10-31-2022 Devotion: Spread the Word

 Acts 1:8 reads: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." This is the commission that still holds for today. This is not given only to a corporate body, to the church as a body; it is not a corporate commission. This is a very personal command to each believer—personally, privately. This was given to these men even before the Holy Spirit had come and formed the church. It is a direct command for you and for me today. It is our business to get the Word of God out to the world. We can’t say that it is up to the church to send missionaries and to give out the gospel, and then sit back and let others do it. The all-important question is whether you are getting out the Word of God. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to aid us in spreading the gospel. We live in a lost and dying world. People are hurting and we have the answer. We must be diligent to stand for truth and speak the truth in love. Ask the Holy Spirit for His power to help you. He will not fail you.

Faith Series 7: Serving by Faith

 Today's lesson is part 7 in our faith series. Last week, we instructed you on what was "Worshipping by Faith"? Now, we look at what we mean by the phrase, "Serving by Faith"?  This is important as you don't want to be deceived about your faith. You want a faith that is alive and operational in your life. You want to serve by faith. Thank God, we have His Word, and He will guide us. We can know the truth and that truth will set us free. Prayerfully read this lesson and ask yourself, "Am I "Serving by Faith"? 

Introduction

Hebrews 11:7 reads as follows: "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." Over the last two weeks, we have seen God's order: worshipping by faith, walking by faith and today we study serving by faith. We know that Noah was a saved man when God revealed to him that He was going to destroy the earth with a flood, because in Genesis 6: 8, we find these words: "Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD."

Isn't that a great truth? Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. I have had people ask me, "Pastor, how can I find the grace of God?" You will find the grace of God when you learn of the Lord Jesus Christ, how He died for sinners, and how God revealed Christ to your heart. How did God reveal grace to Noah's heart? Genesis 8: 20 states: "Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar." You can say that was after the flood, which is true, however, if Noah built an altar after the flood, he must have done so before the flood, because he found grace in the eyes of God before the flood. How did God save Noah? When did He save him? The Scriptures do not say, but we know from history and experience that He saved Noah just as He saves any other sinner. He does so by grace, not by acts or works of the lost soul. It has always been salvation through grace and faith.

Listen, friend, Noah, like Abraham, "Believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. Friend, have you ever found grace in the eyes of the LORD? I have. I saw myself as a lost, totally depraved sinner, bound for hell and justly so. I deserved hell. BUT GOD, Who is rich in mercy, sent the Holy Spirit to convict me of my sin, I took responsibility, and knew that Christ had taken my place. He took my sins, and He gave me His righteousness. That is how you get saved, my friend! That is shouting ground! When the Holy Spirit revealed to my heart by the Holy Spirit through His Word that Christ was my substitute, Who died for me, and I saw my sins on His account, I knew I was free from the penalty of sin, became a new creation, and the power of sin over me was broken. God imputed His righteousness to me by faith, and I became an heir of the righteousness of God in Christ, which is by faith. AND NOAH FOUND GRACE IN THE EYES OF THE LORD.

What God did for Noah and me, He will do for you. One day God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shall pitch it within and without with pitch." (Genesis 6: 13, 14) What did Noah do? Did he argue with God? The Scripture says, "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."

Section 1: Noah's Faith in Serving God

You are saved by faith, you walk by faith, you serve God by faith. This is a truth you should see. Noah's faith was based on the Word of God. God revealed to God that He was going to destroy the the earth with a flood. The Scriptures say, "God said to Noah." We don't know whether God spoke in the morning, noon or evening, but we do know that God spoke, and Noah listened.

When God spoke to Noah, Noah didn't argue with God. He believed the Word of God. The foundation for a believer's faith is always going to be the Word of God. God revealed to Noah that He was going to destroy the earth, and Noah believed Him.

Notice that Noah was not surprised by the judgment of God. Before a sinner gets saved, he will come to realize that he is under the judgment of God and deserving of punishment. He is deserving of hell. When you get saved, you will see the entire earth under judgment of God. You can read a newspaper, go online and see how people, even those claiming to be Christians, how far they are from the Word of God. There are people claiming to have faith in Christ today that support abortion, homosexual marriage and transgender choice. A recent poll found that 37% of evangelicals believe gender is a personal choice. The Bible is clear on all these issues. There can be no real debate on them. The ways things are moving at such a rapid pace, I would not be surprised if God brought His final judgment soon.

Section 2: The Effects of Noah's Faith

It says, "Noah...moved with fear," (Hebrews 11: 7), he feared God. How much fear do you see in church members today? The fear of God is not on the average individual today. Thousands of you who attend church today will go there, return home and then go about your business tomorrow with no fear of God. I read a satirical article the other day about this strange religious cult that has hundreds of thousands of people that gather to scream, shout, attend services that last more than four hours, and they give lots of money. Many of these religious folks claim to "love Jesus." They have a god alright, the god of NFL football. Noah's faith caused him to move in accordance with God's Word to him. "Christians" today talk more about their favorite team, and they know more statistics about their team than they do Bible verses. "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom." (Psalm 111:10). Noah had it, but most today do not.

Noah's fear of God led to his obedience in making the art according to God's orders and according to God's pattern. He was "moved with fear" to do what God wanted him to do. Listen friend, you will never come to obey God until your heart is moved with fear. So, what did Noah do, he began to build the ark. I have previously mentioned that some people think I preach too hard. I should talk more about the love of God. Friend, you will never learn about the love of God until you know the wrath of God! God never calls a man to misrepresent Him. If you are not preaching God's Word, you are not called by God. We are to preach God's Word as it is, to men as they are, without compromise, without a shadow of turning, without varying one hair's breath from it.

2 Peter 3: 10-12 reads: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein SHALL be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversations and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?"

Friend, that is God's message. That is God's warning. Noah believed God, but do you believe Him? Do you care more about sports than the LORD? Do you get more excited over the "big game" than you do being with the Lord Jesus Christ?

As I prepare this message, I want to be clear, right now, this very moment, the earth is under the judgment of God and so is every unsaved sinner. Friend, right now, are you under judgment from the Living God? Are you headed to a devil's hell? Are you headed to the Lake of Fire? Why won't you believe today in the Lord Jesus Christ?

Section 3: Why Noah Built the Ark?

Noah built the ark for the saving of his family, the condemning of the world, and because he was the heir of righteousness, which is by faith. I believe Noah was a saved man before he started building the ark. Genesis 6: 8 states: "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." That is a saved man. He had 120 years of grace to offer the world. Listen, when an individual is moved with fear, that is when his obedience unto the LORD God begins. If Noah had not been obedient, he would have perished as well. I want you to see that this was God's way of preserving Noah and his family, and back of all of Noah's obedience was the power of God. Noah believed God was going to do what He said He would do, and Noah acted accordingly.

Notice the ark did not have a mast or a sail, neither a rudder nor a steering wheel. Noah was 100% dependent on God to keep this boat from being torn to pieces. Every saint of God knows how helpless you are, how dependent you are upon the LORD. If you are saved, one day you fell at His feet and crowned Jesus Christ Lord of your life. There you were in the dust of repentance, helpless, hopeless, doomed and damned. You could not save yourself. You needed a substitute. When you saw how dependent you were on the Lord Jesus Christ and He saved you, it was the happiest of moments. As you have walked out your faith, you should have come to an understanding that you have no way of protecting yourself against the enemies of the world. Today, you are just as dependent on Him as you can be. My friend, that is the safest place for you to be!

