Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.
By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
Hebrews 11:1-3, 13-16 New Living Translation (NLT)
Having faith pleases God because He knows the world in which we live. It is one of the most difficult of commands He has issued. Believing in what we cannot see is not an easy task, especially when what we do see can be terrifying. This is why we must rely upon the One who gave us eyes to see and ears to hear in desperate dependence. It pleases God when we admit we need Him to take charge of our lives and everything that happens in them. Our freewill is simply a gift we are to give back to God which demonstrates our willing choice to make our Creator Lord of our lives.
Many people don't understand this gift of grace. Freewill is often used to take advantage of those who put their trust in God. Trusting in God's sovereignty is often viewed as a weakness, making believers seem vulnerable to those who don't know God. However, knowing God through Jesus Christ offers the ultimate protection from this. Jesus came to save the world and He did. He's coming back to finish saving those who believe He came to save the world. As it is, the world is not how God created it to be. God has a plan to change all that, no matter how it looks to us now. Believe it!
No matter how things turn out today, we will still be looking for a "better place." The enemy will still lurk in the darkened hearts of people commissioned to bring harm to others, especially those who follow or even seek to know Christ. Their mission is to kill, steal and destroy as they follow their leader. Our faith cannot be in politics or even religion. Our faith must be in the finished work of Jesus on that Cross and the fact that God sent Him to die because of His great love for everyone He created. That is how we really win.
For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 Corinthians 5:1 ESV
Comments