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Bright and shining lights in the Bible #10

Stream or download Bright and shining lights in the Bible #10

“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,” Hebrews 11:5-6.

 

1. Enoch is a most unusual man. He was saved in the way all must be saved but he was the first to enter heaven GLORIFIED! He was the first believer to arrive in heaven, body and soul!
He was translated, carried over from earth to heaven ALIVE! Word appears in Acts 7:16 as ‘carried over’, referring to burial of Jacob and 11 of his sons. Enoch was miraculously changed in his body from a mortal to an immortal state out of extraordinary grace and favour shown to him and then, many ages after this, to Elijah also.

2. His departure likely resulted in a search for him! 
“ . . and was not found.” This phrase suggests a search was made for him. How puzzled his neigbours were.
The world has no understanding of how or where the Christian goes when they leave this world! There was a ‘search’ for Elijah also. 2 Kings 2:16-18.

3. This blessing was granted because of his faith. “By faith Enoch was translated.” Hs faith pleased God. “Before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” True faith is always accompanied by a life of holiness that is pleasing to God. Notice that it is emphasised that: “Without faith it is impossible to please him.” How important it is to understand this! Those that believe God are termed ‘friends’. “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God,” James 2:23.

Bright and shining lights in the Bible #9

“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”
We have considered how that Abel’s sacrifice was deemed ‘more excellent’ than Cain’s and that because it was offered in OBEDIENCE to God and spoke of Christ the Lamb of God.
But learn also:
BY HIS SACRIFICE HE WAS TOLD HE WAS RIGHTEOUS
‘He obtained witness that he was righteous.’ How was that? It says that God testified of the fact that he was righteous. The word ‘testifying’ appears in Luke 4:22 and is translated as “and all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.”
The people testified of the Saviour’s gracious words. In like manner God spoke of the fact that Abel was righteous as a result of the sacrifice he had offered. Just how God ‘spoke’ we are not sure but it is very possible He did with Abel’s sacrifice what He did with Elijah’s on Mt Carmel. “Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench,” 1 Kings 18:38. Most certainly Abel had the witness of God’s Spirit within him that he was accepted by God. Even so it is with every true Christian today. “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father,” Galatians 4:6. “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself,” 1 John 5:10.
ALSO NOTE THAT ABEL STILL SPEAKS TO US!
That is, what he did still testifies to us of how we too may be righteous before God. As it was with the words of Samuel the prophet – “And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground,” 1 Sam 3:19 – so it is with the testimony of Abel. His faith and obedience to God speaks to us today from all those years ago, about 6000 years ago. He says to each one of you: “The way to get to heaven is to obey the gospel and trust in the offering God tells us to trust in, the Lord Jesus. Christ.”
Abel’s sacrifice spoke peace to Abel. Christ’s sacrifice speaks to us peace to us ALL!
“And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel,”Hebs 12:24.
We have referred to three voices today.
1. God’s voice to Abel, 2. Abel’s voice to us and 3. Christ’s voice to us all. They are the 1. voice of personal assurance, 2. the voice of witness and 3. the voice of Calvary to those trusting in Christ’s sacrifice.

Bright and shining lights in the Bible #8

Stream or download Bright and shining lights in the Bible #8

This chapter 11 of Hebrews is all about faith. The word appears some 23 times in the chapter (if my counting is correct) as well as the words ‘believe, etc’ appearing many times as well.

Faith is DEFINED for us in verse1. “Now faith is the substance (the very foundation) of things hoped for, the evidence (proof) of things not seen.” We hope for that which God has promised on the basis that we BELIEVE that what God has said will come about.
I like the little definition often used. Forsaking All I Trust Him.

Again, I like the little chorus which says: “Faith is just believing what God says He will do”!
Faith is then DEMONSTRATED throughout the rest of the chapter.

1. ALL WHO ARE GOING TO HEAVEN HAVE FAITH. “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,” verse 6.
Here is a vital question indeed. Do you believe God today? Do you reject what every voice in opposition to God says and believe Him?
Remember: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God,” Ephesians 2:8.

2. BY FAITH THE OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS WERE WELL SPOKEN OF. Their faith in the Lord is what made them ‘good’ men and women.

3. BY FAITH WE UNDERSTAND WHAT UNSAVED MEN CANNOT UNDERSTAND! “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear,” verse 3. We believe in God’s mighty power and so it is easy for us to accept and believe in the creation of all things by God in 6 days.

4. FAITH IS ESSENTIAL FOR EVERY ASPECT OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. We will be looking at this matter more closely as we progress down the chapter. But note first of all that we cannot WORSHIP the Lord aright without faith.
That which separated Cain and Abel was FAITH!

Abel believed God. “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,” verse 4. ‘A more excellent sacrifice than Cain’ means ‘a superior’ sacrifice. Abel’s sacrifice was seen by God as of great value whereas Cain’s was not and God rejected his.
Faith made the difference. Abel believed God’s promise of redemption through the promised ‘Lamb of God’ and so offered a lamb as a symbol or picture of the Lamb he was trusting in to save him.  “Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock,” Genesis 4:4.
Cain offered his own works. “Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD,” Genesis 4:3.
Abel is in heaven while Cain in hell and all because one had FAITH in God and one did not!