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Faith In What We Cannot See

 


Right now the world is asking the Saints to compromise, to set aside God’s glorious standard and even perhaps prefer the pleasures of this life to promises of our Lord Jesus. It can be hard, “our spirit is willing , but our flesh us weak.” (Matthew 26:40). And yet if we endure, if we do not yield to temptation, and refuse to compromise our faith for the lies of the world we shall be rewarded with promised crowns, “in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing,” (2 Timothy 4:8, and “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”(James 1:12), and “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:20). We are promised mansions, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:2-6). Yes Jesus did it all, His propitiation on the cross and resurrection from the dead is enough, Jesus is enough. We have to keep that mindset and heart, keep Jesus as our treasure, that no matter what the world offers: ease, wealth, power, and more, we say Jesus I choose, He is my prize and love and no one will snatch us out of His hand (John 10:26-30). Trusting can be hard when we do not feel Our Lord’s manifest presence or hear His voice, when we do not see visions or see anything supernatural at all, will we then be led astray? Does our discipleship depend on Him descending on us in great power or directing us with His Word? 


We live in an age of instant gratification. We want our prizes now, so then the temptations of this life more easily ensnare us, appealing to our sense of want and need for satisfaction. When as Christians we are people of faith, we trust what we cannot see and believe what we have not seen, “Jesus said to him, Because you have seen Me, Thomas, do you now believe (trust, have faith)? Blessed and happy and to be envied are those who have never seen Me and yet have believed and adhered to and trusted and relied on Me.” (John 20:29). Faith is hard for people who want reassurances now, who expect God to always do miracles and give signs to gratify them. The  Lord does still do signs, wonders, miracles, and show His love via supernatural experiences, but  a mature believer stays loyal to Christ when He is silent and when the spectacular miracles ebb, and the thorn bushes grow in our lives, and the wood of your cross grows heavy.  


The enemy is hard at work to get people to throw in the towel, to give up on Jesus. Jesus has desired all of us be with Him in paradise, to be in love eternal, free of sorrow and pain and tears, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4). And yet the world and its lies get people to give up on the only Treasure, and source of Truth, Love, Hope, and Joy. People let the temporary, this life become their everything and shall reap in eternity for it, how woeful to be that one cast out during The Lamb’s Supper, “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment (Revelation 21:9-11). And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:11-14). 


Let us keep trusting Jesus and His finished work on the cross. Do not be deceived by the pleasures and temptations of this world. For what we do not see is more real than what we see, “while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18). Do not let temporal try to rob you of the eternal, for the eternal is without end. Keep your faith, Jesus is is worth enduring it all, He is your Lord and Savior!  Keeping loving and trusting Him and that you are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone. Amen. 

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