Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

⁶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  (Romans 5:1-6)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

Oftentimes we think of faith as either something we do or something we intellectually assent to. It is also about trusting God’s faithfulness to us. Faith is relational. It describes the binding (covenantal) love that exists between God and His people. God sends His Holy Spirit to protect and nurture that love.

Luther explains this amazing phenomenon of faith in the explanation to the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed. “I believe that by my own understanding or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him, but instead the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true faith, just as he calls, gathers, enlightens, and makes holy the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one common, true faith.”

This relationship with God impacts lives, oftentimes changing those lives irrevocably. The Holy Spirit, as it “calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies (makes holy)” transforms us, the Church, and the world. The Holy Spirit has been ‘calling, gathering, enlightening, and sanctifying’ God’s people for millennia. These saints serve as examples of faith and the impact of faith on peoples’ lives and the world.

Our theme for this Lenten Midweek services is ‘By Faith.’ The eleventh chapter of the letter to the Hebrews focusses on the faith shown in the lives of various ancestors of the Hebrews (Israelites) early in the history. The writer highlights the risks of faith they took as they followed commands given by God. Recapping these stories was intended to encourage the Hebrew people as they faced their own challenges following Christ.

We will be having ‘interviews’ with some of these examples of faith, expounding on the illustrations in Hebrews by flushing out their stories as found in the Old Testament. We will reflect upon what those risks were for them, the challenges they faced, and what effect trusting God’s word had on their lives may have been. As disciples of Christ, we also face risks, challenges, and experience the impact of trusting God. These stories are intended to encourage us in our own journeys of discipleship.

‘By Faith’ we follow the one Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We hope for things not seen. We understand in part while waiting to understand fully. We look to Christ as the perfecter of our faith and run the race with all the risks and challenges we face. We stand in His grace.

The grace and peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ² Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. ³ By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3)