The one who set the standard

With the writings on this site and some of our others sites, like Stepping Toes, the Brethren in Christ and our ecclesia site, we would love to bring more people to come to know Who took care of all the beautiful things we can see around us and what promises where given to humankind.

With the postings you shall be able to find on this site and on the above mentioned, we do hope you and many other readers coming along here, shall come to see what a beautiful message is given to humankind.
In the past many men of God told about the wonders which came and still shall come onto the people who are willing to recognise their Creator.

On this and the other mentioned pages we do hope to give an idea of the many promises which also can become a reality for us. All of us can find a hope which is set before all of us. We only should be willing to come to see it and believe those things which have been told in the past.


Once you begin to appreciate the Hope God sets before us in His Word, you want to know how to lay hold of it. You realize as you read more, that He sets a standard for men to follow which you have not begun to reach. If you really want to please God, you will feel the need, like those men in Jerusalem, to have your conscience made clean. The way God has prescribed for us is to be baptised into the Lord Jesus, symbolically washing away in the waters our old life, and starting again as if we were newly born, members of God's holy people. Then, the New Testament insists, we shall be heirs of those promises of the Kingdom of God:

 "For in Christ Jesus", writes Paul, "you are all sons of God, through faith" (Galatians 3:26). 

Imagine that! What a privilege, to be called sons and daughters of God!

"For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise" (Galatians 3: 27-29).

All that Jesus inherits -- the land, the throne, the blessing-all will be ours. How exciting and moving it is, to think what God offers us. It is as if we are being introduced already to the new covenant God will make with His people. God's law is written on our heart, our sins are washed away, and we are enrolled for a place in that age when war and famine, sin and sorrow will be banished for ever from the earth. 

Paul uses another figure in Romans 11. He says we Gentile believers are like sprigs of a wild olive tree that have been picked up by God the gardener and grafted into the stem of the olive tree of Israel. We share the rich sap that keeps the life flowing, and we will be there in the time of harvest.

"I want you to understand this mystery brethren",

he says, as he explains the long gap between the two Comings:

"a hardening has come upon part of Israel".

He means that only a minority of the Jewish people accepted the good news Jesus and the apostles brought; the hearts of the rest were too hard for the good seed of the Kingdom to grow.
But Israel's hardness of heart is not for ever.

 "Until the full number of the Gentiles come in", he continues, "and so all Israel will be saved; as it is written"

  
-- and he quotes from one of the 'Messiah' passages in Isaiah -- 

"the Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob. And this will be my covenant with them",

 he adds, repeating the passage we read from Jeremiah 33,

 "when I take away their sins" (Romans 11:24-27). 

Notice the time period-when the full number of the Gentiles has come in. It has not come in yet. God is still calling us to come into His family. But one day, soon, perhaps very soon, the door will be shut. The Lord Jesus will be here with power to rule over the nations, and bring men to judgement for despising God's laws. 

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  God shows no favouritism (Romans.2:11), so whether Jew or Gentile, both can be saved and be declared righteous. God is eternally just and righteous. It is a reflection of His mercy, that nobody can claim God is unfair.
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  Paul grieves that the majority of Israelites are not experiencing those birthrights. He spends the next two Chapters (9 and 10) explaining how God has always had his believing remnant within the descendants of Israel, and that God’s plan has not been thwarted. God has been just in the choices that he has made (Chapter 9). Israel has chosen to reject God’s powerful grace in Christ, despite God’s desire to give them freely his salvation (Chapter 10). Now in Chapter 11 Paul will address Israel’s future.
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A Living Faith #8 Change

A LIVING FAITH IN ACTION

Change

 Previous: A Living Faith #7 Prayer

The ways of Yahweh are unchanging and in an ever changing and uncertain world, we can derive great comfort from that knowledge. We know for certain that what He promises, that He will also do. As Malachi records, Yahweh says, "For I am the LORD, I do not change” (Mal 3:6). Therefore, if we desire reconciliation with our Creator, if we desire to attain His mercy and if we desire to be part of His purpose, then it is we who must change. Yet how hard that process of change can be!

