With this context in mind, the obvious question is, what is faith? The amazing news is that God does not leave us to grope our way to the answer. Instead, right at the beginning of the chapter, he provides the definition, which reads, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Not only does God define faith, but he also provides real-life examples to drive home the point. The world often characterises faith as irrational or a leap into the dark, while some Christians make it so subjective that it often appears as a mystery. But that is not how the writer of Hebrews approaches the topic. Faith can be examined independently and objectively to determine if it is biblical.

Against this backdrop, I now focus on examining what is characterised as faith in many Christian circles in Ghana today. As a people, Ghanaians are very religious. According to government statistics, nearly 70% of the population identify as Christians. It is not an exaggeration to say that there is a church within 500 meters in all the major cities of Ghana, and most are packed on any given Sunday. As I survey the Ghanaian Christian landscape, a question that continues to linger in my mind is, how does the faith of the average Ghanaian Christian compare with the biblical faith described by the author of Hebrew?

The Nature of Biblical Faith

In Hebrews 11:1, we read, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Two things stand out in this definition. First, there is an assurance of things hoped for, and second, a conviction of things not seen. Christians have certainty and assurance of what they hope for, but the verse also emphasises that the conviction of these things is not seen. There is a ‘futureness’ about what Christians look forward to.

This is even made more apparent when we consider the writer’s commentary on these heroes of faith. In verse 13, he writes,

“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”

Again, in 39-40, he notes, “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.”

How come all these great men and women of faith did not receive what was promised? Is it that God lied about his promises, or did they not have enough faith to obtain them? At least, that is what we are made to believe by some so-called “Men of God.” If you have faith, you should receive everything you want from God, thus turning ‘faith’ into a magical currency that might sway God’s hand. Neither position is tenable because it is not for nothing that Hebrews 11 has been described throughout the ages as the Hall of Faith – the men and women spoken about were real heroes of faith. And we also know that God can never lie. Therefore, the only position we are left to amend is our own understanding of what it means to have faith.

In verse 6, the writer states, “whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists.” This statement is quite profound because it teaches us that the starting point of biblical faith is not man but God. It is a belief in a sovereign God who accomplishes everything in accordance with his own purposes and timelines. Unfortunately, for many within the Ghanaian Christian community, the starting point of faith is not God, but their individual felt needs. God only happens to be the divine genie who exists to grant their wishes.

This is a far cry from the examples we see in Hebrews 11. Whether it was Noah, Abraham, Moses or Rahab, their faith was undergirded by a belief in the sovereignty of God. Each example paints a picture of submission to God’s agenda, not their own. They had a deep sense of assurance that God would do what was right for them. There was no doubt, but there was equally no presumption on their part that God must do what they want at all costs. Unfortunately, in many Christian circles in Ghana today, faith is seen as an end in itself. The way it is exercised is more akin to magic than biblical faith.

The Nature of Magic

The etymology dictionary defines magic as the “art of influencing or predicting events and producing marvels using hidden natural forces,” also “supernatural art,” especially the art of controlling the actions of spiritual or superhuman beings.” Unlike biblical faith, which has God as the starting point, in the case of magic, the starting point is the individual who wields power or control over the actions of the supernatural being.

As I observe and listen to many Christians in Ghana, it’s sad to say this is the understanding many people have about faith. Some go to the extent of claiming that God has no control over things that happen on the earth, because he has given that control to man. In some Christian circles, the Bible functions as a book of spells. Once a person can locate the right verse and repeat it multiple times, God is bound to grant whatever wish the individual has because he [God] has promised. The power lies with the individual, not with God.

But that is very different from the examples we see in Hebrews 11. In the case of Abraham, the writer tells us,

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:8-10)

We see in these verses that the power did not lie with Abraham, instead, he submitted himself to the will of God to the extent that he left his country and kindred – a very comfortable life, to go and live in tents in the wilderness. Again, this is very different from the popular teaching that if we have faith in God, we will receive whatever we wish for.

The truth is that sometimes, the exercise of biblical faith is rather an embrace of hardship, as we see in the case of Moses. The author tells us, “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward” (Hebrews 11:24-26).

