WHEN IT COMES TO FAITH...

[Virtuous 0]

When it comes to faith, more often times than not, Abraham and Job are the examples of faith in action. Can anyone think of anyone else who exhibited just as much or more faith as these two men? If so, who and why?

[jjp708 0]

HEBREWS 11 ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION PERFECTLY

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Hebrews 11
Faith in Action

1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”[a] For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[b] considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”[c] 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.

21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.

23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.

31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.[d]

32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning;[e] they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

[Proof of God 1]

Great answer JJP!

[jjp708 0]

Thank Mia! I just love studying the Bible. It's such "the answer" the everything. The funny thing about that is after all these years of being a Christian, I'm just now understanding how to apply the Word.

Better late than never I suppose.

[Proof of God 1]

So true! Better late than never!

[Virtuous 0]

I prayed after I posted this thread last night, and the Holy Spirit led/reminded me of Hebrews 11:1, which is a study about Faith that I started but never finished; to include the entire chapter. However, the study that I have just completed, took me back. As I was studying this morning, I thought to myself that there would probably be a reply using Hebrews 11 and I should probably go back and edit the thread and be more specific or give my example to start off so that everyone would know what I am talking about. In my case it’s about faith and my children. In your case it could and most likely will be about something else.

I know the word of God never loses its power. However, there have been times in my life that a word/scripture that has set me on fire one day, may not do it, even in the same situation, the next day. I need something fresh...something new but not new...you know? I now understand what the word of God spoken over my life in 2005 meant when HE said HE would give me new manna day by day. And I won’t be able to use yesterday’s manna for today (you have to know your yesterday and today).

In this season, I am really being tested and tried when it comes to my children. I’m so worried about my children all day every day; all night every night. It seems like they are being so rebellious all at one time. I mean I was literally falling to pieces worrying about them. Second guessing my parenting. Just praying for God to help me...just tell me what I need to do Lord…you know? I mean to the point of just being exhausted - too tired to do anything. Always in tears because I was in fear of something happening to my children. Literally driving myself insane. I see them being faced with some of the same giants I faced…yes, at their age. Wanting them to know how to turn to God. Wanting and desiring so much for God to just grab a hold of their hearts that they will have a mind to serve Him. If they would just know God, have faith in God, and serve God, I know I won’t have to worry so much.

I’ve been standing on Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 11:21 “Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered” Joshua 24:15 “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” Acts 16:10 “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house”. I could go on, but yall know what I mean. Those scriptures would always calm me down; comfort me; encourage me. Then when I saw the enemy really attacking my children, and I know the devil is after them, the fear returned and those scriptures did NOTHING for me. I mean absolutely nothing. So as I was studying, I got a revelation on something I had always wondered about.

When Abraham took Isaac up to the mountain to sacrifice him as an offering unto God as God had instructed him to do, Isaac asked him where the lamb for the sacrifice was. Abraham told him that God would provide the lamb Himself. Ok cool. Abraham built the altar, laid the wood, bound Isaac up and laid him on the altar. He stretched his hand, with the knife to kill Isaac. Oooookaaaaaaaaay. Now Isaac is NOT a baby. He knew full well what was going on and didn’t say a thing. He didn’t ask questions, he didn’t struggle…NOTHING! WHY?! If that had been me, I would’ve been like, “Daddy, you done lost your mind. I don’t think so. You not about to bound me up and put me up on nothing. You said God was going to provide the lamb for Himself so He might as well provide it. Because I ain’t the one. You not about to sacrifice me. You get up there. Because I'm outta here! ” He would’ve had to catch me that day. And that’s just keeping it 100.

I’ve always wondered why Isaac never said anything. I was like he must really have faith in Abraham. I do think he had faith in Abraham, but I think he had just as much faith in God as Abraham did. So in a sense, he had faith in the faith that Abraham had in God – or should I say he had faith in the faith of the God of Abraham…does that make sense? God knew what his reaction would be. Abraham’s faith was not only tested; but so was Isaac’s BECAUSE of the promise, which was Isaac, God made to Abraham. God knew Isaac would have the faith of his father and that’s why I believe He asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.

How do I know? Genesis 18:19 “For I know him [Abraham], 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”. God knew Abraham would teach and be an example to Isaac on how to live by faith, believe in the Lord and to walk before God, and be thou perfect (Gen 17:1)
Knowing that Isaac had that much faith in God because of Genesis 18:19, has really comforted, encouraged and admonished me to dig deeper into the word of God WITH my children. Teaching them and being an example. Isaac needed the Faith Abraham had. Not just because of the sacrifice but because of the call on his life. Everything Abraham had…Isaac needed and it was going to take Abraham to prepare him for it by doing exactly what verse 19 states. So as it was for Abraham for Isaac and the generations after him, so it is for me and my seed and the generations after them.

My heart feels so much more and is so full about this, but I’m running out of time. I’ll have to come back and finish.