Two Kinds of Faith
Eternity Online: John Edmiston (Editor)
Two Kinds of Faith
(Heb 11:29-40 NKJV) By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by
dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.
{30} By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled
for seven days. {31} By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with
those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.
{32} And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of
Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and
the prophets: {33} who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked
righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, ....
...And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they
might obtain a better resurrection. {36} Still others had trial of
mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. {37}
They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain
with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins,
being destitute, afflicted, tormented; {38} of whom the world was not
worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of
the earth. {39} And all these, having obtained a good testimony
through faith, did not receive the promise, {40} God having provided
something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart
from us.
These last paragraphs of Hebrews 11 tell us of two kinds of faith.
First is the faith that conquers, secondly the faith that is loyal
and enduring. The faith of victory and the faith in fiery trials. The
faith of victory over circumstances and the faith of victory in
circumstances. It takes faith to see the walls of Jericho fall and
faith to wander in deserts and holes in the ground. It takes faith to
win a kingdom and faith to be tormented and destitute for Christ.
Both are faith.
Moses demonstrates both kinds of faith in his life. Firstly he bore
the reproach of Christ considering maltreatment with the people of
God better than the riches of Egypt. According to Jewish tradition
Moses was in line to be Pharaoh. He turned his back on that to be a
wandering servant of God. Moses also parted the Red Sea through faith
and kept the Passover. Moses knew both the faith that endures and the
faith that wins great victories. Similarly Abraham waited patiently
wandering in tents as an alien and a stranger upon the earth. He also
saw the great miracle of the birth of Isaac. And on it goes. Despite
these great victories of Moses and Abraham and the OT saints they
"died without receiving the promise" - and "the promise" is the Holy
Spirit and a living relationship with Jesus Christ. (Galatians 3:14)
Faith is not complete in the victory or the enduring it is only
complete in Christ. Despite all the wonders wrought by the faith of
the Old Testament saints their faith was not complete. They longed
for something more and that something was Christ and in Christ both
they and us have faith made perfect at last. Faith to see a great
thing done is good - but little more than positive thinking. The
rejected wicked people of Matthew 7:21-23 had faith to cast out
demons, and prophesy and work mighty works. But they did not know
God, their faith stopped at doing things and did not extend to
believing God and doing His will. Christless faith is nothing, in
fact is wickedness. Faith, even to move mountains, without the love
of God is nothing (1 Cor 13: 1-3).
Tomorrow is my 20th birthday as a Christian - I was "born again" on
May 1st 1978 while visiting an Anglican Franciscan friary. As I
reflect on these 20 years I see both kinds of faith in operation.
Faith to endure the hard times and be a Christian and faith to win
great victories for God. Above all this I know that the greatest and
most complete and wonderful thing is that I know my Lord Jesus
Christ as my Lord and Saviour and have entrusted my whole life to
Him! Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Amen! (2 Tim 1:12 NKJV) For this
reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for
I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep
what I have committed to Him until that Day.
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John Edmiston ([email protected])
Editor - Eternity Online Magazine http://www.eternity-magazine.org/
Cults, exegesis, bible teaching, Christian life and leadership.
For the thinking Christian!