In both the case of Abraham and Moses, faith was not like magic. They did not call the shots, and they did not presume to control the outcomes. Instead, they entrusted themselves to the providence of the sovereign God, who does whatever he pleases (Psalm 115:3). This is why the “name and claim” mantra cannot be described as exercise of biblical faith but an attempted magic, because within that framework the sovereignty lies with the individual rather than God.

This also accounts for the reason why there are so many unconverted people within our Ghanaian churches. These folks come to church not because they believed the gospel – God sending his Son to save mankind from their sin – instead, they come because they have a wish that needs granting. They have tried various options, but none have worked. And someone has told them to try Jesus. They would not necessarily describe themselves as Christians, but if they must, to have their wishes granted, so be it. Christianity is just another option they are trying out. This kind of approach is magic, not Christian faith. Therefore, you may want to examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). 

Right Approach to God’s Promises

At this point, I am sure many well-meaning Christians will be going gung-ho, ready to fire a barrage of verses which clearly promise that if we have faith, we will receive whatever we ask for in prayer (Matthew 7:7; 21:22, Mark 11:24; 1 John 5:14). But before you fire, I beg of you to hold for a second, and grant me a last request. Would you please attempt to reconcile the above verses with Hebrews 11:13 and Hebrews 11:39-40? Perhaps, you may also wish to consider the cases of Jesus in Mark 14:35-36 or Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9.

The point is this: there is a right way to approach the promises of God. There are three considerations I believe we should keep in mind when we approach the promises of God. I have already touched on one of these earlier: the fact that the starting point of our faith should be God, not our felt needs. Like Jesus, when we entrust ourselves entirely to the sovereign will of God, our uttermost desire and prayer will be for his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). If the desire for your wish to be granted is greater than your concern for God’s will, there is a great chance your approach to God’s promises is wrong.

The second consideration is closely related to the first one. Everything God does, he does for the glory of his name, including the fulfilment of his promises to us. Therefore, you must always ask yourself, if God were to grant my heart’s desire, would it lead to the furtherance of his glory or the advance of my own pride and reputation? It doesn’t matter what verse you are quoting; if the motive of your prayer is to advance your own glory, God is not bound to grant that request. In James 4:1-4, the author tells his readers that God does not grant wishes with wrong motives regardless of what Scripture verse you back them with.

This is why biblical faith is utterly distinct from magic. With magic, it doesn’t matter who wields the wand; as long as they recite the correct incantation and have the right ingredients in the potion, an individual will get their wish, but not so with Christianity. I know there are those who would point to examples of people who supposedly have “named and claimed” God’s promises. I do not presume to offer an explanation to every such instance but suffice to say, God, in his common grace, causes his sun to shine even on those who do not believe (Matthew 5:45); therefore, receiving a good gift from God doesn’t necessarily mean an individual was exercising biblical faith.

The third and final consideration we should keep in mind is that true and ultimate fulfilment of God’s promises will not be in this broken world. This is the truth the author of Hebrews wanted his readers to keep in mind when he wrote, “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40).

That is the conclusion of the matter. The men and women who exercised the greatest level of faith in the history of Christianity did not receive what was promised because all of them, like Abraham, were “looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” So, I encourage you to “look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

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A home offers both security and comfort, which are two of the most essential and highly coveted necessities of life. It doesn’t matter how a person’s day has been, if they could come back to their own house, that would mean security and comfort. At least for a short period of time they would be protected from the storms and winds of life. I’m confident Jesus understood this and I firmly believe it is within that context he spoke to his disciples, in John 14:1–3, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

You Can’t Out-give God

Obviously, Jesus was not talking about brick and mortar here, instead, he was speaking about what a house truly signifies; security, protection and comfort. As his time on earth drew to a close, he was preparing to leave behind his beloved disciples whom he cherished deeply. But he didn’t want to leave them without hope, and so he assures them that he is not hanging them out to dry; he will definitely come back for them after he has prepared rooms for them in his Father’s house. 

