The Walls Of Jericho And Rahab The Harlot

Hebrews chapter 11, we're going to read verse

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

30 and 31. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell

down after they had been encircled for seven

days. By faith, Rahab the harlot did not perish

along with those who were disobedient after she'd

welcomed the spies in peace. Let's go to the

Lord in prayer. Father, we come to you this Lord's

Day. And Father, as we approach your word, we

ask that you, Lord, would be in our midst. Father,

we ask that you would bless and accompany the

ministry of the word of God as we reverently

listen and hear your holy word. As we approach

it, Lord, we ask that you would use it to sanctify

and Build up and strengthen your people. Lord,

we ask that you would encourage the people of

God today as they come to the word of God, as

they hear it and they understand it. Father,

I ask today that you would use your word to pierce

the hearts and minds of unbelieving men, women,

and young people. Lord, that conviction would

be brought into their hearts and that they would

desire and long. for the balm and the medicine

of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We ask these things

in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated. When

we read Hebrews chapter 11 and many other portions

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

and pieces of the word of God, I believe that

we often approach them in a wrong way. Not maliciously,

not intentionally, not even consciously always.

But we come to the word of God at times almost

as though the realities that we read of, almost

as though that the realities that it speaks of

are concepts and ideas and fairy tales kind of

like those we find in... bedtime stories. But

that's not the case at all, brothers and sisters.

When we come to the word of God, we're coming

to redemptive history. We're coming to divine

revelation that God has given to us as his people.

And as we come to it, we ought to come to it

recognizing that it is true and from God and

for us. as his people. The things that we read

of in Hebrews chapter 11, the mighty feats and

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

the great deeds that we've seen the men and women

of faith do and that we've seen God perform,

brothers and sisters, they're not fairy tales.

They are real. They are true. They are real reality,

we could say. And so that should affect how we

approach them and how we come to the word of

God. And as we look into redemptive history,

in particular with the case of the Israelites

and Joshua approaching Jericho and encircling

Jericho, and Rahab, the harlot, living in the

city yet being delivered, it's important for

us to remember that we're not... all that different

as believers today from them who lived many,

many years ago. We're really not. We think about

them, they were on the coattails of many great

redemptive events, right? The people of God had

already been delivered by God through the Red

Sea. They've been brought through the wilderness,

and now they're being brought up to the land.

They've already dealt with some of those nations

that have been on the outskirts of the land.

Now they're entering into the land, and Jericho

is the first enemy that they encounter in the

land itself. So they have this redemptive event

in front of them. Something that God has promised.

They have redemption behind them and they have

redemption in front of them that is promised.

Brothers and sisters, the same is true for you

and I. We are living in the pages of redemptive

history. We have all the mighty works of God

in the Old Testament. And we have the great work

of Christ on the cross behind us. And what do

we have ahead of us? The glorious promises that

God has given to us. We have full and final redemption.

We have the next great redemptive event in history

still to come. The return of Jesus Christ in

glory and power. That is the next great redemptive

event that will occur. So just like the people

of God had to wrestle with how they would live

and how they would walk between those redemptive

histories, we have to do the same thing. How

do we live in the in -between, we could say,

between Christ's atoning death and Christ's return

in power and glory? And we find in Hebrews 11,

the answer is this, by faith. We live and walk

in this life by faith. Today, we're going to

consider the faith of Israel as they are led

by Joshua to defeat and overthrow Jericho. And

then we're going to consider the faith of Rahab.

and her deliverance from that judgment that had

come upon her city. Directly following that,

we'll consider some principles from their lives

and situations that are true of faith. So beginning

with the first, the faith of Israel, as they're

led by Joshua encircling Jericho. We read this

in verse 30. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell

down after they'd been encircled for seven days.

Now, we'll be spending some time in Joshua chapter

Joshua 6 · chapter mention

6. This is where the narrative is. And then after

that, we'll be spending some time in Joshua chapter

Joshua 2 · chapter mention

2. With regards to Rahab. Now, we read in Joshua

Joshua 6:1–6

chapter 6, verses 1 through 6 this. Now Jericho

was tightly shut because the sons of Israel.

