January 31st 2021
Are You Ready To Be Happy In Jesus And To Trust And Obey?
Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
The writer of Hebrews wrote a long string of thoughts which are headed as “By faith.” See verses 11:1-31 for this whole list of such thoughts. In this commentary we are only going to refer to the first few verses to help us understand that salvation is only available to anyone through FAITH! As is written in verse 1, faith gives us the ability to understand that having faith in Jesus Christ gives believers a guarantee we can be “sure of what we hope for” and “certain of what we do not see.”
In this reference to hope it is meant as a certainty not some form of wishful thinking, as we sometimes use hope to mean today. Being certain of what we do not see is absolutely important in seeking salvation! As believers we will not see heaven until we die, and yet, through faith we know that what we are wishing for is a real place, and we are going there because of what Jesus Christ did for me (us) to guarantee my (our) salvation! This is the faith that will save your immortal soul when you leave this mortal cursed life.
This faith allows us to believe that Jesus/God Created everything we see in this cursed world. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 11:3). By this faith we know that the evolutionary theory is not true as it allows death before the curse brought on death and suffering into this world because of the first sin. To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." (Genesis 3:17-19). Because of this curse we die and return to the earth as dust.
This curse also brought on competitive attitudes of mankind that interfere even with how we glorify God, or even if we desire to glorify God at all. The first two brothers born into this cursed world had conflicts over worshipping God. By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. (Hebrews 11:4). It is no wonder that the proposed body of Christ has so many breaks in that we have so many denominations. Believers do not agree on how to worship God, which results in the appearance of not just one God to be comprehended by mankind!
Jesus Christ came to this earth to offer salvation to God’s chosen people the Jews. However, they did not recognize Him as their Messiah and thus God expanded through His grace to include anyone who does recognize Jesus as their Savior through faith! What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling-stone". As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." (Romans 9:30-33). The Jews failed to recognize the key to salvation cannot be earned by good works as mankind is too evil to justify salvation through their goodness. No one is good enough to deserve salvation, God is willing to overlook our sinful nature and grant us salvation, if we believe by faith that Jesus Christ is the promised Savior of this cursed world!
So, even in prayer we must first profess believing that Jesus Christ is the One and only Savior before we can converse directly with God our Father. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6). James wrote about the possibility of receiving healing through faith. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. (James 5:15). Not only will we be healed we will also be forgiven for our sins.
Confession of our sins to God is important and will free us from being concerned about our salvation. Paul wrote, “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9). The strength of what our faith may be able to allow is unknown. It seems apparent that it can allow us to do amazing things. It allowed Peter to walk on water, but when his faith waned, he began to sink, and Jesus had to save his mortal life. How strong is your faith? Walking on water is likely not a good idea to test it. Maybe just being able to be happy in this life, even with all the current disruptions may be a good sign that you are doing very well.
Let this commentary be closed with the first verse of one of my favorite hymns. It is called “Thrust and Obey.”
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
· Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Are you ready to be happy in Jesus and to trust and obey?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
The writer of Hebrews wrote a long string of thoughts which are headed as “By faith.” See verses 11:1-31 for this whole list of such thoughts. In this commentary we are only going to refer to the first few verses to help us understand that salvation is only available to anyone through FAITH! As is written in verse 1, faith gives us the ability to understand that having faith in Jesus Christ gives believers a guarantee we can be “sure of what we hope for” and “certain of what we do not see.”
In this reference to hope it is meant as a certainty not some form of wishful thinking, as we sometimes use hope to mean today. Being certain of what we do not see is absolutely important in seeking salvation! As believers we will not see heaven until we die, and yet, through faith we know that what we are wishing for is a real place, and we are going there because of what Jesus Christ did for me (us) to guarantee my (our) salvation! This is the faith that will save your immortal soul when you leave this mortal cursed life.
This faith allows us to believe that Jesus/God Created everything we see in this cursed world. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 11:3). By this faith we know that the evolutionary theory is not true as it allows death before the curse brought on death and suffering into this world because of the first sin. To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." (Genesis 3:17-19). Because of this curse we die and return to the earth as dust.
This curse also brought on competitive attitudes of mankind that interfere even with how we glorify God, or even if we desire to glorify God at all. The first two brothers born into this cursed world had conflicts over worshipping God. By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. (Hebrews 11:4). It is no wonder that the proposed body of Christ has so many breaks in that we have so many denominations. Believers do not agree on how to worship God, which results in the appearance of not just one God to be comprehended by mankind!
Jesus Christ came to this earth to offer salvation to God’s chosen people the Jews. However, they did not recognize Him as their Messiah and thus God expanded through His grace to include anyone who does recognize Jesus as their Savior through faith! What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling-stone". As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." (Romans 9:30-33). The Jews failed to recognize the key to salvation cannot be earned by good works as mankind is too evil to justify salvation through their goodness. No one is good enough to deserve salvation, God is willing to overlook our sinful nature and grant us salvation, if we believe by faith that Jesus Christ is the promised Savior of this cursed world!
So, even in prayer we must first profess believing that Jesus Christ is the One and only Savior before we can converse directly with God our Father. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6). James wrote about the possibility of receiving healing through faith. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. (James 5:15). Not only will we be healed we will also be forgiven for our sins.
Confession of our sins to God is important and will free us from being concerned about our salvation. Paul wrote, “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9). The strength of what our faith may be able to allow is unknown. It seems apparent that it can allow us to do amazing things. It allowed Peter to walk on water, but when his faith waned, he began to sink, and Jesus had to save his mortal life. How strong is your faith? Walking on water is likely not a good idea to test it. Maybe just being able to be happy in this life, even with all the current disruptions may be a good sign that you are doing very well.
Let this commentary be closed with the first verse of one of my favorite hymns. It is called “Thrust and Obey.”
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
· Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Are you ready to be happy in Jesus and to trust and obey?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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