The Virtue of Hope

As we enter into the topic of hope today I would like to ask you to first take a few moments and think to yourself about what you put your hope in. If we are alive, which or course we are, we live with a purpose that gives us some kind of hope. Stop right here and take a couple of minutes to ponder what your hope is. What drives you to believe you have hope?

I am assuming if you are reading this you have taken the few minutes to look at your own hope. Let's see if we can expand it, shall we?

Hope. What is it? What does it mean to have hope? How do we get it?

Hope is explained as a feeling that what is wanted will happen; a desire accompanied by expectation. It answers our burning desire for happiness, a desire that God put in every persons heart.

Often I have heard this statement. "Without hope, there is nothing left to live for". Critically ill patients die earlier if they feel there is no hope. People take their own lives when they believe there is no hope left. So how do we find a hope that gives us purpose and makes us want to live?

We are all looking for a little bit of happiness. I myself spent many years saying "when ______ happens then I will be happy" I entered many descriptions into that blank only to reach that goal, not find happiness and enter another description into the blank. I did this over and over again until I finally began to put my hope in eternal things. It is the hope of eternal life, of finally meeting Jesus face to face that keeps me pressing on. It is that final happiness that stirs a hope in my heart. My hope lies in the risen Christ that paid my debt and the promises in His word.

Titus 3:6-7 - whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Titus 1:2 - in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.

When we became Christians, the Holy Spirit was poured out on us through Jesus Christ who saved us. Justice has been served by His unmerited favor on us. We didn't deserve it but because of His love He showed favor on us and died to pay our penalty of death. Now because of His effort we can become heirs in the Kingdom of God. We have a hope now that makes us crave the Kingdom of God and eternal life. This kind of hope doesn't disappoint.

Romans 5:5 - Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Everyday, no matter the circumstances around us, we have a hope that will not disappoint. The love of God has been poured into our hearts. The Holy Spirit, which is also God was given to live within us. God is love. Therefore, we have the living God of love inside us every moment of every day. We only need to abide in the Spirit to find the hope and courage we need.

Psalm 31:24 - Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

Psalm 71:5 - For you are my hope, O Lord God, You are my trust from my youth.

Psalm 119:147 - I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your word.

Do not fear; be of good courage, God will strengthen your heart if you put your hope in the Lord. When we cry for help He hears. We can put our hope in Him just as His word shows us over and over. We have a hope of salvation and eternal life. A hope that overflows from the Spirit that lives within us.

It is not in the old law of the Israelites that hope is made perfect but in the Messiah that came and fulfilled the words of the prophets that brings a final hope. It is through Jesus Christ that we can draw near to God once again as Adam and Eve did in the beginning. Through the blood of Christ, restoration is made complete and we have a more perfect hope.

Hebrews 7:19 - for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, which we draw near to God.

So we look forward with hope in our hearts to the return of Jesus on His white horse. Appearing in the clouds and calling us home to be with Him. As He said when He left this earth He has gone to make a place for us with the Father and He will return for us. So we look anxiously forward to that blessed hope and glorious day.

Titus 2:13 - looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

But until then we stand prepared to do as it says in I Peter 3:15....

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.

Take heart my friend we have much to be filled with hope for! Take courage and share with those who are around you. Everyone needs the hope we have.

See you tomorrow when we talk about our final and most important virtue..... Love

The Virtue of Faith Continued

I hope you are well today; I myself am a bit under the weather. Seems I have caught the bug my son had. Sick children need their Mommy for comfort, so needless to say I always catch what he comes down with. Anyway, I am not ill enough to for go writing. I am loving this series! I don't know about you but I am learning so much!

So back to the virtue of Faith. Let’s look at what’s left about faith. We still need to explore what our faith produces and the consequences of it.

We have lots of scripture on this subject so by the time we get done we will have swam through a whole lot of living water. Let’s soak it in and let it change us.

The four gospel recordings show us the life of Jesus here on earth. Throughout His ministry He spoke many times of the great faith of individuals. Some are recorded in multiple places but the ones I would like to look at are in the gospel of Matthew.

First in Matthew 8:5-13 we see the story of the centurion who had great faith. When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented." Jesus tells him he will come and heal him. The centurion replies "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, do this, and he does it." Jesus heard it and marveled. He said to those that followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!" Jesus says to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And the servant was healed that same hour.

In Matthew 9:21-22 A woman who had a flow of blood for 12 years says to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well." But Jesus turned around and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour.

In Matthew 14:22-33 we find the story of Peter walking on the water. Jesus comes walking on the water to the disciples who are in a boat. Peter says "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." So He says "Come" And Peter comes out of the boat and begins to walk to Jesus on the water. But the wind kicks up and Peter begins to doubt and sink. He cries out "Lord, save me." Immediately Jesus stretches His hand out, catches Peter and asks "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Matthew 15:21-28 shows us the gentile woman who shows faith by worshipping Jesus even though she was not an Israelite. Jesus tells her he has come for the lost sheep of Israel. She cries "Lord help me!" But He answers "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." She replies "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters table." Jesus then says to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." and her daughter was heal from that very hour.

