The
Perseverance of Our Faith Part VI of VII
Scripture Reading:
Hebrews 10:38
38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in
him.
Now the just shall
live by faith: just: (dikaios) was first
used of persons observant of dike’: custom, rule right”.
The English word “righteous” was formerly spelt “rightwise” i.e.,
(in a) straight way. In the NT it
denotes “righteous” a state of being
right or right conduct, judged whether by the divine standard, or what is
right. Said of God, it designates the
perfect agreement between His nature and His acts (in which He is the standard
for all men).
Let’s
study some scriptures:
These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and
perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
For I know him, that he
will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the
way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken
of him.
Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent,
and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord
are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall
fall therein.
Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him:
but the just shall live by his faith.
The just Lord is in the midst
thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to
light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of
Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just,
and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal
of an ass.
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man,
and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away
privily.
That ye may be the
children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise
on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the
unjust.
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in
heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth
rain on the just and on the unjust.
And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon;
and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of
Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man,
and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews,
was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to
hear words of thee.
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith
to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
(For not the hearers
of the law are just before God,
but the doers of the law shall be justified.
As we can see from the above scriptures: Noah, the Lord, Joseph, Simeon, Cornelius
were all just/righteous. (Read Genesis Chapters 6 – 10) In the days of Noah the
earth was like it is today, people were wicked and the imaginations of the
thoughts of their heart was only evil continually. God repented that he made man and decided to
destroy man from the face of the earth.
But Noah a just and perfect
man (Genesis 6:5-9) who walked with God and he found grace in the eyes of the
Lord.
The Lord caused is to rain upon the earth until it flooded the entire
earth, but Noah and his family was saved from the flood. God saved this just man because he was
righteous in his sight and he knew Noah would instruct his children to obey
God.
As we have studied the Word of God in this study we know, that the
doers, those who obey God are justified, not the hearers only.
38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw
back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
In part V of this study we learned in Hebrews 11, our faith chapter
about the lives of the people that demonstrated great perseverance of their
faith. They lived by their faith. We
also must live by faith and we must persevere as our Faith Heroes did in
Hebrews 11. We cannot turn back. Don’t
even look back.
How do you draw back or turn back from God?
By not obeying God after you know the truth of the Word
By desiring your past sinful life
By desiring your past bondage
By not obeying God’s instructions
Let’s look at the Scriptures:
It repenteth me that I have set up
Saul to be king: for he is turned back
from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved
Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night.
Saul was anointed King of Israel; God gave
Saul instructions to destroy Amalek completely, he did not obey God’s
instructions. Previously Saul has
usurped the priest office, which was not lawful for him to do, Samuel reproved
him. Later Saul confessed he
transgressed the commandment of the Lord (I Samuel 16:24-35).
Although Saul did confess his sin, because he
rejected the Word of the Lord, the Lord rejected Saul as king over Israel. (Read I Samuel 8 – 16. Saul’s life does not end in chapter 16 read on
for further study.)
Zephaniah 1 (Read)
Acts 7:38-40
King James Version (KJV)
38 This is he,
that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in
the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give
unto us:
39 To whom our fathers
would not obey, but thrust him from them, and
in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
40 Saying unto
Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us
out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
Do you see yourself in this passage of
Scripture? What has God brought you out
of or used someone to help you out of and you returned back to the bondage in
your heart? What god have you replaced God Almighty with?
Genesis 19 (Read the entire chapter)
17 And it came to
pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy
life; look not behind thee, neither
stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and
she became a pillar of salt.
We must realize when God says something to
you, giving you instruction, it is a command and you must obey him. God gave instruction by the mouth of the
angel: “look not behind thee”. Very
simple instruction, do not stay in all the plain, escape to the mountain so
they would not be consumed by the fire that would consume Sodom. Sodom was a wicked city filled with
homosexuality. God destroyed Sodom and
Gomorrah by raining fire and brimstone down on them.
Lot’s wife looked back as they ran from the
destruction. God plainly said “look not
behind thee”. We are reverence God when he gives us instruction. She disobeyed his instruction and she became
a pillar of salt. He is a just God and must be feared and reverenced. We must obey the Lord; we cannot take
disobedience (sin) lightly.
Luke 9:61-62
King James Version (KJV)
61 And another
also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell,
which are at home at my house.
62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his
hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Remember when Saul disobeyed God, he was no
longer fit to be King. We must work out
our salvation with fear and trembling. Romans
6:15 What then? shall we sin,
because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. We cannot take God for granted because we are under
grace. Hell is the eternal punishment
for disobedience. Ezekiel
18:20 The soul that sinneth,
it shall die.
Study the scriptures below:
2 Peter 3:8-10
King James Version (KJV)
8 But, beloved,
be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand
years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his
promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of
the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass
away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the
earth also and the works that are
therein shall be burned up.
2 Corinthians 10:5-7
King James Version (KJV)
5 Casting down
imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge
of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all
disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
Hebrews 11:14-16
King James Version (KJV)
14 For they that
say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that
country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have
returned.
16 But now they
desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to
be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
Philippians 3:12-14
King James Version (KJV)
12 Not as though I
had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that
I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I
count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind,
and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus.
After studying this
section of Hebrews and supporting scriptures, we can see how we can persevere
in our Faith. Without faith it is
impossible to please God. We cannot look back.
In order to inherit eternal life
we must have faith and God has given us what we need to persevere in our
faith. His Holy word is our “Life’s
Instruction Manual”. When we follow this
manual, we will have the victory! We must trust and believe in God’s Holy
Word. Jesus said his words are Life.
The
Perseverance of Our Faith Part VII of VII Coming soon…..
Scripture Reading:
39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of
them that believe to the saving of the soul.
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