At one point, Peter asked him, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” Indirectly implying the question, “what would we get for leaving everything to follow you?” To which Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life” (Luke 18:29-30). I am sure, many of us have sacrificed a lot to follow Jesus. Some have literally let go of family, property, career and reputation to follow him. His promise is that, he will repay you in folds of hundred in the world to come, because no one has the ability to out-give God. Jesus is gone to prepare a place for you in his Father’s house; when he is done, he will come and take you to himself.

Don’t Fall for a Counterfeit Promise

As we wait for his return, Jesus reminds us not to be deceived because, “[He] is the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through [him].” We often use this verse in our apologetic and evangelistic discussions with people of other faiths to let them know that Christianity is the only path to God. While there is nothing inherently incorrect with using it that way, it’s worth noting that upon closer examination of the context, it becomes evident that Jesus was not primarily delivering an apologetics response.

He had just told the disciples that he was going to the Father to prepare a place for them, to which Thomas, one of the twelve said, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Thomas wanted to know the way to that promised house, to which Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” There is something profound and complete about Jesus’ response. He is the way, the content and the telos or end of all that we seek in this life. For the Christian, Jesus is the journey, the destination and the prize. Later on in the chapter, Philip, another disciple said to him, “show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” To which Jesus replied, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”

Philip obviously thought there is something else, but Jesus reminded him, I am everything you’re looking for. If you’re looking for something else other than Jesus, it means you don’t know what true value is. It is like the man Jesus describes in the Matthew 13:44 parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Stated differently, if you’re looking forward to something else in heaven more than Jesus; then heaven will not excite you. Because if you have Jesus, you already have heaven’s greatest gift.

The point is this, as we eagerly anticipate the return of Christ and his promise, many false prophets would come who would try to show us alternative routes (some of them shortcuts) to obtaining what has been promised. Some would even try to sell us a different promise all together and others would offer an alternative version of life itself. But Jesus reminds us that he is the “way, the truth and the life.” We must not settle for anything less than Jesus.

Unfortunately, the materialistic outlook of our society provides breeding ground for these false prophets and apostles. Our inordinate desire for the seemingly good things of life, such as owning your own house could become an altar of worship. Take heart and find comfort, even if you don’t possess a house, a car, or any of the material possessions society deems valuable. Jesus has promised that he is gone to prepare a place for us in his Father’s house, and when the time comes, he will return to take us with him, so that we can be where he is.

Until then, let’s proclaim together with Moses, the great leader of the Israelites, who didn’t even enter the Promised Land let alone own a house, that, “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Psalm 90:1-2)

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John 1:14a (HCSB)

The Christian life is an imprecise imitation of the unique Incarnation of Christ Jesus. The primacy of the Incarnation has been professed for two thousand years. Our definition of love must be shaped by the Incarnation: “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

Within the lifetime of the Apostles, even as they were laying the foundation of the church (Ephesians 2:20), there were false prophets (1 John 4:1), wolves not sparing the sheep (Acts 20:29), waterless clouds (Jude 12) and those seeking to stir up division (Titus 3:10). The early church spoke of the ‘deposit of faith’, i.e., the orthodox statement of the gospel. How have Christians contended for this deposit? The answer is found in the first four councils of late antiquity.

The First Four Ecumenical Councils

The Age of Constantine introduced a trajectory for subsequent emperors to order synods and councils to defend or articulate challenging theological disputes. The primary focus was the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Council of Nicea responded to the teachings of Arius. He taught that Jesus was merely an exalted human being, the first of all creation (Colossians 1:15), explaining “before He was begotten he was not.” As Jesus alone can save us (Acts 4:11-12) it is of necessity that Jesus is divine (John 8:58). As it was a matter of salvation, the council affirmed the full deity of our Lord.

“…that is from the substance of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not, Consubstantial [homoousion] with the Father…”
Council of Nicea, 325

By the time of the Council of Constantinople another Christological error had emerged. Apollinarius supposed that in Jesus we see “God in a man”. It was as if the body of Jesus was an empty vessel and He was filled with the divine nature of the Son of God, devoid of a human mind and spirit. This Jesus was unable to sympathize with us (Hebrews 4:15).The key assumption being “for that which He has not assumed He has not healed.”