So it is in our Christian life: we use the means that God gives us to preserve us, trusting everything into His hands. If it were not for the power of God, we would fail miserably. But how gracious it is that God gives us faith to trust Him and believe His Word! That's the only way we can please Him--BY FAITH. Yes, we see that Noah built this ark by faith, built it according to God's orders. Build your life according to God's orders, my friend, and you will persevere to the end. Be faithful because He is faithful.

Section 4: Deliverance Types: Temporal and Eternal

The temporal deliverance of Noah from the flood is an example of the ETERNAL DELIVERANCE of God's elect from the wrath to come. Christ is our Ark, and we are hidden in Him by faith. From the 6th chapter in Genesis, we see the following order:

1. Divine judgment announced.

2. 120-year delay so Noah can prepare.

3. The way of deliverance is presented to one who had found grace in His eyes.

4. Faith's obedience is manifested in Noah's life.

5. Noah was moved with fear and obeyed God's orders.

We see FAITH OBEYING. Then in order to be saved from the destructive power of sin, the ruinous allurements of the world, and the devouring assaults of Satan, we must tread the path of obedience to Christ.

Hebrews 5: 9 reads: "And be made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." We see in the life of Enoch that faith elevated our affections above the earth and set them on things above. In Hebrews 11:7, in the life of Noah, we see that our lives on earth are to be regulated by heavenly principles. The real born-again believer is a heavenly man living on earth AS a heavenly man, he is governed by spiritual and Divine principles, and not by fleshly motives and worldly interests. Hear that all that worship the "god of Sunday" known as NFL football. While the saved and lost man will do many of the same things, the Christian has a different object and purpose. In other words, he lives and works and does what he does in obedience to God in a joyous response to His revealed will.

The Divine warning was the ground of Noah's faith--he did not argue, he did not rebel; he believed God. he believed the threatening as well as the Promise of God. He believed the justice of God as well as the mercy of God. Know that human reasoning opposed what God made known to Noah. There had been no rain up to this point, according to Genesis 2: 6, and they could not see how the world would be destroyed by a flood. But praise God, faith topped human reasoning. Noah moved with fear and was obedient and built the ark. Temporally, the ark brought deliverance. Spiritually, the ark is a type of Christ and will bring eternal deliverance.

Conclusion

Noah's faith in obeying God CONDEMNED THE WORLD. Noah's faith condemned the unbelieving, unconcerned, godless people around him. When a child of God is said to condemn another, it is his godly life that he shows what the other should do, and this reveals the guilt of the other individual. He who abandons a worldly church and goes forth unto Christ outside the camp condemns the compromiser.

Noah served by faith and his actions were in faith contrary to human reasoning, served to provide us with the keys to serving by faith.

What does your life speak? Are you serving by faith? Have you been sidetracked into the worldliness of the modern compromising church? AS THE OLD EVANGELIST SAID, "COME CLEAN COME CLEAR!" Come my friend to the foot of the cross, repent and be saved. If you are born-again, walk-in obedience and serve by faith. MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

10-30-2022 Devotion: Water and Spirit

 John 3: 5-6 reads: "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Now what does it mean to be born of water and of the Spirit? There are those who think that to be born of water is a reference to water baptism. But this would be a strange expression if it did refer to that. Then, there have been several very fine Christian doctors who interpret “born of water” as the physical birth which is a birth in water; that is, the child in the womb is in water. I don’t think that is what is meant here. He wasn’t talking about the difference between natural birth and spiritual birth, but He was talking about how a man could be born “from above” or “born again.” As we see in John 2, water is symbolic of the Word of God. There is a cleansing, sanctifying power in the Word. The Word of God is likened unto water again and again. We believe that “born of water and of the Spirit” means that a person must be born again by the Holy Spirit using the Scripture. We believe, very definitely, that no one could be born again without the Word of God applied by the Spirit of God. One today is born from above by the use of water, which is the Word of God, and the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, making it real to the heart. We need the written Word, the Bible and the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved.

10-29-2022 Devotion: Judgment

 We will spend one more day on this verse: John 16: 8-11: "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me;Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." Thirdly, He convicts the world of judgment. “Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.” The prince of this world, Satan, has already been judged. It is difficult for a great many believers to understand that we live in a judged world. One hears people say that they’ll take their chances. They act as if they are on trial. My friend, you are not on trial. God has already declared you a lost sinner, and He has already judged you—“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. We live in a world that has already been judged and is like the man waiting in death row for his execution. The judgment against all of us is “Guilty” because all our own righteousnesses are as filthy rags in the sight of God. If we had to stand before God in our own filthy rags, we would not only be ashamed of ourselves, but we would also see how guilty we are. Thank God that He has provided a way out of this judgment. His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, has paid the price for your salvation. Go to Him, He will never turn you away.

10-28-2022 Devotion: Righteousness

 We will spend two more days on this verse: John 16: 8-11: "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me;Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." Second, He will convict the world of righteousness. Jesus Christ was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification. Jesus Christ returned to the Father because He had completed His work on earth. When He died on the cross, He died a judgment death. He took my guilt and your guilt and He died in our place. But He was raised for our justification. He was raised from the dead that you and I might not only have our sins forgiven, but so that we might have His righteousness added. That is essential because you and I need righteousness. It is not enough to have our sins forgiven. We cannot stand in God’s presence if we are nothing more than pardoned criminals. Christ has given us His righteousness. If we are to have any standing before God, we must be in Christ and He is our righteousness. We call this imputed righteousness. Christ becomes our sin sacrifice and He gives us His righteousness in return. The Holy Spirit makes this real to your heart.

10-27-2022 Devotion: Sin

 We will spend three days on this verse: John 16: 8-11: "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me;Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." First, in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit in the world, He will convict the world of three things: sin, righteousness, and judgment. Today we look at sin. Our Lord explains for us what that sin means. “Sin, because they believe not on me.” What is the greatest sin in all the world? Abortion? No. Who are the greatest sinners in this age? We’ve had some evil men in the last two centuries. Every age has had evil men. We might point out Hitler, or Stalin, or Karl Marx, or the Mafia. Well, who is the greatest sinner today? The greatest sinner is the one that rejects Christ. Unbelief is a state and there is no remedy if you refuse to trust Christ. “Of sin, because they believe not on me.” If you do not trust Him, you are lost. It is just as simple as that. It is just as important as that. This is a decision that every man must make. The man today, whoever he is, if he is rejecting Jesus Christ, is, in the sight of God, the greatest sinner. The Holy Spirit will bring this truth to the heart of those He is working on.

10-26-2022 Devotion: The Holy Spirit

 Today, we turn our attention to the topic of the "Person and Work of the Holy Spirit." I don't think there is an area that has provided as much controversy and simply put, bad doctrine, than the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit. We will spend a few days looking at the Person of the Holy Spirit and what He does. 1 Corinthians 12: 3 reads: "Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." Here is a great truth, an absolute truth of the Christian life: the Lordship of Jesus Christ. “No man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed.” You cannot belittle Jesus Christ by the Spirit of God. It won’t work. Also, “no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.” Oh, of course we can say the word Lord. But remember what the Lord Jesus said: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”. Why will that be? Because their profession is on the surface. The Lord Jesus was not their Lord. Today's message is simple: there is no salvation without the Lordship of Jesus Christ. That is the work of the Holy Spirit to bring that truth to the sinner's heart.

