Faith that looks to the future

Richard Coekin's Friday night session at Men's Katoomba Convention (MKC) was well worth the effort of making sure that we all got up to Katoomba in time to hear him. In it he spoke from Hebrews 11 about how true faith looks to the future, towards God's heavenly city established only through the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

The reminder of our future was so important. For a faith in Jesus that only looks back to the cross (Roman Catholicism, for example) and fails to trust also in the resurrection has lost assurance and hope. Most of all, such a faith has no true understanding of the Lordship of Christ.

It's Paul's faith in the resurrection that leads him to declare, in Romans 4:25, that Jesus was "raised for our justification". It's the resurrection that convinced Paul (Acts 9:3-17) that God was both "just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:26). And it's the resurrection that Paul preached when he wanted to persuade Gentiles that they ought to repent. (Acts 17:31).

Grace alone

How kind God is to keep providing reminders of his grace in Jesus, in the preaching of his word. The weekend past was wonderful, and Richard Coekin at MKC (Men's Katoomba Christian Convention) gave a transparent and powerful reminder that Jesus' death on the cross was a death in our place. Through Jesus we've been saved from death and hell. How can our life be anything other than a life of gratitude, even in the deepest depths of suffering?

Tonight I am thanking God for loving us and rescuing us. Glory to God the Heavenly Father through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Thanks to God for many good friends who organize Katoomba Conventions and work to see that the Bible is faithfully taught there.