Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Heb 11: 1)
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.(Heb 11:6)
Faith appears to be a “simple” requirement. A man is saved by “faith” in the Lord Jesus Christ. We assert that there is nothing whatsoever that anyone can do to merit or add, to deserve the saving grace offered in redemption. One simply has to come in faith, and believe. Without “faith” it is impossible, and the one who would come, must first believe that He is. This prerequisite confounds all logic, but then again, logic is, but one of man’s devices.
Faith in Jesus Christ, for us, at the outset may not seem at all uphill. We simply accept; that Christ came in the human form and lived among men, submitted Himself to His Father’s wishes, and in obedience gave His life for a ransom; He died because of our sin and was resurrected to intercede and petition on our behalf till He would come again, to bring all man before His heavenly throne. Not a terribly difficult “faith” to profess, in this, our time. But the apostle Paul constantly reminds; to hold on, to run the race, to prove, our faith. Lest we be shipwrecked, lest we should have run in vain.
In the early church days, during Nero’s Roman Empire, things were markedly different. To profess faith in Jesus Christ would have meant the loss of your cranium. A Jew would have been ostracized and thrown out of the synagogue, expunged from the community. There were also, the likes of Saul of Tarsus, who would pursue till death, all in the name of Jehovah Himself. One would lose all security, one’s home, family and property and be forced to flee, seeking the shelter of caves, to be deprived of food and clothing, with none to deal or trade. If you were sufficiently rich, perchance you may migrate to “friendlier” states or localities who would indulge your existence, for a cost. For the early Christians, professing “faith” in Jesus Christ was no simple affair. Of a truth, what does it cost us today to profess faith in Jesus Christ? Does our answer also account, for the ease with which we call Him, Lord?
There are times when we would enjoin ourselves with Paul’s fortitude and declare: “What shall separate us from the love of Christ?.... Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”(Rom 8:35) We gloss over, skip and skirt quickly to verses 37 through 39: “Nay,… in all these things….., we are… more than conquerors, through Him that loved us…. For we are persuaded…..” . Everybody loves to win. A more conservative back-track to vs 36 details a more solemn setting; “As it is written….all the day long… we are accounted… as sheep… for the slaughter”. There is a veritable contextual sequence in this. Dire circumstances are to be transversed, before we can even contemplate the possibilities in verses 37-39. The turmoil of tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril and sword are individually stupendous. What more, if they operate in concert? Each on its own would devastate. Together in unison? Would it not then, be premature, to speedily declare that we will be, more than conquerors? Would we truly resonate with Paul in his “Nay” and profess valiantly his “Shall?” The “Shalls” hold more than one probability and high potential to indict. Given our current propensity to bemoan petty inconveniences and be sorely distressed by unsolicited intrusions, how would we fare with these greater impresses? Are our declarations well founded? Or grounded? Would that we weigh our professions in word and song.
We live in a dispensation, less stringent and demanding. Soft living has rendered us stagnant, lax and dulled. This luxury shall pass. There is therefore a compelling need to be cognizant, take stock and equip ourselves for the impending and arduous eventuality. There is a conspicuous gap evident in our current life-style. The Lord did warn: For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?" (Luk 23:31). Paul reminds: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.”(2 Cor 13:5)
Our lives are on-going living testimonies, and they will testify; firstly to our fellowmen and then again before the White throne. Will we prepare? Will our talk be progressively closer and closer evidenced in our walk? Are our lives to be characterized by dread and morbid gloom or victory in Christ? Do we languish in the shadow of failure and destitution or take flight like eagles? Our faith, the faith in and of the Lord Jesus Christ is active and operative; by His grace, empowered by His Spirit and in mutual faith, we can and will overcome, to the glory of the Father, Amen and to God be the glory!
God bless.
/ckh
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.(Heb 11:6)
Faith appears to be a “simple” requirement. A man is saved by “faith” in the Lord Jesus Christ. We assert that there is nothing whatsoever that anyone can do to merit or add, to deserve the saving grace offered in redemption. One simply has to come in faith, and believe. Without “faith” it is impossible, and the one who would come, must first believe that He is. This prerequisite confounds all logic, but then again, logic is, but one of man’s devices.
Faith in Jesus Christ, for us, at the outset may not seem at all uphill. We simply accept; that Christ came in the human form and lived among men, submitted Himself to His Father’s wishes, and in obedience gave His life for a ransom; He died because of our sin and was resurrected to intercede and petition on our behalf till He would come again, to bring all man before His heavenly throne. Not a terribly difficult “faith” to profess, in this, our time. But the apostle Paul constantly reminds; to hold on, to run the race, to prove, our faith. Lest we be shipwrecked, lest we should have run in vain.
In the early church days, during Nero’s Roman Empire, things were markedly different. To profess faith in Jesus Christ would have meant the loss of your cranium. A Jew would have been ostracized and thrown out of the synagogue, expunged from the community. There were also, the likes of Saul of Tarsus, who would pursue till death, all in the name of Jehovah Himself. One would lose all security, one’s home, family and property and be forced to flee, seeking the shelter of caves, to be deprived of food and clothing, with none to deal or trade. If you were sufficiently rich, perchance you may migrate to “friendlier” states or localities who would indulge your existence, for a cost. For the early Christians, professing “faith” in Jesus Christ was no simple affair. Of a truth, what does it cost us today to profess faith in Jesus Christ? Does our answer also account, for the ease with which we call Him, Lord?
There are times when we would enjoin ourselves with Paul’s fortitude and declare: “What shall separate us from the love of Christ?.... Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”(Rom 8:35) We gloss over, skip and skirt quickly to verses 37 through 39: “Nay,… in all these things….., we are… more than conquerors, through Him that loved us…. For we are persuaded…..” . Everybody loves to win. A more conservative back-track to vs 36 details a more solemn setting; “As it is written….all the day long… we are accounted… as sheep… for the slaughter”. There is a veritable contextual sequence in this. Dire circumstances are to be transversed, before we can even contemplate the possibilities in verses 37-39. The turmoil of tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril and sword are individually stupendous. What more, if they operate in concert? Each on its own would devastate. Together in unison? Would it not then, be premature, to speedily declare that we will be, more than conquerors? Would we truly resonate with Paul in his “Nay” and profess valiantly his “Shall?” The “Shalls” hold more than one probability and high potential to indict. Given our current propensity to bemoan petty inconveniences and be sorely distressed by unsolicited intrusions, how would we fare with these greater impresses? Are our declarations well founded? Or grounded? Would that we weigh our professions in word and song.
We live in a dispensation, less stringent and demanding. Soft living has rendered us stagnant, lax and dulled. This luxury shall pass. There is therefore a compelling need to be cognizant, take stock and equip ourselves for the impending and arduous eventuality. There is a conspicuous gap evident in our current life-style. The Lord did warn: For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?" (Luk 23:31). Paul reminds: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.”(2 Cor 13:5)
Our lives are on-going living testimonies, and they will testify; firstly to our fellowmen and then again before the White throne. Will we prepare? Will our talk be progressively closer and closer evidenced in our walk? Are our lives to be characterized by dread and morbid gloom or victory in Christ? Do we languish in the shadow of failure and destitution or take flight like eagles? Our faith, the faith in and of the Lord Jesus Christ is active and operative; by His grace, empowered by His Spirit and in mutual faith, we can and will overcome, to the glory of the Father, Amen and to God be the glory!
God bless.
/ckh
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