10-25-2022 Devotion: Erasers

 Hebrews 9: 12: "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." We continue with this verse from yesterday. Today, we focus on the second part of the verse. “Having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Notice that in your Bible the words for us are in italics, indicating that they are not in the original manuscript. They were added tomake the meaning of the verse more clear, which is acceptable, but they are not the emphasis of the verse. The emphasis is upon the contrast that Christ entered once into the Holy Place and obtained eternal redemption. The Israelites made a yearly sacrifice for sins, called the Day of Atonement. The Israelite priests  got a temporary forgiveness. Only Christ went in once and obtained eternal redemption. This now puts the authority and the importance upon the sacrifice of Christ, and it reminds us that the life of Christ never saved anyone. You can follow His teachings and think you are saved, but, my friend, His teaching never saved anyone. It is the death of Christ, it is His redemption that saves. Let this sink in. Nothing you do can save you. Your good works can't save you. Only the blood redemption offered by the Lord Jesus Christ will save you. Know this, it is an eternal salvation. There are no erasers in heaven.

10-24-2022 Devotion: Blood

 Hebrews 9: 12: "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." We will spend two days on this verse. First, I believe this verse proves that Christ took His literal blood to heaven to present to the Father. If that is not what the writer of Hebrews is talking about here, I do not know what he is saying. Since the Scriptures do not give us the specifics of the presentation, we can't be sure if the blood was literal. While I think it was, it could have been symbolic. Either way, the truth of blood redemption is confirmed. “Neither by the blood of goats and calves”—that is literal blood. “But by his own blood,” this is the literal blood which He shed on the cross. “He entered in.” How? By His own blood. His was a superior sacrifice and the only one worthy to be presented in heaven. I want you to grasp the picture of the meaning of this verse. The Lord Jesus Christ took His blood to heaven for you, the saved elect. He presented it once and for all for you. He would have done it for you if you were the only person alive that needed redemption. Let this verse sink in, deep into your spirit. the Lord Jesus Christ died for you and for every evil wicked thing you ever did, thought about or desired. This is a good place to bow your head and say, "Thank You."

Faith Series 6: Worshipping by Faith

 Today's lesson is part 6 in our faith series. Last week, we instructed you on what was "Walking by Faith"? Now, we look at what we mean by the phrase, "Worshipping by Faith"?  This is important as you don't want to be deceived about your faith. You want a faith that is alive and operational in your life. You want to worship by faith. Thank God, we have His Word, and He will guide us. We can know the truth and that truth will set us free. Prayerfully read this lesson and ask yourself, "Am I "Worshipping by Faith"? 

Introduction

Hebrews 11: 4 reads: "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh." Notice the first expression, "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain." This indicates that Cain offered an excellent sacrifice as well. There was nothing wrong inherently with his sacrifice. The offering Cain brought was according to God's Word as set forth in Proverbs 3: 9: "Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase.

Cain's offering was a thank-offering. In its place, a thank offering offered unto God the Giver of all material blessings is a proper act of worship. Yet Abel's offering was "a more excellent sacrifice." As we understand these differences, it will lead us to an understanding of what it means to Worship by Faith.

Section 1: Abel's More Excellent Sacrifice

Why was Cain's thank-offering rejected? His offering was from the fruit of his labors. Cain, like every unregenerated natural man, wants to make God the recipient and not the giver. Man wants to be, and feel, independent and self-sufficient, and it makes him to feel important to be in a position to give. The unsaved want to do "good works" in an effort to establish their salvation. If they do all the right things and avoid doing the things that are sin, they can, in their mind, place God in a position that He has to save them. I know groups that have so many extra Biblical rules in an effort to prove their "holiness." Of course, they can't do this, and neither could Cain. I know of groups that have set some of the following rules to establish their holiness:

1. No rock skipping on Sunday.

2. No Sunday newspaper reading.

3. Women must wear panty hose at all times they are outside the house.

4. No chrome bumpers on your vehicles.

5. No purchases on Sunday of any kind except those medically necessary.

6. A multitude of dress codes mostly directed at women: no shorts, no pants, elbows must be covered, no cutting of hair, etc.

7. Certain amusements are to be avoided, e.g., movies, ball games, skating rinks and bowling alleys.

The approach of Cain is to establish one's own righteousness. Yet, Cain's sacrifice was still excellent. How could it be? Cain's offering had its place in giving thanks to the LORD, however, it was not the sacrifice that established that he was righteous. Man's works are insufficient in this regard.

Abel's sacrifice was "more excellent" because in offering the lamb, Abel was acknowledging that he was not only a creature but a sinner, and that he was utterly dependent upon the Sacrifice for righteousness. As a result, Abel "obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts."

God rejected Cain's offering because it was based on self-sufficiency, and He accepted Abel's offering because it was based on faith in the sacrifice and the shedding of blood. While there is no way to be sure, I believe if Cain had brought a lamb with his heart in the condition it was, God would have rejected it. Why? For the same reason. Cain's offering was not BY FAITH. I have had sinners tell me that they are trusting Jesus, yet they are not saved. Why? For the same reason Cain's offering was rejected, it was not offered BY FAITH.

Abel is the first man recorded in the Bible who WORSHIPPED BY FAITH. The Word doesn't say that Adam and Eve didn't, but Abel is the first one recorded in the Bible who worshipped by faith. Abel had no example to follow except his parents. Abel most likely watched his parents as a young boy offer sacrifices, so he knew what he was to do. It is a beautiful heritage of parents to show their children how to worship BY FAITH. What is the example you set for others? Do you worship BY FAITH?

The Scriptures say, "BY FAITH he offered unto God a ...sacrifice." Why? That he might obtain forgiveness of sins. I ask you to trust the Lord Jesus Christ BY FAITH. You must depend 100% on the Perfect Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ in shedding His blood for you so that you might be forgiven of your sins. Personally, I come to Him in the mornings and ask Him to forgive me anew of my sins. I bring the sacrifice BY FAITH, and I only have one, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ, my Redeemer, who died on Calvary's cross. Today, before bringing this message, I offered Him BY FAITH to the God of the Universe, and I came away with my sins forgiven, because the Word tells me, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." (1 John 1:9)

The Bible says, "BY FAITH he offered unto God a ...sacrifice." Abel didn't act on feelings; he acted on facts. I know groups that believe you have to "pray through" to get saved. Before God saves you, they will tell the seeker that you have to go make restitution to those you have wronged before He will save you. Now don't misunderstand me, making restitutions is good, praying for long periods of time is good, but when it comes to the issue of salvation, your works WILL NEVER SAVE YOU. You're praying through, your restitutions, your, your. your....is not the answer. It is not a matter of you believing God has saved you by your feelings, but rather because the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the written Word of God are in agreement. You are made a new creation when God makes you one. You will repent, have faith in the blood atonement, and you will WORSHIP BY FAITH.

Section 2: Abel's Foundation of Faith

The foundation of Abel's faith is found in Romans 10:17: "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Faith must have a solid foundation to rest upon. That foundation is the eternal, unbroken, verbally inspired Word of God. God speaks, the heart receives, and faith acts upon it. If the Bible is not the Word of God, you have no hope and no foundation. I will testify, there is not a shadow, not one ray of doubt in my heart and mind but that the Bible is the Word of God. Believe the Word and be saved; believe it not and be eternally damned. There was a bumper sticker I saw years ago: "God said it. I believe it. That settles it." The phrase was close to true. The better word is" "God said it. That settles it." What is your belief concerning the Bible as God's Perfect Word. It is without error and perfect. I can prove that and perhaps one day I will give you a message on that topic.

