In times past, the Israelites saw God's great works which were constantly on display before their eyes; and even today, we do see His works, for we live in His work; and His work declares the good news of God; as it is written, “The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples have seen His glory.” (Psalms 97:6) And again, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.” (Psalms 19:1) And furthermore, we have His spoken Word. But we do not see Him who does these works, neither Him who speaks these words. For in the wilderness, they seen the cloud covering Mount Sinai, but not the form of Him; as it says,
" You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live! " (Exodus 33:20)
They seen Moses enter the Tent of Meeting, and the cloud descended, but they did not see God; they seen the pillar of fire by night and the pillar of cloud by day, but they did not see the form of the Holy one who was in the fire and in the cloud; they seen the bread from heaven and the water from the rock, but they did not see Him who performed these signs. They seen Moses, who performed the signs of God, but seen not God. For they all had good news preached to them, through the words of Moses and the miracles of God, but it did not profit them because the word was not united in them by faith. And this is faith, and this is belief: the conviction of things unseen, the assurance of things hoped for. For faith is made possible only with the unseen. And the things which are considered impossible are possible to those who believe; as Jesus says,
"All things are possible to him who believes." (Mark 9:22-23)
And,
" If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you." (Matthew 17:19-20)
For even Christ couldn't do many miracles when He entered into His hometown because of their unbelief. (Matthew 13:58).
But in that latter generation during the days of Christ, they tested Him and tried Him, but He was graciously putting up with them for years; and that generation, although seeing His works which were numerous among them - yes, they were constantly seeing His works - yet they were trying Him, questioning His authority, and not believing in Him; even John, the baptist, who was sent before Him, they did not believe him - they were seeking a sign from heaven, although they were seeing greater signs than their ancestors ever saw in the wilderness, which they knew about, for they read about them in the law every Sabbath; but yet they did not repent to Him so they may be healed, for they did not believe in Him; and they were hardened and became blind to the truth; they became just like their ancestors. In the same way their ancestors treated the prophets, they fulfilled Scripture by treating Christ shamefully; the very Scriptures they read every Sabbath, they were unknowingly fulfilling them. Yes, do not resemble that generation who doubted even though they seen things that were never before seen: God in the flesh, in Jesus Christ, appearing to the nation of Israel, making Himself known by signs and miracles for the sake of their forefathers. The majority did not believe Him, but a select few did receive Him; they received the promise of eternal life through faith in His name. For although the majority seen Jesus in the flesh, it did not profit them because they did not believe in Him; for although seeing Him, they still needed to believe, for He was hidden in the vessel of human flesh; and it says of Him,
" He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. " (Isaiah 53:2)
And it says about Him,
" Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him. " (Job 9:11)
So although they seen Him, they were not able to recognize Him as Messiah, even though the Scriptures prophesy about Him, and they heard these Scriptures every Sabbath; and He, fulfilling them, was amongst them, but their eyes were darkened for they did not believe the Word which was written. For the true way to see Christ is with the eyes of faith, not with the eyes of the flesh; to see Him in the Spirit, not in the body; to look upon Him from a heavenly view, not an earthly view; this is true sight which is by hearing, and hearing the Word of Christ.
So what do we say then? "Although they seen His signs and heard His words and walked with Him, and yet disbelieved, how can we do any better?" Not so. It is because they did not believe the Word of God, nor the word of Moses; if they had, they would have believed Christ; as He says,
" If you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words? " (John 5:46-47)
Furthermore He says,
" If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead. " (Luke 16:31)
For it is no different for us today than it was for them who seen Him: they needed to receive Jesus by faith. And so do we, so that faith would be possible and the righteousness thereof; as Jesus Christ said,
" And concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me. " (John 16:7-11)
For faith comes when we do not see; if we did see Him as He is, then faith would no longer be possible and the righteousness thereof would not be possible. But those who seen Him in the flesh were hardened by God and became blind to the truth, because although they seen Him in the flesh, yet they did not believe in Him; as it says,
" WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN. " (Mark 4:12)
And Christ, even while weeping said,
" If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. " (Luke 19:42)
And that because they did not believe the Scriptures which foretold of Him. And they were hardened that the Good News might come to the Gentiles; as it says,
" I say then, the Jews did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. " (Romans 11:11)
For all things which are spiritual are unseen; and God is Spirit; all those who receive Him must receive Him through spiritual means: that is faith. And this is the Gospel, the New Testament, the New Covenant: believe in Jesus Christ whom the Father has sent. This is our duty; as Christ testifies,
" This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent. " (John 6:29)
For by the works of the flesh no man is declared just before God.
