If you are like me, you may not feel worthy of being considered a Spiritual Hero because of all your weaknesses. If you feel that way, you really have the wrong idea. Scripture says that it is in our weakness that Christ makes us strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7 – 10) The God Family uses what appears as our weakness to makes us strong through the universal process. We must make mistakes to learn sometimes – that is why grace exists. It is the reward for authentic faith.

While some may, very few of today’s people of faith qualify for group one of the spiritual heroes. So, most of us need to understand that we are going to have to live with the challenges we face in today’s world. Yes, people during Biblical times faced real world challenges like we do, but this was the time that God was writing His history for us. We needed guidelines so He picked a very few of the millions who lived during this time.

Based on the previous discussion of the road to Spiritual Heroism, you understand why less space in Hebrews is dedicated to the second group.  It is because Deity knows the amount of encouragement we need to overcome the hurts and hurdles we face in our lives due to our weaknesses. The lack of verbiage about those who suffered in the second group does not make these unnamed people any less heroic.

The question you must ask is: “Why are they considered equally heroic to the previous group?” The answer is simply that the people of this group had the right relationships with each person of the God Family. They believed that the Father had a plan for them, this plan was fashioned by the Son, and their lives were led by the Spirit, despite the pressures they faced. And the pressures of Christ’s and Paul’s time were no more or less impactful than the pressures of life that we face today. This must be true because we know that God does not show favoritism.

The people of this group prioritized their relationship with the God Family over the works the God Family would have them do.  In contrast, to the first century Jew, everything was a matter of works. The Mitzvah contained “613 unchangeable laws, practices and customs” such as how to wash your hands before a meal. (Mark 7:3-4) By the time of Christ’s coming, the commands of Judaism were no longer the supernatural system God originally gave them. God’s chosen people had twisted His Word into so many legalistic requirements that Christ Himself condemned what they viewed as worship. (Matthew 23:4) Religion had become a system of comparison, self-salvation, and self-glorification. We see Christ addressing this same issue in Revelation 2:1-7 when He condemned the Church at Ephesus, which, to the people of the time, seemed like the model church. (Revelation 2:1 – 7)

Legalism takes place when you focus on religious duties instead of the relational aspect of Elohim’s Kingdom. A believer’s life must focus on the individual relationships with each person of the God Family; these lay the foundation for all earthly relationships. These eternal relationships build our faith and are the source of the spiritual fruit and good works that persuade others of our belief.

My hope is that you never get into a “religious” mental mode. Love the Trinity – your spiritual family and be committed to following their reasoning for creating and guiding you. Realize you have flaws but there will be rewards for the heroic steps you take defending your faith in today’s world.

Love Dad