WRITING to the Hebrews the Apostle instructs—”That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” As in a mental picture he sees the Church of God as a vast army passing onwards. Past generations have gone, but they have left behind them a witness, clear for all to see who will, a witness conspicuous for its faith and patience. And now the present generation of believers to whom he writes is passing through a time of violent persecution, and some among them are tempted to “fall away.” He warns them sharply—”It is impossible for these who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance.” (Heb. vi. 4, 5, 6). Then, lest these solemn words lead to despair, like a wise and experienced leader he encourages them, “But, beloved we are persuaded better things of you, and things which accompany salvation, though we thus speak” (verse 9); and from encouragement he goes on to rally them thus, “That ye be not slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Here surely is a message for our times. Of persecution as experienced in the early days of the Christian Church we know nothing, but on many and various accounts, that there is a sharp and all too evident falling away cannot be denied. These words are a rousing call to us then, “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
1. The Promises.
They are scattered throughout every part of Scripture. The Bible is a treasure-house containing incalculable wealth of a heavenly kind in the form of great and precious promises, designed for the use of pilgrims on the way to Eternal Glory.
These promises first concern the all-important matter of salvation. “He that believeth shall be saved,” and being saved, he shall be forgiven. “I have blotted out thy sins as a thick cloud, and thy transgressions will I remember no more.” Being forgiven there is no condemnation, for “there is therefore now no condemnation for them who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit.”
To those who are in a state of salvation there are promises of fellowship by which the presence of the Lord Himself by His Spirit is promised, “Fear not, I am with thee.” There are many promises of strength and peace for the way, “He will give His people strength, and with peace bless them all.” And again, “My grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness”—surely a fountain of living water which many a weary wanderer has had reason to bless the Lord for. To those who love God there is this wonderful word, “All things shall work together for good,” and for the tried and tempted, think of this, “When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee; and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”
Then for the future there are those wonderful promises which deal with death and resurrection. The substance of the 15th chap. of I Cor. is the great and precious promise, a promise which culminates in the victorious word, “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption; and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O, death, where is thy sting? O, grave, where is thy victory?’ And beyond the Resurrection Morning there are those promises which speak of the eternal blessedness and felicity of the redeemed in a state of glory. “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away.”
2. The Promises an Inheritance.
Followers of them that inherit the promises. This inheritance is obviously of grace. It never came into the possession of any sinner by right of natural birth, nor personal merit, and it never will. The right and warrant is altogether of grace. “For all the promises of God in Him (Jesus Christ) are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God.” (II Cor. i. 20). It is Christ who holds the right and title to all and any of the promises of God. It is Christ who gives these promises their substance and value. Apart from Him they have no existence. For their reality and efficacy they are altogether dependent upon him—the glory of His Person as the God-Man; the infinite merit of His righteousness in His obedience and suffering unto death; the acceptance of His sacrifice and intercession as the Great High Priest within the veil; the inexhaustible fullness of His grace. It is on account of all this, and much more which we cannot now mention, that all the promises of God are yea and Amen in Him.
Apart from Christ no sinner dare lay finger upon one single promise to claim it as his own. On the other hand that man who is so instructed of God as to reject all claim to salvation through personal merit because of his sin, but who is brought humbly and willingly to close with the Gospel offer of salvation through a crucified and exalted Redeemer, has in Christ a Covenant right, not only to one promise, but to every one of all these exceeding great and precious promises which are yea and Amen in him, and that to the glory of God.
