– Hebrews 11:39 “…they gained [divine] approval through their faith“… Moses, Abel, Cain, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Abel, Cain, Enoch, Noah, Sarah, Joshua, sons of Israel, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets, …women, …others. – Hebrews 11 *Read this chapter of “The Hall of Heroes of the Christian Faith”
Do you live a worthy life, consciously seeking the approval of God? We puny humans are saved by grace through faith alone – not by works. But true repentance leads to good fruit type of works – approved by God.
What are you consciously giving-up, “refusing“, in order to gain His approval? In Hebrews 11 we learn a lot about gaining divine approval, giving up the passing pleasures and very attractive options of the enemies of our soul: (1) the world, (2) the flesh, and (3) Satan. It’s all done to please He who suffered the cross for us.
Hebrews 11:24-27
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 because he preferred to endure the hardship of the people of God rather than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of the [c]Christ [that is, the rebuke he would suffer for his faithful obedience to God] to be greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt; for he looked ahead to the reward [promised by God]. 27 By faith he left Egypt, being unafraid of the wrath of the king; for he endured [steadfastly], as seeing Him who is unseen.
Faith helps us stand strong
in times of testing and struggles
By his faith, Moses chose differently. He did not follow the alluring sirens of the world, the flesh, and the Devil.
1. He endured rather than enjoy. Moses “preferred to endure the hardship of the people of God” rather than “to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin“.
2. He chose “faithful obedience to God“ — “to be greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt“.
3. He chose “the reproach of the [c]Christ” and “the rebuke he would suffer” — over all the wealth he could have had.
4. He chose to look “ahead to the reward [promised by God]” — rather than receive “all the treasures of Egypt”.
5. He chose faith rather than fear – “being unafraid of the wrath of the king“, because his faith was steadfast, as “seeing Him who is unseen“
Moses “refused” “to enjoy…” what he could have choosen to enjoy — in order to later, after his death, receive “the reward [promised by God]”. He endured the hardship.
Moses consciously chose to refuse “the passing pleasures of sin“. Instead, he consciously chose “to endure the hardship of the people of God.“
Moses consciously chose “faithful obedience to God”. He consciously chose to live as a citizen of Heaven, rather than accepting the tainted wealth of his country. He refused the easy status quo.
Moses consciously chose “faith”. “He endured [steadfastly], as seeing Him who is unseen.”
Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]. 2 For by this [kind of] faith the men of old gained [divine] approval.
– Hebrews 11:1
Do you have this kind of faith? What have you consciously choosen…? Are you confident in Him?
Hebrews 10:35-36
35 Do not, therefore, fling away your [fearless] confidence, for it has a glorious and great reward. 36 For you have need of patient endurance [to bear up under difficult circumstances without compromising], so that when you have carried out the will of God, you may receive and enjoy to the full what is promised.
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