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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Saturday, 7 September 2024:
Hebrews 11:1-3 — Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
Today’s readings teach us, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) What you truly believe in God determines not only how you will interpret everything else and respond to everything else, but it also defines your life and sets the course to your eternal destination. Said another way, your faith defines who you are really, and from it flows the outcome of your life. It all starts with what you believe about God and your consequential response. Faith is a conviction, a commitment, a trust in a hope in what is not currently visible to the senses. Faith is complete trust in God now, and hope is complete trust in God’s promised future, trusting God with future outcomes. For example, $100,000 dollars is likely a lot of money to you, but if you had no doubt at all that investing $100,000 in something would yield a $100,000,000,000 return, you wouldn’t hesitate to commit those funds; in fact, you probably couldn’t do it fast enough, even though you didn’t hold the eventual return in your hands. Faith obeys God unquestionably and without hesitation now, trusting God’s future, immeasurable reward. And what is the reward? God Himself and all that is His as your inheritance.
Some act as if faith and hope are some sort of illusion or simply not real. However, Paul makes the point that “what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” Said another way, everything you see was created from the unseen. For example, if you are reading this from an electronic device, you know that the device was first conceptualized then created through tremendous investment and focused effort before it became “real” and usable. You can imagine all the things which had to be overcome over time to get that device to you. If someone had asked you to invest all you had in the iPhone 30 years ago, you likely would not have been willing to do it, yet now they are everywhere. Everything you appreciate in life was created first invisibly before visibly. The unseen is far more important than the seen. Faith acts upon an anticipated future, the more faith, the quicker and better the manifestation of that reality. Unlike faith in our plans to produce things, which sometimes don’t come to fruition, faith in God and His promises rest on Him, His character, His power, His will, and His promises – there is not surer investment with no greater reward; it is more real than anything can be, and what is invisible is far more important than what can be seen right now. Faith and obedience in God today will never fall short in your future as explained in Romans 5:1-5 below.
So, faith is the practice of reality which manifests produces real results. Faith which trusts the Creator to obey the Creator creates truly amazing things on earth, which is why we pray and act upon the motto, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Though heaven is unseen, God’s blessing can be seen today pouring out from branches connected to the Vine of Jesus, bearing real fruit in His Name, to His glory, and for the benefit of many who can’t see from where it came. Please God by trusting Him enough to obey Him with the joy of anticipation of His promises realized.
- Romans 5:1-5 — Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Faith trusts in the promises of God and enables and inspires us to live as if we have already received the fullness of our inheritance in Christ, though we haven’t fully experienced it yet.
The Bible tells us, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.” (2 Peter 1:3-9)
Faith ‘partakes’ in the “divine nature” which has already been “granted” to us so we can experience and grow in what we already have. “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent…. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” (John 17:3, 22, 23) If you are a Christian, you have already been saved into eternal life and have been empowered with the Holy Spirit to experience unity with Him and with fellow Christians now, though we have yet to realize the fullness of that unity. So, we are called to take hold of that reality now, to “make every effort” to live out that reality now and experience that reality more fully with each day. If someone gives you a present, but you never open it, you possess it but never really experience and enjoy the fullness of its value. God calls us to use the gift He has bestowed upon us now, to enjoy it, and to share it with others. In faith, we live out our divine nature with the assurance that “he who began a good work in [us] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6) As we live out the new life we have in Christ, we will powerfully proclaim the truth of the Gospel to others who “will see your good deeds and glorify God.” (1 Peter 2:12)
– 2 Corinthians 5:17 — Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Hebrews 11:6 – And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
From Henry T. Blackaby – “Your relationship with God is largely determined by your faith. When you come to Him, you must believe that He exists and that He is exactly who He has revealed Himself to be in Scriptures. You must also believe that He will respond to you when you earnestly seek Him. Without this kind of faith, you cannot please God. Regardless of the morality of your life, the good works you perform, the words you speak, or the sacrifices you make for His sake, if you do not have faith, you will not please Him. It can be tempting to substitute religious activity for faith in God. Christians may claim they are being ‘good stewards’ of their resources when, in fact, they are wanting to walk by sight rather than by faith (Heb. 11:1). They may refuse to do what God tells them unless they can see all the resources in place first.
You may say, ‘I love God, but I just have difficulty trusting Him.’ Then you are not pleasing to Him. You cannot struggle at the core of your relationship with God and still enjoy a vibrant fellowship with Him! Faith does not eliminate problems. Faith keeps you in a trusting relationship with God in the midst of your problems. Faith has to do with your relationship with God, not your circumstances. Some may say, ‘I’m not much of a person of faith. I am more of a practical person!’ Yet you will never do anything more practical than to place your trust in the Lord! Nothing is more secure or certain than that which you entrust to God.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 7 September 2024: Today, walk in faith and take hold of, live out, experience and enjoy the divine nature you have been granted in Christ.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 