Now thus far we have considered faith as something that must be a living and active force in our lives. Faith requires diligence and effort to sustain; it is not gained by a one off effort and once acquired, faith can be easily lost if it is neglected. Therefore patience and perseverance are required to sustain and develop faith. Further, a willing sacrifice of self and a humble acceptance of the absolute authority of Yahweh is also required, if faith is to be a living and active part of our daily lives. Obeying the Word, obeying the commandments and following the principles of God, must be the fulcrum around which our lives revolve.

Above all there must be a conscious recognition that not by our own strength or abilities will we gain a living faith. We have no inherent merit, we deserve only condemnation, but Yahweh has graciously extended His mercy toward us. He has demonstrated His willingness to count our faith as righteousness. More than this, He has invited His children to commune with Him through prayer. Thus active personal prayer is inseparable from faith. Yahweh will hear and answer sincere prayer that flows from a humble, contrite and honest heart.

With these thoughts in mind then, there is one further step for us to consider that will be an integral component of and arise from a living faith. An active faith will incorporate change and that change will ultimately be fundamental and far reaching in its extent.  Personal change is a product of having a living faith, there must be a complete renewing of the inner man. Paul writes:

“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” Romans 6:5-6

We committed ourselves to ‘putting off the old man’, that is the old self that is self seeking and to be renewed according to godly characteristics. No longer enslaved to sin, but freed to serve the Lord our God. If this inner change takes place, then having been united with Christ in the likeness of his death, we will be uplifted in the likeness of his resurrection.  The resurrection to life is certain, becuase this is the express promise of Yahweh. A living faith will trust and believe His word. Yet how often do we doubt? How often do we consider the prospect of failure, rather than the prospect of being part of the divine purpose? Yes, most certainly life is a gift that we do not merit. However, equally certain is Yahweh’s love and mercy towards those who love Him, those who trust and believe in His promises. Paul writes that in Christ:

“all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” 1Corinthians 1:20

Further through Paul the Spirit says:

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2

No condemnation! Free from sin and death! Now if those thoughts do not stir our highest emotions, our deepest gratitude and inspire a living active faith what will? A living faith will not see or contemplate failure, but rather be inspired to deny the flesh and live according to the spirit. It will desire above all things to be ‘Christ like’, being renewed in the inner man as Paul exhorts:

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:5-8

Rarely are Yahweh’s children asked to forfeit their life in His service. No, the sacrifice and inner change demanded is greater than this. The giving up of life involves the giving up of all that is held dear in the present and dedicating all to His service. A striving to develop attributes of character that are moulded in the image of our Creator.

The death of Christ was the culmination of a life of sacrifice. The more we behold the glory and character of the Lord Jesus, the more we mediate and reflect upon his example, then the more we will grow to be like him. If we are ‘Christ like’ then our lives will exhibit a similar life of sacrifice that is engendered by a living faith. Thus we read:

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2

Children of the light have nothing in common with and no fellowship with those in darkness. Consider the enormity of this wonderful promise:

"Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty." 2Corinthians 6:17-18

The calling is to be separate and this will in no measure perturb those who have an active faith that desires above all to put the Commandments of Christ into action day by day. Indeed it will be their desire to keep apart from those who do not know the Lord and those who do not love and follow the Word.

They have noting in common with those who remain or stray into darkness. A living active faith desires one thing above everything, namely to know the Lord their God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. They desire to be in the image of their Creator and will shun all who do not have this image imprinted upon them. So Paul is moved to write:

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord”  2Corinthians 3:18

How wonderful, how gracious, how longsuffering, how merciful and how loving is Yahweh! May our response be the deepest desire to have a living faith that in some small, albeit imperfect way, reflects His divine glory.