No one went out and no one came in. So the city

was shut up tight. So people couldn't come and

go. Why? Because they knew the sons of Israel

were on the loose. They knew the sons of Israel

were dangerous. They knew the people of God were

making their way into that which God had promised

them, the promised land. So they are protecting

themselves. They shut their doors up. They've

gone over all their walls to make sure they're

tight and strong and fit. They've readied all

their people. They've gotten everybody sober

and reverent and watchful because they know that

to them there is a foreign power that is coming

into their land. They know that there is danger

afoot for them as the enemies of God. Now we

read this in verse 3. You shall march around

the city. This is the Lord's instruction. You

shall march around the city, all the men of war,

circling the city once. You shall do so for six

days. Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets

of ram's horns before the ark. Then on the seventh

day, You shall march around the city seven times

and the priests shall blow the trumpets. It shall

be that when they make a long blast with the

ram's horn and when you hear the sound of the

trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great

shout and the wall of the city will fall down

flat and the people will go up, every man straight

ahead. Here's what the Lord is telling Israel

is going to take place. Here's what the Lord

is outlining and prescribing by his word. Here

is what the Lord is promising to the people of

God with regards to Jericho so that he could

fulfill his further promises in giving them the

land that he's already committed to them. He's

promising them the defeat. that they would conquer

Jericho, that they would be victorious. He's

promising them victory over Jericho and their

enemies, brothers and sisters. Now, as we think

about this, these instructions in Joshua chapter

Joshua 1 · chapter mention

1, chapter 6, verses 1 through 6, as the Lord

prescribes and instructs Israel, Remember, these

things are still future. He's giving them his

word and what they ought to do, yet the victory

is not won yet. And we think about their actions

even, their obedience in encircling the city,

time after time, day after day. Brothers and

sisters, the victory wasn't had yet. It was still

future. It was still to come. And as we know

for the book of Hebrews, that's very important.

Because we know that that has to do with what

faith is. It's got to do with present assurance

and conviction in our hearts regarding unseen

and promised realities. So we see that God is

giving them promises according to his word as

we've seen time and time again throughout Hebrews

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11. Very similar to what we saw with

regards to the Red Sea. So we see this, and we'll

go ahead and read the rest of Joshua 6, verses

Joshua 6:6–21

6 -21, and we'll see their faith on display.

We read in chapter 6, starting in verse 6, So

Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and

said to them, Take up the Ark of the Covenant

and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of

rams horns before the Ark of the Lord. Then he

said to the people, go forward and march around

the city and let the armed men go on before the

Ark of the Lord. And it was so that when Joshua

had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying

the seven trumpets of rams horns. before the

Lord went forward and blew the trumpets, and

the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed

them. The armed men went before the priests who

blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after

the ark while they continued to blow the trumpets.

But Joshua commanded the people, saying, You

shall not shout, nor let your voice be heard,

nor let a word proceed out of your mouth until

the day I tell you shout. Then you shall shout.

So he had the ark of the Lord taken around the

city, circling it once. Then they came into the

camp and spent the night in the camp. Now Joshua

rose early in the morning, and the praise took

up the ark of the Lord. The seven priests carrying

the seven trumpets of ram's horns before the

ark of the Lord went on continually and blew

the trumpets, and the armed men went before them,

and the rear guard came after the ark of the

Lord. While they continued to blow the trumpets,

thus the second day, they marched around the

city once and returned to the camp. They did

so for six days. So we see their obedience on

display. It's particular, brothers and sisters.

Joshua is leading the people in obedience to

what God has prescribed. Then we read in verse

15, Then on the seventh day they rose early on

the dawning of the day and marched around the

city in the same manner seven times. Only on

that day they marched around the city seven times.

