God bless you in the exceptional name of Jesus Christ, who spoke the words God gave him to speak (John 8:26).
You may have noticed the tag line at the end of these emails. I chose it because when I first stumbled upon it, it made quite an impact on me. It was 6 years ago during MFC 6 that I was working Hebrews 13:5. I had written MFC 4 previously about the verse because it was one of my favorites. However, I wanted something fresh to share; then I saw it. That’s been 6 years ago, and I still remember it like it was yesterday.
Hebrews 13:5:
Let your conversation [manner of life] be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
“For” gives us the reason we should take the action. God is always with us; we are never alone. Now as I continued to read that verse in context, I stumbled upon what I thought was an amazing truth.
Hebrews 13:6:
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Putting verse 5 and 6 together produces an interesting consequence. “So that” is the Greek hōste, a conjunction which expresses consequence or result. It connects a cause to a necessary effect. Verse 5 gives us the cause, and verse 6 gives us the effect: Hōste emphasizes the result (the combined, end-accomplishment). The result involved then is the combination of both elements underscoring the inevitable effect of the paired elements. Verse5 tells us what God said, and verse 6 tells us what we should say as a consequence of that knowledge. Our conversation or manner of life should be based on saying what God said. Let’s take special note of those two phrases “He hath said” and “so that we may boldly say.” As believers it is our responsibility to take what God has said and boldly proclaim it to the world.
Hebrews 13:5-6 gives us an example of how it should be done. We are never alone; God is always with us. Jesus was comforted by the same thought, and it allowed him to speak God’s Word without fear (John 8:28-29). With God and the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives, we need nothing more. We can be content with their power and presence.
God’s promise to never leave or forsake was previously spoken to Joshua. Initially spoken by Moses and later spoken by the Lord Himself (Deuteronomy 31:6, 8, and Joshua 1:5), it provided the encouragement Joshua needed to be strong for what was lain before him. This promise in its New Testament setting is linked to another Old Testament quotation from Psalms 118:6 and adapted for us.
Psalms 118:6:
The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
God is our helper; He’s on our side. We have no reason to fear. The Lord Jesus is now seated on God’s right hand awaiting our Father’s signal to return and gather us together (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). We who look for his appearing can be comforted knowing that he has promised to be with us at all times. He has assured us that wherever two or three are gathered in his name, he will be in their midst (Matthew 18:20).
It’s Christ in us, the hope of glory. He’s seated at the right hand of God and so are we (Ephesians 1:20; 2:6). His presence in us allows us to fearlessly put his compassion into action.
When we know what God says, then we know what we ought to boldly say. Since He said, “By Christ’s stripes, we were healed,” then we ought to boldly say, “By Christ’s stripes, I am healed.” Since He said, “Fear not!” Then we ought to boldly say, “I will not fear!”
As we read through the Scriptures and find out what God has said, we can then boldly say it with our mouths. We do not say it timidly or with any reservation. Rather we proclaim it boldly. Remember! He said it so that we may boldly say it!
It doesn’t matter if we feel like it or not. In fact, we may never feel like it until we start saying it. He hath said, so that we may boldly say the truth. Then we can see God bring it to pass. Let’s return God’s word unto Him and see it accomplish that which He pleases and prosper for the reason He sent it. (Isaiah 55:11).