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Last week’s repost, “The Devil’s Bullpen” and this one form the February 2012 posts to which I refer in the opening paragraph of the two-part, “The Faith That Saves,” under The Faith category.1 Sadly, satanically inspired confusion over the exact origin and nature of the faith God requires to save a man continues to this hour. While some have wrongly made the faith that saves so high men need a special gift from God to exercise it, others have made it so low as to be mere words devoid of any heartfelt sincerity which Scripture teaches God requires (Romans 10:6-10). It is from out of the latter group that easy belief from a cheap grace arises and which this edited repost addresses.
The Lord Jesus likens a man’s heart of faith to be saved to that of a trusting little child (Matthew 18:1-5). Such faith is anything but empty words. As every parent knows, trusting little children constantly and consistently look to them wide-eyed to take care of them and meet their every need. So it is with us who are saved by grace through faith in the living God! Unlike human parents though, that weary with their children’s dependent faith, God is pleased with and encourages the growth of it in His.
Originally Posted February 26, 2012
The Lord has led me to follow-up last week’s blog on Whitney Houston’s death to address the issue of faith that endures to salvation as is plainly taught in His Word. This faith is in contrast to that which passes for it in the lives of so many professing to be Christians today. It is the faith that fills the heart of and is a matter of character in every aspiring strong man and great woman of God in the image of Jesus Christ I write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics.2
As many in our nation are physically flabby, so, many professed Christians are spiritually. Consequently, they are weak, effortlessly seduced and perpetually overcome by Satan, sin and self. One major reason for this is the easy belief in Christ and the Gospel that many pastors and churches accept without question or follow with genuine discipleship in their eagerness to fill seats. Essentially, all one has to do to be pronounced a Christian these days is say with the lips, “I believe.” And while there is a real place for not making ourselves judges of the heart, God surely expects us to pay attention to the attitudes, lifestyle and behavior of those who have said, “I believe,” (Matthew 7:15-20).
According to Hebrews 11:6, the faith that saves and endures to completion is two-fold. First, it is confidence and trust in as well as reliance on the truth that God is. That is, that God exists. Though this is good, in my experience it is unfortunately where many people stop in their faith. They often struggle for a lifetime because while they believe there is a God, they are unwilling to accept His judgment of them, repent and take the next step to embrace the Gospel for deliverance (John 3:16-21; Romans 3:9-26). Of course, many of those persons are not truthful at all about believing God exists since if they really did, like the demons, they would be in terror of their Judge (Isaiah 6:1-5; James 2:19)!
The few--relatively speaking--that press on into salvation are those who not only believe God is, but that He is also “a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him,” (Hebrews 11:6b, NKJV). This is the second aspect of the faith that saves and endures to completion. Diligence has to do with pursuing something with all perseverance and painstaking effort. Diligence is so important to God, it is purposely built into the lives of His aspiring strong men and great women of God as a character trait.3 In repentance and the two-fold faith that pleases God, then, folk believe the Gospel and cling steadfastly to God’s promises contained therein through many trials and tribulations to the death (Matthew 5:10-12, 10:21-22, 24:9-13; Hebrews 3:14, 10:32-12:2; 1 Peter 1:3-9; Revelation 12:11).
Salvation is of faith from beginning to end (Romans 1:16-17). “Without faith it is impossible to please” God and be saved, much less live for Him (Hebrews 11:6a, NKJV). Sobering, is it not? Therefore, I urge you dear reader, to see if you are really a Christian and repent from any easy belief that has deceived you. I also urge you to get my book to learn what God from the Bible expects your life to look like as one professing to know Him in faith. You will be shown how to live with the “blessed assurance” and victory of biblical faith in Christ that endures to the saving of the soul. No one will question from your lifestyle and deeds at your death whether you really knew Christ or not.
1 The Faith That Saves Pt. 1 was reposted April 6, 2014 followed the next week by Pt. 2.
2 The book is available at all major internet book sellers, by order at your favorite brick and mortar bookstore or in the Strong Man Store.
