Faith, the Gospel, and God's Day

MEN HAVE HAD THOUSANDS OF YEARS TO RUN THE PLANET. GOD HAS A SPECIAL DAY COMING. HE WILL UNDO ALL OF DAMAGE WE HAVE CAUSED IN ONE DAY.

¹² For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up and high… ¹⁷ The haughtiness of people shall be humbled, and the pride of everyone shall be brought low; and the Lord alone will be exalted on that day. (Is 2:12–17 NRSV)

1. 1. God’s Day separates this age from the age to come

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats… ⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Mt 25:31–46 NIV)

0. 2. The Gospel Promise: Things won’t always be this way. God’s Day will separate the momentary troubles that we experience now from the unending joy that we will experience in the age to come

¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is (presently) seen, but on what is (presently) unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Co 4:17–18 NIV)

¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. ¹⁸ I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us… ²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Ro 8:17–25 NIV)

FAITH IS THE CORRECT HUMAN RESPONSE TO GOD’S PLAN TO REDEEM THE WORLD

1. 1. Key Passage: Abraham believed God’s plan, God considered it righteous

² But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³ And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” ⁴ Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” ⁵ He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” ⁶ Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. (Ge 15:1–6 NIV)

¹ The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. ² “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³ …and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Ge 12:1–3 NIV)

0. 2. Faith means conforming our lives to the message

² Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. ³ For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. ⁴ “See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous person will live by his (or ‘it’s’) faithfulness— (Hab 2:2–4 NIV)

⁵ “Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. ⁶ I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own. (Hab 1:5–6 NIV)

³² Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. ³³ Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. ³⁴ You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. ³⁵ So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. ³⁶ You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. ³⁷ For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” ³⁸ And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” ³⁹ But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. (Heb 10:32–39 NIV)

0. 3. Discipleship: Receiving Jesus’ testimony about history and living life accordingly

⁴⁶ “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you? ⁴⁷ I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. ⁴⁸ That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built.⁴⁹ But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house.” (Lk 6:46–49 NRSV)