To be continued...A Living Faith #9 Our Manner of Life

Andy Peel

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In this series:
A Living Faith #1 Substance of things hoped for
A living faith #2 State of your faith
A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
A Living Faith #4 Effort
A Living Faith #5 Perseverance
A Living Faith #6 Sacrifice
A Living faith #7 Prayer
A Living Faith #8 Change
A Living Faith #9 Our Manner of Life
A Living Faith #10: Our manner of Life #2
A Living Faith #11 My place in the body of Christ and my ecclesia
A Living Faith #12 The Love for Jesus


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2013 + 2016 January update:

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A Living Faith #5 Perseverance

A LIVING FAITH IN ACTION

Perseverance

Prev. A Living Faith #4 Effort

Having accepted the wisdom of listening, taking to heart the Word of Yahweh and the effort that must be made in order to develop a living faith. We will come to realise that effort needs to be sustained if we are to put the Commandments of Christ into daily action, despite our failures. We are but dust and very easily forget! Perseverance is the next essential ingredient required in order to develop a living and active faith. Paul speaks of a progression of events:

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:1-4

We are utterly undeserving of the grace Yahweh has extended towards us. Faith brings justification by grace, in that God is willing to count faith as righteousness through the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet the value of faith and willingness to be obedient to the Word will be tested by trials and tribulations. Therefore, Paul reminds us that faithful endurance of tribulations will generate perseverance, which in turn will develop an individual’s character by a putting on of the mind of Christ. Faithful perseverance gives rise to hope. Yet that hope is not directly seen, for the fulfilment of faith still lies in the future. Indeed as Paul comments, if we saw that which is hoped for, we would not still hope for it:

“For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” Romans 8:24-25

Faith and hope know that the promises of God are real and certain. Faith believes that His Word does not change and that His promises will be fulfilled. Thus hope springs forth from that certainty. The value that we place upon His Word, will determine to what extent we are willing to persevere in order to attain the fulfilment of His Word. The value that we place upon His Word will also determine the amount of effort put into obeying His commandments.

If His Word is our greatest treasure, then we will indeed look forward with eager anticipation, desiring to become like the Lord Jesus in character and manner of life. Developing ‘Christ-like’ characteristics is contrary to our natural human nature. Thus those changes in character will only come stage by stage, one step at a time. It will require perseverance and dedication, but that is what having a living faith is all about!

There can be no half hearted measures, no trying to do the bare minimum. There can be no personal compromise of scriptural standards. There can be no compromise and no fraternising with those who do not follow sound doctrine and thus are not in fellowship. Attentiveness and attention to detail in putting the Word into practice daily is required. Peter describes the process of one Godly characteristic being added to another, he says:

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,   to knowledge self–control, to self–control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Peter 1:5-8

Honest self examination will show how each one measures up to those qualities. The way will be hard; it will take a lot of effort and personal sacrifice to overcome our sinful nature. We will fail many times and frequently face the stark reality that we do indeed come very far short of what Yahweh requires of His children. Many times we will look inwardly and observe a singular lack of virtue, knowledge, self control, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. Maybe there will also be times when we despair of those attributes ever being found within us, giving rise to a feeling of abject unworthiness.

But the attribute of perseverance will help us through such times. A living faith will drive us forward, strong in the knowledge that Yahweh is very merciful and has shown His love by providing the Lord Jesus as the means of atonement, the one through whom salvation can come. Thus rather than despair, faith will endure, remaining hopeful to the very end. James speaks of the blessings wrought by endurance saying:

“Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord––that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” James 5:11

Yahweh is compassionate and merciful indeed towards all His children who hope in Him. But perseverance and endurance will require a willingness to make sacrifices. Job lost much, indeed all that he had, but counted such loss as more than worthwhile saying:

"Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD." Job 1:21

We note that Job acknowledges that all he had came from God, whose right it was to give and whose right it was to take should He so wish. In either state Job praised the name of the Lord. Job further said: Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Job 2:10

Herein lies a lesson for us to thank Yahweh both in times of plenty and in times of adversity. We owe Him all, even life itself. The very fact that we live, have opportunity to know His Word and be part of His purpose, is in itself more than sufficient cause for praise. We do not deserve anything and have rights to nothing; anything Yahweh chooses to give is an act of love and mercy.

