February 3, 2011

17. Have confidence and endurance.

(Hebrews 10:35-36) "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise."

(I John 5:14-15) "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him."

a. We have better possessions in Heaven.

(Hebrews 10:34) "For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance."

b. WE ARE AWAY. (We are citizens of another world.)

(Hebrews 11:13) "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."

(II Peter 1:4) "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

c. Don't be discouraged by His rebuke.

(Hebrews 12:3-7) "For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?"

Chastening is the sign of His Lordship in my life.

Hebrews 11:8 "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into aplace which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went."

d. Allow God to train me by His chastening.

Chastening = righteousness through training.

(Hebrews 11:11) "Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised."