A Heritage of Faith

Hebrews 11 is sometimes referred to as the Hall of Faith chapter... a kind of hall of fame for the Christian faith. It lauds the faith of individuals like Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Rahab and others. But at the very end of the chapter, after telling us all about their great faith, the author of Hebrews says this:

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Hebrews 11:39–40

None of those precious saints received the fullness of the promise. Not yet anyway. The complete fulfillment and culmination of all of that God has promised to His saints... waits for you and me and for countless other believers, so that only together with us will the believers of old be made perfect.

This is a tremendously helpful reminder that the Christian faith isn't truly “personal” in the strict sense of the word. It's communal. Your faith is connected to all those who came before you and to all those who will come after. You have a spiritual heritage that has been passed down to you by your spiritual ancestors. And now you have a responsibility to pass it down to the next generation as well.

Do you connect your faith to those who came before you? Do you read the great Christian books and treatises and sermons of the past? Or is your Christian faith shaped solely by the pastors, teachers and authors alive today? You are privileged to have access to the writings and sermons of many of the greatest Christian thinkers, preachers and missionaries of the last two millennia. You would do well to expose yourself to at least some of them.  

And what about the generation that will come after you? Are you doing anything to hand the faith down to them? You should be. Whether you volunteer with the children's ministry at your church, or pray for and minister to your own kids and grandkids, you have a responsibility to help pass the faith down to the generations that come after you. Through service, giving and prayer make sure you do your part to pass the baton of faith to those who will still be running their race long after you are gone.