There are two kinds of "hearing." There is the outward hearing, and there is the inward hearing. The outward hearing informs. You hear with the natural ear; that informs you. The inward hearing, hearing by the heart, influences you. God speaks, the heart hears. Outward hearing instructs the mind, inward hearing molds the heart. You must have both. You have to have the outward hearing before you can have the inward hearing of the heart. I have said many times, I can only speak to your mind. Only the Holy Spirit can take the words in your mind and apply them to your heart. Get this now, SALVATION IS A SUPERNATURAL ACT. That is a reason that the modern-day church is so worldly and compromising. They make man the final arbiter, not God. If you get this wrong, you are headed for big trouble. Your evangelism will be weak and not tell people the truth. Many times, I am told I am too hard, and I need to soften the message otherwise people won't receive it. That is my exact point. WHEN YOU TELL PEOPLE THE TRUTH, IN THE NATURAL THEY WILL NOT RECEIVE IT. I DON'T WANT FALSE CONVERTS. WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT IS WORKING ON THE HEART THE PERSON WILL RUN TOWARD THE TRUTH AND BE SAVED. That is why I preach and teach the way I do.

In addition to two kinds of hearing, there is a twofold faith: one is intellectually assenting to what God has revealed, and the other is the faith of the heart, which is vital and supernatural principle which works by love. You must first have intellectual faith. Saving faith is first intellectual faith assenting to what God has revealed, and then the faith of the heart which is the work of the Holy Spirit. You need them both! Remember, you are not saved by a fact, but you are saved by a Person. Just believing in the fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God won't save you. Even the demons believe and tremble. It is not until faith is wrought in the heart in a supernatural act by the Holy Spirit that one is saved.

Friend, did you know that when God gets ready to save a sinner, He writes His Law upon the heart and mind of that individual. A case may look hopeless, but it never is. We pray here that the Holy Spirit would reveal to the lost soul their sin. The sinner is incapable of repenting and having faith until the Holy Spirit does a real work in the heart of the lost sinner. When that supernatural act occurs, the sinner will become saved. He will turn to the LORD in repentance, and he will have faith in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Section 3: God's Teachings on Sacrifices

Adam and Eve learned four things in the Garden of Eden about sacrifices:

1. Man needs a covering for his sins; that is one thing He taught them when He slew the animals and made them coats of skin. You need a covering. My covering is the Lord Jesus Christ, the righteousness of God in Christ.

2. God taught Adam and Eve that man's covering is worthless. The couple were trying to sew fig leaves together as a cover. Every sinner whoever gets saved is taught that his apron of self-righteousness is worthless. God won't have your self righteousness. It is worthless.

3. They learned that God must provide a covering. You can try to work your way to heaven, but you can't. You can keep the Sabbath, speak in tongues, get baptized or join a church, but it won't get you entry into heaven. You will get there only on the basis of the shed blood of the Son of God and the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, the righteousness of God, which is Christ Himself.

4. Adam and Eve learned that the covering is obtained by death and blood shedding ("Without shedding of blood (there) is no remission." (Hebrews 9: 22) The covering for sin requires a death and blood-shedding. God wrought out the garment that He gives us on the loom of the cross, He tested it in the darkness of the tomb, and He adorned it in the brightness of the resurrection morning!

God accepted Abel's offering because it was offered BY FAITH. Again, if Cain had brought a lamb, God most likely would not have accepted it because Cain did not offer his sacrifice by faith, but rather self-works. Notice the difference between Abel and his parents. Abel "brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof." Adam and Eve "hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God." Did you see the great truth? There is a sense of guilt that causes a sinner to flee from God. He thinks he can hide himself among the trees and hide himself from his guilt. However, when the Holy Spirit brings conviction to the sinner, and the sinner senses his need, that sinner will flee to Christ. It is my prayer that you will sense your need today so that you will flee to Christ for salvation.

Section 4: Abel's Offering BY FAITH

Abel brought, "The firstlings of his flock, and the fat thereof." "The firstling of the flock" typifies Christ as God's Elect Servant, the Head of the new race. "The fat thereof," refers to the lamb slain. Bringing his offering BY FAITH Abel acknowledged five things:

1. God was righteous and His judgment just in driving Adam and Eve out of the Garden. How many of you do not acknowledge "original sin" and say you didn't fall with Adam? Abel knew this and that is why he brought an offering BY FAITH.

2. Abel acknowledged that he was a guilty sinner and the punishment of death just. God will never forgive a sinner until that sinner takes responsibility for his actions. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." (Ezekiel 18: 4) Every person that ever gets saved comes to a place that he acknowledges that God is right, and he is wrong. He knows he deserves hell. However, know this, God doesn't send you to hell; you send yourself to hell.

3. Abel acknowledged that God is holy, and He hates sin and must punish sin. The average person today doesn't believe that. You hear phrases like, "God loves the sinner but hates the sin." It isn't sinning that God sends to hell, it is the sinner.

4. Abel acknowledged that God is merciful and willing and will accept the death of a Substitute in the sinner's place. When you know this (and you can't without the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit), God's mercy overtakes you and you know that Lord Jesus Christ was a sin offering for YOU!

5. Abel acknowledged that he looked for acceptance with God in Christ the Lamb, of which that lamb that he brought was a type of Christ. Abel offered his sacrifice BY FAITH and offered it as a type of Christ who would die in his place, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.

Conclusion

Friend, do you have faith in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to save you? There is a rest today and you can have it. You can know that your sins are upon the Lord Jesus Christ. You can know that the blood of Jesus Christ saves you. You can know the truth of Christ crucified, Christ buried, Christ resurrected, Christ ascension, and Christ coming again. Do you know this? If not, you can, today!

Next week: Serving by Faith.

10-23-2022 Devotion: Bought

 1 Corinthians 6: 20 reads: "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s." Here is a remarkable truth which many believers have not received. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Because our bodies belong to God, we are not to share our bodies in fornication. Let me be clear: "Christian, your individual physical body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, whom God gave you. Consequently, you do not own your body—God does because he paid for it at the cost of his Son’s death.” Remember the word "redeem." It means to buy back from slavery. The new Master is the Lord Jesus Christ. He bought you and paid for you. You are a slave to Him. He will provide for you and take care of your needs. Our response is to honor Him with our bodies. That is the least we can do. 

10-22-2022 Devotion: Redeem

 We continue looking at the blood redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ. To "redeem" something is to free a slave by paying a ransom. It is actually a business term. Titus 2: 14 reads: "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." This verse speaks of two acts of grace. To "redeem" is to buy back and bring the lost sinner into a state of salvation. However, God will not leave you as He finds you. There is the theological concept of sanctification. Sanctification is how God changes your life to conform to His. The verse uses the word "purify" which means to make clean, cleanse and purify.  Paul’s first point focuses on the individual: Christ paid the price necessary to free people from their sins. Paul’s second point focuses on the church: Christ purifies individuals from their sins so that together they might constitute a people special to Him, a holy people. Christ loves us enough to save us and purify us! That is shouting ground!

10-21-2022 Devotion: Making Peace

 Colossians 1: 20-22 states: "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight...." “Having made peace through the blood of his cross” means that by His paying the penalty on the cross for your sin and my sin, peace has been made between God the Father and the sinner. God does not approach you today and say, “Look here, I’m against you. You have been rebelling against Me and mocking Me. You are a sinner, and I am forced to punish you for that.” No, God is saying something entirely different to the lost sinner today. He says to you and to me, “I have already borne the punishment, I have already paid the penalty for all your sin. I want you to know that you can come to Me. Peace has already been provided for you in Christ Jesus, if you will just turn and come to Me.” Repentance is essential to salvation. Christ shed His blood for the lost. The sinner comes in repentance, taking full responsibility for his actions, and the Holy Spirit will provide him faith and the sinner will be born again. That is the Gospel. That is the good news. Do you know the good news?

