Complimentary Story
In Hebrews 11:4 the Lord God of Abel gave him confidence by faith to only offer an acceptable sacrifice from a pure heart.In Hebrews 11:5, 6 it indicates Enoch had the confidence to do by faith only that which pleased God, just as Jesus said of Himself in John 8:29, “I do always those things that please Him.” In Jude 14-16 with confidence Enoch said, “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.” That blessed hope of the finished work of the Savior promised to Eve of her seed. “And Enoch walked with God (with confidence): and he was not; for God took him.”
Genesis 5:24... By faith, with confidence, Lamech said of his son Noah in Genesis 5:29, “This same shall comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed.”
“But without faith (confidence in God) it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is (the I Am) and that He is a rewarder of them (with even more grace) that diligently seek Him.” And “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:7, 8). “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen yet (rain and flooding), moved with fear...” (Hebrews 11:7), spent over one hundred years preparing the ark. With his confidence in God he put up with all the ridicule and persecution, not convincing even one person of the warning of God, save his own family. For all the rest had rejected the same grace that Noah had found in the eyes of the Lord and perished!
In Hebrews11: 8-19, Abraham, by faith and his confidence in his Lord God, because of a promise, was willing to leave his family not knowing where he was going. “Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because (with confidence) she judged Him faithful who had promised… Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God… By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac” sacrifice his only son by Sarah, the son of promise, knowing that God would somehow keep his promise!
In Genesis 22:7, 8 Isaac asks his father “Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, ‘My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering.’” Those of all his children in Hebrews 11:20-22 blessed each generation with confidence concerning the things to come.
In Hebrews 11:23-29, Moses, by faith in confidence “when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter” endured at the hands of the Egyptians. “Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured (with confidence), as seeing Him who is invisible. Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood (as a token of their faith) lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. With confidence they passed through the Red sea, while the Egyptians drowned. And Moses even with his confidence in the Lord came to the point of total frustration with the children of Israel, disobeyed God in anger, struck the rock instead of speaking to it.” Wrong thinking always de-rails our confidence in our Lord God and Creator!
Joshua and Caleb, both with confidence, said to the children of Israel upon spying out the land (Numbers 14:8, 9), “If the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into the land, and give it to us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord (throwing away your confidence) neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread to us: their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us, fear them not.”
And the list goes on and on; Joshua at Jericho, Rahab the harlot, Gideon, Barak, Sampson, Jephthae, David, Samuel, and the many prophets. The New Testament continues with many also who, with confidence, died for their faith. History continues to this day with many who were persecuted and slain, enduring horrible deaths for their faith. They are sustained in their confidence by every word out of the mouth of God, and comfort of the Holy Spirit!
There is no exception to this today! We are beginning to see more and more either those who walk by faith only to lose everything, or those who are casting away their confidence, caving to the politically-correct thinking of this world. Life is getting harder every day, for Satan will see to that, testing our faith!
Life has always been uncertain, with the future as if looking through a glass darkly. That is why God has said “trust Me, for I know the beginning from the end.” As God has purposed for our life, it is very sure, ending with eternal life! But as Satan has purposed for our life, it is very uncertain, ending in eternal damnation!
In times of uncertainty if we “lack wisdom (James 1:5), let him ask of God, that he giveth to all men (yes all! The good and evil alike), liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith (with confidence), nothing wavering… like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” But the kind of confidence that King David had that he describes as his rock in his many Psalms, is what has saved him from destruction. This kind of confidence has and will protect each of us, if we abide in Him, holding fast to that confidence!
What is our faith and confidence in? Survey after survey has shown increasing numbers of Christians are virtually no different in the way they conduct their lives than those of the world. Either they are ignorant of the total gospel to give it complete confidence or, they have cast their confidence to the many gods of this world.
Hebrews 9:27, 28 states, “And it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many.” Why? That the Lord God would be just in having “mercy on whom (He) will have mercy, and compassion on whom (He) will have compassion,” (Romans 9:15) as he also said to Moses in Exodus 33:19. Romans 9:13, 14 also state, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated,” which is also stated in Malachi 1:2, 3. Romans 9:14 further states, “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.” How does paying the price for sin make His choosing to love or hate, to have compassion and mercy, or not, become just and right? When God spoke to Adam in Genesis 2:17 concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, saying, “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
Rules are absolutely necessary to identify the consequences for the choices made of our own free will. Right thinking always results in right living God’s way. Wrong thinking is nothing short of being “as a god.” Rebelling against God’s rules as Lucifer first did in Isaiah 14: 12-14, and Adam and Eve did in Genesis 3:6, and as we have all done since, bringing upon all of us the just recompense — death! This price has to be paid by someone, or forgiveness is not justified, and therefore not possible. Furthermore death had to be paid by a man who is not already deserving of death; and that leaves only the Son of man, Jesus the Christ. The Son of God came as a child, and being “that which (was) conceived in her (Mary, a virgin) (was) of the Holy Ghost.” (Matthew 1:20). “Who, being (totally) God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation,” gave up that right and became the Son of man.
“And took upon Him the form of a (total) servant, and was made in the likeness of (sinful) man,” only with respect to what is intrinsic to a living human being. “And being found… as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death (in our place) even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8). “For He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15).
Jesus became “the Lamb slain (as planned on a day appointed) from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).