“…for us humans and for our salvation he came down from the heavens and became incarnate from the holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, became human and was crucified on our behalf…”
Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, 381

The Council of Ephesus dealt with the mysterious union of the humanity and deity in the One Person of Jesus. The patriarch of Constantinople, Nestorius, taught that there were two separate persons within Christ, one human and one divine. This sharp separation of persons was deemed heretical as Scripture does not distinguish between the operations of the divine and human natures, rather it affirms the One Person of Christ (Luke 9:35).

“…for us and for our salvation, born of Mary the virgin, according to his humanity, one and the same consubstantial with the Father in godhead and consubstantial with us in humanity, for a union of two natures took place. Therefore we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord…”
Council of Ephesus, 431

The Council of Chalcedon is the triumph of Christian orthodoxy, the zenith high Christology. In a case of overcorrecting against Nestorianism, a novel teaching was sprouting in Constantinople. A leading monk, Eutyches, claimed that the two natures of Jesus Christ were mixed together into one new nature. He taught that as these two natures converged at the Incarnation the divine nature overwhelmed the human nature and “like a drop of wine into the ocean, so the humanity of Christ was swallowed up and lost, and that the divinity of Christ took over entirely.” Consider this noble response:

“We, then, following the holy Fathers, (Hebrews 13:7) all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 1:14, Ephesians 4:4-6), the same perfect in Godhead (Titus 2:13, John 1:18, Hebrews 1:8, John 18:6, 10:30, Matthew 16:16, Acts 8:37) and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man (John 1:14, 3:13), of a reasonable [rational] soul and body (Colossians 2:9); consubstantial [coessential] with the Father according to the Godhead (Hebrews 1:3), and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin (Hebrews 4:15); begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead (John 17:5), and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God (Luke 1:34-35, Matthew 1:18, Galatians 4:4), according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:1, Hebrews 13:8), as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning him, and the Lord Jesus Christ himself has taught us (Hebrews 1:1), and the Creed of the holy Fathers has handed down to us.” (2 Timothy 1:13, 2 Timothy 3:14-15)
Chalcedonian Creed, 451

“What sort of man is this, that even winds and seas obey him?”

In Matthew 8:23-27, we find Jesus asleep in a boat while a storm is raging. He then rose and rebuked the winds and the sea resulting in a great calm. “Here we see Jesus’ weak human nature completely hid His omnipotence until that omnipotence broke forth in a sovereign word from the Lord of heaven and earth.”

Four truths had been affirmed: 1. Jesus is fully divine, against Arianism; 2. Jesus is fully Human, against Apollinarianism; 3. Jesus is One Person, against Nestorianism; and 4. Jesus has Two Natures, against Eutychianism. This is known as the Chalcedonian box. The contents of the box are filled with the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. This was not an attempt to explain away the mystery of the Incarnation, rather it held on to the truths of Scripture and rested in the complexity. Mid-way through the Creed we find the heart of the confession with four negative statements:

Imperatives from the Incarnation

The Incarnation of Jesus is distinct from our experience. This means that we are unable to fully comprehend His Person. He alone tastes eternity and embraces flesh; uncontained yet contained; invisible yet now forever visible; omnipotence yet suffering; knowing all things yet in His humiliation limited in knowledge; being everywhere yet localized. That said, the Incarnation is the framework of our sanctification.

Jesus did not covet His eternal wealth; He laid it aside in order to redeem His bride (Hosea). He parted with unfathomable riches for our sake. O sinner, run to Him today as long as it is still today. Make no provision for the flesh. Enter by that narrowest of Gates. Give yourself entirely to the King of kings. Spend yourself for His name’s sake.

This unique rendering ’likeness of sinful flesh’ emphasizes the context in which the incarnation occurred, i.e., among sinners for sin. Our need of Jesus is exclaimed in this phrase. So, consider your record of sin, could you even begin to list it? In Jesus you have one who took on all that it meant to be human yet resisted sin at every turn, even unto death. Pray that your ‘likeness’ be incrementally changed to match His with the grace that comes from above. Put away every weight of sin that might keep you from beholding His face, beloved.