The adversity of Job was not wrought out of unkindness, but rather out of love, Yahweh having prepared something better for Job. Though Job did not understand why these calamities had come upon him, Yahweh had an end in mind that Job could not at that time see. Those calamites were designed to teach Job a spiritual lesson and as a result Job is set before us in scripture as an example of faithful perseverance. After the trail of his faith and the refining process that he endured, Job concludes: "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You.” Job 42:5

Job knew of God and knew about God, but after all his calamities and trials he learned to truly know God. This same lesson we must also learn though the trials and tribulations found within our own personal lives and circumstances. But it is a lesson that will only be learned if we persevere in putting the Word into practice day by day to the very end.

To be continued….. A Living Faith #6 Sacrifice

Andy Peel

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In this series:

A Living Faith #1 Substance of things hoped for
A living faith #2 State of your faith
A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
A Living Faith #4 Effort
A Living Faith #5 Perseverance
A Living Faith #6 Sacrifice
A Living faith #7 Prayer
A Living Faith #8 Change
A Living Faith #9 Our Manner of Life
A Living Faith #10: Our manner of Life #2
A Living Faith #11 My place in the body of Christ and my ecclesia
A Living Faith #12 The Love for Jesus

Of interest: > Faith Requires a Basis

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2016 linkupdate

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God should be your hope

Dutch version / Nederlands > God moet je hoop zijn

“Thou dost show me the path of life; in thy presence there is fulness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.” (Ps 16:11 RSV)
“Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God.” (Ro 5:2 RSV)
“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.” (Ro 5:3-5 RSV)
“And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.” (2Co 9:8 RSV)
“For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love which you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Heb 6:10-12 RSV)

Living in faith

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but seeing them afar off and believing [them] and embracing [them] and confessing that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those that say such things declare plainly that they seek their native country.” (Heb 11:13-14 JB2000)

 “And these all, approved by testimony of faith, received not the promise, God having provided some better thing for us, that [they] without us should not be made perfect.” (Heb 11:39-40 JB2000)

 “For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous [men] have desired to see [those things] which ye see and have not seen [them] and to hear [those things] which ye hear and have not heard [them].” (Mt 13:17 JB2000)

 “Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed [are] those that have not seen and [yet] have believed.” (Joh 20:29 JB2000)

 “For we [are] strangers before thee, and sojourners, as [were] all our fathers; our days on the earth [are] as a shadow, and [there is] no other hope.” (1Ch 29:15 JB2000)

 “Dearly beloved, I beseech [you] as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from the carnal desires which war against the soul” (1Pe 2:11 JB2000)

 “So then, leave all uncleanness and remains of malice and receive with meekness the word ingested within you, which is able to cause your souls to be saved.” (Jas 1:21 JB2000)

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Leven in geloof

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The giving and protecting God

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

Psalm 84:11, New International Version

Dutch version / Nederlands > De gevende en beschermende God

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    God doesn't hold back on his goodness! In fact, the Father loves to give his children gifts. These gifts are all encompassing. These gifts are gladly given. How do I know? Three ways: 1) I've been repeatedly blessed; 2) I've seen what God has done to bless his people through the centuries; and 3) his Word promises this to be so.

    Father, I want to thank you for the many blessings you have poured into my life. I want to list several of them by name today. (Make your own list of things for which you are thankful.) Thank you most of all Father, for the gift of your Son and my Savior, Jesus. In his name I pray. Amen.

A “seed” for the blessing of all mankind would come through the family of Abraham

Dutch = Nederlandstalige versie > Een “zaad” voor de zegening van de gehele mensheid gekomen door de familie van Abraham

I will multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens and I will give to your seed all these lands; and by means of your seed all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves. —
Genesis 26:4.

Abraham’s endurance had a powerful effect on his son Isaac, who spent his entire life —180 years— as an alien resident in the land of Canaan. Isaac’s endurance was based on faith in God’s promise, faith that was instilled in him by his aged parents and later reinforced by Jehovah’s own word to him. (Genesis 26:2-5) Isaac’s steadfastness played a key role in the fulfillment of Jehovah’s promise that a “seed” for the blessing of all mankind would come through the family of Abraham. Hundreds of years later, Jesus Christ, the primary part of that “seed,” opened the way for all who exercise faith in him to be reconciled to God and to enjoy everlasting life. (Galatians 3:16; John 3:16) Isaac, in turn, helped his son Jacob to cultivate strong faith that sustained him into his old age.