since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:24
There are times when one thing leads to another. One domino falls and hits the next. And then the next. And then the next. In a race, one step leads to another. And then another. And then another. When you sit down to eat, one bite is followed by another. And then another. And then another.
With all these examples and more, there are lots and lots of steps. Lots and lots of things happen. One after another, each one does its thing. But it doesn’t stop there. The last thing every step does is to start the next one. If a step didn’t kick off the next, that would be it.
When the writer to the Hebrews wants to start them thinking about all the steps that are to come, he uses the word “since.” It’s telling the Hebrews that because some things are true, that something’s coming in the future. Because of the things that God has done in the past, he’s going to deliver some things in the future. Because of his promises in the past, he’s going to keep them in the future.
So, why is this important? Why would the writer of this very important letter take up so much time to talk about the “since” things? Isn’t it a waste of time? After all, they already know all the promises of God. They’ve been telling and retelling them to themselves and their people for generations. Why keep on saying them?
The simple answer is that people are not like their cell phones or their computers. There. I said it. That explains it all. Nothing more needs to be said about it and we can move onto more important topics.
Right now I bet you’re scratching your head. You’re wondering, “What’s the matter with Chet? Why did he just stop explaining this phone and computer thing? I don’t get it. I need more before I’m going to be able to follow what he’s saying.
And that’s the point. You see, when a new piece of software is loaded onto your phone or computer, that’s it. It’s installed. The next time you use that program, you’re instantly going to only get the new version. There’s no going back. Once it’s installed, that’s all your phone and computer need.
But we’re not like that. Not at all. When we hear something for the first time, it normally doesn’t change everything about life. Yes, we hear the words and understand what they mean. But will we forever be changed by them? Will we stop thinking one way and think in a totally different way? Will we stop acting one way and start living in a different way?
The short answer is no. We normally don’t change everything about our lives because of something we hear one time. We don’t receive new software that totally changes the way we think. Live. Or speak. It takes time and repetition.
If you doubt this, just listen to the words that the writer is saying here. Since they’ve been saved and forgiven once-and-for-all their sins, they can know that their inheritance from God is a sure thing. In God’s mind, there’s not a shadow of a doubt that all who believe in Jesus are guaranteed an inheritance from the loving God who always gives what he’s promised.
But, if we’re honest with ourselves and each other, do we really believe this? If we did, then everything about our lives would be different. We’d be as loving and accepting of people as Jesus. We’d be living the fruit of the Spirit all the time. Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control would be seen and experienced by everyone we meet.
So, let me ask myself the painful question. Am I like this all the time? The word no immediately is shouted inside my brain. But not once. Over and over I hear the echo of No. No. No. And then the little movie screen inside my head replays those images of my failure to live like and for Jesus.
I’m not a betting man, but I would bet that this is exactly how the Hebrews felt about their failure-filled lives. And then I’d make another bet that there are one or two others who are reading these words that are experiencing the exact same thing.
The answer, the solution to our problem are the words, “It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” You see, we’re not serving a god that demands we do so many good works to get their attention. To get into their heaven. No, we’re serving the Lord Christ who’s already died for our sins. He’s already “paid the debt, and made me free[1].”
This changes everything. No more guilt-driven obedience. No more forcing ourselves to follow some list of things that we didn’t come up with. No more hiding from God because we’re afraid that he’s ready to smack us into next week for the smallest little thing we do or say.
Will we let this one “since” start changing everything? We’re going to receive an inheritance, not because of what we do, but because of who God is and how he’s made us his sons and daughters. Now, that’s a since worth remembering.
Noodling Questions
How can we deepen our personal knowledge about being God’s child?
What makes us shortsighted about the coming of God’s inheritance? Explain.
Where does God need to change us about the guilt and fear we feel about him?
[1] I will sing of my Redeemer, P. P. Bliss (1876)
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