The old traditional hymn rings in my ears when reading epistles like Hebrews and James. “I have decided to follow Jesus… No turning back…” The Christian faith has serious demands placed upon it, demands that cannot be cast aside lightly. There is no turning back, there is no quitting, and there is no room for light-hearted service in faithfully living for King Jesus. 

God has given us everything and we owe Him our everything. The Hebrew writer repeatedly warns of the consequences of failure. There is no going back. While the modern reader doesn’t likely struggle with wanting to quit Jesus to return to Judaism, there is the ever-present temptation to quit and return to our former way of life. The underlying point is worth noting, no substitution will suffice in the place of Jesus. Deep within the human desires is the longing for a relationship with Yahweh, our Creator God. Hebrews, while addressing several other complex issues, reminds the reader that our relationship with deity can only happen through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the supreme revelation of God, even better than angels, and yet humbly places Himself in the field with humanity in order to deliver them (Heb. 1-2). If you want a relationship with God, you must go through Jesus. In chapters 3 and 4, he reminds us the Son was faithful and has secured a rest. Thus, if you want to be faithful and gain rest, do what Jesus did. In chapters 5-10, he notes high priesthood of Jesus Christ and His perfect sacrifice. If we want a relationship with God, it will only happen through the Priest and His work. 

Throughout James, he admonished his readers to live lives of deep and faithful conviction. There is no room for half-hearted devotion. Our faith must be rooted in the truth revealed in God’s Word, and we must be faithful to sincerely apply it. I find it interesting that while both epistles are seeking to accomplish totally different objectives, they are essentially advocating the same conclusion. 

Application: Be faithful to King Jesus because He is the only way mankind can have a relationship with God. There is no room for quitting because He didn’t quit. There is no room for hypocrisy, or insincere devotion because He wasn’t hypocritical or insincere. Look at Him as the example and be faithful.