"If I Had Not..."
Posted: November 28th, 2007, 2:49 am
A HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #120h Written 28NOV07 http://groups.msn.com/AHealingShelter/welcome.msnw
In The Footsteps Of Abraham: Part Ten— “If I Had Not…”
by dave c
Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise (NIV).
In the overall scope of Hebrews 11:8-20, we have been concentrating on verses 8-11, which I’ve subtitled, “Willing & Ready”. So far we’ve discussed Abraham’s faith manifested as his being prepared to go when God called him to do so; and an examination of his faith as patience (and that of his son and grandson) in the face of three generations of nomadic pilgrimage in the very land promised to him and to his descendents by God. In Hebrews 6:12-15 we read: We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants." And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised (NIV).
Verse 15 of Hebrews Chapter Six is not referring to the Promised Land as that which Abraham received after waiting patiently. We know that it was some 430 years before his descendents entered Canaan, and even then the Hebrews did not gain complete control of all their geographic inheritance. This verse is referring to God’s promise that Abraham would truly become “the father of a multitude”. By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise (He 11:14; NIV). To say that he considered him faithful who had made the promise is to say that Abraham believed God. This, then, brings us to the third aspect of being “Willing & Ready” as we walk out our faith in the footsteps of Abraham. Faith requires belief.
While faith and belief are frequently used as synonyms, there is a distinct difference between them—at least as they pertain to Christianity. To have faith requires belief, but we can believe something without having faith. Heed the exhortation of James 2:19: You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder (NIV). Over the years I have met a great number of people who said something like, “Oh, I believe in God...I just choose to believe in my own way”. Do I need to quote Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25? There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death (NIV). To ‘believe in my own way’ is to reject The Way claimed and described in God’s Word. Jesus tells us, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (Jn 14:6; NIV).
Many, many people believe that there is a God (or at least a little “g”, god), but, too much like the demons, they place no faith in Him—that is, they do not have a practiced faith as prescribed by Scripture. To reject Jesus as the Word and to reject the Church as His Bride, is to reject the very Person of the Christ (Ac 9:4&5). To reject Jesus as the Son of God is to reject God the Father. Please prayerfully consider the admonition of our Savior from John 15:22-25: If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father (NIV).
For 2,000 years we have had the words spoken by Jesus written both upon paper and upon our hearts (Ro 2:13-15). For 2,000 years we have been witness to miracles worked within literally millions and millions of people’s lives. For the past 100 years our culture has progressively worked to first destroy faith in the One True God, and second to shake the very foundations of belief, itself. Now we are guilty of sin...now we have no excuse for sin. When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Pa 11:3; NIV). Pray with belief. Pray with faith. Amen.
In The Footsteps Of Abraham: Part Ten— “If I Had Not…”
by dave c
Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise (NIV).
In the overall scope of Hebrews 11:8-20, we have been concentrating on verses 8-11, which I’ve subtitled, “Willing & Ready”. So far we’ve discussed Abraham’s faith manifested as his being prepared to go when God called him to do so; and an examination of his faith as patience (and that of his son and grandson) in the face of three generations of nomadic pilgrimage in the very land promised to him and to his descendents by God. In Hebrews 6:12-15 we read: We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants." And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised (NIV).
Verse 15 of Hebrews Chapter Six is not referring to the Promised Land as that which Abraham received after waiting patiently. We know that it was some 430 years before his descendents entered Canaan, and even then the Hebrews did not gain complete control of all their geographic inheritance. This verse is referring to God’s promise that Abraham would truly become “the father of a multitude”. By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise (He 11:14; NIV). To say that he considered him faithful who had made the promise is to say that Abraham believed God. This, then, brings us to the third aspect of being “Willing & Ready” as we walk out our faith in the footsteps of Abraham. Faith requires belief.
While faith and belief are frequently used as synonyms, there is a distinct difference between them—at least as they pertain to Christianity. To have faith requires belief, but we can believe something without having faith. Heed the exhortation of James 2:19: You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder (NIV). Over the years I have met a great number of people who said something like, “Oh, I believe in God...I just choose to believe in my own way”. Do I need to quote Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25? There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death (NIV). To ‘believe in my own way’ is to reject The Way claimed and described in God’s Word. Jesus tells us, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (Jn 14:6; NIV).
Many, many people believe that there is a God (or at least a little “g”, god), but, too much like the demons, they place no faith in Him—that is, they do not have a practiced faith as prescribed by Scripture. To reject Jesus as the Word and to reject the Church as His Bride, is to reject the very Person of the Christ (Ac 9:4&5). To reject Jesus as the Son of God is to reject God the Father. Please prayerfully consider the admonition of our Savior from John 15:22-25: If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father (NIV).
For 2,000 years we have had the words spoken by Jesus written both upon paper and upon our hearts (Ro 2:13-15). For 2,000 years we have been witness to miracles worked within literally millions and millions of people’s lives. For the past 100 years our culture has progressively worked to first destroy faith in the One True God, and second to shake the very foundations of belief, itself. Now we are guilty of sin...now we have no excuse for sin. When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Pa 11:3; NIV). Pray with belief. Pray with faith. Amen.