Tag Archives: belief

Timeless Faith – Hebrews 11

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“Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. For by this our ancestors were approved….. These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised…. All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us” (Hebrews 11:1-2,13,39-40, CSB).

In Hebrews 11, the “faith” chapter, the Hebrews writer defines faith and then provides a chapter-long litany of Old Testament examples.

Unfortunately, for us modern, empirical types, the Hebrews writer’s definition of faith is the antithesis of the scientific standards of observable data. Faith according to the Hebrews writer is not based on observable data but it’s based on the “proof” of the unseen. It’s inscrutable!

And, while having faith means we have hope for something we do not see, it also provokes us to take certain actions in our lives (vs. 2).

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The Scarred God – John 20:24-29

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Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.” Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God! Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (John 20:27-29, CSB)

NOTE: In the title of this post don’t misread “Scarred” meaning disfigured as “Scared” meaning afraid.

Did you know that Jesus was talking about you when He spoke these words to Thomas during one of His appearances to His disciples after His resurrection?

Christians today face a dilemma they have faced since Jesus made this statement to Thomas—that of living in that period in time after Christ’s first coming and before His second coming.

Some theologians have called the age in which we live “between the times,” meaning the period of time between Christ’s first and second comings.

While the first generation of Christians was closely connected to Christ’s first coming, all Christians since have had to address the ambiguity of the time between His first and second comings.

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Signs – John 6:22-59

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“Jesus answered, ‘Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him.’ ‘What can we do to perform the works of God?’ they asked. Jesus replied, ‘This is the work of God—that you believe in the one he has sent.’ “What sign, then, are you going to do so that we may see and believe you?’ they asked” (John 6:26-30, CSB).

The signs or miracles Jesus performed weren’t so much to get people to believe in Him as to validate His Messiahship. Jesus was more interested in granting people eternal life than in performing miracles to heal or feed them.

Jesus wanted more from our belief than just believing in the miracles He performed.

Belief in His Messiahship was the belief Jesus wanted His disciples to have. Jesus described it as a life-sustaining belief: “Truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day, because my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink” (vs. 53-55).

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In God We Entrust – 1 Peter 2:21-24

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InGodWeTrustDollarBill“And while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:23, NASB).

A law passed by Congress and approved by the President on July 30, 1956, declared “IN GOD WE TRUST” to be the national motto of the United States. This motto is engraved or printed on U.S. coins and currency.

So what’s so important about trust in God that we wanted it printed on our currency? It’s meant to show that the United States is a nation that trusts in God, a nation that recognizes God’s sovereignty over all nations on Earth.

“Trust” is a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. Trust in God means recognizing or acknowledging that God is Sovereign and Mighty over His Creation.

But, in these verses the Apostle Peter tells us that when Jesus experienced suffering, He entrusted Himself to God.

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The Unbelieving Believer – Mark 9:14-29

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prayer2“And he answered them, ‘O faithless generations, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?” (Mark 9:20, ESV)

The story of Jesus healing a boy with an unclean spirit demonstrates the dilemma many Christians face when trying to live out their faith. They may find themselves become unbelieving believers!

Jesus finds some of his disciples arguing with some Jewish religious leaders and a crowd had gathered around them. A man in the crowd explains to Jesus that since childhood his son has been possessed by a demon that causes the boy to have seizures, convulsions, and not be able to talk.

Jesus’s disciples were unable to cast out the demon, so the father pleaded with Jesus to help the boy if He could.

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