“And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.” Matthew 8:26
Read Matthew 8:23-27. Jesus asks a question in this passage: “Why are you fearful?” I have always thought that Jesus was rebuking their fear because He knew the winds could be stilled. I’m not sure that is the case. It might be more simple than that. They were in the boat with Jesus. Whatever happened to them would also happen to Him. He was “with them” in the most personal sense.
It is not the ability to do something miraculous that should abate our fears. It is the faith to know that Jesus is with us. The Psalmist also knew this truth. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.” Psalm 46:1-3. Notice that it is not the lack of upheaval, but trust in God that removes fear.
Abraham walked away from his family and the life he had to go somewhere that God told him to go. This would be pretty scary for anyone. Then, he finds himself wondering about what was really going to happen. He still did not have a child to carry on his lineage, and God had promised him a great nation. In Genesis 15:1 we find this: “After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.”
God simply reminds Abraham that He is in charge and will take care of things. Faith is not about believing that nothing “bad” can happen to us, but rather believing that God is still in control. Paul reminds us of this. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 This does not say that all things will be exactly how we want them. It reminds us that God knows what is best and will do what is best for us.
Paul actually lived this in his ministry. In Acts 27, he is being taken to Rome as a prisoner, and things go very bad on part of the trip. Their boat is overwhelmed by stormy seas. God does not expect Paul to rise up and rebuke the wind and save the boat. He does tell Paul that he does not have to fear because God is going to save his life and the lives of all that are with him.
Fear is removed because we trust God to do what is best even if that means going through the storm and possibly being shipwrecked. Sometimes we just want the miracle to happen for us so we can avoid the unpleasant part.
The thing that most brings fear to people is death. It seems so final, and we cannot just ask someone what is on the other side because no one comes back. This is where faith really meets the road. For this very reason, we have God’s Word to let us know. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Hebrews 2:14-15
This has been true since the garden. Sin brought death, and from the human perspective, death seems very final, and sometimes very cruel. David had many times that he was sure he was going to die. He came to a certain realization that he did not need to fear this. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Psalms 23:4
For God’s children, death is not an evil to be feared. This does not mean that we are suicidal, but it does mean that we do not need to fear death. Even there, God is with us. Jesus told us that He came so that we might have life more abundantly. That does not just end in this life, but takes us into eternal life.
“So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:54-57. This is what drives our faith. The greatest miracle is that Jesus gives us life and a life that overcomes death.
For the believer, death is simply to the next step that takes us into God’s presence. “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8. Paul knew this well, having been many times in circumstances that could easily lead to his death. However, he had a secret that kept him out of fear. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21
Fear is Satan’s tool to keep you from enjoying your life with Jesus. It is always a way to stop you from laying hold of faith. Not faith that God is going to drop some miracle to keep you from anything bad. It is faith that God is in control and always has your best interest at heart. Not just because someone says so, but because God has demonstrated His love and His care over His people.
The story of the flood and the ark is found in Genesis chapters 6-8. Almost 5,000 years ago, God looked down from heaven and “…saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Verse 6 tells us that this wickedness grieved God’s heart. Sin always grieves God’s heart and brings judgment. Throughout the Bible God sent judgment on mankind whenever they turned away from Him, but He always provided a way of escape. That is called “grace,” for it is by grace that we are saved.
In v. 8 we read that “…Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” Noah found grace because he was seeking it in the midst of an evil world. Noah’s testimony according to v.. 9, was that “…Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.” Noah not only walked with God, but he also talked with Him. By God’s grace, we too can have such a testimony, but we must be willing to listen to Him and to heed His Word.
God spoke to Noah and told him that He was going to send a flood of waters to destroy the earth and everything in it. But in His mercy, God provided a way of escape. In vv. 14-16 God gave Noah specific instructions on how to build an ark to protect them from the flood waters. Our ark of safety today is Jesus, our shelter in the time of storm and our protection from God’s judgment. But only those who enter in can be saved, just as it was in Noah’s day.
Noah was a “preacher of righteousness” according to II Peter 2:5 and preached for 120 years while he was building the ark. In spite of all of his efforts during that time, the message which he preached was rejected, and only his family entered with him into the ark. Don’t be discouraged if you cannot see the fruit of your labor or if you feel that you have not been successful in your Christian walk and witness. Just be faithful in whatever God asks you to do. The results may not be seen in your lifetime.
