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Christian Chronicles, September, 2004 - Volume 7, Issue 105

| The Editor's Pen | Perspectives | Mid-East Update | Fruit of the Vine | Wait on the Lord | 
| The Substance of Things Hoped For  | The Evidence of Things not Seen | Faith and Love | We're Available |

The Editor's Pen

There is another sort of faith, however, to which Christians refer when they say, “Keep the faith.” It is not the saving faith with which one believes the Gospel, but it is that faith that believes Solomon’s words: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Prov 3:5-6). It is a practical faith that the world cannot fathom, because it flies in the face of reason. Sometimes Christians are called upon by God to do things that the world would consider great risks. Other times, Christians take no action when the world with its reason would panic, knee-jerking into what seems reasonable, but which wreaks greater havoc and destruction down the road. Practical faith seems impractical to the world, but the faithful Christian, having seen God’s handiwork many times in his life, has learned to trust that God can see the end from the beginning. Even when reason screams not to do a thing, or when grave danger looms and reason says move swiftly, the Christian knows to do as the Psalmist says, and, “Wait on the Lord.” When one acknowledges God in the details of his life, God has promised to direct his paths. Therefore do Christians step out on faith when moved by the Holy Spirit, knowing that God will not direct them incorrectly. And therefore do Christians display that wonderful unflappability in the face of trials that make non-Christians tremble. There is nothing more practical than walking by faith, and it is all the more so when we do not understand why in the world God has led us down the paths along which He has determined to direct us.

Perspectives

Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him,
and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth
your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him…
                                                    (Ps 36:5-7a)

The sort of trust that David speaks of is among the most difficult of the many exhortations given to the people of God. God is eternal, and sees time altogether differently than we do. Patience is not the long suit of human beings. We might start out with patience on the road to some goal or accomplishment, but as time begins to slip away and we have not yet seen any sign of the success we seek, a tiny web of fear begins to grow across the pit of the stomach and our patience wanes. A sense of urgency begins to tug at our hearts and minds until a quiet desperation characterizes us more than a faithful rest. Sometimes the situation becomes pressing—some great need arises in our lives—and we fear that a great tragedy will befall us shortly. We may think that we need one thing, but God may think that we need something else. We lose sight altogether of the fact that all things do indeed work together for our good, even those things that we think are catastrophic, and we begin to panic. It might be financial worries, health problems, troubled relationships, career goals. Whatever the source of our fear (the devil knows the things that trouble each and every one of us), our hearts wax apprehensive, and our prayers turn to anxious pleading. We might say that we want God’s will to be done, and with our intellect, we may even want it to be so, but God tests our hearts. And what did Jeremiah say of our hearts? He said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jer 17:9).

David wrote, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Ps 27:14). So many of us suffer from those jangling alarm bells that ring incessantly in the backs of our minds. We wait, because we have no choice. Or we don’t wait, and we take matters into our own hands and get ourselves into situations that could have been avoided had we embraced the admonishing words of the Scriptures. There is good courage, and there is folly. The fool boasts proudly, “Grab life by the horns!” It takes more courage to wait on the Lord than it does to act hastily in blind ignorance of what the future holds. Grab life by the horns? The devil wears those horns, and it is his world right now. There is another cliché that ought to be quoted here: Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Let us be of good courage!

As we mature spiritually, God develops patience in His children. What we do not like to think about, however, is that it is the testing of our faith that produces this patience (Jas 1:3). Another thing that we wish to avoid is the simple fact that, as our faith grows stronger, the tests become more difficult, and our need of patience grows accordingly. But our God is a God of patience (Rom 15:5), and as we are conformed to the image of His Son (Rom 8:29), He develops patience in each of us, even though He must frequently drag us kicking and screaming into His will along the way. It is especially true among the young in Christ. But not really. It is especially true outwardly among young Christians, but even mature Christians suffer the same sort of testing that new Christians face. A test that doesn’t place our backs against the wall and make us rely upon God, knowing that our own devices will not answer the test, is not much of a test. It is those times when we must rely upon Him, and when, on the back side of the test, we see His great wisdom and providence that our faith and patience begin to grow.

