1 Cor. 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Tag: Hebrews 12:2

Author and Finisher of Our Faith

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Speaking as an author, I take this name for Jesus at heart. When I sit down to write, I begin my creation with that idea. As the thoughts flow through my mind, I write them down. I read and re-read them, tweaking those ideas, very much like a sculpture works with his clay. This same concept describes today’s name for the Lord. Jesus is the Author of our lives, my friend. He knew us before we were even born.

Jer 1:5  Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Author denotes the One who wrote or created the work, correct? Of course, Finisher denotes the One who ends/finishes something: like one who finishes a race. The Apostle Paul used the words “good fight” twice in the scriptures:

1 Tim 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

2 Tim 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

When one puts together these two titles for Jesus, we see that He is the One who “authored” the path of our salvation. He has given us every opportunity to see there is a God and that God’s desire for us is to be saved.

In the Old Testament, Israel had to offer sacrifices for their sins. These offerings would never wash away their sins. The Author of salvation knew that He would have to come to earth to form a new testament: a testament that would be complete. The price for sin would be paid in full, amen?

Heb 10:9-12 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. (10) By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (11) And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: (12) But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

The Author of our faith is also the Finisher in verse 12. Christ’s sacrifice for sins is FOR EVER. That is why Jesus said these final words:

Joh 19:30  When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

No more did man have to offer a sacrifice to cover their sins. Jesus’s work as the sacrificial Lamb of God finished that work. He finished the work He began when He came to earth. As well, He will finish the work in your life! When we are born again, the Author of our faith began a work within each one of us. As we grow in Him, He writes His story in and through our lives. Once we are united with Him, whether by death or the Rapture, our earthly faith story is finished.

It doesn’t end there. This same Author and Finisher of our faith will have a sequel! We will join Him in Heaven, forever and eternally! You can’t get more complete than that! \o/ Thank You, Jesus!

If you’re interested in learning more about the Christ, please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Hymns 2.0 – Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Lyrics (click here to hear instrumental)

 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!

Refrain:
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.

Thro’ death into life everlasting,
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more hath dominion–
For more than conqu’rors we are!

His Word shall not fail you–He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Helen Lemmel

The History Behind the Hymn

Few know, however, this call to fix your eyes on Christ was given by a blind woman! 

Born in 1864, Helen Lemmel moved to the United States around the age of twelve. From a young age, her musical ability was noticed by all those around her. 

In 1907, She moved to Germany for 4 years to undergo intensive music training. It was here that she would meet her husband. Together, they returned to the United States in 1911. While in America, she served faithfully in the Lord’s work. She dedicated herself to writing, arranging, and teaching songs and hymns of the faith  

A few years after her marriage, a tragic illness caused her to lose her vision. Her husband, refusing to attend to a blind wife, left her. This time of hurt and loss weighed heavily upon Helen. 

Then, in 1918, Lemmel was introduced to a pamphlet written by Algerian missionary Lilias Trotter. Trotter was a well-known artist who had given up a rising and lucrative career to serve the Lord on the mission field. Her words stirred the heart of Lemmel. She writes, “Suddenly, as if commanded to stop and listen, I stood still, and, singing in my soul and spirit was the chorus, with not one conscious moment of putting word to word to make rhyme, or note to note to make melody…These verses were written…the same week…” 

The words that so captivated Helen were these: “How do we bring things to a focus in the world of optics? Not by looking at the things to be dropped, but by looking at the one point that is to be brought out. Turn full your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look…look at Him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him, and the Divine “attrait” by which God’s saints are made…will lay hold of you. For “He is worthy” to have all there is to be had in the heart that He has died to win.” 

Helen kept her eyes on the Lord Jesus and continued to serve Him faithfully.  She would lead a women’s choral group for many of the Billy Sunday outreaches, teach music at the Moody Bible Institute, and pen over 400 hymns! Her life is a stirring challenge to us all. Hence, it may be said that although blind, her spiritual sight has challenged those of us who can see to keep our eyes fixed on Christ.   

https://enjoyingthejourney.org/hymn-history-turn-your-eyes-upon-jesus/

A Lesson for Me

Act 26:18  To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Consider your walk on this earth as a journey in total darkness. Your steps are uncertain and you must feel your way in order not to stumble. Along your journey, you find a flashlight and turn it on! All of a sudden, things are made clearer! The uncertainties of what lies ahead is not so unsettling, is it?

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!

Message for today

Jesus said He is the light of the world in John 8:12. Today’s hymn depicts this beautifully! It reveals to us that the Saviour, Jesus Christ, is a light in the darkness. But what darkness?

The human heart is filled with wickedness.

Jer 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

One only has to create a check list of the Ten Commandments and put a checkmark next to each commandment one has broken to discover that Jeremiah had it right.

Jesus says that He is the light of the world. The light of His Gospel reveals to us that He is the Son of God – He is God; He came for one purpose and that was to save us from our sins. He wants to shine truth and salvation into our hearts so we can plainly see our sins and admit we need a Saviour. (John 3:16, John 1:1)

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Eph 2:8-9  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  (9)  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Every person must realize that there is no way to receive God’s peace through one’s own merit. The light of the Gospel now begins to shine in man’s heart and he looks to God’s Word for redemption. Jesus took our sins and nailed them to the cross because God knew that man could not earn or work his way to Heaven.

Col 2:14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Once one recognizes and confesses his own sin and accepts Christ’s redeeming work on the cross, he is born again. A new life is given and that soul is no longer walking in darkness but in the light of the Word of God.

God’s Word will never fail you. Now tell someone else about what God has done for you!

His Word shall not fail you–He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

If you are not truly born-again, there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

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