December 16: The Author and Perfecter of Faith
“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
In Hebrews 12:2, the author writes of looking to Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith. This description of Jesus carries with it two incredibly rich parts. Firstly, Jesus is the Author of our faith. This echoes the life-giving truths found in Ephesians 2:8-9 which says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast”. Our faith is the one condition for salvation and it was authored by Jesus and given to us by him as a free and undeserved gift. God designed salvation in such a way that all glory is his alone. We are recipients of his grace, which rightfully fills us with gratitude-filled worship and praise for his great love and mercy. Because he is the author of our faith, we can truly love God and take pleasure in him. Just as an author gets credit for his masterpiece, so Christ gets glory for our very faith!
The second part is that Jesus is the Perfector of our faith. God himself came wrapped in flesh and opened himself up to the limitations of man (John 1:14). He was tempted in every way we are, suffered as we do and yet Jesus lived perfectly in submission to the will of his father. He alone was truly righteous. In him we are justified, and his perfect righteousness is ours by faith in Jesus (Rom. 5:1). Jesus is the author and perfector of our faith. He holds the pen of history, our lives, and our very faith. Salvation is of God alone, authored and perfected by Jesus Christ.