FAITH DEMONSTRATED FOR SEVEN DAYS

    One of the most wonderful things that you can do in your life is to create a desire to obey God. Many people, when they learn that they are lost, eagerly obey the Master. They obey God to be saved from sin. Each of us should do our best to have a heart that is willing to please and honor our Creator. We must obey God seven days a week! "Obey" is a Bible word. The word obey is found in 67 verses in our King James Bible. Keeping God's commandments is found in 63 verses in our King James Bible. Keeping God's statutes is found in 47 verses in our Kings James Bible. Anyone who reads the Bible, with an honest heart, will quickly conclude that faith must be demonstrated seven days each week. Christianity is not a Sunday only religion; our faith must be demonstrated seven days a week. The Bible gives us many important reasons for obeying God. People search for happiness in all kinds of things and all kinds of places. In a very forthright way, the Bible tells us that we are happy if we know and keep God's commandments. "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." (John 13:17) Obedience makes us the brothers, sisters or mother of Christ. "For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother." (Mark 3:35) Jesus came to this earth to obey the will of God. "Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God." (Hebrews 10:7) Obedience to God gives you the right to the tree of life. "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." (Revelation 22:14)

    Faith demonstrated for seven days proves your love for God. Those who obey God daily prove their love for the Creator. "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." (1 John 5:2-3) Obedience to God is so important that our entire heart must be in it! "Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men." (Ephesians 6:6-7)  Each member of the human race is loved mightily by our Creator. God has provided salvation for us out of His genuine love. The Bible is the will of our Heavenly Father, our beneficent Creator, revealed in human language. Everything that God has said to us in His holy book has been said for our good. Moses told the people, "To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?" (Deuteronomy 10:13) Our obedience to God's holy will as revealed in the Bible, is for our personal happiness and eternal welfare. Eternal life depends on knowing God and doing His will. God does not desire Sunday obedience only; He desires a faith that is demonstrated for seven days. We learn the importance of seven days of obedience as we see the children of Israel marching around the wall of the city of Jericho.

    Faith demonstrated for seven days will be blessed with victory. God wanted Joshua to understand that He had given Jericho to the children of Israel. Jericho was delivered into their hands, if they had faith that would be demonstrated for seven days. God did not say He would give them Jericho, but He said He had given them Jericho. "See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour." (Joshua 6:2) The city of Jericho was taken by no other means than by a faith that was demonstrated for seven. In Hebrews 11:30 we read, "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days." Seven days of obedience involved a strange possession around the city of Jericho. Not one thing happened to that wall around Jericho until that seven days of obedience was completed. Nothing will happen with our faith until we learn the value of seven-day obedience. Our faith must be demonstrated for seven days each week if we are to go to heaven. Do not feel depressed or discouraged if you think nothing is happening because of your obedience. Just keep on doing the will of God and remember that He blesses seven days of obedience.

    Faith demonstrated for seven days means that we follow specific requirements. God's instructions were clear and certain concerning the taking of Jericho. God commanded that the Jews go around Jericho for seven days. On the first six days they were to go around the city one time on each day. On the seventh day they were to go seven times around the city. Seven priests were to go before the Ark of the Covenant, blowing continually on trumpets of rams horns. Those men who were armed for battle were to go before the priest and the others were to follow after the Ark. The people were to walk around the wall without making a sound with their mouth. On the seventh day, after the wall had been compassed about seven times, the priests were to blow a long blast on the trumpets and the people were to shout. When this was done God caused the wall to fall down flat and the people were able to go straightforward into the city. All the things in the city were devoted to God. The people were not to take anything from Jericho for themselves. Faithful obedience for seven days resulted in the wall falling down flat as God had promised. God expects seven days of obedience from us today also. God has given specific instructions about how we become Christians, how we worship and how to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world. Our faith must be demonstrated seven days out of each week.                                                                                               

    Faith is the beginning point of all acceptable service to God. "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6) Repentance is also required if we are to be saved. "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) A confession of faith in Jesus as Lord also plays a part in our salvation. "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (Acts 8:37) The final step in becoming a Christian is baptism into Christ." For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Galatians 3:27) At baptism a person contacts the blood of Jesus that washes sins away. Every command of God is important and baptism is a command of God. (Mark 16:16) The New Testament plan of salvation is a simple plan, but salvation can be obtained in no other way. God required seven days of obedience for the Jews to take Jericho. They were to do exactly what He required, nothing more nothing less. God likewise requires of us seven days of obedience if we are to go to heaven. Will you demonstrate you faith in God daily?

By Charles Box, Walnut Street Church of Christ, P.O. Box 551 Greenville, Alabama 36037 USA

BACK