The assurance of faith…

 

These days it seems much easier to see the evil and hardness of heart in the world than it is to see the grand things that God is doing. The focus on bad news fits with media’s mantra of “It bleeds, it leads” while the good news often has Jesus Christ stamped all over it and is filed away.

For example, we watched a narrowly won football game and in the interview of a winning team member, that player gives glory to the Lord for his ability to play well. Then the program abruptly switches to a commercial.

Months ago, a group of missionaries were abducted by criminals. When they returned home, the news reported their rescue, but the mission board website told of a miraculous escape with a locked door left open and they simply walked out and went home. No rescue involved, but the media does not like mysterious events that point to ‘only God’ so the story became tainted.
This builds a distrust in the media, and it goes two ways. I’m not sure anyone would believe it if they did report the God-events that happen.

The Bible says there will be events that are currently unimaginable, even for those who know and love God, except that God has a way of cluing us in:

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. (1 Corinthians 2:9–10)

Revelations from God are difficult to describe for they are not based on presumption, or some inner, strong ‘I want’ but on the power of God to communicate by faith without visible evidence. It is a sense of knowing. Some will say, “God told me” but this has been used by those who presume, or are listening to a strong inner desire, so it is has become a suspect reason to dismiss those statements.

One NT definition of faith uses creation, along with understanding God’s acceptance of His people, as an example:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews 11:1–3)

I just know that God created all things. I’ve read the evolution arguments and heard what is said, but in my heart, I just know the biblical account is true. I also know that God accepts me because of Christ and what He has done for me. Neither are visible in the sense of having a sensory proof, but faith just knows.

Without faith, all this seems ridiculous. No matter. The Bible also says:

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:14–16)

At times, my mind will get distracted by media, contrary reports, blah, blah, blah, but the mind of Christ is powerful. He keeps telling me to not listen to any feeble human attempts to describe the world, but pay attention to the powerful thoughts He gives, thoughts of faith that cover not only the personal problems that I struggle with, but the events in the world that seem so godless and filled with evil intent. Faith tells me that God remains sovereign, that He has a plan that will work out just as He desires. The news may report that ‘many have died’ but the language of the Lord says ‘much more are being saved’ whether I can see the evidence or not.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! (Romans 11:33)

PRAY: Faith in You has visible results, the main one being Your peace in my heart. I don’t know what You are doing in the world, nor my family, nor even in my own life at times. But I do know You are who You are — and You can be trusted. Your wisdom and knowledge are complete, total, and correspond to Your holiness, love, and plan for this world, and for my life. Unsearchable and inscrutable are big words, yet the little word ‘faith’ overcomes their power — because of You.

 

How do you know?

One of those heavy philosophical questions is: how do we know what we know? Skeptics and pessimists might say all of life is an illusion, or that what we know is a projection of what we desire. I don’t know the depths of all this. I do know that I can be deceived into thinking something is true when it later proves otherwise. I also realize that there is a difference between hoping things will turn out based on what I want and having knowledge based on God’s Word. The first can ‘go south’ but the second never changes.

Romans 8 is the chapter about knowing. It begins with the qualification for my certainty — which is not based on my brain power at all, but on my relationship with Jesus Christ and on what He says is true. It is not true because I believe it; I believe it because it is true.

From this chapter, I know that I’m not under God’s condemnation. God says this is true for anyone who is ‘in Christ Jesus’ — those who trust Him to set us free from the law of sin and death. God has done what the law could not do.

“By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:3-11)

In this chapter, God also says that all who believe have the Spirit of God. It is the Spirit who knows and because of His testimony to my heart, I also know who I am and I know what is mine in Christ!

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Romans 8:12-17)

As Fortner says, Romans 8 assures me that there is a better day coming. Daily news verifies that the earth is cursed by sin, a place of suffering. Yet verses 18 – 25 say that our present sufferings “are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.”

Someday creation will be “set free from its bondage to corruption” and enter into the “freedom of the glory of the children of God.” Our bodies will be redeemed, yet in the meantime we both “groan inwardly” and yet “wait eagerly” and “with patience” as the Holy Spirit helps us in our praying and our knowing.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30)

This promise was impressed on my heart when God saved me. Because of Him, I knew and still know and rely on this truth. All that happens to me is used by God to shape me into the image of His Son. Knowing this has made sense of life and for me, is a very important truth.

There is more. Verses 31-39 asks rhetorical questions and all those who belong to God know the answers.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  . . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure (I know) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

^^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, those without faith charge believers with presumption and arrogance, for this is the only knowing that they understand concerning You and eternal matters. Yet I know that blindness too. Once I was there, not knowing or being able to wrap my mind around who You are and what You have done. it is only because You opened my eyes to see Your reality that I can now know the truth and that truth has set me free!

Faith knows the outcome

Isaiah 60:1–62:12, Luke 22:63–23:25, Job 13:13–28

When I became a Christian, one of the first truths God showed me was that He uses all things for good in my life (Romans 8:28-29) to make me more like Jesus. But, I still need reminding. Some days I take a close look at myself and say, “Yea, right” wondering if this will ever happen.

I’m sure the Israelites felt the same way in many points of their history. When Isaiah wrote his book, they were in moral and spiritual decline. Soon they would be exiled to Babylon, yet God would bring them back to their land and restore them. He continually reminded them that He would use this captivity for their good.

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1–2)

These words remind me also that God will eventually turn away all my struggles and problems. He will cause His glory to be seen in me, even if the rest of the world is in darkness.

Isaiah also says, “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.” (Isaiah 62:1–3)

They may not have believed this at the time, but they needed to hear it. The Word of God would give them hope, just as it does the same for me.

Job was in a worse pickle. At least the Israelites had some inkling that their sins brought God’s chastening, but Job had no idea why God allowed all the trials he was experiencing. However, throughout his story, there are glimpses that he had hope. He knew God would eventually make things right. Early in his story, he declared that hope: “Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face. This will be my salvation, that the godless shall not come before him. Keep listening to my words, and let my declaration be in your ears. Behold, I have prepared my case; I know that I shall be in the right.” (Job 13:15–18)

Job never did find out the reason for his trials, but his hope sustained him, even though he contended with God about the mystery of his suffering. God never chastened him for that, perhaps because He knew that down in the very depths of Job’s heart was genuine faith. His trust wavered and rose and fell, but it did not disappear.

In my experiences with God, I know this reality. When in trial after trial, or temptation after temptation, faith might appear to take wings, but it never disappears. Faith is a gift from God and He keeps sending it back. I know deep down in my heart that God can be trusted. All else might fail, but He never fails and nothing is too hard for Him.

Jesus knew it too. “When day came (the day of His crucifixion), the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council, and they said, ‘If you are the Christ, tell us.’”

Jesus was not in despair. He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” (Luke 22:66–69)

Because of His faith, Jesus knew that the most awful thing would work out for good — and it did.

This is the same faith that God gives me. When I am tempted to give up, that still small voice whispers, “I am right here” and I know that He is. His plans are perfect, even for my good, and He will never leave me or forsake me. The faith of Jesus Christ knows the outcome — light, glory, full righteousness, a crown of glory, His dominion over all, godlessness vanquished and Jesus seated at the right hand of God! Faith is confident in God for the outcome.