As humans, we sometimes become preoccupied with our unfulfilled earthly needs and forget about the ultimate need of our lives, which is salvation in Jesus Christ. In the Garden of Eden, after the fall, God promised humans that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent, assuring salvation for humanity ( Genesis 3). In due time, Jesus Christ came to earth, lived, died, and rose again, obtaining salvation for all humanity.

God is faithful and true to His word. He holds Himself accountable to fulfill every word He has spoken. In our Christian life, we are called to have faith in God, as our faith in Him enables us to fully experience the promises of God’s word. Scripture reveals that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Our faith is a key component that allows us to overcome the lies, deceits, and distractions of the world, flesh, and the enemy.

Heroes of Faith

A recent meditation on Hebrews 11 drew my attention to this verse:

“All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.” – Hebrews 11:39 (NLT)

Hebrews 11 provides the biblical definition of faith. It offers examples of the manifestation of faith to encourage believers in the power of having faith in God. The chapter includes stories of faith, such as Abraham’s faith in God to become the father of all nations, Noah’s faith in God to build the ark and the Israelites’ faith in trusting God to rescue them from the Egyptians.

Hebrews 11 also mentions a group of people whose faith did not yield the expected outcomes, yet they remained faithful to God. These are the martyrs, who placed their faith in God and chose to remain faithful even if it meant losing their lives. They were killed or oppressed, but they continued to have faith in God.

All these people, whether they received what we view as the glorious manifestation of their faith in God or not, are known as the heroes of faith. Their faith was not in the momentary relief from their predicaments, but in God fulfilling His ultimate will of redeeming His people from eternal destruction and bringing them into His marvelous light and Kingdom.

God Fulfills His Promise

Scriptures in the Old Testament show that from the beginning of time, when humanity fell, God set in motion His plan to save us from the curse of sin, which is eternal death. Every interaction with humans, from Noah to David, revealed His plan for the ultimate redemption of humanity. In due time, Jesus Christ was born, and the ultimate promise of the Son who saved His people came to pass. In the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s ultimate plan of redemption was fulfilled. Now, it is up to us to have faith in God to accept this great grace of Salvation in Jesus Christ, and we will be saved.

The stories of the heroes of faith give us a glimpse into the fulfillment of God’s ultimate promise, but they knew and awaited the perfection of God’s promise to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

This revelation encourages me to know that God is faithful and His Word is ever true. More than getting our earthly desires fulfilled, the ultimate need of our lives, which is eternal life in Jesus Christ, has already been given to us. In Christ, everything else is fulfilled, and even when sickness does not seem to leave or marriage is not restored, or whatever desired life you seek is not fulfilled, Beloved in Christ, know this, God remains faithful to keep you from falling. God remains faithful to strengthen you through it all so that your soul will be preserved and in the end, when life on this side of eternity has come to an end, you will continue in eternal life of righteousness, peace, and joy in Heaven forever.

The ultimate promise of God is fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ, who became the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. God promised us a Savior, a Messiah, and true to His word, God became our Savior in Christ Jesus! We serve a faithful God!