Victories these days look a little different than they used to. It used to be that if your team had the most people still alive at the end of the battle you won. If you were the last one to call “Uncle”, you won. Today the battle isn’t fought on a huge field with swords and chariots. It’s fought in your mind and in your heart with words and faith. The words that win the battle, are the words found in your Bible. Romans 10:17 tells us that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” What is the word of Christ? The BIBLE! All of it! How can you know the words that will defeat the Enemy if you never read your Bible for yourself? How will you have the faith to slay the giant if you never hear the words of Christ? Still not convinced that it’s imperative to read your Bible daily? Check out Hebrews 11:6 “Without faith it is impossible to please Him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” This is a hard verse for me to share, but I promised you and God both that “what my God says, that I will speak”. (2 Chronicles 18:13) This is the Word of God, it is the truth, without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God. What brings God pleasure? Your faith in Him! Hebrews 11:1 tells us that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Although the LORD is not a God that you can see sitting on a shelf, do you believe that He exists? That brings Him pleasure!
Are you seeking His presence? That brings Him pleasure!
Do you believe that He rewards those who seek Him? That brings Him pleasure!
Personally, the first two are easy. Does He exist? I’ve experienced too much to believe otherwise. Do I seek Him? LOL! I’ve experience too much to do otherwise! Do I believe that He rewards those who seek Him? Sure! Do I believe that applies to me personally? That part is a lot harder for me to accept. I know who I am and what I’ve done. I know the thoughts I’ve thought and the things I’ve done or not done. Plus who am I that He would reward ME? I admit it’s an extremely hard pill to swallow. The Enemy has worked my entire life to keep me from taking this Truth and applying it to my life. The other day the Holy Spirit gave me a perfect visual of salvation that I think really applies to everything in the kingdom.
Jesus died to save the WHOLE WORLD, not just the Jews and not just those that were present at that time, but everyone in all of time. His death was a sacrifice that He offered on our behalf effectively paying our price of admission to heaven and onto the lap of God the Father as His child. You are His CHILD and everything that that implies. This sacrifice of the cross was given to us as a gift.
You don’t pay for gifts, you just accept them. But here’s the picture that God gave me the other day. I can give you the gift of a bar of soap, but just because I give it to you doesn’t mean that you will accept it, and it doesn’t mean that you will choose to use it. Those things are completely up to you.
Just because Jesus’ death has been given to us as a gift from the LORD, who adores us, doesn’t mean that we will accept that gift. Or that we will use it to declare ourselves righteous through Christ and eligible for receiving rewards from Him. (Romans 3:22) Those things only happen through faith. And faith comes through hearing. And hearing comes through the Word of Christ.
[it’s a matter of life and death]
Tamar Knochel 