'He Still Speaks': Henry Venn of Huddersfield

 Hebrews 11:4 ESV

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. 

Why did Abel offering animal sacrifices get accepted by God when Cain with his crops was rejected? God has sacrificed animals to clothe their rebellious parents. Abel knew that without the shedding of blood, there could be no covering for our sins. Cain was trusting in himself rather than the Seed of the woman, the virgin born Son of God.

I really chose this verse because, like Abel, there was a man in a pulpit who, through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. 

Here's a quote from him:

“weak faith unites as really with Christ as strong faith, just as the least bud in the vine draws sap and life from the root no less than the strongest branch. Weak believers, therefore, have abundant cause to be thankful; and while they reach after growth in grace, ought not to overlook what they have already received." Henry Venn of Huddersfield

John 15:5-6 ESV

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 

I remember someone saying to my mum, ‘I wish I had your faith’. That someone asked for prayer for her son with his accountancy exams. Now he's a successful accountant and that family is still, as far as I'm aware, still nowhere spiritually.

What matters isn't so much our faith as the object of our faith. Even our faith is a gift of God. So if we don't have it, we can simply ask God for it.

Our salvation isn't by us pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. It's not about us being self-sufficient. It's about being grafted into the Lord Jesus Christ, our spiritual Vine, by Father God.

 

Like a branch cannot survive unless it's connected to the trunk of a plant, we can't survive outside of Christ. Even if we reject him, it's in him that we live and move and have our being. If Father God cuts us off, we're lost for eternity.

If we're trusting in Jesus, however falteringly, we're secure. We might be a new shoot or a well established, fruitful branch. What matters is our connection to Christ by his Spirit.

What of us? Do we trust in Jesus? Are we relying on him to help us be fruitful?

What will our legacy be? When we pass into eternity, will we still speak to those left behind (unless Christ returns first)? We don't necessarily need a digital footprint of a blog legacy. Abel didn't write a word as far as we're aware. Yet he's still remembered for his faith in the Lord.

Will we be remembered for trusting in Christ Jesus? Or will people know us as sinners or self-righteous, proud and arrogant. 

If you're reading this, you're still writing your story. We pencil in our plans; God sets them in stone. God wants us to be eternally secure, not just temporarily successful.

‘Lord God Almighty, please graft us into Christ, and may we abide in him and in his love. In his name we pray, amen’.