At the seventh time, when the priests blew the

trumpets, Joshua said to the people, Shout, for

the Lord has given you the city. The city shall

be under the ban, and all that is in it belongs

to the Lord. Only Rahab the harlot and all who

are with her in the house shall live, because

she hid the messengers whom we sent. But as for

you, only keep yourselves from the things under

the ban, so that you do not covet them and take

some of the things under the ban and make the

camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on

it. But all the silver and gold or articles of

bronze and iron are holy to the Lord. They shall

go into the treasury of the Lord. So the people

shouted, and the priests blew the trumpets. When

the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the

people shouted with a great shout, and the wall

fell down flat. So that the people went up into

the city, every man straight ahead, and they

took the city. They utterly destroyed everything

in the city, both man and woman, young and old,

the ox and the sheep, and the donkey with the

edge of the sword. They did exactly as the Lord

prescribed. And what came about? Exactly what

the Lord promised and said would occur and take

place. The emphasis of Hebrews chapter 11 is

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

on their obedience in encircling the city. Why

does the author of Hebrews recognize that obedience

of encircling the city? as faith because they're

acting in accordance with what God has commanded

them to do. They're acting in accordance with

what God has said, believing and looking to what

God has promised and looking for God to accomplish

that which he has promised himself. Oftentimes

when we come to the Old Testament, it describes,

And it characterizes a people who are abundantly

obedient and faithful. Oftentimes it shows their

sin and their failures as well. But when we look

at that obedience and that faithfulness in Old

Covenant saints, we cannot look at it and say,

oh, they were earning their salvation. We can't

look at it and say, oh, they were obeying to

get faith. Brothers and sisters, we look at it

and we see that their obedience was the manifestation

of their faith. That is why the author of Hebrews

attributes their marching around the city to

faith. Because they were acting in accordance

with God's word and obedience to God's word.

Why? Because faith was fueling their obedience.

It was compelling their obedience. It was driving

them to obedience. What the Old Covenant describes

so often as obedience, the New Testament recognizes

as what? Faith, brothers and sisters. So we'll

learn a great deal about that. Today, as we consider

Israel, Jericho, Rahab, and her deliverance as

well. So we also see the faith of Rahab in this

text. We read this in verse 31. in peace. Now

we think about the contrast between what we're

seeing in these two texts. We see the covenant

people of God exercising faith, trusting in the

Lord, the Lord fighting and working on their

behalf, giving them the promised victory. And

then we come to verse 31. And we have a very

different individual, don't we? We have a Gentile

prostitute, a Gentile harlot who believes upon

the word of the living God. It magnifies and

bolsters the grace of God in and with regards

to the nature of faith, brothers and sisters.

The only reason the best of men do anything that

is commendable in the sight of the living God,

do you know why that is? Faith. But do you know

why the worst of men and women do anything that

is commendable and pleasing in the sight of the

living God? Faith. levels the ground, brothers

and sisters. You are not pleasing to God based

upon your performance in life. You are not pleasing

to God based upon your opinions and your lifestyle

in life. Your commendableness of your personality

or your popularity or your influence. Brothers

and sisters, the only reason any single person

is ever commendable and pleasing in the sight

of God is because of faith. Whether a person

walks in general conformity to the law of God

and has some semblance of practical righteousness

in their life, or whether a person lives a libertine

lifestyle and they've been converted and they

exercise faith. And then they lead a holier and

a godlier life. Both of those individuals are

on level ground at the cross in grace because

God has given them faith, brothers and sisters.

Both. The only way, the only way that any single

person does anything that is commendable or pleasing

in the sight of God is faith, brothers and sisters.

We learn this clearly from this chapter. We see

in Rahab that the emphasis in Hebrews is on the

courage of her faith, the boldness of her faith.

In a sense, we saw that the people of Israel

had a conquering, victorious faith that overcame

Jericho. Rahab, we see that she has an unconquerable

faith that cannot be overcome. So we read her

story partly in Joshua chapter 2, and we'll go

Joshua 2 · chapter mention

ahead and read that. In Joshua chapter 2, we

Joshua 2 · chapter mention

see a few of the reasons she has a courageous

and bold faith. In Joshua chapter 2, starting

Joshua 2 · chapter mention

in verses 9 through 10, we read this. Starting

in verse 8. Now, before they lay down, she came

up to them on the roof and said to them, I know

that the Lord has given you the land and that

the terror of you has fallen on us. and that

all the inhabitants of the land have melted away

before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried

up the water of the Red Sea before you, when

you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the

two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the

Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

They've heard the reports. They've heard the

truth. Brothers and sisters, they heard the gospel

in a sense. And of all of Jericho, one person

believes that report. One person believes in

that gospel that was being proclaimed. in those

echoes that were reverberating through the Mediterranean

world and the Middle Eastern world at that time

because of what God was doing in and through

his covenant people. She believed what God had

said, brothers and sisters. She believed the

truth. She believed that God would conquer the

land. She believed that Jericho would be overthrown

because God was fighting against Jericho. She

believed that their city would be sacked because

the God of the Israelites was fighting for them.

