The need of evidence to build a strong faith
I was born and grew up in a nation and an environment where being a Christian is a given, at least nominally. While child and teenager I was probably challenged about God’s existence but once cleared about it, I had not been truly questioned about my faith and the why this is the path to God.
During the past years The Lord allowed me visiting and living in many places, with different people, different cultures and different believes. It has been already more than 7 years living in places where Christian faith does not have the largest number of adepts. This situation really challenged my view of live and my faith.
Throughout the years I was exposed to different versions of what’s supposed to be the way to God: Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, you name it. During this period, the most precious gift I received from God was having the Holy Spirit on my side making the truth evident. The Lord guided me to different sources that helped me building up proofs about the Truth.
Throughout the different pages I read from different books, I found different historical and scientific reasons that attested for God’s truth. Of all the information I found, which not surprisingly was extensive, the prophesies shown in the Old Testament where God announced to His people the arrival of our savior. This really made clear to me that God had a plan for salvation from the beginning. It’s impressive to see how these were fulfilled. This year I would like to start my messages sharing weekly these prophesies and going through the commentaries of other brothers in faith about them. I hope this also helps you to enlighten your faith.
The fist prophesy is found in Genesis 3:15. This prophesy indicates that The Messiah would be the seed of a woman and that he would crush the serpent’s head:
“And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”
This paragraph shows us that under the cover of the serpent, the devil is sentenced to be degraded and accursed of God; detested and abhorred of all mankind: also to be destroyed and ruined at last by the great Redeemer, signified by the breaking of his head. Also, it shows us that war is proclaimed between the Seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. It is the fruit of this enmity, that there is a continual warfare between grace and corruption, and that war occurs in the hearts of God's people.
Also, there is a continual struggle between the wicked and the godly in this world. A gracious promise is here made of Christ, as the Deliverer of fallen man from the power of Satan. Here was the drawn of the gospel day: no sooner was the wound given, than the remedy was provided and revealed. This gracious revelation of a Saviour came unasked, and unlooked for. By faith in this promise, our first parents, and the patriarchs before the flood, were justified and saved. Notice is given concerning Christ.. His incarnation, or coming in the flesh. It speaks great encouragement to sinners, that their Saviour is the Seed of the woman, bone of our bone.
His sufferings and death, pointed at in Satan's bruising his heel, that is, his human nature. And Christ's sufferings are continued in the sufferings of the saints for his name. The devil tempts them, persecutes and slays them; and so bruises the heel of Christ, who is afflicted in their afflictions. But while the heel is bruised on earth, the Head is in heaven.
This prophesy also predicted His victory over Satan thereby. Christ baffled Satan's temptations, rescued souls out of his hands. By his death he gave a fatal blow to the devil's kingdom, a wound to the head of this serpent that cannot be healed. As the gospel gains ground, Satan falls.
As Christians we know this prophesy was fulfilled. We know Jesus was born of the seed of Mary, as supported by Galatians 4:4 “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law”. Also we know that Jesus crucifixion was an apparent victory of Satan. However, it was in the cross where the victory was really achieved. 1 John 3:8 confirms that “He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work”.
There are many more prophesies that I would like to share and comment about. In God’s will I hope I can continue to share weekly messages like this. I pray to The Lord that in some way this studies help you to convince you and to strengthen your faith. Our Lord Had a plan from the beginning to give us eternal life, and it was achieved in the cross. Believe and you will be saved.
During the past years The Lord allowed me visiting and living in many places, with different people, different cultures and different believes. It has been already more than 7 years living in places where Christian faith does not have the largest number of adepts. This situation really challenged my view of live and my faith.
Throughout the years I was exposed to different versions of what’s supposed to be the way to God: Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, you name it. During this period, the most precious gift I received from God was having the Holy Spirit on my side making the truth evident. The Lord guided me to different sources that helped me building up proofs about the Truth.
Throughout the different pages I read from different books, I found different historical and scientific reasons that attested for God’s truth. Of all the information I found, which not surprisingly was extensive, the prophesies shown in the Old Testament where God announced to His people the arrival of our savior. This really made clear to me that God had a plan for salvation from the beginning. It’s impressive to see how these were fulfilled. This year I would like to start my messages sharing weekly these prophesies and going through the commentaries of other brothers in faith about them. I hope this also helps you to enlighten your faith.
The fist prophesy is found in Genesis 3:15. This prophesy indicates that The Messiah would be the seed of a woman and that he would crush the serpent’s head:
“And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”
This paragraph shows us that under the cover of the serpent, the devil is sentenced to be degraded and accursed of God; detested and abhorred of all mankind: also to be destroyed and ruined at last by the great Redeemer, signified by the breaking of his head. Also, it shows us that war is proclaimed between the Seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. It is the fruit of this enmity, that there is a continual warfare between grace and corruption, and that war occurs in the hearts of God's people.
Also, there is a continual struggle between the wicked and the godly in this world. A gracious promise is here made of Christ, as the Deliverer of fallen man from the power of Satan. Here was the drawn of the gospel day: no sooner was the wound given, than the remedy was provided and revealed. This gracious revelation of a Saviour came unasked, and unlooked for. By faith in this promise, our first parents, and the patriarchs before the flood, were justified and saved. Notice is given concerning Christ.. His incarnation, or coming in the flesh. It speaks great encouragement to sinners, that their Saviour is the Seed of the woman, bone of our bone.
His sufferings and death, pointed at in Satan's bruising his heel, that is, his human nature. And Christ's sufferings are continued in the sufferings of the saints for his name. The devil tempts them, persecutes and slays them; and so bruises the heel of Christ, who is afflicted in their afflictions. But while the heel is bruised on earth, the Head is in heaven.
This prophesy also predicted His victory over Satan thereby. Christ baffled Satan's temptations, rescued souls out of his hands. By his death he gave a fatal blow to the devil's kingdom, a wound to the head of this serpent that cannot be healed. As the gospel gains ground, Satan falls.
As Christians we know this prophesy was fulfilled. We know Jesus was born of the seed of Mary, as supported by Galatians 4:4 “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law”. Also we know that Jesus crucifixion was an apparent victory of Satan. However, it was in the cross where the victory was really achieved. 1 John 3:8 confirms that “He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work”.
There are many more prophesies that I would like to share and comment about. In God’s will I hope I can continue to share weekly messages like this. I pray to The Lord that in some way this studies help you to convince you and to strengthen your faith. Our Lord Had a plan from the beginning to give us eternal life, and it was achieved in the cross. Believe and you will be saved.
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