So let us truly see the Lord through His Word. As the prophets seen the oracles of God and put them forth in truth; as it is written, "The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw." (Habakkuk 1:1) And again it is written, "The word of the LORD which he saw." (Micah 1:1) So let us see through the Word of the Lord. Let us see those who doubted in times past, in that wicked generation, and let us not resemble them even in a shadow, nor shrink back in disbelief or fear; instead, let us be strengthen in God's grace, moving forward towards the heavenly prize which is ours in Christ Jesus. He reprimanded many because of their lack of faith; as it is written,
" Why are you afraid, you men of little faith? " (Matthew 8:26)
And again, it is written,
"You of little faith, why did you doubt? " (Matthew 14:30-31)
And again,
"You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? " (Matthew 17:15-17)
So He did not reprove them because of their sin, but He rebuked them because of their faithlessness. So let us beware lest we become a waverer ourselves, for the things which happened before-hand provide examples to us to whom the end of the age has come. For the root of all disobedience and sin is unbelief.
On the other hand, those who believed in Christ Jesus followed Him and became His disciples; to them He gave them the right to become children of the living God. Some of them who believed in Him and were His disciples received the grace to see Him after His death. These are the apostles. At first, they stooped and saw the empty tomb; they wondered where His body had gone; they heard the testimonies of the women who saw angels, and those angels testified Christ had risen, but it seemed as fables to them. But when they seen Jesus standing before them, for He appeared to them behind closed doors, then they believed; and Jesus reproved them because of their hardness of heart and lack of faith; and He ate with them and spoke to them, giving them commandments. They seen Him in His resurrection body, yet He gives to us the blessing which stands to us this day:
" Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed. " (John 20:29)
And one of the apostles who seen Him, Peter, says, "Though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8-9) And to many others, He was seen in His glorified body; as it says, “He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;” (1 Corinthians 15:6) But to us who come after them, He is to be seen through faith, which is apart from sight. So let us receive the greater blessing by receiving Him without sight; and let us seek not signs from heaven which can be seen, but the sign of a changed life by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
So let us not be unbelieving and disobedient as these previous generations were; but instead, let us follow the men who were obedient, who were given to us as examples, who are men of faith. For all of them who disbelieved in the wilderness, their bodies laid scattered as a testimony to us today; and not one, besides two, Caleb and Joshua, entered into the Promised Land of that generation. And after Christ's ministry, having multitudes of followers while He was alive, only 120 were obedient and waited in Jerusalem for the power from on High. Let us not think to ourselves, "Oh, if only I lived in that day, I wouldn't be like them!" Again it says,
" If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead. " (Luke 16:31)
But let us, on the other hand, fear, lest we ourselves may be found with an unbelieving and wicked heart as they had and perished. For although having eyes, they did not see, and ears, they did not hear. Generations come and generations go, but all of them repeat themselves, for there is nothing new under the sun. The same as it was back then, it is today. Albeit we will all leave this place, we all will come back by the resurrection of the dead for everlasting judgment, to receive the recompense of our deeds which are done in the body; and God has elected Christ to sit on His judgment seat to judge the world in righteousness. As it says, “BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him.” (Revelation 1:7) So therefore, although we do not see Him now, in the time to come we will be made to see Him. So knowing the terror of the Lord, we convince others, for the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; although we do not see Him now, all eyes of all flesh will behold Him. The eyes of the ungodly will seek death by rocks rather than to look upon the Son of God in the clouds; as they will say to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:16-17) So now, while His face shines down upon us for good, let us throw off every hindrance and weight of sin which slows our race of faith.
