Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus is the “author and perfecter of our faith.” This verse provides rich insight into Jesus’ role in the life of the believer. Let’s break it down phrase by phrase:
“Author of our faith”
Jesus is described as the “author” of our faith. The Greek word for “author” here is archegos, which means “originator, founder, or leader.” It refers to the source or initiator of something. When applied to Jesus, this means:
- Jesus is the originator and founder of the Christian faith. He established it through His life, death, and resurrection.
- Jesus pioneered the way of faith for us to follow. He perfectly modeled what it means to trust God.
- Jesus is the supreme leader and head of our faith. He directs and guides the way.
In summary, Jesus is the creator, perfector, and completer of our belief system. He began the work of redemption in our lives by inaugurating the New Covenant through His sacrifice on the cross. He demonstrated perfectly what it means to have complete trust in God. And He continues to lead and sustain our faith as believers.
“Perfecter of our faith”
The word “perfecter” comes from the Greek teleiotes which means “perfecter, completer, finisher.” It refers to the one who carries something through to completion. When applied to Jesus, this means:
- Jesus is the completer and fulfiller of our faith. What He began, He will perfect until its completion.
- Jesus is the modeler and shaper of our faith. He shows us what mature, perfect faith looks like.
- Jesus will bring our faith to ultimate perfection and completion. He will finish the work in our lives when we see Him face to face.
In summary, Jesus initiates our faith as the author, and He will also perfect and complete it. He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end (Revelation 22:13). What Jesus starts, He finishes.
The Object of Our Faith
An important implication of this verse is that Jesus must be the object of our faith. As the supreme leader and completer of faith, Jesus alone is worthy of our full trust and reliance. Our faith must be firmly rooted in the person and work of Christ.
This means we place our complete confidence in His character, His teachings, His sinless life, His atoning death, His resurrection, and His promise to return. Jesus is the content of our faith – we trust in Him alone for salvation. He is the object of our faith from beginning to end.
The Perfecter of Our Faith
As the “perfecter” of faith, Jesus remains actively at work maturing and shaping our faith from “glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). His goal is to refine and purify our faith until we attain full Christlikeness. As we grow in faith, we can be confident that Jesus is the one completing this process in our lives.
Jesus perfects our faith in several key ways:
- Through His Word – As we read and study Scripture, Jesus clarifies truth and dispels lies. He expands our understanding to grasp the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:18-19).
- Through Suffering – Jesus uses trials and afflictions to refine the genuineness of our faith so that it “may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7). Suffering purifies and perfects our faith like fire refines gold.
- Through the Spirit – The Holy Spirit works within us to illuminate the eyes of our heart to know the hope of our calling and God’s power towards us (Ephesians 1:18-19). He continually molds us into Christ’s image from one degree of glory to another.
- Through Discipline – As a loving Father, God disciplined and trains us for our holiness (Hebrews 12:10). Through discipline, Jesus burns away impurities and strengthens our endurance to clarify and refine our faith.
What wonderful encouragement that Jesus remains intimately involved as the perfector of our faith. The author and pioneer of our faith also perfects and completes it! With Christ as the object of our faith, we can walk confidently knowing that He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion (Philippians 1:6).
Jesus’ Perfect Faith
As the supreme model of faith, Jesus demonstrated unwavering trust in God during His earthly life. His perfect faith is the pattern for our own. Let’s reflect on key examples of Jesus’ perfect faith:
- Jesus trusted God’s Word – When tempted in the wilderness, Jesus replied to the devil by quoting Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11). He relied on God’s Word as the authority over Satan’s lies.
- Jesus trusted God’s timing – Even when pressured by His own family to reveal Himself prematurely, Jesus submitted to the Father’s timing (John 2:4, 7:6).
- Jesus trusted God’s will – Facing the agony of the cross, Jesus surrendered in advance saying, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
- Jesus trusted God’s purpose – Believing firmly in God’s redemptive plan, Jesus intentionally set His face to go to Jerusalem to suffer and die (Luke 9:51).
- Jesus trusted God’s power – At Lazarus’ tomb, though dead four days, Jesus trusted the Father’s power to raise Lazarus (John 11:40).
