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Articles 2021-2023
Because Israel had not recognized the time of her visitation, God’s judgment through the armies of Rome was soon approaching (Luke 19:41 - 44). The Lord had come and had revealed Himself in word and deed among His people, but by and large they had not received Him (John 1:11). So, like Habakkuk (see our previous article), those who loved Him were to live by faith and trust in Him despite what was coming and not shrink back to destruction (Hebrews 10:37 - 39). They needed to be people of faith.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
(Hebrews 11:1 NKJV)
Faith is the substance and evidence of an invisible reality and exists as present proof in human hearts of its eternal Author’s existence (Hebrews 12:2). Therefore, true faith is never the product of human effort but an expression of God’s grace. To live by faith then is to live in union with the One who authored it in our hearts.
For by it the men of old gained approval (obtained a good testimony – NKJV).
Men like Abraham, Moses, and David lived their lives in faithful response to the Lord. While they were clearly not perfect, their choices to continually turn in their hearts to Him produced lifestyles that received Heaven’s approval; they had obtained from God’s perspective a good testimony. How they lived testified to the reality of His involvement in their lives. As a result, in seeing how they lived, those around them were confronted by living proof of the living God. Today, our lives are to be a testimony not simply of our own abilities but of the faith birthed in us by God.
By faith we understand that the worlds (Greek, AION – the ages) were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
Just like our faith is evidence of the unseen realms, the visible creation is as well (Psalm 19:1). The cosmos testifies to the glory of its Creator. Both the ages of time and the physical creation were brought into being through His spoken word so that His eternal glory would over the span of time permeate the whole of His handiwork. And man, being the pinnacle of his creative work and being crowned with glory and honor, was to have dominion over the works of His hands (Hebrews 2:7). But to do so properly he would have to live by faith and thereby obtain Heaven’s definition of a good testimony.
By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.
Some have said that God rejected Cain’s offering because it was not a blood sacrifice while Abel’s was. But the writer to the Hebrews has already shown that God did not delight nor take pleasure in the blood of animals (Hebrews 10:5 - 6). I am sure that the Jews were offering many animals on the temple’s altar right up to the time that first the Babylonian armies and then the Roman armies many years later descended in judgment upon them. But the blood of animals does not go to the root of man’s relationship with God. So, why did He accept Abel’s blood sacrifice? Because it was an expression of faith. And seeing his gifts along with his heart of faith in the Lord, God testified that Abel was a righteous man. True righteousness is always rooted in faith. Abel had obtained a good testimony.
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness (i.e., the testimony) that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
What was Enoch seeking and what was his reward? Clearly, he was seeking the Lord. When one seeks Him and is then rewarded, is not the reward more of Him? It was not that Enoch sought to muster up the faith needed to bypass death. He just loved God and wanted more of Him. And that heart attitude so pleased the Lord, that He responded in a way beyond what anyone would expect. What an amazing testimony.
By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
Noah’s faith was present evidence in his heart of what had never yet been seen – a world flood. Obviously, that faith was not something he had produced on his own. It came from God’s intervention/God’s word of warning to him. So, he began constructing a place of salvation for whoever would respond to his prophetic preaching. When one builds the only boat in a time of global flooding, the completion of the project guarantees the drowning of all who refuse the invitation to come aboard. Today, we do not condemn the world; we invite them to board Heaven’s one place of safety – even Christ revealed from heaven by the power of the Holy Spirit and dwelling in a corporate people in the process of being integrated into a singular expression of His salvation.
We must yield to God’s work of unifying us around His Son so that the world may come to know that there actually is a place of safety in the midst of the growing flood of destruction presently rushing among the nations.
By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
God’s timing is as important as His promise. Whereas many years later, Joshua’s faith would be revealed by making war against the Canaanites, Abraham’s was revealed by living in peace with them. He lived as though it was their land, as though he was the alien, even though God had promised it to him. And by his faith, he knew something greater would come in time that would have foundations/be permanent. Therefore, he could patiently live in tents, impermanent dwellings that had none. The Lord even gave him insight into the perfect foundation for the city of His design (John 8:56).
Today, that city/bride of Christ (Revelation 21:9 - 10) continues to emerge among men from heaven. And those of Abrahamic faith love that city and continue to believe that God will be vindicated in both the glory of His design as well as in His architectural ability to bring it forth among His people.
By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE. All these died in faith…
The fulfillments of God’s promises are not based on our abilities; they are miraculous. At her age, Sarah was simply not able to have children. So, God released His power in order to bring to pass what He had spoken. In our own lives, just like Sarah, we will have our times of doubt. But also, like her, we must accept and then stand in the truth that He who has made promises both in scripture as well as to us personally is faithful, can be trusted, and will in the end fully vindicate His own name as well as those who believed in Him.
Notice, Abraham’s descendants who were as innumerable as the stars and the sand were not simply the Jewish people; they were the Jews who had believed like Abraham had. That whole company had died in faith.
All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
Like Abraham had lived as an alien among the Canaanites, so his believing descendants had lived in the land of promise knowing that the fullness of their hope was yet future. With welcoming hearts, they could see from a distance what they did not yet possess.
For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.
All of human history is irrevocably moving toward the full revelation of God’s city, the bride of Christ (Revelation 21:9 - 10) at the time of His personal return. What a day of rejoicing that will be. In his own day, Abraham lived by faith among the Canaanites looking toward the day of Christ’s first coming (John 8:56). In our own day, we must have our eyes opened to discern the ongoing construction of the city authored from heaven. As He integrates His people according to His own design and timetable our insights concerning this city and the route to its full realization will grow as we increasingly discover the greater depths of bridal intimacy to which He has called us.
Donald Rumble – July 2021
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