Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

ACTIVE, AGRESSIVE FAITH

This entry was posted on 11-14-2007 and is filed under uncategorized.

"By faith Abraham obeyed...went out, not knowing where he was going...dwelt in the land of promise...when he was tested, offered up Isaac..." (Hebrews 11:8,9,17 NKJV).

O.K., you get the picture. The heroes of faith were praised because of their active, aggressive faith. The faith that saves is the faith that obeys. Look at some of these people and notice how they had a faith that worked by love (Gal. 5:6). Abel offered sacrifice. Noah built an ark. Isaac blessed Jacob. Jacob worshiped God. Joseph gave instructions. Moses' parents hid him. Moses chose to suffer, forsook Egypt, kept the Passover, etc. Israel passed through the Red Sea. Rahab received the spies. Others subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, stopped the mouths of lions, etc. Please do not tell me that all one needs is a form of "easy believism." Faith that costs nothing is worth nothing.

The curse of the modern church is cheap grace. The apostle James understood this. Hear him again (in light of Hebrews 11). "...faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead....Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?...You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only" (James 2:17, 21, 24). The faith that saves is a faith that obeys - a faith that works by love.

Hymn: "His banner over us is love, our sword the Word of god; We tread the road the saints above with shouts of triumph trod. By faith they, like a whirlwind's breath, swept on o'er every field; The faith by which they conquered death is still our shining shield" (John Y. Yates).