I recently read through the book of Hebrews in my personal devotions. Hebrews 11 is filled with one very important repeated phrase…”By Faith”. This chapter is known as the Hall of Faith as it records men and women from the Old Testament who by faith lived radically for the Lord. In Hebrews 12:1-2 we are told that the “large crowd of witnesses” in Hebrews 11 should lead us to lay aside every hindrance and sin that ensnares us so we can run with endurance as we follow Christ.
What is faith? If we want to live by faith we need to know what it is, and Hebrews 11:1 gives a clear definition. Faith is “the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith we cannot please God. To draw near to God we must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. Faith is trust in God based on a true understanding of who He is that can only come from the Bible. Faith is not just intellectual assent to facts, faith is a belief and trust in God that will lead to a new way of living. James 2:20 says that “faith without works is useless”, it is a dead faith that is not good for anything. This brings us back to Hebrews 11, everyone listed in Hebrews 11 had a faith that worked, a faith that led them to follow Jesus even when the way was hard and unclear.
The account of Moses particularly stood out to me as I read Hebrews 11 this time around, specifically Hebrews 11:24-26.
By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter and chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin. For he considered reproach for the sake of Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, since he was looking ahead to the reward.
Hebrews 11:24-16
Moses had a faith that led him to give up 3 significant things in Egypt. The first was a charmed life as the grandson of Pharaoh (vs 24). Moses would have had wealth, position, power, and freedom from problems, in short, life would have been good according to the world’s standards. Second, Moses also gave up the fleeting pleasures of sin (vs 25) that would have come along with the charmed life he could have had in Egypt. Third, he gave up the treasures of Egypt (vs 26). Moses exchanged a life of royalty and privilege for a life as a shepherd and as the man that God would use to deliver His people of Israel from slavery in Egypt and to lead them through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land.
Why would Moses give these things up? Why make such a great sacrifice? Why would Moses choose to suffer with the people of God instead of living a charmed life in Egypt? Why would he consider reproach for the sake of Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt? Moses chose trouble and suffering over pleasure and wealth and in the world’s eyes this choice makes no sense. Moses did this all because he was looking forward to the reward. The reward of knowing God and walking with Him was greater than all Egypt could offer.
I know first hand the struggle to give up the fleeting pleasures of sin, the battle of knowing that the pleasure of sin is short lived yet giving in anyway, and I think you do too. I meet weekly with people for counseling and in a Bible based support group who struggle with life dominating sins. Many struggle with alcohol or drugs, but some struggle with more accepted things like porn or overeating. The pleasure of getting drunk or getting high does not last, the false peace it brings wears off. Shame and guilt quickly follow indulging in porn, frustration is sure to come when you know you gave into your appetite to eat more than you need to eat.
What is the answer for these struggles and where can we turn for help? This brings us back to those important two words repeated over and over in Hebrews 11…BY FAITH. God must work in us through His Holy Spirit so that we come to faith in Christ. We cannot create faith in ourselves, no one seeks after God (Romans 3:10-12), He seeks after us and gives us new life when we repent of our sins and place our faith in Christ alone (Eph. 2:1-10). This event of coming to faith in Christ and surrendering our life to Him is known as the new birth and at the new birth we are given new hearts of flesh not stone so that we desire to follow Christ and obey Him. We become people who can make their greatest goal and aim to be pleasing to the Lord (2 Cor. 5:9).
Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6) and without faith it is impossible to turn from the fleeting pleasures of sin. Do you know Christ? Have you been born again? Have you been given a new heart that loves the Lord and desires to obey Him. As Christians we can, by faith, believe the promises of God and turn from the fleeting pleasures of sin. Promises like blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God (Matthew 5:8), or that in Christ’s presence is abundant joy and at His right hand are eternal pleasures (Psalm 16:11). Christian, what promises can you claim and believe to help you in the next critical moment when you are tempted to give in to the fleeting pleasures of sin? It won’t be easy, we will stumble and fall, but by God’s grace we will stumble and fall forward as we learn to turn away from the fleeting pleasures of sin by fixing our eyes on the joy and reward of knowing Christ.
I want to close with one last thought from John Newton, the 18th century Pastor and hymn writer: “Although my memory’s fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.” In our struggle against our flesh and the fleeting pleasures of sin we have a great Savior, Jesus Christ and He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4) and can give us power to triumph over our sinful desires.