Let us look and see why the men of old did not believe in times past, so that we do not follow their evil example of disobedience. Let us see; let us see when Israel disbelieved the gospel which Moses preached to them: as it says, "they did not listen to Moses on account of their despondency and cruel bondage.” (Exodus 6:9) For their heart was embittered and their eyes were dimmed because of hardship; they could not see the light of the gospel which Moses preached to them. For he was "like a bush in the desert And will not see when prosperity comes.” (Jeremiah 17:6) He was like Hagar in the desert: not able to see the well of water before her eyes (Genesis 21:19). Yes, we may not believe the good news in the bitterness of our soul; just as the Shunammite in Elisha's days did not believe the promise, which said, "At this season next year you will embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant." (2 Kings 4:16) For to her, every good news seemed to be a lie, for to her, it was too good to be true. And when a similar promise was given to Abraham concerning Sarah, which said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." (Genesis 18:10) Sarah laughed; for she and her husband were old, so she considered it impossible within her heart. And you know the divine response: "Is anything too difficult for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14)
And let us remember Moses who doubted when the LORD promised to feed 600,000 men in the wilderness for a whole month; but the LORD responded, "Is the LORD'S power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not." (Numbers 11:23) As the mouth of unbelief says, "Behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" (2 Kings 7:2) And furthermore, do you remember when Israel disbelieved because of the inhabitants in the land of Canaan, for they were giants and they seemed like grasshoppers in comparison (Numbers 13:32-33)? They did not trust God as a result, although they seen His mighty works, but they looked to themselves, and their hearts turned back to Egypt. The judgement of God was pronounced against them; and they were set to wander 40 years in the desert; but when they repented and sought to take the land, thinking it was an easy thing to take the land, the LORD was not with them and they were smitten by their enemies; and they cried to the LORD, but He did not hear them (Deuteronomy 1:45) because they did not listen to Him. So we can disbelieve when we think the promise is too grand for the LORD to accomplish. But contrarily, Naaman, who was a leper, thought it was too trivial of a thing to dip in the Jordan seven times for healing; and he went away in a rage, disbelieving in his heart. But he was turned back at the wise council which said, "Had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?" (2 Kings 5:13) So he disbelieved at first because of the littleness of what was required of him.
We could also say in our hearts, "I will not believe until I see it with my own eyes!" As the Queen of Sheba said to Solomon, king of Israel, “I did not believe the reports, until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard.” (1 Kings 10:7) And as it was with Jacob, the son of Isaac, the patriarch, who did not believe the report about Joseph his son; "he was stunned, for he did not believe them.” (Genesis 45:26) However, when he heard more of their words and saw the wagons sent to carry him, his spirit revived within him. And as Thomas, the apostle of Christ, disbelieved and said, "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." (John 20:25) So we ought not to be like them, disbelieving until we see a sign. As Christ says, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” (Mat 16:4) And do you remember the king of Israel, Ahab, who did not believe Micaiah, the prophet of the LORD? When the prophet spoke favorably to him, but in mockery (1 Kings 22:15), the king did not believe, for he considered it too good to be true for him. And then when the prophet changed the report to an unfavorable one, but truthful (1 Kings 22:16), the king still didn't believe! For he was obstinate and hard hearted; he resembles the men of Israel when John appeared to them, when Jesus also was revealed to them; as it says, “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.” (Luk 7:32) Yes, let us not be like them! For they did not believe no matter the type of message.
But let us believe the gospel of Jesus Christ: the truth of God and the grace of God. Let us not think what we have heard is too good to be true; for God is Good and He is the Truth. And the half of what is told us does not compare with the reality; for with every testimony, words only capture a part of the whole picture. Who knows the "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM" (1 Corinthians 2:9)? And let us not stop short of the conviction of faith because of our embittered soul; for the goodness and faithfulness of God is for the embittered and downcast; if our sins are too high in our sight, is not God higher still? As the LORD God says, "Is My hand so short that it cannot ransom? Or have I no power to deliver?” (Isaiah 50:2) “Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.” (Isaiah 59:1) Therefore, do not disbelieve if what you hear is too high; and do not shrink back if the promise is too grand. God’s works are great and His arm is powerful, even the testimony of His works are marvelous! Do you expect anything otherwise from God? So why disbelieve when you hear of the great things He has done for those who fear Him? As it says, "Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days—You would not believe if you were told.” (Habakkuk 1:5) Therefore, let us believe His Word without seeing a sign and become a sign to the nations, bearing the sign of a changed life among our companions. If salvation comes through the preaching of the gospel, a thing which is trivial and foolish in the eyes of the world, and if faith is too small of a thing in our eyes, and if we were commanded a large thing, would we not have done it? How much more when Jesus says, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." (John 6:29)?
