Blogathon2012: #7 -Salvation by Self-help vs. Trust in God

Isn't it wonderful how God continues to affirm what He needs you to learn in your daily Scripture reading?
Today my reading was from Hebrews 5-7, The Message. Here are some snippets that caught my 'eye':


Hebrews 6 ^1-3"So come on, let's leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on "salvation by self-help" and turning in trust toward God;..."

^9-12...And now I want each of you to extend that same intensity toward a full-bodied hope, and keep at it till the finish. Don't drag your feet. Be like those who stay the course with committed faith and then get everything promised to them...
^13-18When God made his promise to Abraham, he backed it to the hilt, putting his own reputation on the line. He said, "I promise that I'll bless you with everything I have—bless and bless and bless!" Abraham stuck it out and got everything that had been promised to him. When people make promises, they guarantee them by appeal to some authority above them so that if there is any question that they'll make good on the promise, the authority will back them up. When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee—God can't break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable.

 ^18-20We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God... 

I'm being reminded to claim that which He has promised, by holding on to Him and Him alone. That phrase in vs. 1-3, turning your back on "salvation by self-help" and turning in trust toward God;..." goes against the grain of our modern culture where self-help gurus abound. What they have to say is quite good, even common sense, principles based on the experience they have had in life. But the key is always to take your life in your own hands, trust in yourself. When you can't do as they say, you end up feeling worthless.

However, God says to trust in Him alone. He has promised to be with us, equip us, sustain us, bless us. He does the work. He cannot fail. Yes, I, who ... "run for our[my] very lives[life] to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God...