GOLDEN FAITH
AND FOOL'S GOLD
May 18,
1998 a.m.
Michael
F. Blume
1Pet 1:1-9 Peter, an apostle of
Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, and Bithynia, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the
blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed
[be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his
abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled,
and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power
of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly
rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through
manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more
precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with
fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of
Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him]
not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving
the end of your faith, [even] the salvation of [your] souls.
1Pet 1:13-15 Wherefore gird up the
loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is
to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children,
not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
There is a faith that Peter is speaking about that moves God to keep us
safe by His supernatural power.
- And He keeps us safe through
all trials and through all hardships that try to oppose our faith, until we
finally make it to the end, or to the goal, if we HAVE THIS FAITH.
- Peter said, God has "begotten
us again unto a lively hope ... To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled,
and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you." v. 3-4
- There is an inheritance
that is incorruptible.
- It will never fade away.
- It is reserved in Heaven.
- We do not have it now,
but it is there for those who are begotten again, or born again. (Peter
said "begotten us again.")
- And if it reserved in Heaven
for those begotten again, then there is something incumbent upon us.
- We must
be born again and become part of those who have a lively hope and an inheritance
reserved for them in Heaven.
- And most
of all, as Peter is stressing, we must not lose this lively hope once we get
it.
- Imagine God's supernatural
power protecting and keeping you whenever things look like they are getting
too rough for us to continue to make it to our inheritance.
- We are on a journey to
this inheritance, but we need to know what this FAITH is so that we will
exert it and never lose it, and thereby be protected or "kept" by God's power
while on that journey.
- The following verses explain
that the goal or the END, as Peter put it, of our faith is total salvation
of our souls.
- We will be totally saved
once we are in Heaven.
- And he said the prophets
from the Old Testament sought answers concerning what this salvation was and
what time it would come.
1Pet 1:9-12 Receiving the end of
your faith, [even] the salvation of [your] souls. Of which salvation the prophets
have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace [that
should come] unto you: Searching what, or what manner of
time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified
beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto
whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister
the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the
gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the
angels desire to look into.
These prophets knew it was not
for their day that certain PICTURES were given to them to speak about.
- The Spirit of Christ in
them did SIGNIFY beforehand the sufferings of Christ and glory that should
follow.
- SIGNIFY means to SYMBOLIZE,
or BETOKEN.
- And they knew that they
ministered to the people after Christ's death. Us.
- So let us look at one of
these symbols.
CHERUBIM ON
THE MERCY SEAT
Exod 25:18-21 And thou shalt make
two cherubims [of] gold, [of] beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two
ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other
cherub on the other end: [even] of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims
on the two ends thereof. And the cherubims shall stretch forth [their]
wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces
[shall look] one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the
cherubims be. And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in
the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
This ARK of the Covenant was
placed deep in the TABERNACLE, mobile holy house, as the Israelites journeyed
through the wilderness on their way to the Promised land, led by Moses.
- Anybody outside the Tabernacle
would look on the building and see walls made from badgers' skins dyed red.
- Badgers are dirt animals
and rough looking.
- But deep inside, past their
eyesight, was a brass altar, and laver, and golden table and candlestick.
Golden altar of incense and the golden ark of the covenant.
- Nobody could see these
things if they were outsiders.
This is a good picture of
people who have GOLDEN FAITH.
- Peter spoke of faith like
gold tried in the fire.
- On the outside these believers
are not anything special to look at, any more than a badger skin covered Tabernacle
revealed a hint of what was inside.
- But deep inside these believers
is a born again, or begotten again, spirit.
- And inside them they have
a faith and a heart and spirit that can see something.
- They have spiritual eyes.
- Like the cherubim in the
deepest part of the tabernacle, the spiritual eyes of faith in these believers
look at something continually.
- Their heart is always in
a state of expectation.
- Their hearts are fixed
on a wonderful thing.
ATONEMENT
The cherubim on the mercy seat,
or lid, of the Ark, were formed from gold and made to GAZE down at the Mercy
Seat between them.
- This Mercy Seat was where
the High Priest, once a year, sprinkled blood of a sacrifice to make atonement
for the people.
- People that sin must die.
- And the sacrifice of ATONEMENT
was death of another so that the people would not die, themselves.
- It saved them from death.
- ATONEMENT is referred to
in the New Testament as RECONCILIATION.
