Saving Faith Isn’t Easily Satisfied

 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. (Hebrews 11:15–16)

Faith sees the promised future that God offers and “desires” it. “As it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.” Dwell on this for a moment.

There are many people who water down what saving faith is by making it a mere decision with no change of what one desires and seeks. But the point of this text in the great faith chapter in the Bible — Hebrews 11 — is that living and dying by faith means having new desires and seeking new satisfactions.

Verse 14 says that the saints of old (who are being commended for their faith here in Hebrews 11) were seeking a different kind of country than this world offered. And verse 16 says they were desiring something better than what a present earthly existence could offer. “They desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.”

They had been so gripped by God that nothing short of being with God would satisfy.

So, this is true saving faith: seeing the promises of God from afar, and experiencing a change of values so that you desire and seek after and trust in the promises of God above what the world has to offer.

Better Than Money, Sex, and Power

 

Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. (Hebrews 10:35)

We need to ponder the superiority of God as our great reward over all that the world has to offer. If we don’t, we will love the world like everyone else and live like everyone else.

So, take the things that drive the world, and ponder how much better and more abiding God is. Take money or sex or power and think about them in relation to death. Death will take away every one of them. If that is what you live for, you won’t get much, and what you get, you lose.

But God’s treasure is vastly superior, and it lasts. It goes beyond death. It’s better than money because God owns all the money and he is our Father. We are his heirs. “All [things] are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1 Corinthians 3:22–23).

It’s better than sex. Jesus never had sexual relations, and he was the most full and complete human that ever will exist. Sex is a shadow — an image — of a greater reality, of a relationship and a pleasure that will make the most exquisite sex seem like a yawn.

The reward of God is better than power. There is no greater human power than to be a child of the almighty God. “Do you not know that we are to judge angels?” (1 Corinthians 6:3). “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Revelation 3:21).

And so it goes on and on. Everything the world has to offer, God is better and more abiding.

There is no comparison. God wins — every time. The question is: Will we have him? Will we wake up from the trance of this stupefying world and see and believe and rejoice in and love what is truly real, and infinitely valuable, and everlasting?

THE NATURE OF FAITH THAT PLEASES THE LORD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 09, 2022.

SUBJECT : THE NATURE OF FAITH THAT PLEASES THE LORD!

Memory verse: "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11 vs 6.)

READ: 11 vs 1 - 8:

11:1 : Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

11:2: For by it the elders obtained a good report.

11:3: Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

11:4: By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

11:5: By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

11:7: By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

11:8: By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

INTIMATION:

The nature of faith that is pleasing to the Lord is the faith that moves the one who possesses it into action and confidence in the promises of God. It is a faith that does not give up hope in what God has promised as a reward for the believer. It is not a simple confession with one’s mouth that he believes in God. It is a life commitment to the work of God who is working to bring about the final end and purpose of all things. 

Such faith is “real faith” that combines assurance and anticipation! Real faith is belief, trust, hope, dependence, reliance and obedience in God and His word and that faith comes from God and His word. Faith is the confidence based on past experience that God’s new and fresh surprises will surely be ours. The beginning point of faith is believing in God’s character: He is who He says. The end point is believing in God’s promises: He will do what He says. When we believe that God will fulfill His promises even though we don’t see those promises materializing yet, we demonstrate true or real faith. 

The faith that pleases God, therefore, gives substance to their hope. Faith that is based on evidence in one’s personal confidence that those things for which he hopes are real. It is confidence that God will bring about His promises because He has made them on the basis of His existence and His oath (Hebrews 6 vs 18 - 19). 

It is noteworthy that Biblical faith is based on evidence. The apostle John recorded the evidence of the miraculous works of Jesus in order that men believe (John 20 vs 30 - 31). God has never expected men to believe without evidence, hence in the 1st century, therefore, He confirmed His messengers and message by miraculous manifestations (Mark 16 vs 17 - 29). Belief without evidence is only superstition. 