In all these stories, we see a common theme. For producing the outcome they desired they went to Jesus full of faith. We see that they each sought out Jesus for a miracle of healing and were rewarded because of their faith. This is not to say that each time we approach Christ with something we desire, He will give it to us if we have enough faith. There are many preaching this type of gospel today and it is not biblical. Yes, we are to approach Jesus full of faith when we go to Him with our concerns and requests. But He is not a gumball machine, put in your quarter and out comes a gumball. We are not to serve Christ for what we can get from Him but because of who He is. All things we request must be according to His will, not ours.

Sometimes, when we desire a certain outcome and go to Him in faith, He will grant our desire. If it be within His will, He will grant us the desires of our hearts. We are not in control of the outcome, He is. We approach in faith, accepting that He has the last say, not us. God is more concerned in changing our character than making us comfortable. Sometimes if a trial will improve our character, He will say no and let us go through the discomfort.

James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

Some would stand on the above scripture to say that it is lack of faith that causes us not to reap blessings from God. If you read the verse right before this one it is speaking about wisdom. We are told that if we ask for Godly wisdom we are to ask in faith with no doubting.

So what else are we told about faith from the scriptures?

Hebrews 11: 6 - But without faith it is impossible to please God.

Hebrews 12:2 - looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith...

James 1:3 - Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

I Corinthians 16:13 - Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.

II Corinthians 5:7 - For we walk by faith, not by sight.

I Corinthians 2:5 - that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Colossians 2:7 - rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Without faith it is impossible to please God. We can work hard on our own but it is only faith in Jesus that truly pleases God. It is Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. It is not by our own power that our faith increases but by keeping our eyes on Jesus. Just like when Peter was walking on the water, when he looked away from Jesus, he began to fall. We are to stand fast in our faith, stay strong and brave. Walk by faith not by sight. Keeping our focus always on Christ. Our faith should be rooted and built on Jesus, established to be mature after a time. We are to build our wisdom not in what the world says but in the power of God. Knowing that the testing we endure will provide us with the kind of faith that is patient, strong and ever looking up to Christ.

If we do these things, when we are finished and our time here on this earth is done, we can then state as Paul did in II Timothy 4:7....

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Stand firm in faith my friends.... Come back tomorrow to hear about The Virtue of Hope.

The Virtue of Faith

Welcome back to our pursuit of understanding the virtues of the bible. Maybe I should welcome myself back, since I'm the one that didn't write on this subject yesterday as I said I would. Forgive me, I had way too many distractions (husband at home and a sick child) to focus and write. It has also been a long research time on this subject for there is much the bible has to say about it. This may turn into a two parter.... who knows?!

I don't know about you, but I am hungry for what the bible has to say about our faith so let’s get right to it.

So what is faith?

As I began to explore, I found many definitions to what faith is. I also found some definitions that as I read them, my insides screamed "THAT’S NOT RIGHT!" There seems to be many today that are twisting the foundation of what faith is and using it for their own gain.

Even the good old Webster's dictionary had a definition that made my shoulders hunch up and my neck tense. ”Unquestioning belief that does not require proof or evidence” is what it said the definition of faith is. Well, all I have to say is who ever wrote that dictionary must not have a good understanding of the faith because they were wrong, wrong, wrong. If you look seeking God, there is plenty of proof or evidence out there. Creation itself reveals God. I am not going get into a long exploration of apologetics but there is much to prove the existence of God if you look for it. It is when we begin to question about God that we find the answers to prove we can stand firm in belief.

With that said, here is a more correct definition of what biblical faith is. Steadfastness in belief. Complete trust, confidence, or reliance. Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing. Secure belief in God and a trusting acceptance of God's will.

Faith is a gift of God's grace, so we can know and love God living as His children. Faith is something we receive through Devine grace from God. It is something that grows as we step out in belief and exercise it. It grows to the extent that we practice it. The more we live our faith, the more deeply we come to believe it and know its truth and power.

Like I said earlier, faith is not something we are asked to believe without proof or evidence.

In Acts 17:31 the raising of Jesus from the dead is spoken of as proof that God will judge the world. Also, as we see, in Acts 2:22-36 Peter has grounded his belief in the evidence. He testified to who Christ was. Additionally, there were many eye witness accounts of those that Christ appeared to after the resurrection.

Once again, we'll just go to scripture and let the bible speak for itself. What does it say about faith? What should the object of our faith be?

Romans 1:16-17 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

Romans 5:1 - Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I Corinthians 15:13-14 -But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen, and if Christ is not rise, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.

Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

The object of our faith is God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are to have faith in the sacrificial lamb that was provided to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus, came to earth, fulfilled prophesy in the old testament, died on the cross to pay the debt of sin for us and rose again on the third day. We are then justified by our faith and have peace with God through the penalty that was paid by Jesus.

