And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
Joshua 2:9-11 KJV
Good Morning Beautiful,
This morning, I want to speak on the qualifications of being a Child of God. The requirements of being a Child of God consist of having faith, trust, hope, obedience, submission, and commitment. Here at Bulletproof Luv, we talk a lot about faith. Faith is the foundational requirement that leads to all other qualifications. Without faith, we lack trust and obedience. In fact, without it, there is no way we would believe in God.
So, what is faith exactly? Let us turn to Hebrews 11:1, and it says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Yes, you read those words right; faith is “hoped for” and “not seen.” So, I am sure that you are thinking, “How can this be? How can I believe in something that I haven’t yet seen before?” Notice the words are “not seen” instead of “not heard.” Let this be a quick lesson that your words have power, and it is more powerful than what is seen with our eyes. Faith starts in the heart.
Our model of faith today is demonstrated by no other than Rahab. If you aren’t familiar with this character in the bible, then here is a quick history lesson. Rahab was a prostitute that risked her life to help the Jews that came to spy on the promised land. Rahab’s faith saved her from destruction (see Joshua 2:9,11,14). These verses display a high level of belief from someone that today wouldn’t appear to be a candidate for this type of faith. Many would focus on her occupation or status in this world, but God could see her heart. Just like He can see your heart today.
Rahab had never seen God, nor had an encounter with God herself, but because she chose to listen, she took those stories as facts and believed in a God she had yet to see. Hopefully, if you still don’t believe in the power of testimony, this will shake something up in you. Take Joshua 2:10 “For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.” That is a testimony, and to those who have an ear to listen and a heart that is willing, they will have the opportunity to believe in God.
Know what you believe! By all means, look to those around you for reassurance as to what God can do. I am more than sure that whatever you are praying for and trusting in God for, He has shown you through your family, friends, church members, and strangers. It was faith that saved Rahab from destruction, so let it do the same in you today.
Digging deeper discussion questions
- is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” What are you hoping for, or what are you waiting for God to do in your life?
- If you had to summarize your faith, is it strong enough to save you?