The faith of the Christian, however, is not superstition. The Christian’s faith today is based on the record of the testimony of those who actually experienced the confirming work of God. Christians have hope on those things that they have not experienced because God has given miraculous evidence to the truth of the message they believe. Therefore, Christians work by faith (Second Corinthians 5 vs 7). They grow in faith in the promises of God as they study the testimony of those who personally experienced the confirming miracles that are recorded in the Bible.

In the passage we read today, the Bible introduces us to some of the witness of the patriarchs of old who gave their testimony to the work and faithfulness of God. The faith that we see in the illustration herein, describe that faith that is well pleasing to God. They personally experienced the work of God in their lives, and thus, their lives are here recorded in order to give us further evidence upon which to base our faith. It is a faith that is obedient to the will of God. 

Every example of faith that is given in Hebrew chapter 11 is a faith that motivated the individual who possessed it into an active response to God. For instance, Abel was obedient to offer a blood sacrifice that was according to the commandment of God (Genesis 4 vs 4 - 5). He was thus judged righteous because of his faith that was manifested through his obedience to the will of God. Abel is now dead, however, the account of his active faith still teaches a lesson on true obedience of faith. The testimony of his life and the example of the faithful who are listed in this chapter teach many lessons on obedient faith.

Noah experienced rejection because he was different from his neighbors. God commanded him to build a huge boat in the middle of a dry land, and although God’s command seemed foolish, Noah obeyed. Noah’s obedience made him appear strange to his neighbors. As you obey God, don’t be surprised if others regard you as “different.” 

Abraham’s life was filled with faith. At God’s command, he left home and went to another land—obeying without question. He believed the covenant God made with him. In obedience to God, Abraham was even willing to sacrifice his son Isaac. 

Let us, therefore, covet the faith that will make us well pleasing to God. The apostle Paul states thus; “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in his body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (Second Corinthians 5 vs 9 - 10.)

When one realizes that he will give account of his actions before his Creator, then he is motivated to do the will of the Creator. We do not presume that judgement will be on the basis of meritorious works. Good works are the result of one’s response to the grace of God. Our only means by which we can know if one has a heart of thanksgiving is by his works. 

While eternal life is a free gift given on the basis of God’s grace (Ephesians 2 vs 8 - 9), each of us will still be judged by Christ. He will reward us for how we have lived. God’s gracious gift of salvation does not free us from the requirement of faithful obedience. All Christians must give account on the day of judgement of how they have lived; how they have used the gifts of God to serve His purposes here on earth.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You immensely for Your gift of faith. I most sincerely wish to covet the faith pleasing to You, that I may be please You in my good works, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 08, 2022.

SUBJECT: WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH!

Memory verse: "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him." (John 4 vs 23.) 

READ: John 4 vs 24; Hebrews 12 vs 28; 

4:24: God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

Hebrews 12:28: Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

INTIMATION:

Worship is paying great honor to; to love and admire very greatly. You worship because you know the worth of what you worship. You worship God because you know who He is. When you catch the revelation of God and His worth, the appropriate response is to reverence Him in worship. The truth about God is revealed in His Word. According to our memory verse, Jesus is saying in this most profound statement is that one must know the word of God in order to worship the God of the word. Ignorance of God’s word leads to one worshipping a god who is the creation of one’s mind, and such is the spirit of idolatry. 

It is in consonance with the true worship that Jesus gave us the greatest commandment of God, “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength...” (Mark 12 vs 30.) Worship must be based on the truth of Scripture, not our opinions or feeling about God. To "worship in truth" means to worship God as He is truly revealed in the Bible. Your worship is acceptable to God when it’s in truth and in spirit. In truth because of the self-revelation of God to you in His Word, and in spirit because involves the totality of you—coming from the inside of you. 