For today is the day of salvation; right now is the time of God's favor. Let us stand in the favor of God through the conviction and assurance which comes from faith in Christ Jesus: He died, He was buried, and He was raised, and now lives, seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. It was for our sins that He died, granting the forgiveness of sins and the deliverence from death; and the deliverence from slavery of sin through His broken body, to be grafted into Himself by faith; that you may be declared righteous, not by a law of works, but by a law of faith, through the knowledge of the goodness of God towards you in Christ Jesus, through His loving-compassion and mercy, through His beloved Son; He has reconciled you to God by taking upon Himself the wrath due us, so we would serve God in newness of life, not in the oldness of the letter of the law of death - for the law condemns, but the Spirit gives life. No longer should it be said, "Does the Lord love me?" For He has proven His love toward us in that,
" While we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. " (Romans 5:6)
And to all of us - Jew and Gentile, male and female, slave and free - from the beginning of time to the end of time, we are brought near to God through faith in Jesus Christ.
" For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace. " (Romans 4:16)
And
" If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. " (Romans 11:6)
For we are saved by grace; and it is the gift of God, not by our works so that no-one may boast; if it were by works, then grace would no longer be grace; for grace is a gift, and gifts merit no work. For what have you done for a birthday gift? Or what great work did you do to be born? Likewise, Christ gave Himself, even while we were deserving wrath, He gave up His life as the gift of God, so that by the grace of God, Jesus Christ might taste death for everyone. So then, if it is by grace, who can boast? For God sees to it that no-one come to Him with any boast in their mouth, except the boast of His name.
So seeing the depravity of mankind, God did not send forth a torrent of fire, but instead He sent forth His beloved Son, the Son whom He loves and favors, He sent Him forth not to judge the world, but to save it. Although seeing the unseen nature of us all, He sent forth His Son on whom abides the great love of God to die for our sins - and who is worthy of such a thing? He who knew no sin, took upon Himself our sins, so that we would walk in the newness of the life of God. All are turned out of the way by the deed of one man, Adam, and brought near to God through the deed of One other, Jesus Christ; and
" There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved. " (Acts 4:12)
He died for us while we least deserved it, while we were deserving wrath, He gave us the gift of grace. He loved us in the greatest way possible while we were most unfit for it; we were fit for great wrath as sinners, but God gave us the gift of new life; for He knows our transgressions, even while they are hidden, yet Jesus died for us openly, and that, to free us from hidden sins; the sins that we are ashamed of, Christ bore, and He is not ashamed to call us "brethren". Nothing is hidden from God's sight; and He, although seeing our hidden faults, sent His Son into the world to make known the mystery of His grace, received through faith, faith in the Message of the Son of God who loved us. No-one knows the totality of our sins, or the totality of our thoughts - God knows - yet He did not smite us for the greatness of our sins that we deserve. No, but as the Rock in the wilderness (Exodus 17:6), He smote His Son to bring forth living water to everyone who believes; for the punishing of Him pacifies God's wrath, as water is to fire, and brings forth peace with God. And He made us to pass through the water of purification that we would be cleansed. For Christ is pure water - He was made dirty to make us clean. And this indescribable gift is available to all men, Jews and Gentiles; as it is written,
" The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men. " (Titus 2:11)
And again,
" The love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. " (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
For after three days were spent, God raised Christ from the dead, for it was impossible for death to hold Him - He was raised for our justification. So "if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Romans 5:10)
So let us rejoice because of the great love God has shown us in Christ Jesus. Let us see the exhortations and exclamations spoken by the Lord to those who would hear and believe in Him, producing in themselves a very great faith, having themselves marveled the Lord by their faith; for they called to Him for deliverance because they believed He is powerful and able to do. For these, not being of Hebrew descent, but were Gentiles; and they marveled the Lord by their faith; as the examples in the Scriptures say,
"Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel." (Matthew 8:6-10)
And,
" O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish. " (Matthew 15:25-28)
For God, justifying the Jews and even the Gentiles by the same very faith, showed before-time with Rehab, the prostitute, yet she was saved, she and her household, by believing God, although being wicked, for she was a prostitute; but she believed in God and hid the messengers of God, and said,
" When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath." (Joshua 2:9-11)
Likewise, the thief on the cross was promised salvation because of his faith. As he said,
" This man has done nothing wrong. Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom! " (Luke 23:40-42)
And what about the prayer of the man who loved money, as he was a tax collector, but prayed to God and humbled himself in His sight? Wasn't he justified by his faith in what he said?
