Hebrews 12:13) These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Now aren’t we called to be a peculiar people that God has reserved for himself? Exodus 19:5-6) “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine; And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.†Aren’t we as a people, as God’s people driven by faith and are persuaded by the promise of eternal life, by the hope of the world to come, by our desire to please God to live by our faith? Someone can talk faith saying I have it, but (James 2:20) “faith without works is dead†and talk is cheap, but when we let our actions and our life, the way we carry ourselves, act, speak, and think to pleasing God, then we are headed toward the right direction. When Israel decided not to stand against the Amorites, when they did not put there trust in God, what type of faith was being shown? When Caleb took courage and boldness willing to stand against odds and adversity saying, Numbers 14:9) “Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.â€Â, what faith was being shown? One, the children of Israel fainted in the time of adversity and at the same time disobeyed God. Caleb on the other hand, trusted in the Lord and obeyed willing to fight though others were not. Hebrews 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.†He obeyed God and built the ark, he did not just sit while the flood was about to come, he took action and hearkened unto the voice of the Lord.
Hebrews 11:7) “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.†He was uncertain of the destination, yet when God said to him (Genesis12:1-3) “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.†Abraham obeyed and left in hope of the promise. Part of faith, what develops from faith, are works, fruitfulness, after time develop, leaning to God results in works. 1 Corinthians 3:6) “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.†John 15:5) “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.†By the Lord’s working upon us only can we bring forth spiritual fruit and it all starts with, but not only having faith. But one’s faith must be active and put into motion in order to achieve success. Can we only have faith and hear THE END, I think not. But when we push to seek our Maker, our Father, our Lord, each and every day with diligence striding for (but not justified by) obedience (for by works no man is justified, Revelation 3:2) “I have not found thy works perfect before God.â¬Â), then can we thrive producing spiritual fruitfulness (Matthew 13:8) “some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.â€Â
Now aren’t we called to be a peculiar people that God has reserved for himself? Exodus 19:5-6) “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine; And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.†Aren’t we as a people, as God’s people driven by faith and are persuaded by the promise of eternal life, by the hope of the world to come, by our desire to please God to live by our faith? Someone can talk faith saying I have it, but (James 2:20) “faith without works is dead†and talk is cheap, but when we let our actions and our life, the way we carry ourselves, act, speak, and think to pleasing God, then we are headed toward the right direction. When Israel decided not to stand against the Amorites, when they did not put there trust in God, what type of faith was being shown? When Caleb took courage and boldness willing to stand against odds and adversity saying, Numbers 14:9) “Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.â€Â, what faith was being shown? One, the children of Israel fainted in the time of adversity and at the same time disobeyed God. Caleb on the other hand, trusted in the Lord and obeyed willing to fight though others were not. Hebrews 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.†He obeyed God and built the ark, he did not just sit while the flood was about to come, he took action and hearkened unto the voice of the Lord.
Hebrews 11:7) “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.†He was uncertain of the destination, yet when God said to him (Genesis12:1-3) “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.†Abraham obeyed and left in hope of the promise. Part of faith, what develops from faith, are works, fruitfulness, after time develop, leaning to God results in works. 1 Corinthians 3:6) “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.†John 15:5) “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.†By the Lord’s working upon us only can we bring forth spiritual fruit and it all starts with, but not only having faith. But one’s faith must be active and put into motion in order to achieve success. Can we only have faith and hear THE END, I think not. But when we push to seek our Maker, our Father, our Lord, each and every day with diligence striding for (but not justified by) obedience (for by works no man is justified, Revelation 3:2) “I have not found thy works perfect before God.â¬Â), then can we thrive producing spiritual fruitfulness (Matthew 13:8) “some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.â€Â