Paul wrote to the Christians in Colosse, “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light” (Col 1:9-12). As we walk the pathways upon which our God directs us, we learn who He is, and how trustworthy He is. As we study His Word and increase in the knowledge of Him, our understanding deepens, and we become increasingly fruitful, working in His strength and not our own, and we learn by experience to be patient. We have been delivered from the power of darkness, where fear dwells, and have already been conveyed into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Col 1:13). We dwell in the light, where there is no fear. Let us therefore learn to sit back and relax in the face of crises, resting in the Lord as we await His glory. Psalm 29:11 is our peace.

Middle East Update

The problem is, it is not his back yard. In fact, it is not his house or his front yard either. The West Bank and the Gaza Strip belong to Israel, and it will be theirs forever. God gave it to Abraham, who sired both Ishmael and Isaac, but He clearly said, “...in Isaac shall your seed be called” (Gen 21:12; Rom 9:7; Heb 11:18). Ishmael’s mother, Hagar, taunted Sarah and mocked her when she conceived Ishmael, but when Sarah became pregnant with Isaac, she had Abraham cast Hagar and Ishmael out. The descendants of Ishmael have been trying ever since to claim what they perceive to be their birthright, since Ishmael was Abraham’s first-born son. Nevertheless, their desire does not abrogate the promises of God, or nullify His declarations. The Palestinians are in that land for a time, but it is clear that they will not occupy it during either the Kingdom Age or eternity.

It is a matter of faith. And the Jews do not yet have faith. They will, and what a blessed Day that will be! When Jesus, their Messiah, at last ascends the steps of the Temple, to be crowned and seated upon His throne, the glory of God will arise over that ancient city like the sun (Isa 60: 1-5). Righteousness will spring up from the ground like grass, and will fall from the heavens like showers of rain (Isa 45:8).

There is a Day coming in which Israel will have the sort of faith that they ought to have today. In that Day, all of the descendants of Ishmael who have persecuted the descendants of Isaac will be cast out of the Holy Land. When they see the Jesus that John saw (Rev 1:13-16), then they will trust Him.

Fruit of the Vine

Jesus said, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (Jn 3:8). The Holy Spirit “blows” us into the lives of the lost, and then He “blows” us out again. When our walk is such that our faith can be seen, the unsaved are often struck by our demeanor. They look at us and say, “What does he have that I don’t have?” What we have is the earnest of our inheritance, the very Spirit of the living God, dwelling in us. Even if an individual Christian does not have knowledge of the Scriptures sufficient to relate the story of Calvary and its implications, a life that is centered in God and dependent upon Him will often cause the unsaved to begin to question, to seek to understand how such a placid and fearless life is possible. Without a word, a Christian can be fruitful among the unsaved. Let us live our faith!

Wait on the Lord - OMM

Abram (later called Abraham) was promised a child in his old age. Sarai (later called Sarah) and he hatched a plan to ‘help out the Lord.’ (context Gen 16:1-5) “Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight. And Sarai said to Abram, ‘May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the LORD judge between you and me.’”

The strife did not end there. Eventually Sarah did give birth as promised to Isaac. Sarah had Hagar and her son Ishmael exiled. (Gen 21:9-10) “Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. Therefore she said to Abraham, "Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac."

Ishmael’s Arabic descendants and Isaac’s descendants, the Jewish people are enemies to this day. Even our nation has felt the terror wrought by Ishmael’s people. Paul describes the ongoing consequence of the choice of Abraham: (Gal 4:28-31) “And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. “

Ultimately, Abraham did believe and wait for God’s promise to be fulfilled. He serves as an example to us. (Heb 6:9-15) “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, ‘I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.’ And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.”

Moses knew he was to deliver Israel. He acted prematurely, before being directed by the Lord. (Exo 2:12-15) “So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.”

In Midian he waited for 40 years. Then the Lord saw Moses to be meek enough to be His servant. By then, Moses was not even confident to lead God’s people; he had to depend on the Lord’s power alone. (Exo 3:11-12) “But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?’ And He said, ‘Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.’” Ultimately Moses and Israel would learn to wait. What should have been a few days journey lasted 40 years more before they reached the promised destination of Canaan.

Our apostle of grace and salvation, Paul, leads Christ’s followers by example: (Gal 1:15-18) “But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.” Three years! Only being taught of the Lord for that duration of time.

