earthly one—as many Israelites had expected — the promised blessings would have been limited in time and extent. But God’s plan is better, for it insures peace and joy for eternity to believers of all times. God’s ways are not always clear to His children. We are often tempted to ask, “Why?” Why, for instance, doesn’t faith always bring the same results? Why does one person’s trust in God bring him safely through the dangers of war, and another per son’s trust in God “merely” help him to die courageously and with hope for the future? If we answer that such were God’s plans for those individuals, some people will feel that then faith has nothing to do with one’s destiny. We are prone to put too much em phasis on what we can gain by faith. From a human point of view it is better to come home safely from war than to die, however courageously, but this may not be God’s point of view. Faith is not primarily a way of get ting gain—whether material or spir itual. It is a way of life. I t is the only integrated living possible to a Christian. We are saved through placing our faith in the Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. If, thereafter, we trust Him sometimes, for some things, and run our own affairs the rest of the time, we shall live in two spheres and never know fullness of peace. If, on the other hand, trust in God is the single principle that orders our lives, we are living in only one sphere — that of faith — and our fellowship with God will grow more precious all the time. God will reveal to us by His Holy Spirit “the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him . . . yea, the deep things of God” (I Cor. 2:9, 10). This vital relationship to God, which we call faith, enables a man to please God, to know and obey His will, to tri umph over the enemy, and to endure, “as seeing Him who is invisible.” Such faith makes the spiritual world more real than the material, and the f u t u r e fulfillment of the promise worth all the patient steadfastness. 35
Nr. Edward LeClair (left), la Mirada CHy Coun cilman «bib Biola Campus and chats with two at the school's «ico-prosidonts, Mr. hi Sanders (right), public rotations, and Mr. Paul Schwap- kor, treasury. “Ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive (the fulfillment of) the prom ise” (10:36). Now he says, “All these heroes of the faith, though they re ceived a good report (as he stated at the beginning, 11:2), did not receive the fulfillment of the promise either” —and he explains why. F irst of all, notice that in both 10:36 and 11:39, it is “the Promise” that is named. Promises to individuals had been ful filled — Abraham’s descendants had conquered Canaan, various leaders had won in battles, children had been raised to life, etc. But as has been proven earlier in the letter, “the Promise”—the basic focus of all true faith—is the promise of the Messiah- Redeemer and the Kingdom that He will establish. Furthermore, since the completion of God’s plan depends, among other things, on making up the number of saints from all the peo ples of the earth (Rev. 7:9), there must be an interval of time while this is being accomplished. We do not im mediately see the fulfillment of “the Promise” any more than did Old Tes tament saints. They obeyed God’s will and still had to wait patiently (Heb. 10:36). We must do the same. They died, having seen only at a distance the object of their faith (11:13); we may do the same. But whether we die or live until Christ returns, they and we and all who will yet be saved will “be made perfect” together and reign with Him when He returns in tri umph to establish His Kingdom. If Messiah had been an earthly Ruler, and if the Kingdom had been an
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