Hebrews chapter 11, we're going to read verse
30 and 31. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell
down after they had been encircled for seven
days. By faith, Rahab the harlot did not perish
along with those who were disobedient after she'd
welcomed the spies in peace. Let's go to the
Lord in prayer. Father, we come to you this Lord's
Day. And Father, as we approach your word, we
ask that you, Lord, would be in our midst. Father,
we ask that you would bless and accompany the
ministry of the word of God as we reverently
listen and hear your holy word. As we approach
it, Lord, we ask that you would use it to sanctify
and Build up and strengthen your people. Lord,
we ask that you would encourage the people of
God today as they come to the word of God, as
they hear it and they understand it. Father,
I ask today that you would use your word to pierce
the hearts and minds of unbelieving men, women,
and young people. Lord, that conviction would
be brought into their hearts and that they would
desire and long. for the balm and the medicine
of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We ask these things
in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated. When
we read Hebrews chapter 11 and many other portions
and pieces of the word of God, I believe that
we often approach them in a wrong way. Not maliciously,
not intentionally, not even consciously always.
But we come to the word of God at times almost
as though the realities that we read of, almost
as though that the realities that it speaks of
are concepts and ideas and fairy tales kind of
like those we find in... bedtime stories. But
that's not the case at all, brothers and sisters.
When we come to the word of God, we're coming
to redemptive history. We're coming to divine
revelation that God has given to us as his people.
And as we come to it, we ought to come to it
recognizing that it is true and from God and
for us. as his people. The things that we read
of in Hebrews chapter 11, the mighty feats and
the great deeds that we've seen the men and women
of faith do and that we've seen God perform,
brothers and sisters, they're not fairy tales.
They are real. They are true. They are real reality,
we could say. And so that should affect how we
approach them and how we come to the word of
God. And as we look into redemptive history,
in particular with the case of the Israelites
and Joshua approaching Jericho and encircling
Jericho, and Rahab, the harlot, living in the
city yet being delivered, it's important for
us to remember that we're not... all that different
as believers today from them who lived many,
many years ago. We're really not. We think about
them, they were on the coattails of many great
redemptive events, right? The people of God had
already been delivered by God through the Red
Sea. They've been brought through the wilderness,
and now they're being brought up to the land.
They've already dealt with some of those nations
that have been on the outskirts of the land.
Now they're entering into the land, and Jericho
is the first enemy that they encounter in the
land itself. So they have this redemptive event
in front of them. Something that God has promised.
They have redemption behind them and they have
redemption in front of them that is promised.
Brothers and sisters, the same is true for you
and I. We are living in the pages of redemptive
history. We have all the mighty works of God
in the Old Testament. And we have the great work
of Christ on the cross behind us. And what do
we have ahead of us? The glorious promises that
God has given to us. We have full and final redemption.
We have the next great redemptive event in history
still to come. The return of Jesus Christ in
glory and power. That is the next great redemptive
event that will occur. So just like the people
of God had to wrestle with how they would live
and how they would walk between those redemptive
histories, we have to do the same thing. How
do we live in the in -between, we could say,
between Christ's atoning death and Christ's return
in power and glory? And we find in Hebrews 11,
the answer is this, by faith. We live and walk
in this life by faith. Today, we're going to
consider the faith of Israel as they are led
by Joshua to defeat and overthrow Jericho. And
then we're going to consider the faith of Rahab.
and her deliverance from that judgment that had
come upon her city. Directly following that,
we'll consider some principles from their lives
and situations that are true of faith. So beginning
with the first, the faith of Israel, as they're
led by Joshua encircling Jericho. We read this
in verse 30. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell
down after they'd been encircled for seven days.
Now, we'll be spending some time in Joshua chapter
6. This is where the narrative is. And then after
that, we'll be spending some time in Joshua chapter
2. With regards to Rahab. Now, we read in Joshua
chapter 6, verses 1 through 6 this. Now Jericho
was tightly shut because the sons of Israel.
No one went out and no one came in. So the city
was shut up tight. So people couldn't come and
go. Why? Because they knew the sons of Israel
were on the loose. They knew the sons of Israel
were dangerous. They knew the people of God were
making their way into that which God had promised
them, the promised land. So they are protecting
themselves. They shut their doors up. They've
gone over all their walls to make sure they're
tight and strong and fit. They've readied all
their people. They've gotten everybody sober
and reverent and watchful because they know that
to them there is a foreign power that is coming
into their land. They know that there is danger
afoot for them as the enemies of God. Now we
read this in verse 3. You shall march around
the city. This is the Lord's instruction. You
shall march around the city, all the men of war,
circling the city once. You shall do so for six
days. Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets
of ram's horns before the ark. Then on the seventh
day, You shall march around the city seven times
and the priests shall blow the trumpets. It shall
be that when they make a long blast with the
ram's horn and when you hear the sound of the
trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great
shout and the wall of the city will fall down
flat and the people will go up, every man straight
ahead. Here's what the Lord is telling Israel
is going to take place. Here's what the Lord
is outlining and prescribing by his word. Here
is what the Lord is promising to the people of
God with regards to Jericho so that he could
fulfill his further promises in giving them the
land that he's already committed to them. He's
promising them the defeat. that they would conquer
Jericho, that they would be victorious. He's
promising them victory over Jericho and their
enemies, brothers and sisters. Now, as we think
about this, these instructions in Joshua chapter
1, chapter 6, verses 1 through 6, as the Lord
prescribes and instructs Israel, Remember, these
things are still future. He's giving them his
word and what they ought to do, yet the victory
is not won yet. And we think about their actions
even, their obedience in encircling the city,
time after time, day after day. Brothers and
sisters, the victory wasn't had yet. It was still
future. It was still to come. And as we know
for the book of Hebrews, that's very important.