There is more: (Gal 2:1-5) “Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. It was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain. But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.” Yes! Paul the Christian example waited 14 years before going to Jerusalem to declare his ministry. And, that also only after God told him to do so. The result of his obedience is that Gentiles can now worship Christ free from legalistic encumbrances. What a victory we ought to be enjoying today. So then let us wait upon the Lord. A work done in His timing, in His strength is perfection indeed.

The Substance of Things Hoped For

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that over comes the world – our faith (1 Jn 5:4).

While Bible scholars have given us many descriptions of the nature of faith, the Bible itself has one definition only, if you can call it a definition. Often attempts to define faith only tend to make the doctrine more obscure. The writer to the Hebrews says that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for: the evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). Arthur Way’s translation is expressive, “Faith which issues in the winning of life. Faith is that attitude of mind which is the foundation-rock on which hope stands, that which satisfies us of the reality of things as yet beyond our ken (Heb 11:1). Noyes gives us this rendering, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, and conviction of things not seen.” Dean Alford has it, “Faith is the confidence of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

HEAR – “Faith cometh by hearing” (Rom 10:17). “Hear, and your soul shall live” (Isa 55:3).

LOOK – “Look unto me and be ye saved” (Isa 45:22).

RECEIVE – “As many as receive Him…even to them that believe on His name” (Jn 1:12).

The employment of these similar terms reveals the importance of the theme in the mind of the Spirit. All through the New Testament we find “faith” referred to as attending every step of the Christian experience, from its commencement to its consummation. At all times and under all circumstances, such faith is essential (Mk 16:16; Rom 14:23; Heb 3:19; 11:6; Rev 21:8), and counts on God to make good His promises, when not one of them is at hand (Lk 5:18-20; Jn 4:46-53; Heb 11:11-13; Isa 11:2; 26:3). Spelled out as an acrostic, faith means

This faith we are considering is not a blind, unintelligent act of the mind, nor is it credulity. It rests upon a knowledge of God as revealed in His Word. Ours is not a blind trust, in an unknown stranger. “…they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee” (Ps 9:10). Faith through knowledge leads to commitment. Faith reaches its end in surrender (2 Tim l:12). A person may know that a bank is sound, and trusts its security, but only when a transfer of funds has taken place has actual business been done.

That there are various aspects and degrees of faith is the clear teaching Paul emphasizes when he speaks of faith leading to more faith (Rom 1:17), and also of “the measure of faith,” and of “the proportion of faith” (Rom 12:3-6). But whatever degree of faith we have, Christ is the Author of it all (Heb 12:2).

So we must conclude the just shall live by faith (Heb 10:38) for without faith, it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6a).

The Evidence of Things not Seen

The prophet Habakkuk saw the wickedness of God’s people and lamented to Him concerning their poor judgment. He cried, “Why do You show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds” (1:3-4). Habakkuk was complaining that God seemed indifferent to the problems in Israel, that He would not act to correct the evils among His people. Christians often complain that they pray, but that God doesn’t hear them or doesn’t answer them. That was how Habakkuk felt when he poured out his lament to God.

But God did hear. And He did answer. His answer, however, was one that the prophet could not understand. He understood what God said, but he did not understand how God could do what He said He was going to do. God said to Habakkuk, “Look among the nations and watch— be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you. For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation which marches through the breadth of the earth, to possess dwelling places that are not theirs. They are terrible and dreadful; their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves” (1:5-8).

What Habakkuk could not understand was how a righteous God could use an unrighteous nation to execute judgments upon His people. He asked, “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, and hold Your tongue when the wicked devours a person more righteous than he?” (1:13). The prophet thought that he understood the mind of God, but then came what he perceived as inconsistency. He said, “I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will answer me, and what I will answer when I am corrected” (2:1). And how did God respond to Habakkuk? He said, “Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith” (2:4).

Paul, opening his letter to the church at Rome, quoted God’s words to Habakkuk. He wrote, “I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith’” (Rom 1:14 -17).