We have received an eternal adoption through our divine Sibling. This One has brought the saints into fellowship so that we may become one in Him. He was sent on a mission, a mission that He accomplished resulting in an eternal inheritance. His account for ours: One perfect Substitute. Treasure the beloved saints.

Our High Priest Jesus the Christ, is able to fully sympathise with us. On our behalf before the Father and on the Father’s behalf for us. At this very moment He is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. He rules and reign forevermore. In that case, more than the Christian life being an imprecise imitation of the incarnation, He is able to intercede perfectly for us. There will be a Day when the fully divine and fully human Jesus will judge all of humanity. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and Jesus will never blot his name out of the book of life. Jesus will confess his name before His Father and before His angels. But, to the one who fails to repent: a grave and fearful expectation.

Our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ truly is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Contend for the Deposit.
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“A 4‐year‐old Brooklyn boy who fell from a seventh‐floor window on February 2, apparently while trying to “fly like Superman,” died of his injuries early yesterday at Kings County Hospital.

A few days before, his father had taken him to see the movie “Superman,” based on the adventures of the comic‐strip character. Since seeing the movie, Charles had been jumping off tables and chairs in the family’s apartment in an effort to ‘fly like Superman.’

Sadly, Charles was not the only one. Several newspaper reports from around the world carried similar news items documenting how other children suffered a similar fate when they tried to imitate their superhero. Growing up, we had similar incidences of children jumping off rooftops, trying to imitate Captain Planet—an action figure from an educative weekly cartoon series streamed on Ghana Television at the time.

Sad as these stories may be, they illustrate the apparent truth about the so-called super heroes that have captivated our imagination for years: they inspire us to unattainable feats! They come with the warning, “Don’t try this at home” or “Don’t imitate what I do”. The verdict: we need real-life superheroes whose lives we can emulate!

In this article, I would like to draw your attention toa character whom I consider one of the unsung heroes of the Bible – a soldier named Uriah the Hittite. A man who, to borrow James’ words, was subject to like passions as we are (James 5:17) and yet went on to achieve amazing feats for God!

Uriah Unveiled

We first encounter Uriah in 1 Samuel 11:1-17. We can learn a lot about what sort of person he is from how he is introduced: Uriah the Hittite, husband of Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam. Here is a Hittite—a gentile—who bears a Jewish name, is married to a Jewish woman and lives just outside the king’s palace.

The Hittites were one of the nations which occupied Canaan long before the time of Abraham. God had commanded the Israelites to drive out the inhabitants of the land: the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites (Deuteronomy 20:17; Exodus 23:27-30), with the explanation, “otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshipping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 20:18). However, some were spared—in some cases, for cooperating with the Hebrews (Deuteronomy 20:10), but in other cases, owing to a failure to carry out the extermination order fully.

We know from Scripture that some of those gentiles, having lived with God’s people for a while, embraced the Hebrew religion and placed their faith in the Hebrew God. Uriah was one such. He must have changed his name when he came to embrace the Hebrew faith, taking upon himself a theophoric name which means “Yahweh is my light” – conveying the fact that the God of the Hebrews had become his light and his salvation—presumably from Psalms 27:1.

His faith was not a fluke—it was authentic—for if it weren’t, and had he kept his gentile ways, he would have been forbidden to marry Bathsheba (Recall the apostles’ consternation during the Jerusalem council in Acts 10 & 11, after Peter visited Cornelius’ home!).

It is remarkable that several foreigners, like Uriah, are listed in David’s list of mighty warriors in 2 Samuel 23—an elite group of soldiers who served as the crème de la crème of David’s soldiers. These men were the first to see greatness in David at a time when he was a fugitive on the run from his master Saul (1 Chronicles 12:1). They were instrumental in bringing David to power as king (1 Chronicles. 11:10), and some of them even tutored the king’s sons (1 Chronicles 27:32).