This is why she was courageous and bold in her

faith. But it's also because she believed what

God would do. She believed that God would, in

fact, be good on his word. Part of the report

was that God would overthrow her city. That God

would defeat Jericho. And she believed that that

would occur. Yet, as we've seen so often, it

had not occurred yet. It was still to come, brothers

and sisters. She had no other reason other than

the reports that she had heard of God and his

people to believe that this would take place.

Yet she did. We read in verses 11 through 13

of Joshua chapter 2, When we heard it, our hearts

Joshua 2 · chapter mention

melted and no courage remained in any man any

longer because of you. For the Lord your God,

he is God in heaven. above and on earth beneath.

Now, therefore, please swear to me by the Lord,

since I have dealt kindly with you, that you

also will deal kindly with my father's household

and give me a pledge of truth and spare my father

and my mother and my brothers and my sisters

with all who belong to them and deliver our lives

from death. So the men said to her, our life

for yours. If you do not tell this business of

ours, and it shall come about when the Lord gives

us the land, that we will deal kindly and faithfully

with you. She believed what God had said, and

she believed that what God had said would occur,

would in fact take place. And what did this produce

in Rahab's life? It produced a faith that was

evident and clear, brothers and sisters. This

is why she does what she does. We read in Joshua

Joshua 2:13–16

chapter 2, verses 13 through 16, or starting

in verse 15. Then she let them down by a rope

through the window, for her house was on the

city wall. so that she was living on the wall.

She said to them, Go to the hill country so that

the pursuers will not happen upon you and hide

yourselves there for three days until the pursuers

return. Then afterwards you may go on your way.

The men said to her, We shall be free from this

oath to you which you have made us swear, unless

when we come into the land you tie this cord

of scarlet thread. into the window through which

you let us down and gather to yourself into the

house your father and your mother and your brothers

and all your father's household. We see that

her actions are lining up with what God has said

and what God has promised would take place. Her

actions are in conformity to the report that

she has heard, brothers and sisters. Why is she

willing to risk her neck? Because she believes

that God's going to defeat the city. Why is she

willing, brothers and sisters, to fear the nation

of Israel and God more than she fears her own

city? Because she believes that God will do exactly

as he said he would do. It produces. obedience,

and courage and boldness in her life. All of

this leads to her deliverance, brothers and sisters.

In Deuteronomy chapter 9, the Lord reminds the

Deuteronomy 9 · chapter mention

nation of Israel, he says, don't forget, I'm

driving out the people because of their wickedness

and their unrighteousness, not because of your

righteousness. And what he's teaching them in

Deuteronomy 9 is that he's driving them out because

of judgment, not because of Israel's supposed

righteousness that they think they may possess.

So ultimately we find that this Gentile prostitute

who believes in the gospel Brothers and sisters,

she's delivered from judgment. She's delivered

from the judgment of God. Why? Because she has

faith and she believes in the report that she's

heard about God. Praise the Lord. The Lord saves

sinners, brothers and sisters. Now, what are

some principles that we can draw from these two

scriptures regarding the nature of faith? things

that are true for you and things that are true

for me, things that are always true with regards

to faith. I think there are several things, several

principles that we can draw from these two texts.

The first is this, and there's some repetition

with previous weeks, which is a good thing and

a helpful thing, brothers and sisters. We need

to be reminded of these truths over and over

because we're so easily forgetful with regards

to doctrine and truth and so forth. The first

is this. Faith believes what God has said. Simple

and straightforward, brothers and sisters. And

specifically, it believes. The promise is that

God has made with regards to that which is not

seen and that which is future. In Hebrews 11,

the author defines faith in such a way. Now faith

is the assurance of things hoped for. The conviction

of things not seen. For by it the men of old

gained approval. This is true for Israel, as

led by Joshua, when they are overthrowing Jericho.

They believed what God had said. But it's also

true for Rahab, brothers and sisters. She believed

what God had said. Now, this speaks of a knowledge

that goes beyond the head, doesn't it? This speaks

of heart conviction, heart assurance. It speaks

of convictional assurance, convictional knowledge

that compels and propels the believer forward

in obedience and courage in a life of faith.

Head knowledge is insufficient for certain things.