10-20-2022 Devotion: Blood

 Today, we start looking at some Scriptures on blood redemption. I know people who have said, "I don't want anything to do with your bloody religion." These people want to try and save themselves. It won't work. They are lost and destined for hell unless there is a change of heart. Ephesians 1: 7 reads: "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace...." Back in eternity past God chose us, He predestined us, and made us accepted in the Beloved. Now we move out of eternity into our time, where the plans of God the Father are placed into the hands of Christ, who moves into space and time to construct the church. It is an historical fact that Jesus was born into this world almost two thousand years ago. God invaded humanity and after being on this earth for thirty years, He died upon a cross, was buried, rose again bodily, and ascended into heaven. Those are the historical facts that the Word of God gives us. While He was here, He redeemed us, and that redemption is through His blood. This is something which is not popular today. Most people want a beautiful religion, one that appeals to their esthetic nature. The cross of Christ does not appeal to the esthetic part of man; it doesn’t appeal to the pride of man. Unfortunately, too many churches never mention the blood of Christ. Does yours? If not, ask why not?

10-19-2022 Devotion: Drawn

 John 6: 44: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." I have written before that the word translated "draw" in the Greek is "helkyo" and it means to force or compel. Jesus teaches that no one can respond positively to His invitation apart from the Father’s work of compelling the individual to come to Him. The heart is naturally corrupt and deceitful and will not accept God’s invitation, unless a special work of God’s grace takes place in the heart. That act of grace is a gift from God and applied to the heart by the Holy Spirit. We don't need to reconcile all the theological distinctions to be born again. We just need to repent and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to save us. Here is one thing the verse makes abundantly clear, no one comes to God without the Holy Spirit's bringing the sinner to the Lord Jesus. He compels and you come. That is crystal clear.

10-18-2022 Devotion: Election

 John 6: 37: "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." God leads to faith all whom He plans to redeem. The redemption of the elect is certain. The Son promises acceptance to anyone who truly believes. There is a theological tension that theologians argue today on election or free will. Are we chosen by God or do we come to God on our own? There are some people who put all their eggs in the basket of election. There are others who put all their eggs in the basket of free will. Election and free will are both in this verse. “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me” states a truth, and that is election. But wait a minute! “And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” is also true, and “him that cometh to me” is free will. It may be difficult to reconcile them, but they are both true. Someone may ask, “You mean that if I’m not the elect I can still come?” My friend, if you come, you will be the elect. That is what really matters. No one who comes to Him, will He cast away. That is my type of election.

10-17-2022 Devotion: The Heart

 Jeremiah 17: 9: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it." In the Old Testament, the “heart” is more than the seat of emotion. It represents the entire character, including the mind and the will. This is true of your heart and my heart. Unfortunately, we all have heart trouble. The Hebrew word translated "wicked" means:  incurable, beyond cure; despairing. The prophet is telling us under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that your heart is incurably evil. That is why the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans that no one seeks after God. You can't seek after Him because you have a wickedly corrupt heart. Now you should understand why I say salvation is a supernatural event. On your own, you would never be saved. However, when God grants you grace, repentance, and faith, you can come to Him and repent and have faith to be born again. I'm thankful God didn't leave me with a deceitful heart. What about you?

Faith Series 5: Walking by Faith

 Today's lesson is part 5 in our faith series. Last week, we instructed you on what was "Living Faith?" Now, we look at what we mean by the phrase, "Walking by Faith"?  This is important as you don't want to be deceived about your faith. You want a faith that is alive and operational in your life. You want to walk by faith. Thank God, we have His Word, and He will guide us. We can know the truth and that truth will set us free. Prayerfully read this lesson and ask yourself, "Am I "Walking by Faith"? 

Introduction

We want to start by looking at two passages of Scripture:

1. Genesis 5: 22-24: "And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." 

Right in the middle of a worldwide apostasy Enoch walked with God. How did he walk with God? He walked with God BY FAITH.  

2. Hebrews 11: 5-6: "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

Let us begin this study focusing on God's order.

Section 1: God's Order 

God has order. Heaven has an order. God governs His people by order. It is not necessarily a historical order, or a chronological order. In verse nine, you read that Isaac and Jacob are mentioned before Sarah. If you read verse thirty, you will find that the walls of Jericho fell before the faith of Rahab is mentioned in verse thirty-one. In verse thirty-two, we find that Gideon is mentioned before Barak, and David before Samuel. The Holy Spirit has a purpose in this.

What is God's order in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews? We call it "EXPERIMENTAL ORDER." By experiential order, I refer to actually experiencing Christ. You can look at a table of tasty food, but until you sample it, you will not the taste experientially. The Bible says, "Taste and see the LORD is gracious." (Psalm 34:8) We see the EXPERIMENTAL ORDER in the first seven verses of chapter eleven:

1. FAITH'S WORSHIP.

2. FAITH'S WALK.

3. FAITH'S WITNESS.

In Abel we see faith's worship, in Enoch we see faith's walk, and in Noah we see faith's witness. WORSHIPING BY FAITH COMES BEFORE WALKING BY FAITH, AND WALKING BY FAITH COMES BEFORE WITNESSING BY FAITH.  That is the order: first, worshiping by faith; second, walking by faith, and third, serving or witnessing by faith. Do you see it? Now here you have the experimental order of the Christian life. But man has reversed the order, today. As soon as a person makes a profession of faith, that individual is pushed into some form of Christian service. The emphasis today is on service, and service is put ahead of worshiping and walking, when worshiping and walking come before witnessing. 

We need to stop and think about how we treat new converts. If they had been truly saved, they would have spent some time under Holy Spirit conviction. The hardness of their heart would have been broken up. The best approach is to tell the new convert to rest, read their Bible and pray. No, the modern church wants to get them "plugged in" to a program or service so the person will not wander off to a new church. They want that new convert plugged in to all the social calendar events. They want him "working for the Lord."  

I want you to get this order. We need God's order not man's order. You come by faith in the blood of the Son of God, fall down and worship Him, the Christ. Then you walk by faith. You may have to crawl a little before you can walk; with all your doubts and fears and attacks of Satan, how you will have to crawl back to the cross.  Yes, you will be a crawling child for a while. Look at what Christ has done for you. Lok anew at the power of God that changed you from a child of Satan to a child of God. Be amazed all over again at the grace and mercy of our LORD. Look anew at the cleansing blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that washed you whiter than snow. The Lord Jesus Christ has delivered you from the penalty and power of sin. Then when you are able, stand up and begin your walk with God. As you begin to walk you will begin to serve our LORD. This wil be your pattern of serving: you worship, you walk, you serve. Before you know it, you will be sharing how God saved you to a lost person, or maybe helping a backslidden believer back to the cross. 

Section 2: Walking with God

Let me repeat, there Enoch's walk by faith must be preceded by Abel's worship by faith. This leads us to the thought: there must first be obedience to Christ, then walking with Christ, then witnessing for Christ. This is heaven's unchanging order.

In the life of Abel, we see where the life of faith begins. Where does it begin? Where God calls a sinner. When God called Abel, that was when the life of faith began. In the life of Enoch, we see what the life of faith consists of. Genesis 5: 24, "And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." In these few words we have set forth the new life of the believer--WALKING WITH GOD. How did Enoch walk before he was saved. Read Ephesians 2: 2. He walked "according to the course of this world." Enoch had gone "his own way" of self-will (Isaiah 53:6). Every man turned to his own way and so did Enoch. He lived a life of self-pleasing as all people do before they are saved. He lived only for the present. I don't care who you are, or how religious you are, or if you have a Rev before your name or a DD after, if you don't know Christ, you are lost and live for the present. 