Every religion that has been devised by man teaches that man must do something in order to attain the final estate of the religion, whether that estate be valhalla, heaven, nirvana, or whatever. What Paul is bringing out here is that faith in the gospel of Christ is the only avenue to eternal life. He goes on to prove conclusively that salvation can be gained in no other way, because nobody is good enough. He writes, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. For what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man— and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Rom 1:18-25).

What follows this passage is a ringing indictment of the whole race. Scofield writes: “In proving the guilt of the world Paul brings the witness of three forms of divine revelation, that is, God’s will as it is revealed in the law and the prophets: (1) against the pagan, the witness of creation (1:19-20); (2) against the moralizer, the witness of conscience (2:15); and (3) against the Jew, the witness of the Scriptures (3:2). (Scofield Study System, Oxford University Press, New York 2002, Pg 1553—footnote to Rom 3:2)

Many preachers and teachers use 1:26-27 as a polemic against homosexuality, which it is indeed, but they fail to continue reading the remainder of the chapter, which brings the entire human race under the same indictment. When used thus, with vv. 26-27 taken out of context, what is found is an attempt to judge a small demographic while allowing the rest to look down upon them, feeling smug in their judgment. In truth, God, in this complete passage, proves the guilt of the entire world. Paul, in the context of the whole (1:16—3:22a), is declaring that if anyone is to be justified, he must accept the gospel of Christ, and when he does, the righteousness of God is imputed by grace to that believer. Thus, the just shall live eternally by faith. Really, it is a very practical concept, and when considered from the standpoint of objective logic; and given that there is not a living human being who can honestly claim to be sinless, it is the only theological premise that makes sense, out of all the religions in the world. It is the only system of belief that sustains the righteousness, justice, holiness and love of God while also dealing effectively with sins against that God. What a great God we serve so poorly!

Paul, writing to the churches in the region of Galatia, says to them essentially the same thing that God said to Habakkuk. He wrote, “...just as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scriptures, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’ But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘The just shall live by faith’” (Gal 3:6-11). Just as the Jews, captive in Babylon and away from the Temple in Jerusalem, could revert to the faith of Abraham in their sojourn in a foreign land, so also may present day ambassadors from heaven to earth, apart from our heavenly tabernacle, live by that same faith as strangers and pilgrims on the earth, trusting the same God that Abraham trusted, and having the same Godly righteousness charged to our account as Abraham had charged to his. Poor Abraham had not the Holy Spirit indwelling him. We do have. What a great blessing it is to be a Christian today!

When God was speaking to Habakkuk, describing the invasion of the Chaldeans (also called Babylonians, and Mesopotamians, and presently called Iraqis), He made this statement: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith” (Hab 2:2b-4). He was speaking of an impending judgment that was going to be poured out upon His people. It will not tarry, but the just shall live by his faith.

The writer to the Hebrews said, “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith…” (Heb 10:35-38a), We are to live by faith whether we are awaiting judgment, as Israel was, or blessing, in the rapture of the Church.

The anonymous writer to the Hebrews said, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a crowd of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:1-2). Let us examine first a few of those named among that great crowd of witnesses.

“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (11:7). Warned of things not seen. It had never before rained. Not a cloud had ever darkened the sky of earth (Gen 2:6), but a mist came up from the ground every night to water the vegetation that God had created. Facing the mockery of his friends and neighbors, to be sure, Noah believed God, and feared not to build that ark. For one hundred twenty years Noah worked on the ark, all the while preaching to everyone concerning the gathering storm. He did not become heir to God’s righteousness by building the ark, but he built the ark because he first believed God’s Word. It took great faith to withstand all the mockery and persecution, but he persevered because his faith was a practical faith, one that strengthened him to do the will of God. He cared not about his temporal well-being, but, like faithful Abraham, he sought a city whose builder and maker is God. He built that ark so that the bloodline would be continued in order to yet produce that Seed of the woman, Christ, our Redeemer, who is our own Ark. What vindication he must have felt when he heard the very first rolling thunder ever to crash upon the earth, and saw the great, black clouds darkening an ever-blue sky. When the first raindrops poured from the windows of heaven, spattering upon the roof of the ark, how his heart must have rejoiced to have that glimpse of the great glory of His God. Noah’s was a faith that was practical. It flew in the face of reason, and resulted in actions that the world could neither understand nor approve. They surely thought of him as that old kook with the boat in his backyard. Faith rarely accords with reason.

