City Life Starter

Written by Stefan Johnsson

The Word

¹⁰ For in bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—for whom and through whom all things exist—should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. ¹¹ For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, ¹² saying:

I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters;
I will sing hymns to you in the congregation.

¹³ Again, I will trust in him. And again, Here I am with the children God gave me.

¹⁴ Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the devil— 

Hebrews 2:10-14 CSB

³ And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, ⁴ endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. ⁵ This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Romans 5:3-5 CSB

Reflection

Most of us have a favorite verse of the Bible that provides encouragement and joy such as Jeremiah 29:11.

“ For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Sometimes when we meditate on these verses too often, we forget God’s purpose in our life and to provide true context for the passages of the Bible we read. Jesus was the suffering servant as spoken by Isaiah (53:4-5) who bore our wrongdoings on the cross. It could not be an easy death because it is an example of the pain that sin causes and how it separates us from God.

Not only did Jesus suffer on the cross for our sins, but God the Father, who pioneered the path to salvation, believed that suffering would be an appropriate and important piece in our lives. Sanctification cannot take place in good times with comfort and complacency. It takes place when things go wrong, when the world falls apart around us.

It is at this point when we are stripped of all things that we take one of two paths. The path of rejecting God or clinging to Him that much more. And when we choose the latter path, we begin to see how God is removing the pieces of our lives that cause us harm. We find that the only true joy in life is when we worship and enjoy His presence more than anyone or anything else. Then Jeremiah 29:11 begins to make sense in the context of suffering.

As the author of Hebrews continues, he uses the Old Testament scriptures to back up this concept that we become as sons and daughters of God. We become God’s adopted children through the power of salvation. Only short phrases are given with reference to the Old Testament book because that is all that is needed for the Jewish reader to understand the full meaning of what is being quoted (Remember, chapters and verses were not added until much later). And the verses are pulled from different areas of the Bible. Very few of us could possibly have such a grasp of scriptures to do this now, but we get the privilege to read these from the authors who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. The quotes in Hebrews 2 is pulled from Psalm 22:22 and Isaiah 8:17-18.

The author wraps up this section in verse 14 to say that because Jesus has flesh and blood in common with us, because of His incarnation, He is able to destroy the one that held power over death – which is the devil. As Jesus’ victory is assured, and He told this to us in John 16:33, we can live in such a way without fear of death. No suffering or hardship will hinder us because God will use these to perfect us through sanctification. Hallelujah!

Application

It may be difficult at first to understand why God uses suffering to perfect our salvation. Though, as you mature in your faith, you will come to such a place that it is much easier to go to God right away when hardships and trials come. As your reliance on God grows, your joy in His goodness increases. You will come to realize that nothing else can truly give you joy in life. As John the Baptist said, “[Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

Where are you in your walk with God? Are you relying on Him through the trials and hardships that come? Don’t find your fixes through self-help books or entertainment. Go to God and let Him begin the process of sanctification in your life.

Prayer

Father in heaven, You planned the process of salvation long ago. I am here through Your mercy and grace that You gave to me. As Jesus came to earth as the incarnate Son, I can know Your character and goodness. It is only through His blood on the cross that I can be called a son of the most High God. May You get all glory and honor! In Jesus name I pray, amen.