The Scripture says, "BY FAITH ENOCH WAS TRANSLATED."  The word "translate means to carry across or remove or to change from one place to another. Enoch's translation meant, first, his removal from earth to heaven, which is a prophetic statement, and a type of the believer who will be taken in the Rapture when Christ returns for His church. Read 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18. But "translate" has a deeper meaning. We find in Colossians 1: 13 these words, "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son." The word "translated" which is the same word used to describe Enoch's departure, speaks to the power over death. When Enoch was reconciled to God, he was translated from death unto life, from Satan's family to God's family. This is the believer's standing and state before God. 

The true born-again new creation believer has been translated from the power of sin and the penalty of sin and one day will be translated from the presence of sin! Further, the power of death over the believer has been annulled--TRANSLATED FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE. In Abel we see a sinner saved through the blood of the Lamb; in Enoch we see a saved sinner removed from earth to Heaven, and there is nothing that stands between that saved sinner and the Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven--he has passed from death unto life. The new birth is a supernatural event; it is a miracle of God's grace. Let that set in your mind and heart. 

It is one thing to believe that I have judicially passed from death unto life, but it is quite another thing to live in the realm of life and to know the life of the Son of God. Paul said: "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." (Galatians 2: 20) "Christ ...is our life." (Colossians 3:4) There is a vast difference in believing you have life and living in the realm of life and knowing the life of Christ, which is by faith. Read Jude 14, 15: "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment (now get this) upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." 

The times we live in are no more perilous than those that Enoch lived. Divine grace made Enoch's experience one that pleased God. The life of the believer is one that pleases God. The question I have for you is, are you walking with God? If you are not walking with God, you do not know Him. To know Him is to walk with Him.

If you gratify the flesh, the blessings of the Spirit will be withheld. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS--EVERY BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER WALKS WITH GOD, AND GOD IS REAL TO HIM.

Section 3: Faith that Walks

Faith that walks with God comes by Divine revelation, and faith must have a firm foundation to rest upon; that foundation must be and is the Word of Him that cannot lie. God spoke and Enoch believed. THAT IS THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH. Are you willing to have your life conform to the Word of God or be molded by the Word of God. If you aren't, you are not saved! Listen my friend, YOU'LL OBEY GOD'S WORD OR GO TO HELL FOR YOUR TROUBLE! Every new creation in Christ Jesus wants his life conformed to the Word of God. It may not be conformed as much as you long it to be, but your desire and longing and prayer is, "Lord, oh that my life may be sweetened and molded like the life of my Master, my Lord!"

When did Enoch begin walking with God? Genesis 5: 21-24 tells us it was at the birth of Methuselah. He was 65 years old when Methuselah was born. By Divine revelation, when the baby was born, God made known to Enoch that the world was under judgment, and that at the death of this child it would be destroyed. When God reveals Himself to the human heart, He brings a message of judgment--everything is under judgment. Enoch believed God and named the child "Methuselah, which means DESTRUCTION. From that day on, Enoch walked with God.

Listening friend, this world is under judgment; if you believed that, you would walk with God. Psalm 7:11 states that "God is angry with the wicked every day." The earth will one day be destroyed. If you believed that you would "walk with God." I am going to walk with Him. I want my life to be pleasing to Him. WHAT ABOUT YOU? 

How did Enoch please God? He believed His Word, by taking Him at His Word. The only way you can please God in a world under judgment is to believe Him and His Word. YES, YOU PLEASE GOD BY BELIEVING HIM. No amount of service without belief in God's Word will cause God to be pleased with you. 

Section 4: A Call to Self-Examination

Let us examine ourselves and see if we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). It is by faith the convicted and repentant sinner is saved: "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16: 31) It is by by faith that Christ dwells in the heart: "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love...." (Ephesians 3: 17) It is by faith that we live: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)  It is by faith that we stand: "Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear." (Romans 11: 20) It is by faith we walk: "For we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Are you walking by faith?

Let's look a little closer. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." (1 Peter 5; 8,9) Stand fast in the faith. What faith? Looking to God faith. Look to Christ. Have faith in Him.  It is by faith we fight the good fight: "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." (1 Timothy 6: 12)

Examine yourself. Do you have a faith that walks?

Conclusion

It is by faith that the world is overcome. You can overcome the problems in your lives, overcome the problems of the flesh, overcome the attacks from Satan, overcome your enemies. Remember this, "Without faith it is impossible to please God." The FOUNDATION of your faith is the WORD OF GOD; the OBJECT of your faith is the LORD JESUS CHRIST. There you are. 'WALKING BY FAITH."

Next week: Worshiping by Faith.

10-16-2022 Devotion: None

 Romans 3: 11: "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." On their own, no one understands God.  The problem lies in the corruption of the understanding; that is blinded, depraved, perverted. In other words, apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, no one can understand how to be saved. Moreover, no one on their own is seeking God. That is, none has any interest in God for conversion and deliverance, nor any desire after him. The carnal mind is so far from seeking after God that really it is hatred against him. The Apostle Paul uses the Greek word translated as "none" and it means "not at all, in no way, absolutely not." Paul is making a universal statement of fact. No one seeks after God. Modern day evangelism fails to recognize this fact. That is why most evangelism today appeals to man's flesh to try and convince him "to make a decision for Jesus." A decision for Jesus saves no one. True evangelism preaches the doctrine of repentance because you know that the only way that message will be received is if the Holy Spirit is working on the person's heart. Man on his own will not seek God. That is what Paul is saying. If you have sought God, thank Him today for putting that desire in your heart.

10-15-2022 Devotion: Depravity

 We are going to leave the topic of the Sovereignty of God and focus on the depravity of man. The main issue is whether man is totally depraved or only partially depraved. Does man need the grace of God to come to him before he repents and exercises faith? After we review Scriptures for a few days, we will answer this question. Romans 3: 10 reads: "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one...." What does it mean to be righteous? Well, it means you are right. Right with whom? You are to be right with God. And if we are going to be right with God, we are going to live according to His rules. God’s salvation is a take it or leave it proposition. God is not forcing anybody to take His salvation. You don’t have to be saved. You can turn it down. God says, “This is My universe. You’re living on My little world, using My sunshine and My water and My air, and I have worked out a plan of salvation that is true to My character and My nature. My plan of salvation is the one that’s going to be followed. You’re a sinner, and I want to save you because I love you. Now here it is. Take it or leave it.” Paul makes it clear that no one is righteous. This means, no one without Christ is righteous. I don't care what the government, church, or society thinks about you, God calls you lost. Yet, He still wants to save you. 

10-14-2022 Devotion: Turning

 Proverbs 21: 1: "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will." A person may be a pharaoh in Egypt, a king of Babylon, a Caesar of Rome, an Alexander the Great, a Napoleon, a Joe Stalin, an Adolph Hitler, or anyPresident of the USA. Regardless of how powerful a man may become politically, it can be stated as an axiom that no man can act in the independence of God. Many of these leaders thought they could, and some men today may still think they can. However, the truth is that no man is free from God. No man can act independently. We have a Declaration of Independence in this country. Right now it is being used to declare our independence from God. Our leaders have mocked God and will pay the consequences from His Hand. We believe in liberty; so our nation declared we are free from God! Prayer removed from schools, no mention of God in our government and many times in our workplaces. However, we are not free from God. We cannot act independently. This battle is not over. Take comfort that God is still in charge. No matter what it appears, God is still in complete control. That is a soft pillow to sleep on.

