There is no indication here that Paul is speaking for Abba Father. Paul is speaking in 1st person singular throughout this entire chapter. He is exhorting, and speaking plainly that he has little use for someone who "draws back".

This is entirely consistent with Paul, who was a zealot, a Pharisee, and a military man. Courage is high on his list of admired traits, especially when coupled with faith in Jesus.

Abba Father always takes pleasure in us, just not in sin. True Jesus is our advocate, High Priest, and Brother. He knows our weakness, our frailty. And yet He still delights in us.

Jeremiah 31:3 tells us Long ago the LORD said to Israel: I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.

This is not the statement of One who takes no pleasure in one who has drawn back. This is the statement of One who loves so completely that He draws us to Himself... no matter what. He understands our fears, our frailty, our weakness.

This is Paul talking, not Jesus and not Abba Father.

Perfect love casts out fear... I have no fear of falling, drawing back, or what may happen to me if such were to occur. I know Abba Father and True Jesus love me beyond my capacity to understand. They are Love. Therefore since no fear of falling back exists, I cannot fall back, for Their love is perfect, and casts out the one thing, fear, that might cause me to fall back.

I can only press deeper into Their love for me, trusting that what They have planned for me is ultimately for the best. They desire me to be with Them forever. If it takes unpleasantness to get there, so be it.

Clio

PS. This is part of why I'm not too impressed with Paul. He's so judgemental.