First, Purely head knowledge is insufficient

to save you. Mere mental assent with the truths

of Scripture is inadequate to save. If those

truths never make their way down into your heart

and your convictions and to your assurance, if

they never become heart realities and they never

affect how you live, it's never operative or

effective, then brothers and sisters, That faith

is insufficient to save you. Devils have that

kind of faith. Satan has better theology with

regards to mental assent and understanding and

comprehension of the mind than any of us. But

none of that truth has ever changed him or affected

him. It remains in the head. That kind of faith

is... demonic brothers and sisters. The faith

that's spoken of in this chapter, the faith that

is spoken of here is a knowledge that makes its

way deep down into the core of our being so that

we know down in the depths of our heart that

these realities are true. so that we know and

we have conviction of these realities, brothers

and sisters. It's immovable. It's unshakable.

It will vary in degree and intensity throughout

one's life based on your use of the means, based

on how you stir up the graces of God in your

soul. But brothers and sisters, if there's true

saving faith, That true and saving faith will

be found in the form of convictions and assurance

in the heart. And that will compel you and propel

you forward in real obedience in the Christian

life. That will always be true of faith. True

faith always rests on God's word and it impacts

the convictions and assurance. of a believer.

Now faith, this is a second, faith produces obedience

to what God has said. Again, simple and straightforward.

Why is it important to remind ourselves of this

reality? To recognize this as a principle with

regards to the character and nature of faith.

Because faith has real fruit. It really produces

things in the life of a person. When knowledge

of the gospel and God's word becomes assurance

and conviction deep down within us, brothers

and sisters, there are things that it does to

us that we are completely out of control of.

There are secret divine workings within the person.

Just as regeneration is secret and subconscious

in the life of a person, and conversion is manifest

and open and evident and seen, brothers and sisters,

the workings of faith are mysterious in some

ways. The Spirit of God doesn't always openly

work in our hearts in the depths of our beings.

We're not robots. We are people made in the image

of God with affections and longings, and the

Spirit of God is working in us to bring about

real fruit, real results and consequences and

outcomes of real faith in our lives. Real faith

always produces real fruit. or obedience. Obedience

is one of those fruits. Now, it's also important

because it shows us that obedience is not abstract.

And what do I mean by that? Well, obedience may

in fact look different in a person's life because

they have a different personality. or they're

in a different circumstance, or they're doing

a different job and interacting with different

people. So it's relative in that sense, but it's

not abstract with regards to the definition of

what it actually is. What is obedience the fruit

of faith? Well, faith produces obedience to what?

What God has said. God's word. So obedience is

conformity that is spirit -empowered and faith

-driven conformity to God's word. It's not what

works best. It's not what we think is best. It's

not that... which evangelical culture in its

cultural moment says is the best thing to do.

Obedience, brothers and sisters, is actions and

behaviors produced by faith that conform to the

word of God that God has revealed. It's living

in accordance with God's word. It is not abstract

or relative in that sense. That's always true.

If you want to live by faith, then you're going

to end up 100 % of the time living according

to the word of God. But it also means that if

you're not living according to the word of God,

that you can't be living by faith in certain

aspects of your life. It's conformity to God's

word. That's what faith and obedience mean, brothers

and sisters. Now, another principle is this.

Faith perseveres in the face of obstacles. So

we think about the nation of Israel as they're

approaching Jericho. There's the obvious and

clear obstacle of the wall. of the fact that

it is shut up tight. You can't get in, you can't

get out. But there's another couple obstacles.

The fact that they have to march around it day

after day after day. The fact that they have

to work through their wrestlings of heart and

the struggles of their heart as they do that.

There's obstacles that faith must persevere in

the face of. The people marched around in faith

day after day after day. I bet one day, I bet

the first day, they were very gung -ho. The second

day, they were probably pretty gung -ho. The

third day, questions may start entering into

their mind. The fourth day, they may be thinking,

nothing's coming of this. My obedience, my faith

is not doing anything. It's not accomplishing

anything. They're waiting on God to act. yet

what do they do? They get up the next day and

they march around. They get up the next day and

they march around. They wait on the Lord in faith

and obedience. They wait on God to act by waiting

in faith and obedience and persevering in the

face of obstacles. There may be those present

who don't know what the future holds for them.

They don't know what is coming next. They don't

know what is ahead. They don't know what's going

to happen. They don't know what's going to occur

in their life next. There may be those present

who are facing uncertainty and difficulty and

trial and obstruction and obstacle. Time after

time after time. What do you do, brothers and

sisters? What do you do? You press on in faith.