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Heb 11:8). Noah believed when he was warned of things not yet seen. Here, Abraham leaves his more than comfortable existence, not knowing where he is going. The “Faith Hall of Fame,” chapter eleven of Hebrews, opens like this: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (11:1). Abraham was a very rich man. When he would later go to war (Gen 14:1-16), it was his own servants who formed his army. He had great herds and many earthly luxuries and riches, but when God told him to walk away from it all, that is what he did. Imagine the ridicule of his peers. If a very wealthy man today were to turn his back on his riches and go out and live in a tent (see Heb 11:9), there would surely be today what there probably was when Abraham left, a great struggle to claim his lands and houses. Those with whom he did business must have thought him completely insane. Abraham did not care. He took Sarah and went on his way, trusting that God would keep His Word. He became one of those nomads that yet wander the deserts and oases in search of commerce. But Abraham was not seeking commerce. He was seeking heirs as innumerable as the sand by the seashore. He was standing on the promises of God, and he went out, not knowing where he was going. How very remarkable.

Those innumerable heirs “all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them” (Heb 11:13-16). Any of Abraham’s innumerable heirs could’ve returned to Chaldea. God would have made opportunity for them to do so. But they were mindful of a heavenly country.

While the sensational is not often imposed upon us today, the doubtful is frequently our calling. That sin that so easily besets us is doubt. In the context of the book of Hebrews, its mention follows the faith hall of fame, which is preceded in the earlier chapters by the foundations of our faith. Every weight. And how does worry and doubt stoop the shoulders and burden the heart? It is sin. We are to trust God in the circumstances of our lives. We are to commune with Him. When we do, He often tests our faith, calling upon us to stand in some unreasonable situation for some time. The race that we are called upon to run is difficult, and is to be endured. In fact, the word that is translated “race” is “agon,” and is the root from which our English word “agony” is derived. If we serve God, our lives will be hard, and we will be faced with situations that seem not to make sense. Well, if you can hold it in your hand, you do not need faith. But faith is the evidence of things not seen, and we are to act on the evidence that God gives us. We plow ahead, never looking back, but ever with our shoulders to the wheel, pressing “toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:14). When we turn our eyes toward that Light, the Author and Finisher of our faith, Jesus, our bodies are filled with light (Mt 6:22), and worries and fears melt away as we to go to places and things unseen by worldly eyes, to do things that mortal man would fear to do. Faith is the very substance of our hopes. Be mindful of that City, and let us keep our shoulders pressed hard against our labors.

Faith and Love

James said, “Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (2:18b). Paul said, “Love does no harm to another; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom 13:10). Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:34-35).

Christianity is not about “being good.” If it were, we would all be in serious trouble. For, even among the children of God, there is yet none good, no, not one (Rom 3:10,12). We look to the Ten Commandments as the rule of life to which we ought to adhere, and we do it religiously. Jesus said this: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Mt 22:37-40). Paul said, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Rom 12:18). All of the Mosaic Law revolves around two principles, loving God, and loving our neighbors. The Decalogue encompasses the love of God and the love of man. We do not live by the letter of the Law today, but by its Spirit (Rom 7:6). And the Spirit of the Law is not a Spirit of judgment, but of love.

This is in accordance with the context of James’ words. Just prior to the discussion in chapter two of showing faith without and by works, the discussion was of the “royal law,” where he wrote, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors” (Jas 2:8-9). The entirety of the next chapter is about loving our neighbors, in the context of the things that we say to or about them. He writes: “Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity… With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God” (Jas 3: 5b-6, 9).

When we trust God, we can love our enemies. It takes a very practical sort of faith to do so, recognizing that our enemies are persecuting us on temporal ground, while we are indeed eternal creatures, and nothing temporal has any real value, seeing it is all going to be utterly destroyed by that fervent heat of which Peter wrote (2 Pet 3:10, 12). Jesus prayed for His enemies, even those who crucified Him. His prayer was sincere because His Father was “real” to Him. Therefore was He able to genuinely love His enemies, because His Spirit was that of His Father. And we, by faith, are able to love those whom we do not even know, keeping our eyes on the Author and Finisher of our faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God, and sin is a violation against love.

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