The Faith That Counts the Cost
"Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment . . . . of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something BETTER FOR US, that they should not be made perfect APART FROM US" (Hebrew 11:36:40).
In this final half of Hebrews 11, we move from the faith of the patriarchs to the faith of Moses and the children of Israel and how God used certain individuals who were willing to count the cost to help God's people collectively to move forward into greater spiritual progress, possession, and prosperity.
When just one person is willing to count the cost and give worth to Jesus regardless of what they are facing, multitudes of people are able to benefit from the obedience of that believing individual.
The Lord is so pleased by our faith that He is always looking to SHOW HIMSELF STRONG on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to Him and even Malachi speaks of a book of remembrance being written for those who fear the LORD and meditate on His Name (Mal. 3:16).
If someone were to write a book on your life and only focused on the times you took steps of faith, how much could be written about your life that would inspire others?
For Moses, things did not start off easy and it did not look like a life that would invoke faith in others. He was first hidden as a baby by his parents for a period of time and then placed in the Nile River. He was then providentially PROTECTED, divinely SELECTED, and personally CORRECTED until the LORD could accomplish His greater purpose in his life.
There are many DISAPPOINTMENTS that end up becoming DIVINE APPOINTMENTS when faith is placed in the true and living God. As a result, there are many lessons we can glean from those who chose to believe and persevere and give greater worth to God by moving forward during various hardships against hostility from others.
Here are some valuable life lessons of FAITH UNDER FIRE...
The Apostle Paul said, "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith" (Phil. 3:8-9).
The interesting thing that this whole Hall of Faith shows us is that all of the men and women recorded in Hebrews 11 were from the Old Testament, but the writer of Hebrews wants us to see that God has provided something FAR BETTER for all of us who are IN CHRIST in the New Covenant. We have a BETTER covenant built on BETTER promises with a BETTER priesthood because of the BETTER blood sacrifice, that is of CHRIST, and therefore we have become citizens of a BETTER country and these Old Testament witnesses who went before us will not be perfected without us.
Since we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us and overflowing out of us and we can enter into the Holiest of All by a NEW and LIVING WAY with BOLD ACCESS to the throne of grace at ALL times, we are now ABLE TO LIVE EVEN GREATER LIVES OF FAITH today!
This Week’s NEW COVENANT Exhortation:
Have you decided to FULLY OBEY GOD no matter what this next season of faith holds for you?
Choose today to COUNT THE COST and to GIVE WORTH TO GOD knowing that what He has in store for us is always FAR BETTER!
In this final half of Hebrews 11, we move from the faith of the patriarchs to the faith of Moses and the children of Israel and how God used certain individuals who were willing to count the cost to help God's people collectively to move forward into greater spiritual progress, possession, and prosperity.
When just one person is willing to count the cost and give worth to Jesus regardless of what they are facing, multitudes of people are able to benefit from the obedience of that believing individual.
The Lord is so pleased by our faith that He is always looking to SHOW HIMSELF STRONG on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to Him and even Malachi speaks of a book of remembrance being written for those who fear the LORD and meditate on His Name (Mal. 3:16).
If someone were to write a book on your life and only focused on the times you took steps of faith, how much could be written about your life that would inspire others?
For Moses, things did not start off easy and it did not look like a life that would invoke faith in others. He was first hidden as a baby by his parents for a period of time and then placed in the Nile River. He was then providentially PROTECTED, divinely SELECTED, and personally CORRECTED until the LORD could accomplish His greater purpose in his life.
There are many DISAPPOINTMENTS that end up becoming DIVINE APPOINTMENTS when faith is placed in the true and living God. As a result, there are many lessons we can glean from those who chose to believe and persevere and give greater worth to God by moving forward during various hardships against hostility from others.
Here are some valuable life lessons of FAITH UNDER FIRE...
- Faith REVEALS a DESTINY that is first:…birthed…hidden…tested…tried…trusted…and fulfilled!
- Faith REFUSES a false IDENTITY to embrace our true CALLING from God.
- Faith RELEASES us from the FEAR of Man.
- Faith REMINDS us of God’s past faithfulness to deliver us.
- Faith REALIZES God’s hand ALREADY AT WORK, then RESPONDS with our feet READY TO WALK.
- Faith RELIES ON GOD to get the VICTORY!
- Faith RECEIVES what will give God the GLORY and what REMAINS obedient to His WORD!
- By Faith, they all RESOLVED to COUNT THE COST to gain what cannot be lost.
The Apostle Paul said, "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith" (Phil. 3:8-9).
The interesting thing that this whole Hall of Faith shows us is that all of the men and women recorded in Hebrews 11 were from the Old Testament, but the writer of Hebrews wants us to see that God has provided something FAR BETTER for all of us who are IN CHRIST in the New Covenant. We have a BETTER covenant built on BETTER promises with a BETTER priesthood because of the BETTER blood sacrifice, that is of CHRIST, and therefore we have become citizens of a BETTER country and these Old Testament witnesses who went before us will not be perfected without us.
Since we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us and overflowing out of us and we can enter into the Holiest of All by a NEW and LIVING WAY with BOLD ACCESS to the throne of grace at ALL times, we are now ABLE TO LIVE EVEN GREATER LIVES OF FAITH today!
This Week’s NEW COVENANT Exhortation:
Have you decided to FULLY OBEY GOD no matter what this next season of faith holds for you?
Choose today to COUNT THE COST and to GIVE WORTH TO GOD knowing that what He has in store for us is always FAR BETTER!
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