being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
Heb 11:38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
Regardless their faith, regardless their amazing zeal even unto death, yet they were not able to receive this promise, this immortal privilege that you have gained in Christ. God reserved the benefit of their faith for our time. Their accomplishments only make sense to God when we believe and receive the promise.
If this is not favor, then I don’t know what is. I mean, people believed with great faith, with strong faith, faith enough to bring down walls of cities, giants in battle, to stop the sun for a day, faith enough to interpret secret dreams of kings, to refuse fire to burn their bodies, and yet regardless their faith, they still did not receive the promise.
This is scandalous when you think of how many have actually shunned the privilege or believed it to only moderate levels. It is outrightly scandalous to miss this party.
Beloved, you were so favored to be born in this dispensation
being one with God. It is probable that if you had been born
before Christ, you might not have believed in Christ. And yet, even if you had believed like David did, like Abraham did, like Daniel did, like Isaiah did, yet you would not have received the promise. Like them, you would only peek from heaven to behold another people, the most favored ones, born after Christ, believe and receive.
But you are here. You were born after Christ, born after HIS sacrifice, and HIS ascension and coronation. And you have been graced to believe (for salvation is by grace through faith); do you
realize then that you have also been favored to receive?
To receive what, you may ponder? To receive privileges that are
way beyond the concept of the flesh.
Now you might wonder at what I have said here and thought how I could have the nerve to even suggest that in Christ we are better off than David or Abraham or even Moses. Mark you, I sincerely mean in Christ, not as a Christian.
Point is, I do not know what kind of Christianity you may be acquainted with: Are you acquainted with the religion of Jesus or the
revelation of Christ?
You see, the religion of Jesus are really varied and are not the believers that I see in this light. Among that sorry number are many that even worship the fathers of our faith. They esteem
Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Elijah, and the prophets, and even the nation of Israel to be way above them. They have made a religion that reverently idolizes these giants of faith not realizing that in Christ they rank so much higher than them all (Matthew 11:11). To be sure, they are way out of context; and have never really perceived the Jesus they claim to love. And if they do, it must be a different Jesus than I am acquainted with.
You see, if you truly love my Jesus, I mean the Christ, Son of the living God, you will get more than what the Jewish patriarchs and prophets got. This kind of Christianity is not a religion but a revelation of Christ, a manifestation of God; this is the faith I am celebrating here.
The one that walks in it has understood the mission of Christ and is in Christ wherein their flesh is passed away and their spirit is quickened (2Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 2:13). These are the ones that I shared about in the previous chapter who worship in spirit and in truth. They have been born of the Spirit and are conscious of the spiritual realm. They are kingdom minded, heavenly minded, Christ minded; they think like God (Romans 12:2; 1Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 4:8).
Yes these are the ones I am talking about. These have been greatly favored. They have been esteemed by God HIMSELF and HIS Christ over and above the father’s of the faith.
Speaking of the genuine believer in Christ, Jesus compared him to be superior to the prophets, citing:
Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who
is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Matthew 11:11
In HIS revered opinion, which is synonymous with absolute truth, John the Baptist was the greatest of that lot. He was the last prophet of that dispensation, the greatest of them all. I mean greater than David, Moses, Daniel, Elijah, I mean all the father’s. And yet, he was less than the least of all believers in Christ.
Not even John the Baptist who prepared the way, believed the LORD, witnessed to HIS sacrifice, and anticipated HIS reign, received the privilege of the promise.
This privilege was hugely enormous. His own testimony revealed its enormity when he said:
Joh 1:19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and