Hebrews 11-1-3 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, it is the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
Verse 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He rewards them that diligently seek Him.
Faith is now! And your faith gives substance to the things that you hope for! Because the elders had faith, they gained God’s approval. When we have faith God, is pleased. The Greek that is rendered “pleased” in Hebrews 11:6 is accurately described as entirely satisfied, or sated. I put it like this, “when God sees faith in us, He is satisfied. Think about when you have eaten a fabulous meal. You ate to your content but did not over eat. Remember the feeling of pushing the chair back from the table, with that incredible feeling of satisfaction after feasting on delicious cooking. Think about it! God is feasting on our faith!
By looking at things through the eyes of faith we can discern that our world has been put together by His word, and that the unseen world, the things that do not appear, are more real than what we see with the natural eye.
Another ancient text says. I call heaven and earth to witness this day to you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life that you and your descendants may live.
Notice that the passage says this day. Every day at all times we are given choices. The choice is what thoughts are we going to think? What will you agree with? It seems that many of us are trapped in a future tense gospel. Is the Kingdom of God present? Is the Gospel, the good news? Every instant of every day we are given choices. I believe the main choice we have in life has to do with perception. How do we perceive God? Is He a mean, judgmental, angry God? Is He loving and kind, quick to forgive? How do we perceive the challenges of life that we are presented with? Are the obstacles we face sent to destroy us, or they to help us grow? One of my mentors said “what side of the bed did you get up on?” For you who profess Christianity, is the Bible something you can trust? Or is it merely a bunch of metaphors and stories? Ok so you trust it, huh? How about this
John 14:12 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father.
Do you reckon that Jesus really meant that? I have heard that scripture explained away in several creative ways. Bottom line, our faith is manifested through our life. So is everyone’s.
Where is the Present Tense Gospel?
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