" God, be merciful to me, the sinner! " (Luke 18:10-14)
As it is written,
" To the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. " (Romans 4:3-7)
So we see that all these were saved because of their faith.
And as it was previously, so it is today. For they were saved the same way we are today: by faith. So let us look intently at the men of old who believed and were saved from destruction. Let us consider Lot; he believed the message given by the angels who visited him; they warned him of the wrath and fiery destruction determined by God; and since he believed, even before seeing a flicker of fire fall from heaven, Lot warned his sons-in-law, "But he appeared to his sons-in-law to be jesting.” (Genesis 19:14) And they perished in the overthrow, but nevertheless, Lot believed, even before seeing a fire take flight in the heavens; and because of the testimonies the angels gave and because he believed them, he and his family were saved from being consumed by fire along with the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. And alongside Lot, our forefather Abraham “believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6) The LORD gave him the promise and he believed God, for he considered God is able to do what He says; and because of his faith, he rests, awaiting the promise of a new heaven and a new earth; although he went the way of all men on earth, he will live forever. And yet later, in the days of Moses, the leaders returned from spying out the land of Canaan; and returned and preached a false gospel which the people listened to; but Caleb and Joshua remained faithful to the LORD and gave a good report, for they remembered the mighty deeds of the LORD. And because of their faith, they were preserved by the LORD, but the rest of that generation perished in the wilderness as they wandered for 40 years in the desert, a year for every day they spied out the land. Caleb and Joshua were the only two of that generation to enter the land because they trusted the LORD. And what more shall we say? Rehab believed and was spared when Jericho was overthrown. Daniel was saved from the mouth of the lion "because he had trusted in his God.” (Daniel 6:23); and his three friends were saved from a firey furnace, for they "put their trust in Him.” (Daniel 3:28) And yet later, Jonah preached to Nineveh, and it was said, “The people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them.” (Jonah 3:5) For they heard the report of Jonah and considered his testimony, coming from God, and since they changed their ways, the LORD God repented of the overthrow He planned; as it is written, “When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.” (Jonah 3:10) So all of these escaped with their lives, because they believed God and the testimony His servants gave.
So thus it is with us: it is through faith we are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus; and we do not start with faith, then try to be perfected by the flesh. No! But rather it is from faith to faith, from start to finish, that of faith, which is believing in Jesus Christ; as the apostle Paul asked the Galatian church,
" Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? " (Galatians 3:2-3)
For it also says,
" Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith." (Hebrews 12:1-2)
For Jesus Christ was the first to preach the gospel of God (Hebrews 2:3), authoring salvation to everyone who believes. He healed many because of their faith, saying to them,
"Your faith has saved you; go in peace." (Luke 7:50)
And again,
"Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction." (Mark 5:34)
He said many other similar things (Matthew 8:13; Matthew 9:29; Matthew 15:28; Mark 2:5; Luke 8:48; Luke 17:19; Luke 18:42) - so how can anyone say anything otherwise? For in the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed:
" For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." " (Romans 1:17)
And what is sufficient is not a faith that is grand, but the faith the size of a mustard seed. If Christ reprimanded them because of their little faith, then how little that little faith must have been! Let us consider the faith of the prophet Elijah who is a human like us: he prayed that it would not rain and it did not rain for three and a half years. And he prayed again for rain, and it rained just as he asked. And what is the goal of the instruction? As it is written,
" The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. " (1 Timothy 1:4-5)
And love fulfills the entirety of the law, for love does no wrong to his neighbor.