Uriah reminds us that God has room in his kingdom for every one of us. We, too, like Uriah, were once enemies of God in our minds and deserving of His wrath and judgement. But in Christ Jesus, we have been brought into God’s inner caucus. We have become “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9).

The Band of Brothers

David’s mighty men represented a band of brothers who had covenanted to protect David and each other at the peril of their own lives. They were his most trusted soldiers. We know that David trusted Uriah because he was permitted to live just outside the king’s palace and was familiar with David’s palace. As the passage reveals, when David summoned Uriah to the palace from the war, he found his way to the servant’s quarters—even when he was drunk—and had no trouble securing a sleeping spot among the king’s servants. Clearly, this was someone they knew very well.

Observe Uriah’s reasons for refusing to go spend an evening with his beautiful wife, Bathsheba. The ark of the Lord is out there on the battlefield, in a booth, along with Israel, Judah, and his band of brothers. How could he allow himself the luxury of a warm bed when his sworn brothers were out in the cold, fighting the Lord’s battle? Doubtless, Uriah understood the spiritual significance of the ark of the Lord to Israel’s victories in battle. I’m pretty sure he remembered how the ark had once been taken into battle during the time of Hophni and Phinehas and had been captured by the Philistines; and could not stand to not be on the battlefield with his brothers when they needed him the most. And for the first time, an ordinary soldier had more sense than the king.

It is instructive to note that one of the marks or tests of genuine faith we see across the New Testament is a love for the brethren. Next to the love for God, a genuine love for God’s people is an acid test that we have truly been born of God (Ephesians 1:15-16, Colossians 1:3-4, 2 Thessalonians 1:3, Philemon 1:5-7). Just like Uriah, we too have “a band of brothers” made up of all who have placed saving faith in the Lord Jesus (Matthew 12:46-50). The bond of unity we share is akin to that of the parts of our physical bodies with each other. 1 John 3:14 says, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers.” Like Uriah, do you care deeply for your ‘band of brothers’? Do you feel uncomfortable when you miss an opportunity for fellowship or do you easily find excuses to be away from the gathering of the saints?

Faithfulness Amid the Fight

In a final, desperate act to cover up his tracks, David writes Uriah’s death sentence and delivers it by his own (Uriah’s) hand. I’m sure Uriah may have wondered why David had to call him home? Indeed, if David wanted information about the war, he could have gotten that information from anyone else without calling one of his elite soldiers away from the war. Why was David bent on him going home to his wife? It may even be possible; Uriah might have heard the gossip when he spent those two nights in the servants’ quarters at the palace. David’s suspicious behaviour must have raised alarm bells in his mind. Yet, his faithfulness shines through once more: Uriah carries his death warrant to Joab and does not open it to read what it says.

The note read, “set Uriah in the hardest forefront of the battle and withdraw from him so that he dies.” David betrayed the trust of a faithful brother. And we may wonder why God would allow Uriah, who was more faithful than David in this situation, to die and David to go scot-free. But it is important to understand that we may sometimes suffer for our faithfulness in this life, but our labour for God is never in vain. Uriah knew that he was ultimately not serving David but God, and it is from him he would receive an imperishable inheritance as his reward. We see this in his response when David asks him to go and be with his wife.

Finally, if Uriah were here, he would tell us that doing the right thing doesn’t always mean all will go well. Prosperity preachers would have us believe that if you follow Jesus, you will never suffer. But Jesus would disagree with that. He told us in John 16:33, “In this life, you will have trouble“, but thank God he did not stop there; he added, “but take heart, I have overcome the world!”

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Here is an offer of a collection of articles compiled in 2017 from this blog pointing to the work of Christ which we celebrate in this season as Easter:

Table of Content

1. Confounding Easter
2. Christ Our Sin Bearer
3. Jesus Paid It All
4. Christ Our Passover Lamb
5. Christ And Him Crucified
6. The King Is Risen
7. The Certainty of The Resurrection

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https://thegospelnetworkgh.com/2017/04/14/christ-our-sin-bearer-the-lamb-of-god/

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