"By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.32And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 33Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. 34Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection. And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, 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 in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect"(Heb.11:30-40).
There are many today that believe that if you have enough faith you will experience wealth and prosperity. But great faith is not only demonstrated in experiencing the miraculous but in the enduring of great suffering. When facing the fiery furnace faith says, "My God is able to deliver me." But great faith also says, "If God doesn't deliver me I'm still not going to bow down." Do you know that there are believers today that are being tortured for their faith? "What does faith believe in the moment of torture? That if God loved me, he would get me out of this? No. Faith believes that there is a resurrection for believers which is better than the miracle of escape" (John Piper).
Adrian Rogers use to say, "If you want to know how rich you are add up everything you have that money can't buy and death can't take away." Christians that have endured great suffering for their faith have by faith calculated that they have riches in Christ that our far better that anything this world can offer.
Concerning those who willingly suffered for their faith in Jesus, knowing that they have eternal treasures in the heavenlies the author of Hebrews writes, "They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;(Of whom the world was not worthy:" (Hebrews 11:38). Why does the author of Hebrews write that the world is not worthy of those who have been so mistreated and abused? John Piper makes this profound observation: "It means they were a gift to the world and the world does not deserve it. Many things in this life are utterly opposite from the way they seem. And here is one of them. When the precious children of God are permitted to suffer and be rejected and mistreated and go destitute, afflicted and ill-treated, God is giving a gift to the world. He is gracing the world. He is shedding his love abroad in the world. Because in those who suffer and die in the unshakable assurance of hope in God, the world is given a message and a picture: "The Lord himself is better than life. Turn, O turn and believe. Who would have thought it - that the suffering are a gift to the world?"
"O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever. Amen." (Romans 11:33-36)
The greatest testimony that a Christian can give to the world is to live their lives in such a way that the world calculates that the riches that they possess in Christ are more valuable than anything this temporary world has to offer. "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).
No comments:
Post a Comment