The Faithful Ones

Hebrews 10:38-39
And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away. But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved. (NLT)

Have you ever been on a team or been part of a group of friends that were always together? I am sure you have. Maybe it was a team in High School. I was on the tennis team in school. That was not like being on a baseball team in that tennis is a one or two person sport. My teammate, the one I played doubles with is still a friend today although we have been apart for quite a few years.

Perhaps you were in a club of some kind. In school I was involved with a number of clubs, one of which was the Ham Radio Club. There were a bunch of us that had our Amateur Radio licenses from the FCC and that common interest brought us together. After many years one of my club members and I have finally got back together. It is fun catching up on the years in between.

Since school, I have been in other clubs or organizations from Sport Car Rallying, to Ham Radio, to a Stock Club, to Computer User's Groups, and more.

What about church? Is that a club or a team? For some it may just be a club. It is a place to gather on Sunday mornings like parents and grandparents have done for generations at the same building. The faces change and new leadership comes and goes, but the same families are still part of the club.

For others it is a team. Or at least the church within the church is a team. That is the remnant that gathers seeking God's face. The ones eager to hear His voice and step out of the boat to do His will.

When someone is part of a club or a team and they turn away from it, the team members no longer associate with them. They are not interested in the new direction the lost members are heading in. They may have tried to dissuade them from departing. But once gone, they have nothing in common any more.

The team we are on with our brothers and sisters in Christ are seeking a deeper relationship with Him. They are seeking His face and His word for them. They want His will in all they do. Those that turn away from the team, from the direction of the Holy Spirit, are lost to their own destruction. The remaining are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.