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ASSURANCE

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  (Hebrews 11:1)

The Bible provides the most succinct definition of Christian faith and it comes in two parts.  This post will look at the first part and for that it is necessary to understand the word ‘assurance’ (for the second part, please see subsequent post, ‘conviction’).

Faith in Jesus is the condition he himself sets for deliverance from death.  Speaking before the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus says to his sister Martha:

‘I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live… (John 11:25)

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SEALED

In Christ you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13)

The word translated ‘sealed’ is the Greek verb σφραγίζω sphragizó describing the act of fixing a seal or stamp to something attesting to ownership.  This conveys the full authority, backing and security of the owner and at one time might also involve the use of tattoos; hence the derivation of this prophetic commandment to the world that John witnessed in his revelation:

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LAZARUS

Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’  

The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth.  (John 11:43-44)

Lazarus is a name taken via the Latin Lazar, derived from the Hebrew ‘Eleazer’, which means ‘God helped’.

Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha.  The family were clearly very good friends, possible even relations of Jesus.  They lived in Bethany, now called El-Azariya (‘place’ of Lazarus), situated on the south eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, and thus a short walk from Jerusalem.

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DISCIPLE

… any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:33)

The word translated ‘disciple’ is μαθητής mathétés and it means one who subjects themselves to mental effort or rigour; mathematics, clearly a subject that demands much intellectual application, derives from the same root, mathema, which is literally ‘that which is learnt’.

A disciple, then, is different to a ‘follower’.  During his ministry, large numbers of people followed Jesus from town to town and mountainside to lakeside, but only a handful transitioned into discipleship, why was this?  Because few were willing to make the necessary effort or to pay the extreme cost of worldly renunciation.  Jesus outlines by this first employing plain language:

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple …’ (ibid 14:25-26)

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STRUGGLE

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. (Hebrew 12:4)

The Greek word translated ‘struggle’ is ἀνταγωνίζομαι  antagónizomai, from anti ‘against’ and agónizomai ‘contend with’, whence English derives the verb ‘to agonise’.  The common usage of agónizomai was in the context of warfare or an athletic contest, and it refers to the physical, mental and emotional exertion in contending with an enemy.

The writer of Hebrews references Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, who –

knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”  (Luke 22:42-46)

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