Because we know that that has to do with what
faith is. It's got to do with present assurance
and conviction in our hearts regarding unseen
and promised realities. So we see that God is
giving them promises according to his word as
we've seen time and time again throughout Hebrews
chapter 11. Very similar to what we saw with
regards to the Red Sea. So we see this, and we'll
go ahead and read the rest of Joshua 6, verses
6 -21, and we'll see their faith on display.
We read in chapter 6, starting in verse 6, So
Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and
said to them, Take up the Ark of the Covenant
and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of
rams horns before the Ark of the Lord. Then he
said to the people, go forward and march around
the city and let the armed men go on before the
Ark of the Lord. And it was so that when Joshua
had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying
the seven trumpets of rams horns. before the
Lord went forward and blew the trumpets, and
the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed
them. The armed men went before the priests who
blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after
the ark while they continued to blow the trumpets.
But Joshua commanded the people, saying, You
shall not shout, nor let your voice be heard,
nor let a word proceed out of your mouth until
the day I tell you shout. Then you shall shout.
So he had the ark of the Lord taken around the
city, circling it once. Then they came into the
camp and spent the night in the camp. Now Joshua
rose early in the morning, and the praise took
up the ark of the Lord. The seven priests carrying
the seven trumpets of ram's horns before the
ark of the Lord went on continually and blew
the trumpets, and the armed men went before them,
and the rear guard came after the ark of the
Lord. While they continued to blow the trumpets,
thus the second day, they marched around the
city once and returned to the camp. They did
so for six days. So we see their obedience on
display. It's particular, brothers and sisters.
Joshua is leading the people in obedience to
what God has prescribed. Then we read in verse
15, Then on the seventh day they rose early on
the dawning of the day and marched around the
city in the same manner seven times. Only on
that day they marched around the city seven times.
At the seventh time, when the priests blew the
trumpets, Joshua said to the people, Shout, for
the Lord has given you the city. The city shall
be under the ban, and all that is in it belongs
to the Lord. Only Rahab the harlot and all who
are with her in the house shall live, because
she hid the messengers whom we sent. But as for
you, only keep yourselves from the things under
the ban, so that you do not covet them and take
some of the things under the ban and make the
camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on
it. But all the silver and gold or articles of
bronze and iron are holy to the Lord. They shall
go into the treasury of the Lord. So the people
shouted, and the priests blew the trumpets. When
the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the
people shouted with a great shout, and the wall
fell down flat. So that the people went up into
the city, every man straight ahead, and they
took the city. They utterly destroyed everything
in the city, both man and woman, young and old,
the ox and the sheep, and the donkey with the
edge of the sword. They did exactly as the Lord
prescribed. And what came about? Exactly what
the Lord promised and said would occur and take
place. The emphasis of Hebrews chapter 11 is
on their obedience in encircling the city. Why
does the author of Hebrews recognize that obedience
of encircling the city? as faith because they're
acting in accordance with what God has commanded
them to do. They're acting in accordance with
what God has said, believing and looking to what
God has promised and looking for God to accomplish
that which he has promised himself. Oftentimes
when we come to the Old Testament, it describes,
And it characterizes a people who are abundantly
obedient and faithful. Oftentimes it shows their
sin and their failures as well. But when we look
at that obedience and that faithfulness in Old
Covenant saints, we cannot look at it and say,
oh, they were earning their salvation. We can't
look at it and say, oh, they were obeying to
get faith. Brothers and sisters, we look at it
and we see that their obedience was the manifestation
of their faith. That is why the author of Hebrews
attributes their marching around the city to
faith. Because they were acting in accordance
with God's word and obedience to God's word.
Why? Because faith was fueling their obedience.
