Accessing The Riches Of HeavenSample

  

Truth Is Eternal

Facts and truth are not the same thing. Facts are temporal and subject to change, but truth is eternal, forever settled in God. As believers, we live according to the truth of God’s Word, not according to temporal facts. We can acknowledge facts, but only as facts, not the truth.

For example, someone who is very dear to me is battling a chronic, debilitating illness. The diagnosis of this illness is merely a fact, as are the symptoms. But the diagnosis and the symptoms are not the truth. The truth is by the stripes of Jesus my loved one is healed. He was healed by Christ’s finished work on the cross two thousand years ago. Every day, the facts (symptoms) need to be attended to in order to bring comfort and encouragement to him, but facts are not an eternal reality; they are temporal and subject to change. I am not asking God to heal my loved one; he was already healed through Christ’s finished work on the cross and my faith has accessed and received that blessing. I do not have to beg God and pray, “Oh, God, Oh, God, please heal him!” No way! Because Jesus said that when we pray, we should believe that we have what we ask for.

He did not say you will have your request when you can see the answer, but rather when you believe that you receive. Now we are simply waiting for the manifestation of my friend’s healing. At some point, the truth will manifest itself. Rather than constantly asking for the same thing over and over again, believe that you receive when you pray. When you connect with your God-faith, then eagerly await the manifestation. As you wait, praise the Lord for the manifestation of what you have asked for. Praise Him throughout the journey and cultivate fresh expectation for the manifestation, refreshing your active faith.

At times, for reasons unknown to us, the healing or the answer to prayer manifests itself on the other side of time, but it will surely do so—and that is the truth! Our faith is grounded, activated and substantiated by unchanging eternal truth and not by temporal outward manifestations of the truth.

Hebrews 11 gives us a list of the “heroes of faith.” These believed God concerning the Messiah. They never let their faith weaken, although they never saw the manifestation of the promise in their lifetimes.

We know that the promise of the Messiah did become a fact. Those heroes of faith did not see the fulfillment of the promise until they had passed into eternity, but it did happen! Authentic faith is based on the eternal truth revealed in the Scriptures.

Questions to Ponder: What is the difference between begging God for something and standing in faith on His promises? What are your prayers most like?