And since we believe the Word of God, we correct ourselves to it, setting our seal to this: that God is true. Let every man be a liar and God be true. And this is the way of life: listening to the Word of God and correcting ourselves to it. The one who disbelieves the warning, goes astray; the one who hears and fails to practice what he hears, goes astray likewise; as Wisdom says,
" The commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life." (Proverbs 6:23)
And,
"He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who refuses correction goes astray. " (Proverbs 10:17)
So holding fast to God's Word, which saves by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we hold fast unto the path of life; for hearing does not make us right with God, but hearing with faith; as the apostle says, “We are from God; he who knows God listens to us;” (1 John 4:6) So if we believe the Word, it will transform us - through the new birth; And in faith does repentance reside; as it says,
" God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life." (Acts 11:18)
And even,
" The kindness of God leads you to repentance. " (Romans 2:4)
So through faith do we gain the true knowledge of God, and in Him there is righteousness. No-one is righteous except God; as even Christ says,
" Why do you call Me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. " (Mark 10:18)
So if anyone be moral, it's because of the morality that is in God through abiding in Jesus Christ, just as He abides in God. No-one has seen God at anytime, but Jesus Christ has made Him known to us - He is the visible image of the invisble God, and He alone has seen His form. Through Christ, we see the Father; and by faith in Christ, imitating Him, we obtain to the righteousness of God; for salvation is from God, and the way of life is not within ourselves; as the prophet Jeremiah says,
"I know, O LORD, that a man's way is not in himself, Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps." (Jeremiah 10:23)
And God Himself testifies,
" Hide them in the dust together; Bind them in the hidden place. Then I will also confess to you, That your own right hand can save you. " (Job 40:11-14)
Therefore, righteousness and sanctification and salvation is in God alone, accessed by us through faith in Jesus. Therefore abide in Him!
So we believe and correct ourselves to the Word of God; we do so through rebuke, reproof and discipline. As it says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) For what is a disciple, but "a disciplined one"? If the Father considers you His own, He will chasten you if you error; and we are not lacking in the correction from God's family, we have been adopted into the Body of Christ. This is how we walk in love: reproving (Leviticus 19:17). And the wise listen to correction, but the fool departs from it; the fool does not heed to correction; he closes his eyes, he delights in the darkness of wickedness. But in the teaching lives salvation; for the Word of God revives us through faith; as it says,
" I am exceedingly afflicted; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word. " (Psalms 119:107)
And Paul admonishes,
" Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you." (1 Timothy 4:16)
So the Scriptures make us wise unto salvation, and through wisdom do we grow in the grace of the Lord; but the fool does not fear the Lord; he says in His heart, "No God", so thus he walks in the way of death. But in faith and through faith, do we choose the fear of the Lord unto wisdom, unto greater grace, unto salvation; as it says,
" The Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 3:15)
And as it is written about Christ:
" Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. " (Luke 2:52)
And in vain it does not say,
" Because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. " (2 Thessalonians 2:10)
Therefore, by calling upon His name, crying out to Him with a faith that confesses, that believes, that searches and seeks for the living God, despite not being able to see Him, we are saved in hope, and a hope that is seen is not hope at all, for who hopes in that which he sees? We hope in the salvation of God and patiently wait for it; although we may sleep, we will not perish; although we may stumble, we will not fall away. Call upon His name! As Jonah called upon God in the belly of the great fish, then God delivered him; and just as the nation of Israel cried out to God on account of their enemies in the days of the judges, then He delivered them; and just as the Psalmists cried out to God - and what was the result? Their joyful songs stand as a witness today of God's deliverance to those who call upon Him. As it says,
" WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED. " (Romans 10:13)
As the LORD God Himself promises, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me." (Psalms 50:15) And, "He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way I shall show the salvation of God." (Psalms 50:23) And, “I will tell of Your name to my brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.” (Psalms 22:22)
" For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." (Romans 10:10)
So,
" Having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE."" (2 Corinthians 4:13-14)
For, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” (1 John 4:15)
So therefore, we know the eternal deliverance and everlasting life is in Christ Jesus; and to everyone who comes to Him and abides in Him enters into life; as it is written: “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.” (1 John 5:12-13) For “The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.” (Nahum 1:7) And, “The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.” (Psalms 34:22) “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) As Jesus Christ says,
" He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. " (John 15:5)
Come, Lord Jesus!