We are seeing many events Jesus predicted would precede His return happening before our eyes. I have studied prophecy for close to thirty years beginning while in college when I wrote and an article title "Russia in Prophetic History." (https://bible-truth.org/RussiaProphecy.html )

It sparked my interest in the end times prophecies and promoted me to write several articles. One is a commentary on the Book of Daniel. (https://bible-truth.org/DanielIntro.html). Another is "Is the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24-25?" (https://bible-truth.org/OlivetDiscourse.html ). Another is a verse by verse commentary on the Book of Revelation. Other articles can be found on my Apologetics Page of Bible Truth. (https://bible-truth.org/apologeticspage.html#002)

One thing I have tried to do was to understand our current world situation in light of biblical prophecies. Much I do not understand, but I did realize that although the Lord’s return has always been immanent several things that Gods says must be in place had not happened. Today, I know that I do not know of anything that could not quickly happen in even days or weeks, for the Lord to come in the Rapture and the Seven Year Tribulation (Daniel’s 70^th Week) begin.

Daniel 7:7-14, foretold of a strong political power arising in the last days in Europe. His is a prophecy of what is termed the revived Roman Empire. Anyone today with even a rudimentary understanding of biblical prophecy can see the current events unfolding in the American, Europe, Russia, and Middle East show that the current world situation is lining up with the end times scenario found in Bible prophecy. We would have to be blind to not conclude the Lord could return very soon.

This message is not going to be about prophecy and the end times which I will be covering in coming messages.

This message is about what should be our response and what will see us through the troubling times until the Lord returns. "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1 John 3:3)

Lets be clear, Christians according to God’s word will not be in the seven year Tribulation. In spite of all the clamor of the proponents of the what they call the Pre-Wrath rapture it is a gross misinterpretation of God’s word. We can take comfort in that as 1 Thessalonians 4:18 - 5:11 tells us.

I. The single most important thing in a person's life is faith. I think it important that we begin this new year with a message that addresses the very foundation on why we are here and what we are doing as individual believers in Jesus Christ and collectively in our church.

A. God’s plan is crystal clear....the Just Shall Live by Faith. That means to live daily and even in our deaths we are to proceed in complete faith in God’s word and His promises to us.

It will be our faith that we be the judge of our service to the Lord and of the presence of peace and joy in our lives.

It will be our faith that will see us through what ever God allows in our lives until He returns or we are taken in death to be instantly in His presence.

It will be our the application of our faith that will determine if we see souls saved, Christians grow and mature in Christ and if we accomplish His will for in our lives.

B. What I wish for us to see is what is truly biblical faith. True faith is not something mysterious or hard to understand. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1)

The phrase "of things hoped for" is one Greek verb "elpizo" (el-pid'-zo)" and simply means "trust." It is translated numberous time "trust."

"Subtance" is the word hupstasis (hoop os tas is) and means to "set under" referring to the foundation.

Therefore biblical faith is trusting in the sure foundation of God’s promises to those who will believe. Biblical faith is not a leap into the dark. Biblical faith knows that what is believes is sure and absolute because it is founded in God’s promises. It is not a matter of speculation, but of complete confidence in the surely of what God has said and the child of God has accepted.

C. We mark time into seconds, minutes, hours, days , weeks, months and years. We are at the beginning of a new year and this is a time when most reflect on the past and look towards the future.

1. May I give each of you some good news. Those who have believed and by faith accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior have the most wonderful future ahead of us. Our future is secured in the Person of our Savior and God ...Jesus Christ. We have nothing to fear or to be anxious about. Even in times when things get hard, we are by faith to expectantly wait for our Savior.