3 Purposely teaching men biblical manhood in Christ’s image includes teaching them His holy character God wills to build into their lives. Half of the twenty-six week
Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study is spent doing this. Learn more.
Joyful praise lifted up to God Almighty and the Lord Jesus Christ continue and overflow in this final edited 2013 blog repost of the four blog series. Let every faithful Christian; every aspiring strong man and great woman of God in the image of Jesus Christ our Lord hold nothing back. Give praise here and now on earth to our glorified King who has done great and eternal things for us including glorifying us with Himself (John 17:22; Romans 8:14-18; Colossians 3:4; 1 John 3:2)!
Originally Posted April 28, 2013
When the Lord Jesus and His triumphal procession arrived in Heaven He went immediately to the glorious temple of God (Psalm 24:3-10)! It was very familiar in sight and layout to the Jewish saints in the company that had seen the tabernacles of God on earth. There, the Lord presented Himself to the Father in the “Most Holy Place” as High Priest of the New Covenant ratified through His blood and for coronation (Daniel 7:13; Hebrews 9:11-28, NKJV). Then, the Father conferred on Him the eternal dominion and Kingdom of God. He also majestically crowned and glorified His Son before the whole awestruck assembly of Heaven (Daniel 7:14; Philippians 2:6-11). Thereafter, He caused the Lord Jesus to sit at His right hand until He makes His enemies His footstool as foretold (Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:1-13, 10:11-18; 1 Peter 3:22).
So now, the Son and Word of God, the second Person of the triune God again shone with the glory that was His from eternity as He had prayed while still in mortal flesh before His death (Ezekiel 1:26-28; Daniel 10:4-9; John 17:4-5). This was the glory of which His apostles on earth had seen by way of visions on the mountain (Matthew 17:1-9; 2 Peter 1:16-18), on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:1-7) and on the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9-17). This is the indescribable glory of Jesus Christ--fully God and fully Man; “He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen,” (1 Timothy 6:15b-16, NKJV). Hallelujah!
With a glory permanently radiating out from His Person far brighter than lightening, the Lord Jesus seated next to His Father waits just like us that believe in Him for the Day of His return. In the meantime, He labors with us in fulfilling His commission and walks with us through all of our trials comforting, encouraging, strengthening, healing--whatever we need in accord with His sovereign will and power (Matthew 28:18-20; John 14:18; 2 Timothy 4:17-18; Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 John 2:1-2, 5:1-5)! Then, when the time of our departure arrives--however it comes, with great joy and peace we as that great hymn declares, “fly away” disembodied into Christ’s glorious presence; taking our place among all of those already on Mt. Zion to await our resurrection to immortal glory (Hebrews 12:18-24).
By the grace of God we have been given advance snapshots of life as it is and is still to come in Heaven while we are disembodied there. In Heaven, we will enjoy magnificent sights beyond finite mortal description to include the throne and face of God the Father along with amazing creatures. We will also hear and gladly participate in the unforced praise of these creatures and angels being continually offered up to the triune God (Revelation 4). With complete abandon of reserve we will joyfully join in the praise of Jesus Christ, the Lamb, with all of the redeemed (Revelation 5). We will stand for and salute our brothers that arrive in Heaven after being martyred for the faith through the time of the “great tribulation,” (Acts 7:54-60; Revelation 6:9-11, 7:9-17, 14:9-13, 15:1-4, NKJV).
We will be filled with solemn, holy awe and stand still with all the other creatures of Heaven as God prepares to pour out His wrath on the wicked (Revelation 15:5-8). We will rejoice in the vindication of His righteousness and victorious assumption of earth rule in the aftermath of avenging judgments very importantly upon corrupt Christianity the religion of men on behalf of us, “His servants,” (Revelation 19:1-6, NKJV)! Then, at last, we will be prepared for our return with Christ to the earth (Revelation 19:7-10) to be resurrected to immortality and glorified before a waiting creation (Romans 8:19-23) as well as the eyes of the entire watching universe (Matthew 24:29-31; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17)! Praises be to the Lord Jesus Christ who has made this all possible! “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen,” (1 Timothy 1:17, NKJV). Alleluia!
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