By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.  

Hebrews 1:4 

‘By faith’ is the phrase the writer of Hebrews repeats often throughout this ‘Faith’ chapter. Having defined faith, he illustrates it from the lives of the ancient believers. He begins with Abel, and proceeds to Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses’ mother, Moses, Rahab and more. What is the common thread that runs through all these examples? They did what they did, ‘by faith.’ God was in their consciousness and interacting with them throughout their life. They did things that were different from one another and their experience of God was highly personalized, yet, each person genuinely experienced God, by faith. This is important to each of us because we are widely diverse. Our life experience, culture, background, education, and personality are different from each other. What is the common thread that runs through all of our lives? It is faith in Christ. We come from every conceivable stripe and variety to faith in the same Christ. They all looked forward by faith, to Christ. We look to the same Christ by faith.  

Our Great and Gracious God, 
we rejoice that You give us faith. 
We praise You that You lead us by faith, 
along the path of Your choosing.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.  

Hebrews 1:4 

‘By faith’ is the phrase the writer of Hebrews repeats often throughout this ‘Faith’ chapter. Having defined faith, he illustrates it from the lives of the ancient believers. He begins with Abel, and proceeds to Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses’ mother, Moses, Rahab and more. What is the common thread that runs through all these examples? They did what they did, ‘by faith.’ God was in their consciousness and interacting with them throughout their life. They did things that were different from one another and their experience of God was highly personalized, yet, each person genuinely experienced God, by faith. This is important to each of us because we are widely diverse. Our life experience, culture, background, education, and personality are different from each other. What is the common thread that runs through all of our lives? It is faith in Christ. We come from every conceivable stripe and variety to faith in the same Christ. They all looked forward by faith, to Christ. We look to the same Christ by faith.  

Our Great and Gracious God, 
we rejoice that You give us faith. 
We praise You that You lead us by faith, 
along the path of Your choosing.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.  

Hebrews 1:4 

‘By faith’ is the phrase the writer of Hebrews repeats often throughout this ‘Faith’ chapter. Having defined faith, he illustrates it from the lives of the ancient believers. He begins with Abel, and proceeds to Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses’ mother, Moses, Rahab and more. What is the common thread that runs through all these examples? They did what they did, ‘by faith.’ God was in their consciousness and interacting with them throughout their life. They did things that were different from one another and their experience of God was highly personalized, yet, each person genuinely experienced God, by faith. This is important to each of us because we are widely diverse. Our life experience, culture, background, education, and personality are different from each other. What is the common thread that runs through all of our lives? It is faith in Christ. We come from every conceivable stripe and variety to faith in the same Christ. They all looked forward by faith, to Christ. We look to the same Christ by faith.  

Our Great and Gracious God, 
we rejoice that You give us faith. 
We praise You that You lead us by faith, 
along the path of Your choosing.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.  

Hebrews 1:4 

‘By faith’ is the phrase the writer of Hebrews repeats often throughout this ‘Faith’ chapter. Having defined faith, he illustrates it from the lives of the ancient believers. He begins with Abel, and proceeds to Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses’ mother, Moses, Rahab and more. What is the common thread that runs through all these examples? They did what they did, ‘by faith.’ God was in their consciousness and interacting with them throughout their life. They did things that were different from one another and their experience of God was highly personalized, yet, each person genuinely experienced God, by faith. This is important to each of us because we are widely diverse. Our life experience, culture, background, education, and personality are different from each other. What is the common thread that runs through all of our lives? It is faith in Christ. We come from every conceivable stripe and variety to faith in the same Christ. They all looked forward by faith, to Christ. We look to the same Christ by faith.  

Our Great and Gracious God, 
we rejoice that You give us faith. 
We praise You that You lead us by faith, 
along the path of Your choosing.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

 

Christ, the Solitary Purger of Sins

(Christ) Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Hebrews 1:3

Christ is an utterly Unique Person. He is both very God of very God and also Truly Man; Two Natures; One Person. As such, He is uniquely suited to accomplish the purpose of redemption. Our text today discusses this by declaring, ‘When He had, by Himself, purged our sins.’ Behold, the Solitary Sufferer. He has ‘trodden the winepress of the wrath of God Alone. Of the people, there was none with Him.’  Behold, His Agony on the cross as He cried out, ‘My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?’ Look at the heart-rending description of His sufferings in the 53rd Chapter of Isaiah. Here we may all but see the bloody sweat and hear the wrenching cries.  Christ ‘by Himself, purged our sins.’ What love does this excite within our breasts? What loyalty does this engender? What passion for Christ does this enflame? We are compelled by this Blood-stained Sacrifice to cry out with thanksgiving, joy, praise and adoration, ‘My Lord, and my God!’ Every hour of every day brings us closer to the moment when we shall see Him Face to face; when we shall sing the Song of Moses and of the Lamb; when we shall cry out with the great multitude, that no man can number, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain!’ Until that day let us return again and again to behold the Wounded Suffering Christ, Who, ‘by Himself purged our sins.’ He is Worthy of Our utmost attention, adoration, and worship.

We glory today in You, O, Christ,
and in Your cross.
We praise You for Your purging of our sins.
We offer praise and adoration.

Where the Bush is Burning
Tomm Tice