Weekly Wisdom

In Hebrews 11:2, God tells us;

“The elders obtained a good report by faith.”

As we read the accounts of the Old Testament heroes like Enoch, Abraham, Noah, Daniel, etc., we see a common force in each of their lives. This common force is faith. These elders obtained a good report by their faith in God’s words.

Let’s look at some of their accomplishments in verses 5-6;

“By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Notice that this man actually obtained deliverance from death by his faith. This will occur again in the last generation of the church. The Bible says that we which are alive and remain at the last trumpet, shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye. I believe that the last day church will be a faith-believing church. Never before, except in the Bible days, has the church been taught faith like in the days we live in now. We can expect to have an Enoch type of experience.

Let’s look at another example in verse 7,

“By faith Noah, been warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

Notice that Noah used faith to save himself, but not only himself; he used faith to save his household. Some of us have people in our families that are not saved. Well, God tells us we can use our faith to save them. Now, as you pray the kingdom of God and the will of God on their lives, the power of the Holy Spirit will start moving on them; and the angels will start doing things to cause them to turn from the devil to God.

Now, remember, the devil’s job is to get you to not trust in God. He is the same devil that was in the garden telling Eve that she wouldn’t die if she ate of the tree. The devil wants you to start looking at the circumstances of life that are negative; and, then, he wants you to believe in those circumstances more than you believe in God’s Word.

God’s faith has to grow inside of us. It’s like our muscles. When we were a baby, we didn’t have very strong muscles. We were given the measure of faith the day we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior. That faith will grow, as you get around the Word of God. Every time you step out in faith on God’s Word, you are exercising your faith. Just like a body builder pumps iron, you are making your spirit-man stronger, when you act on the Word of God.

Remember, our faith overcomes the world, according to 1 John 5:4. We have it in us, let’s use it!

Don’t forget your one hour of prayer a day. Also, keep the prayer outline going; and meditate on the blood; so you will get into the presence of God. Living in God’s presence is the most important part of your life. God will tell you how to succeed.

I’m going to share with you some things that could be misunderstood, so follow me very closely. There are people today wanting to be free from the curse of sin by “doing something” instead of receiving God’s grace and mercy. The devil is a master at convincing us that what Jesus did on the cross is not good enough. In Ephesians 2:8-9, God tells us,

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.”

The things that we did wrong before we were saved are not blotted out by our works, but by faith; faith in what Jesus did for us. When the devil brings up sins that you committed before you were saved, you must stop him by God’s Word and grace. We must take God’s word very seriously or the devil will work on us all the time.

Let me give you an example. A person, before he was saved, lived a life of sin to such a degree that his sin hurt other people. Because of the hurt he caused others, satan will use the presence of those hurt people to remind him of his sin. Then, the new person in Christ rehearses the old sin in his mind and goes back to suffer under the condemnation of the devil once again. Satan is a master at this, and only by the revelation of God can one go free. The remainder of this letter will be dedicated to revealing how to be free from this kind of mental torment.

First, you must let your mind be governed by God’s Word. We don’t have a right, after we come to Jesus, to go against God’s Word. If God’s Word tells me I’m free, I must say, “Yes, that’s right, Amen!”

In Romans 6:3-7 the Word says,

“Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

Notice that God calls the man we were before Christ the old man. I’m not the old man of sin; I’m the new man of righteousness. I never committed the sin that the old man committed, because I’m not the old man. I’m the new man. Why should the new man feel guilty for what the old man did? Now, we see freedom coming into the picture. When the old man is no longer my identity, then guilt and condemnation stop. Romans 7:1-4 tells us about a woman who is married to a man and he dies. It says that this woman is loosed to marry another man, and she is not guilty of adultery; because the husband she was married to is dead. Verse 4 tells us,

“Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring fruit unto God.”

The law told us that we were guilty according to Romans 3:19. If we are still married to the law, we are still guilty. It’s time that born again Christians be loosed from the law by the death of Jesus. The old man of sin that I used to be hurt a lot of people. I could go back in memory and tie myself to that old man and feel worthless and defeated, but I’ve chosen to be married to Jesus. Only new creations can be married to Jesus. I had to put on a new nature. I’m born again. I’m not a sinner saved by grace. I am a new creation, and I was saved by grace. Don’t ever forget you are NEW!

I love you,
Pastor Paul