- Your sins have separated
you from your God
Isai 59:2 But your iniquities have
separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from
you, that he will not hear.
ATONEMENT reconciled the people
back to God and removed their sins.
- These cherubim continually
gaze upon that place where the BLOOD was sprinkled.
Levi 16:14 And he shall take of
the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle [it] with his finger upon the mercy
seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood
with his finger seven times.
- This is a picture of the
FAITH that believers who are born again have.
- Inside them, unseen to
you, is a wonderful gazing upon the only thing that can save a person's soul.
- Jesus Christ made atonement
for mankind.
Roma 5:11 And not only [so], but
we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received
the atonement.
In their hearts they are trusting
in that blood and nothing else to take them to heaven one day.
- As the golden cherubim eyes
look to the golden mercy seat where the blood is, these saints of God look
to nothing else and refuse to let anything take their GOLDEN FAITH away from
the fact that only trust in that blood of Jesus reconciled them to God.
- As the cherubims looked
at the mercy seat where the blood was put, the saints of God know that God's
mercy to reconcile us to Him again, and forget the sins we committed that
separated us from Him, is only given to anyone through the death of Jesus
Christ on the cross.
- Looking at the blood represents
looking to the death of Jesus to make atonement for us.
- THIS IS GOLDEN FAITH.
THE ARK of the covenant was moved
around from place to place until the end of the journey.
- In King Solomon's day, a
TEMPLE was built, replacing the mobile Tabernacle.
- And the Ark, that had been
transported using staves, or poles, by which to carry it, was set down to
never again be moved.
- The staves were pulled
out.
- The Israelites were in
the Promised Land and had their Temple.
- The ark made it possible
for them to breach all barriers and finally make it to their goal.
This Temple was built high on
a mountain called Moriah, where Abraham had once taken Isaac and offered him
upon an altar, when God told him to stop, and showed him a RAM was there to
take Isaac's place.
- It is notable that the ARK
of the COVENANT was finally placed on Mount Moriah in the Temple... the Ark
that had blood of a sacrifice sprinkled on it so that the animal would die
instead of the sinner... where God gave Abraham a Ram to die instead of Isaac,
his son.
- And all this represents
Jesus, the Lamb of God, as John the Baptist called Him, who died to make atonement
for us so that we would not have to die.
No wonder God had them make the
eyes of the cherubim always looking down on the place where the BLOOD of atonement
was sprinkled!
- This represents a GOLDEN
FAITH and TRUST in the death of Jesus as the only way to get God's mercy so
that one day we will receive the incorruptible inheritance that fades not
away.
- Peter said Faith as gold
tried in fire is what we need to get God's power to protect us on our journey
so we will make it to the end!
Israel took that same ARK and
marched around the obstacle of JERICHO, and after seven days they shouted
and the walls came down.
- They carried the ark with
the eyes of the cherubim that looked constantly at the blood of atonement.
- The golden gaze of the
cherubims on the ark's mercy seat where blood was sprinkled for atonement
made that victory possible.
They took the Ark and stood in
the floodwaters of JORDAN, during flood season, and the waters split open
as the waters of the Red Sea did 40 years before.
- They carried the ark with
the eyes of the cherubim that looked constantly at the blood of atonement.
- The golden gaze of the
cherubims on the ark's mercy seat where blood was sprinkled for atonement
made that victory possible.
This shows that the GOLDEN FAITH
that deep inside a person looks to the fact that Jesus' death alone atones
for our sins, moves God to keep us going until we reach the goal of the end!
Peter said, "To an inheritance
incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven
for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready
to be revealed in the last time. "
- This golden faith moves
God to KEEP YOU SAFE through all your life, so you can reach the inheritance.
- Through all the trials
of life, and the devil's attempts to stop your journey, God PROTECTS YOUR
JOURNEY.
- YOU ARE KEPT BY THE POWER
OF GOD THROUGH GOLDEN FAITH.
- Then Peter said, "That
the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth,
though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory
at the appearing of Jesus Christ:"
- This is saying that TRUE
FAITH, that makes God keep you and protect you, IS TESTED.
- THE TRIAL OF YOUR GOLDEN
FAITH.
- Your faith is on trial
in this life.
- When you go through a trial
where someone hurts you so much, or where something happens that is so seriously
troubling, YOUR FAITH IS IN COURT.
