So then faith comes
by hearing,
and hearing by the
word of God.
But I say, have they
not heard?
Yes indeed:
‘Their sound has gone
out to all
the earth, and their
words to the ends
of the world.’ (Psalm
19:4)
But I say, did Israel
not know?
First Moses says:
‘I will provoke you
to jealousy by
those who are not a
nation. I will
move you to anger by
a foolish nation.’
(Deuteronomy 32:21).
Faith has as it basis truth, as reported in earlier blogs, but
faith comes only by the grace of God, that is faith that has as its founding
the morality imposed to men by God. Man’s morality is fluid and not settled as
seen as the various forms of morality in other nations. We live in a world
whereby one such morality is displayed in almost every movie, sit–com, by comedians,
in news, and advertisement, all which is demonstrating sexuality in every form
to be moral, and this which is against the word of God. In fact, this display
is ridiculous inasmuch as there is never the other side of this morality that
is harmful. What people are hearing and believing is the lie that so permeates
this world, a world in which Satan has stained the minds of men. Men have come
to believe this lie and makes for oblivion the truth, and absolute truth comes
only from God, therefore for one to come to know the truth they must hear the
word of God. Has not the world heard the word of God? Yes! At least due to the
internet and the television, and the sending for many years into all the world
missionaries, no man, that is for almost every man, woman, and child, they
have, or know about God, the God of the Bible. Scripture is so clear that the
word of God has gone out into the world, and this Greek word, οίκουμένης, means
to the inhabitable world and they have heard the ρματα, which is the spoken
word. Has not the Bible for all these many years, even if needed to be smuggled
into a nation, has found it way into many lands, and peoples? Yes! As Paul
writes that did not Israel not know, and yes they did, and do you and others in
this world not know? Yes they and you, and me, know! Paul points out that God
used what He was doing and is doing by means of other nations to provoke or to
stimulate them so that they come to their senses and the need to exercise their
responsibility. The Greek word used in verse 19 is so very clear; πραζηλώσω,
and are you not moved with anger, an anger not towards those who are believing
and are of other nations, rather that you are not moved so as to exercise you
responsibility as a Christian. That responsibility in the first place is to
ensure that what you hear is the absolute truth of God and not some man–made
doctrine. God gives to His children grace, and that grace gives to one faith,
therefore since God so loved that He gives faith, then should we not then love
others by exercising this God given faith? Isaiah writes: “But Isaiah is
very bold and says: ‘I was found by those who did not seek me; I was made
manifest to those who did not ask for Me’ (Isaiah 65:1). But to Israel he says;
‘All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary
people”(Romans 10:20–21; Isaiah 65:2). God is patient, yes, and He has
stretched out His hands, to all peoples, and especially to those of His that
are chosen by Him, and yet God is provoked to anger inasmuch as His love and
grace is diminished as men: “Who walk in a way that is not good, according
to their own thoughts” (Isaiah 65:2b). It was recently reported that the
Bethel Church in Redding and their School of the Supernatural took a field trip
to a grave site and then laid their bodies upon graves so as to receive a
spirit: “A people who provoke Me to anger
continually to My face; who sacrifice in gardens, and burn incense on altars of
brick; who sit among the graves, and spend the night in the tombs….” (Isaiah
65:3–4a). There is no new
revelation, God is the same today as He was in the past and will be in the
future and He will repay men for their sins: Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silence, but will
repay––even repay into their bosom….Therefore I will measure their former work
into their bosom” (Isaiah 65:6–7:b).
Having the true and absolute truth of
God, which leads to an absolute and true faith we are to be so moved in our
relationship with God so as to be a preacher of the word. This requires that we
study, read, even this blog, ensuring that what you are hearing and preaching,
and living is truth and not someone’s speculation, or some false doctrine. The
problem with false doctrines is that they are believable because some truth
wrapped around a lie. All believes, who call upon the Lord Jesus, go about
their lives humbly and sincerely manifesting their faith and that faith is the
truth of God’s word as God’s word has revealed. Is it not pure joy to know that
God has sent His grace and that this grace has imparted to you faith, a faith
that is a faith of salvation and that He has revealed to us His Son who paid
the price to pay our debt so that we could live eternal? This is continual joy.
Inexpressible joy! Prepare now, buy gas
for the car, buy groceries, and anything else that would keep you from
following the command of God to keep His Sabbath holy. Blessing come to those
who obey.
Thus says the LORD:
“As the new wine
is found in the
cluster,
and one sys, ‘Do
not destroy it,
for a blessing is in it,’
“That I many not
destroy them all.”
Isaiah 65:8
Your Faith By the
Grace Of God
Richard L. Crumb
