On the Marine Corp Memorial, just outside of
Washington DC, the inscription reads, “Uncommon Valor Was a Common
Virtue.” We, as believers in Christ, own
a sincere gratitude to those who have gone before us in the Christian
faith. From the twelve Apostles to
modern day keepers of the faith, they have exhibited uncommon valor by making
virtue a common trait.
Hebrews
11: 35-37 NLT tells us about the courage of those believers who have
preceded us. Tortured and yet they
refused to turn from God to gain their freedom. Mocked, and their backs bloodied with whips. Stoned to death, others sawed in two. Still, others were run through by the
sword. They went about in fool’s
clothing, penniless and oppressed and ill-treated. They kept the faith, and not only kept it,
but they gave it away.
We should also be grateful for all the modern-day
Saints. Those who helped bring us to
Christ and encouraged us in our walk of faith.
We should honor those pastors, Christian leaders, Bible teachers, or
just friends who modeled what it looks like to walk along that Gospel road.
There is something we often miss in this chapter. Verse
40 instructs us that those who have gone before us cannot receive their
full inheritance until we finish the race. It is all one cosmic struggle. We pass the baton to each ensuing generation
of believers until the task is complete and Christ returns. We must continue this
battle that others have started, even as persecution looms closer to the
western world. After we have gone to our
eternal reward, will they say of us, they were people of uncommon valor, and
they were “too good for this world”?
Ken
Barnes the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places” YWAM Publishing
Email: kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/
Email: kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/
Podcasts: http://kensblogpodcast.blogspot.com
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