Hebrews 11:1 says Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

The author of Hebrews is speaking of the hope of eternal life we have to look forward to. We can put our faith in the future we have not yet seen, eternal life in heaven. Because of our faith in Christ, we have this kind of hope.

I am going to stop here for today....

Tomorrow we will finish our look at faith by exploring what the scriptures say about what faith produces and what the consequences of it are.

Until tomorrow, keep the faith!

I've Been Featured

Hello Everyone,

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Blessings!
Sherri

The Virtue of Courage or Fortitude

Hello again my friends and welcome back. I am so glad you have decided to continue on this journey with me in exploring virtues. I hope you will stay with it until the end. There is much still to come that will give us great insight into the heart of God. I don't know about you, but I want to know his heart and what he calls me to do. Let’s get started.

The virtue for today is Courage or Fortitude.

Courage is also known as bravery, will or fortitude. In it we are given the ability to confront fear, risk, danger, uncertainty and intimidation.

According to Webster's dictionary the definitions are:

Courage- the attitude of facing and dealing with anything recognized as dangerous, difficult, or painful, instead of withdrawing from it. The quality of being fearless or brave. The courage of ones convictions is doing what one thinks is right.

Fortitude - strong, the strength to bear misfortune, pain calmly and patiently; firm courage.

There is "physical courage" in facing physical pain, or threat of death, while "moral courage" is the ability to act rightly in the face of popular opposition.

This virtue also has vices at its extremes. When we lack courage, we become cowardice and when we have excess courage we can be reckless. The coward often has a hard time standing up for what he believes. While the reckless person might do something like attack an armed robber with bare hands. To usefully exhibit courage in our life we must have good judgment and stay balanced in it. Courage is also something that is developed by doing. Acting courageously over and over will eventually become a habit for us.

If you look through the bible, there are many examples of courageous living. Let’s explore some of them.

In Joshua 2:1-9 we see the story of the harlot Rahab. Joshua had sent spies into the city of Jericho (two brave men), and the King found out about it. Rahab had heard the stories of their God and hide the two men. At nightfall she helped them escape the city walls. Why would she do such a thing? She took great risk in hiding these men. I believe she took great courage because she stepped out in great faith. She heard the stories of their God and believed.

Ezra 10:4 - Arise for this matter is your responsibility, we also are with you. Be of good courage and do it.

The prophet Ezra is weeping before the Lord for the people of Israel. After 70 years of captivity in Babylon they had returned back to the Promised Land only to pick up in sin where they had left off. The people were committing the same sin that angered God and had led them into being taken into captivity. They were taking pagan wives. As Ezra is weeping in prayer and bowing down before the house of God, he is interrupted by a large assembly of men and women weeping bitterly. They confess their sin to him and ask to make a covenant with God and put away their pagan wives.

In the verse above we see the response of Ezra, ”this is your responsibility, be of good courage and do it" In other words; obeying the Lord is our responsibility. We are to be of "good" courage (not bad - cowardice or reckless) and do it. "Just do it" as the Nike commercial would say!

King David was also the picture of fortitude and courage. He lamented to God in his circumstances often but always stood firm in his courage. In 1 Samuel 17 we read the story of David's first great courageous feat. He slays the giant Goliath with a slingshot and one stone. Smack! Right between the eyes and that big ugly giant went down.

But David wasn't alone welding that slingshot. God was with him every step of the way. Just as He was throughout David’s life. When King Saul began to hate David and persecute him, God was with him giving him courage. David was on the run for many years avoiding the persecution, being stalked by King Saul who wanted to kill him. But David took courage, not on his own, but with the strength of God.

Moses also stood in the strength of God and took courage as he stood before the Pharaoh of Egypt and spoke "Let my people go!"

Joshua took courage as he was given the job to lead Israel to the promise land. God spoke these words to Joshua as he readied himself to enter the promise land.

Joshua 1:7 - "Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go."

"ONLY" Be strong and very courageous! I assume this statement was important for him to accomplish the will of God. God is saying DO THIS! Be these things. Strong and courageous. Walk past your fear and do as I ask. I will be with you.

Deuteronomy 31:6 - "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you."

So how do we approach this as a practical application in our lives?

*First, I would say, when we feel the fear, we continue in obedience anyway. We build our faith and begin to stand on what God says not what is around us.

*We continue to obey even when we are uncertain or can't see the reasoning for what God is asking us to do.

*We fight the urge to withdraw from difficult circumstances.

*We stand on our convictions in spite of criticism or persecution.

*We remain calm and patient living by faith even in the face of trials or tragedy.

We can do these things not on our own power but by the power of God that lives within us through the Holy Spirit. We can stand on the promise above written in Deuteronomy 31:6. He goes with us. We are never alone in our battles or our fears. He will not leave us nor forsake us.

This today was a big long drink of living water. I hope you will soak it in and let it begin to give you the strength to change and become courageous.

Have a great day of the Sabbath tomorrow and come back Monday, when we dive into the virtue of Faith.