Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, finds people returning unwanted gifts in search of something better.
Many people approach faith with a modern mentality of Boxing Day. They go to church, experience Christianity, but then decide to box up their experiences in exchange for something different—something better.
Perhaps they are waiting for full confidence in the message; otherwise, faith feels blind. Maybe they have genuine doubts and just need more time. Perhaps there is a lingering fear.
The author of Hebrews wants us to know there is nothing better than Jesus: Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation (Hebrews 6:9).
Better things that have to do with salvation. What are these better things? When we transition from experiencing the Christian lifestyle to experiencing Jesus himself, we’ll experience the following:
- He will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people … (Hebrews 6:10). We will genuinely love God and love people.
- We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized (Hebrews 6:11). We will be gifted perseverance. By the Spirit, we will meaningfully engage in our faith because it’s a priority that doesn’t lessen until our hope is reality.
- We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised (Hebrews 6:12).
We will be able to trust God to do what He promised. We can trust the promise and anticipate the gift—the inheritance.
Lord, perhaps I’ve been boxing up experiences like one boxes up possessions, believing the experience might save me. It’s a counterfeit gift—inferior to the better gift. I surrender to Jesus and His indwelling Spirit with expectancy of love, perseverance, and the ability to trust. Amen.