- Jesus trusted God’s sovereignty – Surrendering His spirit from the cross, Jesus entrusted Himself fully to God who raises the dead (Luke 23:46).
What beautiful expressions of Jesus’ absolute faith and trust in the Father. As the “founder and perfecter” of faith, Jesus embodied unwavering confidence in God’s character and promises. His life demonstrated perfect faith from beginning to end.
Jesus is our Forerunner and Motivation of Faith
The fact that Jesus is the supreme model of faith provides incredible motivation as we run the race set before us (Hebrews 12:1-2). As our forerunner, Jesus already ran the race of faith with endurance and perfection. He completed His mission and sat down at God’s right hand (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus blazed the trail before us and demonstrated that a life of faith results in eternal joy.
Knowing that Jesus already ran the race should inspire us to follow His example. We can endure struggle and persecution because Jesus endured the hostility of sinners against Himself (Hebrews 12:3). Since we have such a perfect model of faith in Jesus, we should strengthen our feeble arms and weak knees and make straight paths for our feet (Hebrews 12:12-13). Fixing our eyes on Jesus motivates us to lay aside sin and fix our eyes on the invisible eternal reward ahead. No matter the cost or difficulty, we know the race is worth running because of the surpassing joy Jesus endured the cross to obtain (Hebrews 12:2).
Jesus Gives Us His Own Faith
Not only is Jesus the supreme model of faith, but He also shares His own faith with believers. When we trust in Christ, we participate in the very faith of Jesus Himself. God credits righteousness to those who have faith in Jesus (Romans 3:22). Whose faith is this? It is Jesus’ perfect faith which He extends to all who believe. Paul affirmed he shared in the faith of Jesus Christ, experiencing the power of His resurrection (Philippians 3:9-10). What confidence that Jesus shares His all-sufficient faith with us!
The faith that saves us is not merely faith in Christ, but the faith of Christ. Our faith would never be enough. But amazingly, Jesus’ perfect faith covers us. He authored our faith and will complete it. The Lord is “the founder and perfecter” of faith because His faith is now at work in and through us as believers. What glorious hope!
Jesus Remains the Object of Our Faith
While Jesus authors, perfects, and completes our faith, He must always remain the singular object of our faith. Our focus should never shift away from the person of Christ. All the aspects of faith that Jesus develops in us have the purpose of knowing Him more (Philippians 3:10).
We must guard against subtle shifts where our faith becomes misplaced on achievements, knowledge, gifts of the Spirit, or Christian leaders. The true measure of mature faith is not what we know about Jesus, but knowing Christ Himself in greater intimacy and love. Our faith must remain firmly anchored in the person of Christ from start to finish. He alone must hold first place in our hearts.
The Goal of Faith is Christlikeness
Why does Jesus go to such lengths to author and perfect our faith? He does this for the purpose of making us like Himself. As many Scriptures affirm, God’s goal is to conform us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29, 1 Corinthians 15:49, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 John 3:2). The more we grow in genuine faith, the more we grow into Christ’s character.
This is why trials and discipline have such value in perfecting our faith – they shape us into the likeness of Jesus. As we brokenly follow Christ’s pattern of suffering, we share more deeply in His nature. Our faith is authored and perfected so that, through the Spirit’s transforming work, we may attain maturity measured by “the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). The end goal is always Christlikeness.
Applications for Our Lives
How should we respond knowing that Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith? Here are some key applications:
- Worship Jesus with thanksgiving for beginning and completing your faith.
- Fix your eyes on Jesus as the supreme model of unwavering faith.
- Draw strength knowing Jesus already blazed the trail of faith before you.
- Rest confidently in Jesus’ perfect faith that covers all your inadequacies.
- Allow the Spirit to conform you increasingly to Christ’s image.
- Persevere through trials that refine and strengthen your faith.
- Anchor your faith solely in the person of Jesus, not in other things.
- Pursue greater intimacy with Christ through obedient, trusting faith.
What amazing encouragement that “Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” remains actively engaged, shaping our faith from start to finish! May Jesus become the heart and center of our faith, now and for all eternity.