Noah simply walked by faith and obeyed God, as we read in Hebrews 11:7: “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” The world was condemned because they refused to accept the message of grace that would have brought them salvation. And so, it is today. Our job is to preach the gospel with our lives and to let our light shine in a darkened world. We are not responsible for the result, but we are responsible to keep our lamps trimmed and burning brightly. The rest is up to God and the Holy Spirit.
In Genesis 6:14, God instructed Noah to build the ark out of gopher wood and to “pitch it within and without with pitch.” Pitch is a black, sticky substance used for water proofing. This was an important step to keep the flood waters from entering into the ark. It also has an important spiritual meaning. The word which was translated “pitch” in this verse is the same Hebrew word that is translated “atonement” in Leviticus. 17:11: “…for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” Just as everyone inside the ark was protected from the flood waters of judgment by the pitch, so does the atoning blood of Calvary protect us who are in Christ from God’s judgment for sin.
The ark and all those who were inside it were literally baptized in the waters of judgment, waters from above and waters from below. They were then brought up in resurrection out of the waters of judgment on dry ground. This represents Christ being completely immersed in God’s judgment on the cross. We were taken down into death with Him and then resurrected just as the ark was. Paul describes our death and resurrection with Him in Galatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…”
In Genesis. 7:7 we read, “And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.” But most importantly, in v. 16, it states that the animals also went in, as God had commanded, “…and the LORD shut him in.” Jesus is not only the Ark of Safety, but He is also the Door of the Ark. When we enter into the Ark through the Door and God shuts us in, nothing of the flood of judgment can enter in and reach us. We are safe in Christ and come out on dry ground (no condemnation) as a new creation. The old creation died, as we read in II Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [creation]: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
After the flood, God did something beautiful. He placed in the sky a rainbow, a symbol of His grace, a token of His covenant of love, a promise that He would never again destroy the world by a flood. That covenant is found in Genesis 9:12-17. However, a rainbow is never seen until after a storm. It is like God is smiling down on us and saying, “Remember me? My grace got you through this storm!”
Around us today there are so many dark storm clouds of uncertainty and fears: fears for our families and friends, and perhaps even for ourselves, clouds of impending financial loss, and the list goes on. But God is calling out to us today to shelter in Him, and He will take care of the clouds. And after the clouds comes the blessing of the rainbow and the sunshine. The rainbow was also sent to remind us of God’s grace, that He provided His Son to bear our judgment for sin. The waters of judgment cannot overflow us and drown us because we are safe in Him.
Been going to write you about my knee healing. I have been wearing a brace on it for years because the cartlage was gone. I was invited to a birthday card shower for a friend which I call Grandma Bea, She calls me Grandpaw Francis. We use to attend the same church. When I went in, there was an empty seat in the second row and close to where I could see her open her cards. The reason that seat was not taken was because it was next to a man that was mental retarded. The shower turned into a full blown meal and I had just ate before I went. When the meal started the people at our table got up and got their meal & returned to anouther table to eat because of him. There was one other person at that table at the far end. I had a cane with the feet on it. He asked me what I used it for. I told him to feel of my brace on the knee. When he did he said he would pray for it which he proceeded to do. I felt nothing, but that night when a got ready for bed & rub the ointment in it the knee was full of cartlage. I have not wore the brace since. Praise the Lord for his goodness.
Faith is believing,
When you cannot see –
The end of the problem,
Yet your heart is free.
Faith is rejoicing,
In an answer to prayer –
Before it is solved,
Seeing God’s hand there.
Faith is hope,
That stands the test –
Trust in God’s Word,
Knowing His Way is best.
Faith is joy,
When all looks bleak,
Lips that praise Him,
Whenever they speak.
Faith is subjection,
Sitting at His feet –
All else is forgotten,
His voice is so sweet.
Faith is strength,
When we have none –
Shown forth in weakness.
It is victory won.
Debra Isenbletter
Springfield, Missouri
“Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” Ephesians 4:8-15
Paul quotes from the Old Testament here. “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.” Psalm 68:18. Clearly he understands this as a prophecy fulfilled by Jesus. While we do not have very specific details about what exactly happened here, it does seem to speak of something that Jesus did while His body was in the grave.