We can rest in the comfort of knowing the end. If we trust the Lord, and are obedient to Him, allow Him to direct our lives what ever comes through the Lord we will overcome. The victory in our lives has been won...and not by us, but by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

"Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do." (1 Thessalonians 5:10-11)

2. Have you read Romans 8 lately? Did you note verse 18?

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God." (Romans 8:18-19)

What about verse 28? "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)

Verse 37 should have thrilled your heart.... "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." (Romans 8:37)

We move on from the past and forward to the future. I think most of us try to be optimistic about the future. We are looking for better things in life, better things for our family and friends. I think too, we all wish for growth and better things for our church. I am sure last years failures also come to mind. We cannot live on yesterday's blessings nor should we dwell on yesterday's failures and disappointments. I know this, as a child of God, when were obedient to Him and living by faith, even if we did not realize His presence and hand at the time, we can look back and see how the Lord blessed us. We can see He was truly there and never did forsake us.

This is a time to apply the lessons learned in the past year and move forward into the present and the future. Of most importance is that we see this coming year as a year we can learn more of our Savior and grow closer to His will.

Often people say to me that they wish to have a closer relationship to the Lord. I think we all want that, don’t we. The simple true is that if we are being obedience living every day for Him, yielding to the guidance of the Holy Spirit...we will be as close as we can get this side of heaven.

D. Our obedience to the Lord shows the degree of our faith and of our closeness to Him. You cannot get closer to the Lord and pleasing Him than to be a good steward of the life and blessing God has given you. "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." (1 Corinthians 4:2)

This truth each of us must accept and apply in our ever day lives. What ever the coming year brings the "just shall live by faith." Living by faith means being a good steward of the life you have.

We pray for happiness, success, peace and joy which we all earnestly long for. Certainly, we all want to live without stress and difficulties. I hope that God answers our prayers for the good things we wish for, but we must be prepared also for the opposite. Realistically we know could experience hard times disappointments and trouble.

III. God’s principle whereby a person is saved and whereby he is to then live his life is same. "The Just shall live by faith."(Hebrews 11:6)

Our Faith in our God and Creator, will save us from our sins and give unto use eternal life. Further, true FAITH will see us through the wonderful times that may be ahead, and will also see us through troublesome times is that what lies ahead.

A. Lets look at what is true saving faith. Faith means that we will believe God’s word and we accept live by it.

1. In Luke 17:5 the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith. The context of the disciples’ statement explains the reason for their request. Jesus in Luke 16:19 had told them of the rich man and the beggar named Lazarus who died. The rich man who rejected God in His life, woke up in the fires of Hades and was in torment. Lazarus who was a poor beggar, because he was a believer in God’s promises, died also but was taken by the angels and woke up in the bosom of Abraham, which is a name for paradise. Some claim this was a parable.

Assuredly, this was an actual event, not a made up story. The Jews knew that Abraham was in heaven with the Lord. The word bosom refers to a person’s lap and was related to the Oriental custom of reclining at meals beside one another. Thus to be in Abraham’s bosom was a place of honor , peace and happiness. Because of Lazarus the beggar’s faith in God he was taken to heaven, paradise when all the Old Testament saints were who died trusting in the Lord.

2. The point was well received by the disciplines that it was Lazarus’s faith that saw him to heaven and it was the lack of faith of the rich man who trusted in his riches that cause him to end up in Hades.

The vivid description of the torments of hell made a great impression on the disciples. They realized the end of those who would not believe and put their faith in the Lord. Thus fearing their lack of faith would cause them the same end they as the Lord to "Increase their faith."

Do you understand that when they heard the Lord Jesus’ tell of salvation and condemnation.....THEY BELIEVED HIM. Why else would that ask such a question?

They wanted to go to heaven, and to abide in Abraham’s bosom. That simply means where Abraham was.

Jesus had earlier rebuked the disciples on several occasions referring to them as "O ye of little faith."

Their requests shows in the face of the reality of the consequences of rejecting Christ, they saw themselves a weak and frail realizing their great need of an unwaving faith.

This is where the Lord would want us all to be.

B. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (2 Corinthians 13:5)

1. There is nothing wrong with honestly examining our

relationship with the Lord which is based on our faith. It clearly is not a one time thing, but should be something we do regularly, even on a constant basis.

Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

2. The principle and verse in God’s word and on which our individual faith and the faith of our church must be founded is founded on is:

"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17)

Many have the idea that faith is something mystical. The see faith as some invisible attribute. They think it is some mystical thing we conjure up. That idea is false and is actually a description of Oriental mysticism. They think it is a feeling or some emotion or some higher conscious state. They try to put all thoughts out of their minds or focus their attention on believing something and force ourselves to believing.

I am sure you have seen pictures of people practicing the mysticism? What are they doing?.............. Yes, sitting motionless with their legs crossed, eyes closed, seemingly in a state of deep mediation.

Sometimes Christians are taught that we are to mediate and that will bring us faith in God. In other words faith becomes some type of mental exercise we coerce ourselves into accepting or believing something.

This is not biblical faith and is about as far from it as you can get! It is not a leap into the dark, as the existentialist would tell us, but a leap to action, a leap to obedience to the commandments and principles of God’s word.

3. The word faith is found in the Bible 247 times in 231 verses. It is used in the Old Testament only twice. Deut. 32:20 and Hab. 2:4.

"And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith. " (Deuteronomy 32:20) Is this exactly what Hebrews 11:6 says?

"Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith." (Habakkuk 2:4)

Habakkuk 2:4 is quoted three times in the New Testament.

"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17)

"But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. "(Galatians 3:11)

"Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." (Hebrews 10:38)

Let look a little closer at the this truth:

Each verse uses the noun "Just". In the Old Testament the word is "tsaddiyq tsad-deek' and means one who is lawful, and righteous, meaning who is right with God.

In the New Testament the word is "dikaios" dik ah yes and refers to an innocent, holy righteous person. Thus, the just man/woman stands innocent before God and separated unto righteousness.

This is the relationship and legal standing of a person who has believed God, and by faith accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. To believe God means we truly accept what the Bible says.

ILLUS: Let me use an illustration to help us to see this truth. Do you know that most people on earth, do not believe in Hell. They might say they do, but their actions so they don’t.

How many people in America are Christians? 83% say they are Christians. But what do they base their statement? Included in that number are all the Christian cults, the religious liberals who deny the Bible is Gods word, the virgin birth, the deity of Jesus Christ. Many in who say they are Christians practice and support the health and wealth gospels of the TV con artist preachers. Folks somebody is sending these corrupt religious TV programs (not ministries) million of dollars each month. In that group are those who are political liberals who support corrupt politicians and political parties, who promote, abortion, same sex marriage, women preachers, and homosexuality.

So the number really do not mean anything if you compare their beliefs with the Bible. Most believe in a works salvation that if you are a church member, have been baptized, preform religious rituals and sacraments you are a Christian.

So can we set a percentage of those truly born again? I know it is small because God says the number is small.

Polls in the past said 40% of American who identify themselves as Christians attend church. Yet, a new more detailed poll says that only about 17.7 percent of professing Christians are in church on any given Sunday. Seems that something is wrong with one’s faith does not cause one to be committed enough to attend the worship services of their church. Realistically, how would you rate the faith of those who profess to having given their lives to Jesus Christ, but are not worshiping Him.

Matthew 7:13-14 tell us "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)

Jesus also said "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." (Luke 13:24)

Does that mean the way is too difficult. John 3:16, proclaims the way of salvation. In verse 36 Jesus sums up His message to Nicodemus. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36)

How is a man saved? "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Conclusion: Let’s go straight to the heart of what is biblical faith that saves a man, justifies him before God, separates him unto the Savior and righteousness. Jesus said "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46)

1. Where there is no obedience there is no faith. Christ is not Lord, He is not preeminent in their lives and these false professor live according to their own desires.

Why should we not want to be faithful, to live by faith. Why should we not want to be with other believers and to serve others as we serve the Lord?

He died for us, suffered what we cannot even imagine on that cross...why so we could have our sins forgiven and our sin debt paid for so we could become the children of God. Is that not reason enough. If I truly believe that do you not think I would want to honor Him who did so much for me?

2. If you are examining your life in the light of God’s word...what do you see? Do you see a false profession with no real tangible evidence of its presence in your life...or you know you have savingly believed...your present and future are secure in the Savior who loved us and gave Himself for us.

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