◄ The Spiritual Eye of Faith - Once Upon Eternity (5) ►

STUDY - Once Upon Eternity

God’s Plan

Once upon eternity, there was God. Before time was created and the stars were formed, God alone existed, and God had a plan to save those who would believe on the name of His Son – and God purposed that man would be saved by faith and that man would live by faith. And He set out His plans and purpose in His Word.. and He purposed that without faith it would be impossible for His children to please Him – and He set out His plans and purpose in the Word God.

Live by Faith

The book of Hebrews was written to believers, showing the importance of living by faith: My righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. Hebrews 10:39-11:1 tells us much about this ongoing, life-long sanctifying faith. It is a continuous dialogue on the ongoing, lifelong sanctifying faith.

Saving of the Soul

In Heb.11:38 we are told that the justified man shall live by faith, which pleases God. In this verse, we are told that redeemed man can draw back but this displeases God. In Heb.11:39 we read that believers should not displease God by drawing back. We read that ongoing, life-long sanctification results in the ‘saving of the soul’. The redeemed man is to live out his Christian life by faith, which leads to the saving of the soul.

Life of Faith

Just and righteous living is connected with a life of faith. Unjust and unrighteous living is disconnected from a life of faith. These verses are telling us how a Christian is to live: for the just shall live by faith. Now faith, is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Heb.11:1

Justifying Faith

And through faith, we understand that justifying faith is simply believing God – trusting in His saving grace. Redeeming faith is simply believing that Christ died for your sins. This justifying, faith caused the Spirit of life to make you a new creation in Christ. This redeeming, justifying faith is connected with the blood of the Substitute.

Sanctifying Faith

Sanctifying faith is simply trusting God to do what He has said, as you grow. Such faith is acting or living on the basis of what God has said about a thing. Sanctifying faith is the tool the Spirit of life uses to develop spiritual maturity. Sanctifying faith (Hebrews calls it the saving of the soul) conforms us into the image of Jesus.

Law and Grace

Under the Law, we read in Habakkuk that the just one was to live by his own faith. Under grace we read in Galatians that the just shall live by faith: the faith of the Son of God, for the Spirit of Christ lives in us, as we yield to His child-training. It is through sanctifying faith that we are given understanding. Through the eye of faith we see spiritual things – we gain spiritual understanding: for things of the Spirit of God are spiritually discerned. 1Cor.2:14.

Established Order

Through faith, we understand that the ages were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen – were not made of things which do appear.” Heb.11:3. God in His word and wisdom established a wonderful order in His universe. God in His power and authority, appointed an heir of all things. That heir of all things is our Lord Jesus Christ, and through sanctification we are being made ready to be joint-heirs with Him. God from the beginning, gave ‘order’ to all ages, of all time: past, present, and future, and He explained His plans and purposes in His Word – through faith. “And yet,” you argue, “there is such disorder in the world in which we live, today. How can you suggest that God’s established order, and it is still on track?”

Living by Faith

By faith. By simply trusting God to do what God has said in the Scriptures.. by simply believing God’s Word.. by accepting His Word as truth – by acting, walking and praying on the basis of what God has said about a thing. Simply by faith.. simply by believing that: things which are seen (that is seen with the spiritual eye of faith), were not made,  (that is: are separate and distinct, and not the same as), of things which do appear. (that is: the disorder in the world, that we see around us).

5 Points of Faith

Through the spiritual eye of faith that we see that His plan for us is perfect and ordered. By the spiritual eye of faith a believer is to understand that:- 1) God ordered the ages through Christ. 2) The spiritual eye of faith sees the order in God’s wider plans and purposes. 3) The eye of faith sees God’s design as separate and distinct from today’s disorder. 4)  The eye of faith looks beyond the chaos of today to the order of God’s future. 5)  The eye of faith looks with Abraham to: a city….whose builder and maker is God.

Promised Place

Jesus told us: I go to prepare a place for you. The eye of sanctifying faith looks beyond the clamour of this sin-sick world. The eye of faith sees; understands and believes that: if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself – that where I am there ye may be also. John 14:3