- TRUE GOLDEN FAITH that
is what Peter is talking about, that moves God to KEEP YOU, is like GOLD
that is put in fire.
- Real Gold will not burn
up.
- It will be bright and shiny
after the fire is out.
- But gold-painted cardboard,
fake gold will burn up.
- It LOOKS like faith with
much talk about Jesus, but is a counterfeit if it is not faith based soley
upon the payment that the blood of Jesus made in atonement for our souls.
- WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY
SINS... NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS.
- And God will not protect
us if we have fake fool's gold faith.
What Peter is saying is that
the ones who have TRUE GOLDEN FAITH, have faith that moves God to protect
them from anything that seeks to stop their journey.
- These people who have true
faith go through the fire and trial and KEEP ON TICKING!
- Why?
- God KEEPS THEM because
the power of God keeps those THROUGH FAITH unto the salvation that shall
be revealed.
There is a salvation to be revealed
soon.
- At the end of our journeys.
- "an inheritance incorruptible,
and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven "
- "kept by the power of God
through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed"
- "be sober, and hope to
the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of
Jesus Christ; "
GET THIS GOLDEN FAITH, and you
will get that grace that is reserved for you at the end.
- Those who quit and forsook
the Church and God, because of a trial they went though, DID NOT HAVE THIS
FAITH.
- They had FOOL'S GOLD.
- Fake faith.
- IF THEY DID, THE POWER
OF GOD WOULD HAVE PROTECTED THEM, and they would still be on their way.
- This faith is looking at
the blood of Jesus alone and nothing else to get God moving for them when
times are tough.
- This faith is looking at
the blood of Jesus alone to see Jericho's that seek to stop us, fall flat
before us.
- This faith moves God to
open walls, like moving the Jordans that block us, so we can keep on going.
- God wants you to get the
inheritance that is reserved in Heaven and that will not fade away, and He
offered one way to receive His PROTECTION and POWER through all the trials
that stand between EVERYONE and that inheritance. FAITH IN THE BLOOD from
Jesus' death.
1Joh 2:19 They went out from us,
but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would [no doubt]
have continued with us: but [they went out], that they might be made manifest
that they were not all of us.
John had the FAITH that moves
God to protect.
- Certain people left John
and the others who had this true faith, and stopped continuing with them.
- John said they were not
of us.
- That meant they did not
have true faith, for they would have made it through the fiery trial if their
faith was true GOLDEN FAITH.
THE CHERUBIMS that looked at
the mercy seat were made of solid gold and were one piece of Gold with the
mercy seat.
- THIS REPRESENTS THE FACT
THAT FAITH THAT LOOKS to Jesus' blood, death, alone is what PETER MEANT BY
FAITH LIKE GOLD.
- "That the trial of your
faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be
tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing
of Jesus Christ: "
- This Faith will come through
the fire and will end up with us finding the inheritance that brings praise,
honour and glory when Jesus appears.
- Will you be still holding
strong when Jesus appears?
- You will if you have GOLDEN
FAITH that cannot be burned in fiery trials to see you abandon this Christian
life.
- It will last through all
the trials and hard times.
But if you have fools' gold faith,
faith that is not the genuine article, then that faith cannot take it through
the trials, and it burns away in the heat.
- It is fool's gold because
it isn't really faith at all, but unbelief.
- The "FOOL" has said in
his heart there is no God.
- UNBELIEF.
Only those in the ark make it
to the end!
- Noah had an ark.
- Just as Noah's ark made
it to the other side safe, the ark of the covenant made it through the wilderness
and came to Rest on Mount Moriah.
Reve 11:18-19 And the nations were
angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be
judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets,
and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest
destroy them which destroy the earth. And the temple of God was opened in
heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark
of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices,
and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
This ark is seen at the end of
the world in a temple in HEAVEN.
- It represents all the people
who were helped through the fiery trials by God's power.
- The fiery trials were used
by God to weed out those who had fool's gold.
- Some are already left.
They couldn't make it this far, for they had fool's gold.
- And if you do not have
TRUE faith that the Bible is talking about, then you will come into a trial
sooner or later that will prove you did not have the GOLDEN FAITH that cannot
be burned.
- Do you really believe nothing
but looking at Jesus' atonement death on the Cross will see God help you and
see you through?
- If you do not have that
faith, then you can have it right now.