“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Heb. 12:2. It is strange that Jesus is the author of faith—the first one who believed—seeing that in Chapter 11 we read about many heroes of faith, all of whom lived in this world before Jesus. Abraham is also called “the father of all those who believe.” Rom. 4:11. There is an essential difference between the faith with which Jesus came and the faith they had in the old covenant. This is clearly evident from the account of the rich man. Matt. 19:16-23. He had received faith to keep the commandments, and he had obtained the promises. He was very rich. Deut. 28. Yet he did not have the faith to forsake everything in order to receive a treasure in heaven. Thus we see that the promises in the Old Testament were only concerned with life on this earth. During this time they were to be blessed with the glory of this earth if they believed. Instead of lying, stealing, and robbing to become rich, they had to keep the commandments, and then God would bless them, and they would succeed. On the other hand, Jesus fulfilled the law, but He had no place to lay His head. The elders were only examples by their faith. Everything was visible. 1 Cor. 10:6-11. But our life is hidden with Christ in God. Col. 3:3. Israel did not realize that Jesus was the Messiah. They expected someone like David who would slay all their external enemies; but then Jesus spoke about blessing your enemies and turning the other cheek. He put to death the self-life. Sin was condemned in the flesh. Rom. 8:3. In the old covenant the sacrifices were brought outside the body, but Jesus offered Himself in the power of an eternal Spirit as a lamb without spot to God. Heb. 9:14. This was something completely new. The elders entered the sanctuary with the blood of goats, but Jesus consecrated a new and living way into the Most Holy Place through the veil by entering with His own blood. Heb. 9:12, 10:20. Jesus does not promise an earthly glory to those who desire to follow Him, but He promises them a heavenly glory if they forsake everything and hate their own life also. Luke 14:26-27, 33. Therefore we read about being surrendered into the death of Christ, suffering in the flesh, and ceasing from sin; in other words, becoming a new creation and partaking of divine nature. 2 Cor. 4:10-11, 5:16-17; 1 Pet. 4:1; 2 Pet. 1:4. This was something completely new. In the old covenant they did not have the faith to offer themselves. They were heroes of faith and performed outward super-human feats by faith in God. They were faithful and laid down their lives through faith in God, as David did when he fought against Goliath and Daniel did in the lion’s den, etc. They have become examples. All of them, through their faith, revealed God and His power, His goodness, and His faithfulness, for future generations. Therefore the apostle, after he has mentioned the faith and the faithfulness of the elders says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us . . . .” Heb. 12:1. Then he continues to speak about Jesus as the author of our faith, about being chastened as true sons, and about pursuing sanctification. This faith of Jesus—this hidden life with Christ in God, this offering up of our “I,” putting to death our members that are on the earth (Col. 3:5)—is totally foreign among God’s people. You can hear this when they praise God and relate the great things God has done for them. Then they speak mostly about Old Testament blessings—that their sins have been forgiven. However, in the old covenant, they also had the forgiveness of sins by bringing sacrifices. They speak about healing and about how God has blessed them with earthly things. Many people take this as confirmation that it is right to tithe. It is all earthly and Old Testament blessings. It is rare to hear them testify of the fight that is set before us by walking in the Spirit. Gal. 5:16. Why do they not praise God for having gained the victory over anger, impatience, being offended, anxiety, etc., and that the unity that exists between the Father and Son is on the increase among them, just as Jesus prayed in John 17? The answer to this is quite simple: They do not believe in it; consequently, they do not experience it. The reality is that most of them are quite satisfied if only they can partake of earthly blessings. And so they continue to strive with keeping the commandments—abstaining from what people think is sin—and those who are extra pious strive with giving the tithe in order to be blessed in this life and get to heaven when they die. The fact that tribulations work a far more exceeding weight of glory is hardly known among them. 2 Cor. 4:17. But let us who have the faith of Jesus Christ be faithful and zealous in our time, so that the glory of Christ—the fruit of the Spirit—may always abound among us, as it also does, so that all the upright can see and hear and become believers. Then we are doing God’s work in our time.Sigurd Bratlie

The central question is: Whom do you take into account? Whom do you seek to please? Whom you seek to please in this world is extremely crucial! This decides your entire future! Hear now what the wise and faithful servant of the Lord, Paul, wrote: “For if I still pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Gal. 1:10. If we take into account what people want and think, then we obviously depart from God’s will and way with us—whether we want to or not. This is precisely why Paul uses such extremely strong words concerning this matter. The will of man is always the opposite of God’s Word and will. The majority of people are always carnal and opposed to everything that is perfect. The condition for being admitted as a student to the school of Jesus Christ speaks its own plain language in this matter. Luke 14:26. Therefore it is always a mighty either / or for everyone! It should be as clear as day to everyone that perfection—and that is what we are called to—must always mean that we take only God and His Word and will into account! All other considerations have to give way to this consideration. Let it be so! Amen. Your always devoted—Elias Aslaksen