“God is Spirit” means He is not a physical being you can see, and is not limited to one place. He is present everywhere, and can be worshiped anywhere, at any time. It is not where we worship that counts, but how we worship. Your worship must be genuine, and acceptable. Genuine worship is spirited. You must engage your real you, and your real you is in your spirit. Made in God's image you are a spirit that resides in a body, and God designed your spirit to communicate with Him. Genuine worship is your spirit responding to God's Spirit—Holy Spirit—Who in turn responds with help. The Holy Spirit prays for us (Romans 8 vs 26), teaches us the words of Christ (John 14 vs 26), and tells us we are loved (Romans 5 vs 5).

The Bible, in First Corinthians 2 vs 11 says, "For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God." The things of a man are known to the spirit of man, and only the spirit of man can genuinely worship God acceptably. It is not just a matter of saying the right words; you must mean what you say, engaging your inner self in all you do. Heartless worship is not worship at all! It is an insult to God. He wants all of you. He is not interested in halfhearted commitment, partial obedience, and the leftovers of your time. He desires your full devotion, and complete commitment.

Acceptable worship should be a lifestyle. It ought not to be a part of your life; it should be your life. Worship is not just communion, It is your whole life given for service to God, and His pleasure. God is worshipped continually, and in any place. God should be praised at all times; at work, at home, in battle, in jail, and even in bed! Every activity can be transformed into an act of worship when you do it for the praise, glory, and pleasure of God. The Bible, in First Corinthians 10 vs 31, says "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 

But how is it possible to do everything to the glory of God? It’s by allowing God's love so permeate our motives that all we do will be to His glory. By doing everything as if you were doing it for Jesus and by carrying on a continual conversation with Him while we do it. You can keep as a guiding principle, asking, "Is this action glorifying God?" Or "How can I honor God through this action?" When we worship, God looks past our words to see the attitude of our hearts. The Bible says, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (First Samuel 16 vs 7.) Therefore, your heartfelt worship is what God accepts and responds to.

Prayer: Abba Father, I praise You with my whole heart, and all that is within me bless Your Holy Name. O Lord, let Your Word dwell in me richly in all wisdom, that I may 

worship You acceptably with grace in my heart, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Are You Glad You Are Not God?

 

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! (Psalm 96:7)

Here’s at least part of the experience that the psalmist is referring to when he says, “Ascribe [= give] to the Lord strength.” What are we doing when we “Ascribe to the Lord strength”?

First, by God’s grace, we give attention to God and see that he is strong. We give heed to his strength. Then we give our approval to the greatness of his strength. We give due regard to its worth.

We find his strength to be wonderful. But what makes this wonder that we experience a “giving” kind of wonder — “Give to the Lord strength!” — is that we are especially glad that the greatness of the strength is his and not ours.

We feel a profound fitness in the fact that he is infinitely strong, and we are not. We love the fact that this is so. We do not envy God for his strength. We are not covetous of his power. We are full of joy that all strength is his.

Everything in us rejoices to go out of ourselves and behold this power — as if we had arrived at the celebration of the victory of a distance runner who had beaten us in the race, and we found our greatest joy in admiring his strength, rather than resenting our loss.

We find the deepest meaning in life when our hearts freely go out of ourselves to admire God’s power, rather than turning inward to boast in our own — or even think about our own. We discover something overwhelming: It is profoundly satisfying not to be God, but to give up all thoughts or desires to be God.

In our giving heed to God’s power there rises up in us a realization that God created the universe for this: so that we could have the supremely satisfying experience of not being God, but admiring the Godness of God — the strength of God. There settles over us a peaceful realization that admiration of the infinite is the final, all-satisfying end of all things.

We tremble at the slightest temptation to claim any power as coming from us. God has made us weak to protect us from this: “We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Oh, what love this is, that God would protect us from replacing the everlasting heights of admiring his power with the futile attempt to boast in our own! It is a great gladness not to be, but rather to see, God!

GOD WELCOMES THE GUILTY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY FEBRUARY 07, 2022.

SUBJECT : GOD WELCOMES THE GUILTY!

Memory verse: "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1 vs 18).