You keep on in faith. You wait on the Lord to

act. When you don't think your obedience is doing

anything, keep obeying. When you don't think

that your obedience is accomplishing anything

and your marriage, When you don't think that

your obedience and your faith to Christ and his

word is doing anything and your friendships or

your preaching or your ministry or your service,

keep on obeying. Wait on the Lord to act. Wait

in faith and obedience, brothers and sisters.

Press on. Keep on. Continue obeying even... when

obedience doesn't seem to do anything. But also,

in the face of the unknown, you know what to

do, brother and sister. You may not know the

exact decision you need to make in every circumstance

as providence comes into your life, but you know

what you ought to do. When you don't know what

to do in the Christian life, do you know what

you fall back on? You do what God has said to

do. You keep being faithful. You keep seeking

the face of Christ. You keep coming to God and

his word. You keep loving the brethren. You keep

raising your children as a faithful mom. You

keep leading your family and providing your family

as a faithful father and a husband. Brothers

and sisters, when you don't know what to do in

life, go back to the word of God and do what

God says to do by faith. Look to him and his

word. Faith perseveres in the face of obstacles.

This is always true. faith now lastly we see

a final principle and that is this faith proves

itself in the face of peril and danger we see

this in Rahab Rahab was willing to be in danger

she was willing to count the cost She was willing

to risk it all because she believed God's word.

She believed God's promise. Faith is always willing

to count the cost. To do that which is required

and to give up and sacrifice that which is required

of them as those with faith. Rahab is actually

mentioned in James chapter 2, at the end of James

James 2 · chapter mention James 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2. And if you think about James chapter

James 2 · chapter mention

2, what is it talking about? It's talking about

faith and works. So what do we find in Rahab?

That she as a justified woman, someone who's

believed on Christ, now... has a faith that is

operative and effective and justifies itself

among men because of its works. We find, brothers

and sisters, all throughout Hebrews 11, all throughout

this text today, that faith does not simply rest

on Christ and receive benefits. This is vitally

important. But faith works, brothers and sisters.

Faith exerts. Faith acts. If your faith has rested

on Jesus Christ, and you have received the righteousness

of Jesus Christ, if you have every spiritual

blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, if

you are in saving union with Jesus Christ, brothers

and sisters, then your faith will not merely

rest, it will act and work for that which God

has promised. It is one thing to say that we

trust in Christ for justification. It's another

thing to purely say we trust in God for our Why

is that distinction important? Because justifying

faith that rests on the promises of God will

what? It will work for that which God has promised

to his people. A lot of times we look in Scripture

and what is described as faith is really hard

work. It takes energy. It takes diligence. It

takes exertion. It takes suffering. It takes

discipline, brothers and sisters. That is faith

not purely resting on God and his promises. That

is faith working, brothers and sisters, in this

life for that which God has promised to his people.

And that... is historically accepted in doctrine

and theology. I'm not saying anything novel in

that. All of our faiths, if we are in Christ,

it will rest on Christ, brothers and sisters.

But we have got to move beyond the idea that

it is legalistic and dogmatic. to say you should

work at your sanctification. That is not legalistic.

It is not wrong to exhort the people of God to

work in their faith. Do you know why? Because

the word of God does it all over the place. The

word of God presents this example of what faith

is. brothers and sisters. I wish and I pray and

I long that every single person had a faith such

as that. A faith that rests on Christ. A faith

that receives all his saving benefits. A faith

that is saved by faith alone, through grace alone,

and a faith that operates and is effective in

the life of the believer. A faith that works.

You don't know the glories and the blessings

of knowing Jesus Christ without that kind of

faith. You don't have eternal life without that

kind of faith. You are doomed to wrath and hell

without that kind of faith. You don't know the

blessings of having a great shepherd that watches

over you and leads you and works in you and comforts

you and strengthens you and builds you up and

guides you and directs you. You don't have a

shepherd because you don't have that kind of

faith. There is no blessing greater. than having

God -given faith that rests on Christ and works

because it rests on Christ. Because if you have

that faith, do you know what you have? You have

everything because you have God. You have Christ.

You have the gospel. You have redemption. You

have every promise that he's ever made. And it's

all yours in Christ.