3. By Faith and Patience they are inherited.
Some of these promises are realised at once on believing. The moment a sinner believes in Jesus to the saving of his soul this inheritance of unsearchable riches begins to come into being. Of this class are such of those great and precious promises as deal particularly with justification before God and with the believer’s acceptance into the family of heaven as an heir of God and joint heir with Jesus Christ. These promises are graciously and immediately made over to him and he receives them by faith. He has a scriptural and undeniable right and warrant to them, and it is his privilege to receive them to the relief and comfort of his soul. Immediately upon believing he experiences in some felt measure a peace and joy to which he may long have been a stranger. Now, like Bunyan’s Pilgrim, when he came up to the Cross, “his burden loosed from off his shoulders and fell off his back, and then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said with a merry heart, “He hath given me rest by His sorrow, and life by His death.” Then he stood still a while to look and wonder for it was very surprising to him that the sight of the Cross should thus ease him of his burden. He looked, therefore, and looked again, even till the springs that were in his head sent the waters down his cheeks. (Zech. xii. 10). Now, as he stood looking and weeping, behold, three shining Ones came to him and saluted him with “Peace be to thee.” So the first said to him, “Thy sins be forgiven thee” (Mark ii. 5); the second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him with change of raiment; the third also set a mark on his forehead, and gave him a roll with a seal upon it (Zech. iii. 4); which he bade him look on as he ran, and that he should give it in at the Celestial Gate; so they went their way. Then Christian gave three leaps for joy! There we have relief, peace and joy—but this is only a beginning!
As time goes on the Pilgrim finds his need of daily renewal, of fresh supplies of grace, strength and comfort. The grace he had yesterday will not do for to-day. The comfort enjoyed in the past will not meet the temptations and trials of the present. There is ample provision made, however, for his every need, even before it arises; and so he is taught that the inheritance he has come into possession of he is to realise as an experience of day to day reality, for “the just shall live by faith.” In learning this lesson he comes into possession of the golden key which opens the secret of that wonderful word in the 5th chap. of Romans, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God, and not only so but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope.” What would the believer do without the grace of patience in many a difficulty? As he comes up from the wilderness leaning upon his beloved he is not only taught the value of this grace, but he is graciously enabled to walk in the daily exercise of it, and indeed, “run with patience the race which is set before him.” So through faith and patience his inheriting the promises becomes an experience of daily occurrence.
But again there are these great and precious promises which pertain to the future and cannot be realised until the future becomes the present. These are such promises as apply to the death of the believer, the Resurrection, the blessedness pronounced upon the righteous in the Great Day, and the everlasting inheritance of the saints in light—for these he must wait until the time comes; the appropriate promise is already there to meet the particular time and circumstances for which the Lord Himself prepared it and bestowed it. How appropriate are the words of Jude in this connection, “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever, Amen.” Faith and patience in harmonious and active combination; what wonders they have wrought! What sufferings they have endured! What victories they have won; how rich the promises they have realised!
Followers of them who inherit the promises. Who are they? Their names are familiar to all who love God’s great salvation; the exploits of their faith and patience fill many chapters of the Bible, and range from Adam to Christ! The Apostle in this chapter specially cites Abraham, to whom God made promise, saying, “Surely, blessing I will bless thee and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. We are all familiar with the history of Abraham; his first going out of Ur, not knowing where he went; his sojourneying over many years, and in many places; his waiting, waiting, waiting upon God; time and the natural course of events robbing him of all reasonable grounds of hope in the promise—yet he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. And the day came when Abraham saw a wonderful sight (Gen. 22). “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jiveh; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be seen.” Jesus gives us the explanation of this when He tells us, “Abraham saw my day, and was glad.”
As Abraham gazed in prophetic vision down the ages, from the top of Mount Moriah, who can tell of the fascinating glory of the sight he saw, or the gladness which filled his heart? “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” And now—be ye followers of them. They were men of like passions as we are, encompassed with those infirmities common to fallen man, in themselves just sinners—lost sinners; but through faith in the promise of God, and patience, waiting upon the faithfulness of Him who cannot lie they endured and triumphed. Be ye followers of them. The God in whom they trusted has not changed. The Saviour they loved is still “able to save to the uttermost,” the grace that met their need is still all sufficient, and in Christ as freely available as of old. Be ye followers of them. The testimony of their faith and patience is handed down by them to us. Let us in our day make conscience of handing it down to those who come after us.—J.A.T.