READ: Isaiah 1 vs 18 - 20:

18: "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

19: If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;

20: But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword", for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

INTIMATION:

God welcome the guilty and will forgive you of any sin if you repent and seek His forgiveness. Never let guilt feelings of sin keep you from praying (seeking the face of God), which is your only means of restoration, because only God forgives sin. Do you feel that you could never come close to God because you have done something terrible? What God is mindful of is a sincere, humble, and contrite heart; a broken spirit that will manifest through repentance. 

No matter how long you have been away from God, He is ready to hear from you and restore you to a right relationship with Him. Every situation can be salvaged if you are willing to turn to God. In Judges 16 vs 28 - 30, we would observe that in spite of Samson's past, God still answered his prayer and destroyed the philistines' heathen temple and worshipers. He killed more people at his death than he did in life because of the mercy of God when he turned to Him in prayer.

One of the effects of sin in our lives is keeping us away from praying, but it is noteworthy that perfect moral behavior is not a condition for prayer. Though the stain of sin seems permanent, but only God can remove such stain of sin from our lives. We don't have to go through life permanently soiled. God's Word assures that if we are willing and obedient in turning to Him, Christ will forgive and remove our most indelible stains of sin.

Christ said, “...For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9 vs 13). Christ came for sinners like you and I, and He expects us, the sinners, to come to Him for mercy. We can only go to God in prayer, acknowledging our need and admitting that we don't have all the answers, and God will come to our help. He desires to show mercy and His mercy endures forever.

The only unforgivable sin is the sin against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12 vs 31 - 32). What then is the sin against the Holy Spirit? The unforgivable sin is the deliberate refusal to acknowledge God, and His power in Christ, expressed through the Holy Spirit. It indicates a deliberate and irreversible hardness of heart. It reveals a heart attitude of unbelief and unrepentant, which attributes to Satan the work that the Holy Spirit accomplishes which is blasphemy. 

Such people have turned their backs on God and rejected all faith, and are unwilling to ask for forgiveness. Even when they receive the prompting of the Holy Spirit, convicting them of sin, they reject it. And the deliberate rejection of the work of the Holy Spirit is blasphemy, because it is rejecting God Himself. Such person removes himself or herself from the only force that can lead him or her to repentance and restoration to God.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are the only God, there is no other. Before You there is no God, with You there is no other God, and there will be no other God after You. O Lord, in accordance with Your loving kindness, and tender mercies that endures forever, blot out my transgressions, and forgive me my iniquities, in Jesus name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Eleventh-hour Breakthroughs

 

“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42)

One of the greatest hope-killers is that you have tried for so long to change, and have not succeeded.

You look back and think: What’s the use? Even if I could experience a breakthrough, there would be so little time left to live in my new way that it wouldn’t make much difference compared to so many years of failure.

The former robber (the thief on the cross next to Jesus) lived for another hour or so after his conversion. Then he died. He was changed. He lived on the cross as a new man with new attitudes and actions (no more reviling). But 99.99% of his life was wasted. Did the last couple hours of newness matter?

They mattered infinitely. This former robber, like all of us, will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of his life. “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10). How will his life testify in that day to his new birth and his union with Christ? How will his life confirm his newness in Christ?

The last hours will tell the story. This man was new. His faith was real. He is truly united to Christ. Christ’s righteousness is his. His sins are forgiven.

That’s what the final hours will proclaim at the last judgment. He is changed! And his change mattered. It was, and it will be, a beautiful testimony to the power of God’s grace and the reality of his faith and his union with Christ.

Now back to our struggle with change. I am not saying that struggling believers are unsaved like the robber was. I am simply saying that the last years and the last hours of life matter.

If in the last 1% of our lives, we can get a victory over some long-standing sinful habit or hurtful defect in our personality, it will be a beautiful testimony now to the power of grace; and it will be an added witness (not the only one) at the last judgment to our faith in Christ and our union with him.

Take heart, struggler. Keep asking, seeking, knocking. Keep looking to Christ. If God gets glory by saving robbers in the eleventh hour, he surely has his purposes why he has waited till now to give you the breakthrough you have sought for years.