10-13-2022 Devotion: Comfort

 Job 42: 2: "I know that You can do anything. And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You." This verse is part of Job's confession and repentance that finally took place. He still did not know why he suffered so profoundly, but he was done complaining, questioning, and challenging God’s wisdom and justice. He was reduced to such utter humility, crushed beneath the weight of God’s greatness, that all he could do was repent for his insolence. Without answers to all of his questions, Job quietly bowed in humble submission before his Creator and admitted that God was sovereign. I have a saying, "It is good to learn from your mistakes, but it is easier to learn from other people's mistakes. It is less painful." We have the resource of the completed Canon of Scripture. From Genesis to Revelation, it is clear to me that God is Sovereign over His creation. God's purposes will not be stopped. Yes, it may look like at times His Plan is hindered, but it isn't. It will occur exactly in His timing. That is a comfort to me. Charles Spurgeon said, "God's Sovereignty is the pillow that every believer rests his head on at night." This has been my comfort for many years.

10-12-2022 Devotion: Providence

 Genesis 50: 20: "But as for you, you meant evil against me: but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it this day, to save many people alive." Joseph tells this verse to his brothers after their father Jacob had died. The brothers were concerned that Joseph might take revenge on them because they sold him into slavery and told their father he was dead. Joseph responds with a clear statement regarding the Sovereign Plan of God. There is a concept of Providence to be understood here. Providence is how God uses secondary causes (people, events, sickness, etc) and weaves them together to fulfill His Perfect Plan. Do you think it was a coincidence that the traders were coming along at the exact right moment to be in a position to purchase Joseph from his brothers? Of course not! God was weaving these events to put Joseph right where he needed to be to rise to the position of second in command of Egypt. God was going to save the nation of Israel. No Israel, no Messiah, no redemption and no hope of salvation, if Joseph is not sold into slavery from the pit. Think about this the next time something goes wrong (in your eyes). Look for His Providence and trust in His Sovereignty. 

10-11-2022 Devotion: Control

 Isaiah 43: 13: “Also henceforth I am he; there is no one who can deliver from My hand; I work, and who can turn it back?” Before the first day of creation when time began and throughout all periods of history, God exists and manifests His will and purpose. no one . . . My hand. The Heb. behind this clause is identical with the comparable clause in Deut. 32:39. God’s actions are irreversible and can never end in frustration. God's plan and purposes will not be frustrated. If you think about this a while and you know you belong to Him, why should you worry? We worry when we think God is not in control. However, He is in control, so you have nothing to fear. The next time fear raises its head, remind it that nothing can frustrate God or stop His Plan from being manifested and that includes you!

10-10-2022 Devotion: All Things

 Romans 8: 28: "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Many of us have gone to bed claiming this promise. We know the whole world may be on the brink of destruction, the economy failing and money is tight, but we also know something else: all things are working together for good—even the groanings. “All things”—good and bad; bright and dark; sweet and bitter; easy and hard; happy and sad; prosperity and poverty; health and sickness; calm and storm; comfort and suffering; life and death. “Are working together for good” is causative and means that God is working all things—there are no accidents. Know that regardless of what things look like or appear, God is working everything out to bring about His Perfect Plan. That makes me rest easy.

Faith Series 4: Living Faith

 Today's lesson is part 4 in our faith series. Last week, we instructed on what were the evidence of saving faith? Now, we look at what do we mean by the phrase, "Living Faith?"  This is important as you don't want to be deceived about your faith. You want a faith that is alive and operational in your life. Thank God, we have His Word, and He will guide us. We can know the truth and that truth will set us free. Prayerfully read this lesson and ask yourself, "Do I have a living faith?

Introduction

The foundation of faith is the eternal, unbroken, verbally inspired Word of God, called the Bible, God's Holy Word. The object of our faith is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Living Word. You cannot separate the written Word from the Living Word. For example, if you deny the virgin birth of Christ, then you are denying the Word of God. Believe the Word and be saved. Disbelieve the Word and be damned. If you throw aside the Word of God, you have no God except the god of this world, Satan. Did you know that? This is one reason that many churches, denominations, and pastors discredit the Bible through intellectualism and "scholarship." If Satan can get you to doubt the Word, you will be like Eve in the Garden of Eden. Once you start thinking for yourself independent of the Word, you will fail miserably. We are living in an awful time that includes the questioning of the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ. Skepticism, materialism and worldliness are rampant. We see broken homes in the church, lives being ruined by sin, and the loss of a moral compass for people to live by. However, it doesn't have to be this way. You can have a LIVING FAITH. A faith that is alive and operational in your lives can be yours. Let us now now examine exactly what is a LIVING FAITH.

Section 1: The Just Shall Live By Faith

Romans 1: 17 states: "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." Who are the just? Those who have been justified by the God of Heaven. Romans 5: 1 reads: "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Christ died for our sins and God counts the ones with faith as just. It is just as if he or she had never sinned. If you have a living faith, know that there is not one sin registered against you in heaven. That individual shall live by faith, he shall walk by faith, he shall work by faith. His life shall be a work of faith and a labor of love. That faith is still based upon the Word of God; the Word of God is the living foundation of his living faith, just as it is the foundation of his saving faith. 

Galatians 2: 20 states: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live BY THE FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Where do you get the living faith? You get your faith in salvation. "Who loved me and gave himself for me." Paul said that the life he lived as a justified believer was "by the faith of the Son of God."  It was not his faith: it was the faith that was wrought in his heart by the Holy Spirit through the Word that God gave him to lay hold of Christ as his salvation and his Lord and Savior. That same faith, Paul said, "I LIVE BY." The faith of the Son of God.

The lost person has not faith in a Savior. The Holy Spirit when He is ready to save someone does the following:

1. He opens the sinner's heart and shows him his depravity and sinfulness.

2. He uses the Word of God to show him his lost condition until the sinner sees himself and acknowledges his condition.

3. The Holy Spirit will work on the individual until he takes responsibility for his condition.

4. Usually the last thing the Holy Spirit does is that He reveals to that sinner that he has no righteousness whatsoever, and that he possesses a heart of unbelief that does not believe God, does not and will not believe the Word, and cannot believe the Word.

The sinner has no faith to lay hold of the Word of God and no faith to trust Christ as his Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit does this to turn the sinner to repentance, to take responsibility, and to lay hold of the Word of God and bring the sinner to the feet of our LORD. He resigns himself to the justice of God. The justice of God means he is condemned to Hell, and he knows that he deserves hell. WHEN HE COMES TO THAT PLACE, HE SEES HIS ONLY HOPE IS THAT CHRIST DIED FOR SUCH A SINNER AS HE. The Holy Spirit works a work of faith in his heart by the Word; then the Holy Spirit taking the Word of God shows the sinner that Christ, the Son of God, who is God of very God, signed his bond, went to bail, and on the cross paid that bond in full and finished the work of redemption.

That results in a living faith that produces justification from God.

Section 2: Christ As Surety of Living Faith

Christ becomes the saved sinner's SURETY. In the first place, we read Hebrews 7: 22: "By so much was Jesus made a SURETY of a better testament (covenant)." This was a covenant between God the Father and God the Son. The covenant was ratified in Heaven on the basis that the Son would pay in full the bond that God held against every sinner. Every sinner was under arrest and headed to a devil's hell because of their sins. God took Him at His Word, and He justified every one of His elect back in eternity. Then the sinner can say, "Whom He called, them He also justified." (Romans 8: 30)

In the second place, and here is what the sinner sees, CHRIST JESUS BECAME HIS SURETY, taking his place and paying in full the bond that God held against him. The Holy Spirit shows the following:

1. By faith that all his sins have been forgiven and this faith is given to the sinner by Christ.

2. All his sins have been paid for by Christ.

3. He shows the sinner this through the Word.

4. The sinner believes the Word, and his assurance is the Word of God that his sin debt has been paid. 

5. The blood of Christ secures pardon for the believing sinner.

6. He paid our debt on the cross; and His resurrection conquered death.

How do you know Christ died for you: the Word says so.

