A Legacy of Faith

[Christ4Ever]

All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us. Hebrews 11:39-40

The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is an amazing New Testament passage that gives you a pretty good idea of what kind of legacy God calls you to leave behind when your days on this earth are over.

As you read through this chapter, you may recall that the people listed by the writer of this epistle weren’t perfect. Far from it! Noah got drunk, Abraham lied because he was afraid, Jacob was a deceiver, Moses doubted God, and David…well, his many failings as a man, as a king, and as a father are well chronicled in the Bible.

Yet the writer of Hebrews goes out of his way to tell you that all the people listed in this chapter played their own important parts in making God’s plan of redemption a reality for men today—not because they were perfect, but simply because they believed God when He spoke.

As you read Hebrews 11, let it challenge you. Let it bring you to a place of asking yourself what kind of legacy you’ll leave behind—for your friends, for your family, and for people whose lives you may touch without even knowing it.

 

[B-A-C]

This is an intriguing scripture.

(AMPC) Because God had us in mind and had something better and greater in view for us, so that they [these heroes and heroines of faith] should not come to perfection apart from us [before we could join them].
(CSB) since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.
ut us.
(KJV) God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
(MKJV) for God had provided some better thing for us, that they should not be made perfect without us.
(NASB) because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.
(NIV) since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
(NLT) For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.
(RV) God having provided some better thing concerning us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

I'm not sure how to interpret it.
But at the very least... it seems there could be two ways?

1. God would not save these people unless He also saved us.

2. That their testimonies, somehow encourage us and help our faith. Some people might not be saved without the
testimony of others. If others get saved because of your testimony, that adds to your reward... that is part of
"making you perfect".

I tend to lean toward the second one here, because ....

Rom 10:17; So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Gal 3:2; This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?

I wonder if sometimes we under estimate the power of our testimonies to affect others?

 

[Christ4Ever]

Good post brother!
To get the easy question out of the way, with the small time that I currently have (work/lunch).

I wonder if sometimes we under estimate the power of our testimonies to affect others?

Probably, though it shouldn't be so!
For we stand on this ultimately to any person we speak to, whoever they may be and wherever we may find ourselves.
That is why the Supernatural experience of coming to the Lord that first time, is truly the starting point for the rest of our lives.
For it really does answer. "Why we believe what we believe." even though we might have had difficulty finding the words at that moment in time in explaining it.

Maybe, after work, I can look at the other questions you put out there.
For I'm with you. Much can be garnered from just this one verse!!!

With the Love of Christ Jesus.
YBIC
Nick
<><

And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 1 John 5:11