NOW FAITH IS... Hebrews 11:1 reads: 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. So, it all depends on what we hope for. Faith is active when we are hoping for something. Romans 8:24&25 reads: 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. The above scripture contends with those that say once saved always saved; that false eternal security that states that once we believe and accept Christ, no matter how we live or conduct ourselves we will still be saved. Paul here states, by the Holy Ghost, or rather the Holy Ghosts states through Paul that we are saved by hope. That means all the eternal promises of God, the ones we cant see on earth are still in the realm of hope and what gives them substance, what gives them credit is our firm trust in God. Hebrews 11:1 says faith is the substance of things hoped for. Then Romans 1:17 says that in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed springing from faith unto more degrees of faith. This lets us know that there are different levels and degrees of faith. There is the foundational faith. The faith of the gospel of the forgiveness of sins that are past and an admittance into the family of God. Then there are more degrees of faith which should makes us partake of the divine nature of God through His exceeding great and precious promises. Also, there is a degree of faith that should make us completely submit to His will. We can see this in the life of Abraham. He was called and he obeyed, he actually was foolish enough to follow God when nothing was in sight. This was his foundational faith. Then came when he needed to believe in Gods promise for a son, another degree of faith until the climax of his faith walk which was to sacrifice that which he loved most, his son, Isaac. But still, the ultimate promise was still a hope. The promise that he will own the land which he was a stranger in. Ours is like Abrahams. Our ultimate promise is the heavenly glory but our foundational faith is the call to believe in the Lord Jesus Christs sacrifice to be accepted into the race. So, like Abraham, are we going to continue in the faith? Will we get to the point of sacrificing our all just as Abraham did? Paul said, I count all things dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. But there was a time he struggled with the law and the flesh just as many of us are doing today and then there was a time he saw that only Jesus could deliver him from the body of death and this made him to completely lean on the Lord, surrendering all to him. Beloved the heavenly glory is still a hope and requires our continuity in our walk of faith with the Lord. Hebrews 10:35-38 reads: 35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. He that will be just (righteous) shall live by faith. He that will qualify for the ultimate promise must and should be sustained by faith and if he draws back from the faith walk God says His soul shall have no pleasure in him. Why did the Lord talk about drawing back? Lets take an example from Abrahams faith walk. What if Abraham decided to draw back when God demanded his only son? Would he have been the father of faith? Would he have been in the annals of faith? I think not. That is what the Lord is trying to tell us. If any man draw back when a demand is made on his faith as he grows with the Lord then he has failed in his faith walk with the Lord. Lets look at peter. A time came when a demand was placed on his faith, though he failed the Lord by denying Him, he didnt draw but rather continued in faith and obedience to the Lord. His faith didnt fail. In the Foxes book of martyrs. It is recorded that when Peter was to face his time of death just as the Lord had prophesied, he was going to escape but while going through the gates of the city, he saw the Lord appear to him and was going to pass him and enter the city but he stopped the Lord and asked where He was going the Lord told him that he was going to die the second time since Peter refused to pay his ultimate price of faith in Him by allowing himself to be crucified just as the Master had prophesied. So you see, weak Peter later became a martyr for the Lord because he had grown in the faith. When his time came just like Abraham, he didnt draw back. If we look at the beatitudes we will see the different stages. Matthew 5:3-12 reads: 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. You see here, blessed are the poor in spirit for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. This is literally saying come as you are, come poor without any works, just believe and the kingdom is yours. Good news isnt it? But later the believer is expected to hunger and thirst after righteousness. He is expected to become a peacemaker and be called a child of God. And then he is expected to be persecuted for righteousness sake which is the ultimate price which almost all of the early believers paid. There was once Peter and co were flogged which they rejoiced in but a time came when persecution meant death and they didnt draw back but obeyed till the end. Why did they go through all that? Because their eyes were on that ultimate hope, a country whose foundations were not built by man but by God Himself. In conclusion, what is your hope? Is It heavenly or earthly? If our hope is earthly we will just live passively being insensitive to Gods promptings as we sojourn here but if It is heavenly we will be ready to make sacrifices when demands are made on our faith. Remember that faith works by love and love obeys. John 14:21 reads: 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Fathers which sent me. Love is seen through obedience. So, as we draw towards the time of our salvation, is the Lord placing demands on our faith which works by love that obeys? I believe so. The time has come that judgement will start in the house of God and it is already on.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 22:41:43 +0000
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