How do you know Christ was buried: the Word says so.

How do you know He rose from the dead: the Word says so. 

How do you know He ascended into heaven: the Word says so.

How do we know He is making intercession for us at the right hand of God: The Word says so.

By faith the one seeking believes by faith. Then, he acts upon it, feeds upon it, meditates upon it, he rests upon it, and he comes to see by the illumination of the Holy Spirit as the Holy Spirit opens his understanding and opens the Word (Ephesians 1: 18). 

Our faith is a living faith because the Lord Jesus Christ is the SURETY for our faith.

Section 3: The Word is the Foundation of Living Faith

The Word of God becomes the foundation of his living faith; his life is molded and shaped and transformed by the indwelling Holy Spirit through the Word. The Holy Spirit brings him to conform his life to the Word of God (Galatians 5: 16-18). The he lives and walks and works and labors by faith, traveling through this world as a stranger and a pilgrim, looking for a city which has foundations whose Builder and Maker is the LORD God (Hebrews 11: 9-14). 

This individual does not rest his assurance upon answered prayer, or upon the emotions of the flesh, or upon a vision or a dream, or feelings of any type. Based upon the Word of God, he knows that his sins are all forgiven, that he has found grace in the eyes of God (Romans 4:3, 21-25). Why? The Word of God told him so. He hasn't seen Christ with his naked eye, but he has seen Christ revealed through the Word with his spiritual eye. Then Christ is his SURETY. Personally, I can testify that God gave me faith to believe His Word, and He showed me that Christ died according to the His Word and died for ME! And I know that Christ died for me because the Word of God says so, and the Word of God cannot be broken--God cannot lie (Titus 1: 2). 

Section 4: The Role of the Holy Spirit in Living Faith

The sinner who has been brought to a place of knowing that Christ died for him, was brought to that point by the Holy Spirit. Man may preach to the mind, but only the Holy Spirit can touch the heart. From this point until he reaches heaven, the believer lives by faith and not by sight (II Corinthians 5: 7). The Holy Spirit, in bringing a sinner to the place of repentance, causes that sinner to give up in his heart all his friends and his loved ones, all his plans, everything that he ever had or ever hoped to have, and everything that he was or ever hoped to be by nature (Philippians 3: 7-9). In other words, God strips that sinner of everything, and he forsakes everything to get to Christ (Luke 14:33). God also separates that sinner from every living creature and brings him to give up faith in every creature. HE IS SHUT UP WITH ONE PERSON, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. When God saves someone, the sinner has nothing in the world but the Lord Jesus Christ! IS THIS YOUR EXPERIENCE? DO YOU TRULY KNOW THE LORD?

The Holy Spirit who convicted that sinner separated him and stripped him and brought him to Christ indwells him to lead him, guide him, to teach him, and to pour the oil of grace upon his heart, to supply him with faith to believe the Word and the Lord Jesus Christ. The new believer has been taken out of Satan's family (Colossians 1: 13); he has been delivered from this present evil world (Galatians 1: 14). He is a stranger and a pilgrim (Hebrews 11: 13); he is a sojourner, and he comes to find that "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." The only thing left for him to do is to trust Christ who saved him, to believe the Lord who redeemed him, and to cling to the promises of God which tell him about the Lord. That is what Paul meant when he said, "I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." Everything in hi life is lived in direct relationship with the Lord. He finds the will of God in the Bible and the Word becomes an absolute guide to him. He lives moment by moment with the Holy Spirit guiding and directing him. 

Section 5: Christ as Security for Living Faith

The believer finds that Christ is not only hid SURETY, but also his SECURITY, that he can trust Him. He has been separated from everybody to Christ. Christ becomes his Bread (John 6:48); he feeds upon Him. Christ becomes his Water of Life to quench his thirst (John 4: 14). Christ is his Foundation upon which he stands (1 Corinthians 3: 11). Christ is his Strength in whom he works and labors (Psalms 62: 7). Christ is the Surety of the Covenant that guarantees him a safe journey to Heaven (Hebrews 7: 22). Christ is the High Tower from which he views the other land (II Samuel 22: 3). Christ is his Rock, the foundation of his hope (Psalm 18: 2), and his Shadow in a weary land (Isaiah 32: 2). Christ is his Rest (Hebrews 4: 9). Christ is his Shield and Buckler (Psalm 91: 4). And all of this is real t that individual as he grows in grace. 

He finds that he can do nothing without Christ (Philippians 2:13; John 3:27; John 15:5). He can trust Christ is sickness and in health, in calm and in storm, in success and in adversity. He can trust his family to Him; he can trust Him for every meal and all his provisions, and for every material need he has. Christ will lead him through life, both the abundant life and the challenging times. As the Holy Spirit hides the Word in his heart, his faith and confidence in Christ will grow. The more Word he gets inside him, the more he will trust his Surety. 

This is a reason that the born-again believer has to stay separated from the world. If you feed your mind with the things of the world and neglect God's Word, you will not grow in grace. You will become miserable (1 Peter 2: 1-3). If you sow to the flesh, you will reap corruption; if we sow to the Spirit, of the Spirit you shall reap life everlasting (Galatians 6:8).

Hebrews 13: 5 states in part: "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee...." We know this is true because the Word says so. His Word is eternally true, and we know that what God has said He will do, He will do. Faith appropriates the promises of God. Faith believes the promises of God. Faith rests in these promises. Romans 8: 31 says: "If God be for us (in substitution), who can be against us?" If Christ died for me--and He did--if Christ paid my sin debt--a debt paid in full-- and He did; if God for Christ's sake forgave me my sins--and He did; then God in substitution. Who can be against you? The answer is, "No one!" You may be in a challenging place. You can cry out with assurance, "He will never leave me nor forsake me." If Christ died for you when you were an enemy to Him, how much more will He be for you now that He has saved you! Christ is the believer's security, read Romans 8: 38,39: Nothing can separate you from the love of God, which is Christ Jesus our Lord.

Friend, if you have never done so, take a moment to ask the Lord to give you faith to believe His Word and to make it your own. Take the time! Let the world rush on to destruction, but you can be saved and preserved. Whether you are an awakened sinner seeking salvation or saint of the living God, will you go to Him and believe His Word and act in obedience to it? Will you, do it?

Section 6: What is Living Faith? 

Hebrews 11:1 reads: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith is substantially the thing that you ask for, or that God has laid on your heart. Faith stands for the thing until it becomes a reality. Then the child of God makes the Bible his companion, and he is constantly reading it and meditating on it, wanting to know the will of God (John 7:17); and the Holy Spirit, who indwells him, knows the will of God (Romans 8: 26, 27) and makes the will of God known to the heart of that individual through the Word by faith, and he will live by faith. Faith will cause him to rest before Christ in the Word calmly, quietly, with a childlike faith in his Lord--"My Lord will work it out." He will rest his whole case in the hands of Christ in the same manner that he rested his soul one day when God saved him and the LORD God his Redeemer leads him through no matter the difficulties. 

Conclusion:

Living faith is a faith that takes one through all of life, no matter what is occurring. A living faith is one that works on the inside in your heart, and outside with regard to circumstances. The Lord Jesus Christ has provided us our living faith. He is the surety and security for our living faith.

FRIEND, DO YOU HAVE THIS LIVING FAITH? IF YOU DON'T YOU CAN. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR SINS, TURN AWAY FROM THEM, GO TO THE FOOT OF THE CROSS, THE SAVIOR WILL MEET YOU THERE! Place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and He will never turn you away. He will save you.

Next week: Walking By Faith.