Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.
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Last year I had the opportunity to travel to St. Petersburg, Russia for a mission trip. While there, I visited many beautifully adorned Churches being reconstructed after the Revolution. It’s amazing to see the faith of the Russian population grow at such a tremendous rate after nearly a century of persecution.
This year I was asked to give a presentation of the Mission trip to a local Mennonite Church. Being a Russian Orthodox Deacon, I was asked why we have Saints in our Church, and why we place so much importance in them. Hebrews 13:7 was brought to my mind as I explained to them the importance of Saints. We have so few little “heroes” in the Christian faith nowadays. I hear people speak of Mothers and Grand Mothers who had such great faith….and then there’s also Billy Graham. But who else are we to imitate other than our Risen Lord? It’s the Saints who spoke Godly words to us and lived such a life of Christ-likeness. It’s the Saints who showed us a life of humility, persecution, and even death in many cases. Why does Paul urge us to “consider the result” of someone else’s faith? Someone who may have suffered greatly for their belief? We are to die to ourselves, regardless of the outcome, and live a life of humbleness and meekness in Christ.
I’m reminded of what Saint Seraphim of Sarov (a Great Russian Saint) said at one time:
“Acquire a Spirit of peace, and a thousand around you will be saved.”
We need heroes of Christ in today’s culture to stand up to those who oppose Godly morals and Biblical teachings. But we also need to live such a life to be considered heroes ourselves to those around us.
Thank you for sharing that.