In Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, Chuck Swindoll poses this scenario.
Imagine, if you will, that you work for a company whose president found it necessary to travel out of the country and spend an extended period of time abroad. So he says to you and the other trusted employees, “Look, I’m going to leave. And while I’m gone, I want you to pay close attention to the business. You manage things while I’m away. I will write you regularly. When I do, I will instruct you in what you should do from now until I return from this trip.” Everyone agrees.
He leaves and stays gone for a couple of years. During that time, he writes often, communicating his desires and concerns. Finally, he returns. He walks up to the company’s front door. He immediately discovers everything is in a mess—weeds flourishing in the flower beds, windows broken across the front of the building, the gal at the front desk dozing, loud music roaring from several offices, and two or three people engaged in horseplay in the back room. Instead of making a profit, the business has suffered a great loss.
Without hesitation, he calls everyone together and, with a frown, asks, “What happened? Didn’t you get my letters?”
You say, “Oh yes, sure. We got all your letters. We’ve even bound them in a book. And some of us have memorized them. In fact, we have a ‘letter study’ every Sunday. You know, those were really great letters.”
I think the president would then ask, “But what did you do about my instructions?”
And no doubt, the employees would respond, “Do? Well, nothing. But we read everyone!”
While Swindoll’s illustration may sound absurd, it is no more unreasonable than Christians who regularly meet, listen to sermons, and read the Bible, but fail to put into practice what it teaches.
This week, if you’re using Mark Roberts’ Five-Day Bible Reading Program, you’re reading Hebrews 11. It’s the great faith chapter of the Bible. In it, the writer reminds us that faith works. Literally. It is living, active, and energetic faith. In verse 6, he succinctly states the very foundation on which his proposition rests.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
E. M. Bounds was right when he wrote, “Faith is not an abstract belief in the Word of God, nor a mere mental credence, nor a simple assent of the understanding and the will; nor is it a passive acceptance of facts.”
The heroes of Hebrews 11 were people of faith. They sought God. They desired to please God. And their faith was demonstrated in action.
- Abel offered.
- Enoch walked.
- Noah prepared.
- Abraham went.
- Isaac blessed.
- Moses refused.
- Joshua fought.
- Rahab received.
- Daniel prayed.
These Old Testament patriarchs believed in God. They accepted His word. They embraced His calling. And they diligently obeyed. That is what real faith is—and what it does.
Dee Bowman once wrote, “There is a rank contradiction in a man’s life when he says he believes in Christ and lives a life that obviously conflicts with what he said. Actually, there is little to be said for the profession that does not result in application.” Or as J. C. Ryle expressed it, “Obedience is the only reality. It is faith visible, faith acting, and faith manifest. It is the test of real discipleship among the Lord’s people.”
Do you want to please God?
Truly believe.
Diligently seek.
Faithfully follow.
And you will be richly rewarded.
–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman
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