The souls of those that had died in faith before, were held in “captivity” in “the lower parts of the earth.” Jesus told the thief that he would be with Him in “paradise” that day. We do not need to know or understand all of the details of this place to understand that Jesus won the final victory and therefore He was able to take “captivity captive.” Another translation says “He led a host of captives.” He was there to tell them that victory was complete and they were now free.
What matters most to us to realize that Jesus has gained the victory for us and has ascended on high where He intercedes for us. And, because He won the victory over death and sin, we now have victory. “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:55-57
And so He gives gifts to men that are for edification. Never were any of these gifts intended to lift up a person or give someone license to pretend to be more than someone else. They have very clear use. “Perfecting” (maturing) of the “saints” (believers) which is God’s ultimate purpose in this world. While many in Christendom today are busy working on some religious requirements, God is busy maturing a bride for His Son.
Paul’s message is all about this bride and it is very clear that she will be mature. He speaks of “babes in Christ” in 1 Corinthians 3:1 and even there he is desiring to help them grow up and mature. Peter encourages “babes” to grow by taking in the Word of God in truth in 2 Peter 2:2.
The measure of this maturity is “the stature of the fulness of Christ.” We already have learned this concept several times in this letter: “him that filleth all in all,” “Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone,” “that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” Jesus is all in all, and everything comes together in Him. He is indeed the measure of the stature of maturity for all believers.
There is a tendency in the flesh to want to compare ourselves to others, but that will never lead to true spiritual maturity. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 10:12 that we do not compare ourselves to others or measure based on others, because our only measure is Jesus.
One indication of maturity is no longer being tossed around by every thing we hear. The mature believer is getting into the Word and knows what it says. This is not to say that we know everything and have no more to learn. However, we recognize when someone is presenting something that is contrary to God’s Word.
There are certainly many that want to present some “gospel” that is contrary to the actual true Gospel of God’s grace. It might be from ignorance, or from some personal benefit to themselves. It might be sincere; but sincere can be very wrong. We need to be grounded enough to realize that if someone is adding some requirement to the Gospel of salvation by grace alone, we can ignore that.
Some are truly being deceitful. We can ignore them and stay away from them. Paul gives multiple warnings to Timothy to “avoid,” “flee,” “not give heed,” “to refuse,” to “withdraw from such.” It is not always good or necessary to try to refute or stand up to these.
Notice that our response is to speak “the truth in love.” This is important if someone wants to listen. It is not about being smarter or better than another, but truly desiring the best for each believer. Speaking in love does not berate the other person, but truly attempts to help them see the truth as it is written.
And, finally, we are growing up into Him (Jesus). We are not attempting to make ourselves something that can be compared to someone else. Our relationship with Jesus is personal, and our growth is personal. I am growing up into Jesus, and you are growing up into Jesus.
Jesus is the head of the church (His body). He is not head because we say so or because we decided to let Him be. He is head because God made Him head, and nothing anyone does will replace Him in that capacity, even though some try to do just that. Whether or not He is your head is up to you to allow. Mature believers recognize Him as head and welcome His headship in their lives. Grow up into HIM.
Mathew 8:23-27; Mark 4:36-41; Luke 8:23-25
The disciples had little to no faith. They were doing as the Lord had told them. They got into a boat WITH Jesus. He was right there with them. They were going to the other side of the lake as he directed. Their feet, so to speak, were going in the direction the Lord wanted them to go.
When that storm came and Jesus was asleep. He may have been in the boat with them, but He must have seemed so far away to them at this time. These “just” (righteous) disciples had little to no faith when it came to this storm.
We read in Habakkuk 2:4, “…but the just shall live by his faith.” This is true. Hebrews 11:6 says, “without faith it is impossible to please him (God). This is also true. Have you ever felt like you had little to no faith to live by? I’m sure we all have at times. If so, here is a portion of scripture to “wash our feet” with.
It certainly could not be said of the disciples in this storm that they “lived by THEIR faith.” So what did they do? They woke Jesus up and lived by HIS faith.
When we are in the midst of storms or whatever and feel we have no faith, we can rest in Jesus and HIS faith. We can walk in the faith Jesus has. Trust Him, Rest in Him. They did and so can we.
This verse – “The just shall live by faith…” is recorded in three other places – Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; and Hebrews 10:38.”