In Hebrews 6:1 we find that faith is one of the foundational principles of the Christian walk which, if maintained, leads to the perfecting (maturity) of the believer. In Hebrews 11:6 the Apostle Paul’s language grows more adamant relative to faith as he declares that it is impossible to please God without faith. In 1 John 2:6 we are commanded to walk as Jesus walked (live as He lived). God tells us that we must walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7), and that those who remain justified will live (walk) by faith, and that if anyone begins in faith and falls away, he will end in perdition. Those that maintain their faith do so UNTO THE SAVING OF THE SOUL (Heb. 10:38,39). In Matthew 10:22 Jesus tells us that only those whose walk of faith endures to the end (of his life or Christ’s return) will be saved. Here Jesus is warning His people about the severe persecution that would come on any and all who believe and obey Him. It takes great faith to endure hatred and rejection without giving in to the forces of Satan–one’s family, friends, former churchmates, etc. who are the sources of persecution. Of late the government has joined them. Government’s involvement in the persecution of true Christians will soon take on a deadly tone.

Now that we know that we must have faith in order to inherit eternal life, let God give us His definition of faith: “Now faith is the substance (assurance) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). Understand that in this life we only have the HOPE OF SALVATION. “For we are saved by hope; but hope that is seen (possessed) is not hope. For what a man sees, why does he yet hope for it? But if we hope for what we do not see, then we wait for it (salvation) with patience (until Christ returns)” (Rom. 8:24,25). Note: Faith allows us to have hope for the salvation that will be ours if we endure to the end with our faith intact. A question for those who believe that they are already saved: If we already have eternal life, why do we hope for it? See Hope and Salvation. FAITH PRODUCES HOPE WHICH PRODUCES ETERNAL LIFE FOR THOSE WHO WALK AS JESUS WALKED UNTIL THE END. Faith is trusting God to do what He said He would do.

Now that we know WHAT God-commanded faith is, let Him tell us WHERE to find it: “Now faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17). The word “hearing” throws some people off. The truth is that the copies of the Old Testament were found only in the Temple at Jerusalem and in the synagogues located in the villages, towns and cities of Israel. People had to go to those places to hear the Word being read by the priests. Not even Jesus of Nazareth had a copy. Recall that on one occasion He entered the synagogue in Nazareth on the Sabbath Day and stood up to read from the Book of Isaiah which had been opened for Him. He turned to the passage that today is designated chapter 61, verses 1 through 3 and read. When He finished He told those present in the synagogue that what He had read pertained to Him (vs 21). As a result the people tried to kill Him. Note that it was the religious people–those in the synagogue–who would have killed Him for speaking God’s Truth. Nothing has changed. The only thing keeping those few who speak God’s Truth today from being killed by those who claim Christ as their Savior is the society’s law against murder. This will change. To be continued. L.J.