It was compelling their obedience. It was driving
them to obedience. What the Old Covenant describes
so often as obedience, the New Testament recognizes
as what? Faith, brothers and sisters. So we'll
learn a great deal about that. Today, as we consider
Israel, Jericho, Rahab, and her deliverance as
well. So we also see the faith of Rahab in this
text. We read this in verse 31. in peace. Now
we think about the contrast between what we're
seeing in these two texts. We see the covenant
people of God exercising faith, trusting in the
Lord, the Lord fighting and working on their
behalf, giving them the promised victory. And
then we come to verse 31. And we have a very
different individual, don't we? We have a Gentile
prostitute, a Gentile harlot who believes upon
the word of the living God. It magnifies and
bolsters the grace of God in and with regards
to the nature of faith, brothers and sisters.
The only reason the best of men do anything that
is commendable in the sight of the living God,
do you know why that is? Faith. But do you know
why the worst of men and women do anything that
is commendable and pleasing in the sight of the
living God? Faith. levels the ground, brothers
and sisters. You are not pleasing to God based
upon your performance in life. You are not pleasing
to God based upon your opinions and your lifestyle
in life. Your commendableness of your personality
or your popularity or your influence. Brothers
and sisters, the only reason any single person
is ever commendable and pleasing in the sight
of God is because of faith. Whether a person
walks in general conformity to the law of God
and has some semblance of practical righteousness
in their life, or whether a person lives a libertine
lifestyle and they've been converted and they
exercise faith. And then they lead a holier and
a godlier life. Both of those individuals are
on level ground at the cross in grace because
God has given them faith, brothers and sisters.
Both. The only way, the only way that any single
person does anything that is commendable or pleasing
in the sight of God is faith, brothers and sisters.
We learn this clearly from this chapter. We see
in Rahab that the emphasis in Hebrews is on the
courage of her faith, the boldness of her faith.
In a sense, we saw that the people of Israel
had a conquering, victorious faith that overcame
Jericho. Rahab, we see that she has an unconquerable
faith that cannot be overcome. So we read her
story partly in Joshua chapter 2, and we'll go
ahead and read that. In Joshua chapter 2, we
see a few of the reasons she has a courageous
and bold faith. In Joshua chapter 2, starting
in verses 9 through 10, we read this. Starting
in verse 8. Now, before they lay down, she came
up to them on the roof and said to them, I know
that the Lord has given you the land and that
the terror of you has fallen on us. and that
all the inhabitants of the land have melted away
before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried
up the water of the Red Sea before you, when
you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the
two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the
Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.
They've heard the reports. They've heard the
truth. Brothers and sisters, they heard the gospel
in a sense. And of all of Jericho, one person
believes that report. One person believes in
that gospel that was being proclaimed. in those
echoes that were reverberating through the Mediterranean
world and the Middle Eastern world at that time
because of what God was doing in and through
his covenant people. She believed what God had
said, brothers and sisters. She believed the
truth. She believed that God would conquer the
land. She believed that Jericho would be overthrown
because God was fighting against Jericho. She
believed that their city would be sacked because
the God of the Israelites was fighting for them.
This is why she was courageous and bold in her
faith. But it's also because she believed what
God would do. She believed that God would, in
fact, be good on his word. Part of the report
was that God would overthrow her city. That God
would defeat Jericho. And she believed that that
would occur. Yet, as we've seen so often, it
had not occurred yet. It was still to come, brothers
and sisters. She had no other reason other than
the reports that she had heard of God and his
people to believe that this would take place.
Yet she did. We read in verses 11 through 13
of Joshua chapter 2, When we heard it, our hearts
melted and no courage remained in any man any
longer because of you. For the Lord your God,
he is God in heaven. above and on earth beneath.
Now, therefore, please swear to me by the Lord,
since I have dealt kindly with you, that you
also will deal kindly with my father's household
and give me a pledge of truth and spare my father
and my mother and my brothers and my sisters
with all who belong to them and deliver our lives
from death. So the men said to her, our life
for yours. If you do not tell this business of
ours, and it shall come about when the Lord gives
us the land, that we will deal kindly and faithfully
with you. She believed what God had said, and
she believed that what God had said would occur,
would in fact take place. And what did this produce
in Rahab's life? It produced a faith that was
evident and clear, brothers and sisters. This
is why she does what she does. We read in Joshua
chapter 2, verses 13 through 16, or starting
in verse 15. Then she let them down by a rope
through the window, for her house was on the
city wall. so that she was living on the wall.
She said to them, Go to the hill country so that
the pursuers will not happen upon you and hide
yourselves there for three days until the pursuers
return. Then afterwards you may go on your way.
The men said to her, We shall be free from this
oath to you which you have made us swear, unless
when we come into the land you tie this cord
of scarlet thread. into the window through which
you let us down and gather to yourself into the
house your father and your mother and your brothers
and all your father's household. We see that
her actions are lining up with what God has said
and what God has promised would take place. Her
actions are in conformity to the report that
she has heard, brothers and sisters. Why is she
willing to risk her neck? Because she believes
that God's going to defeat the city. Why is she
willing, brothers and sisters, to fear the nation
of Israel and God more than she fears her own
city? Because she believes that God will do exactly
as he said he would do. It produces. obedience,
and courage and boldness in her life. All of
this leads to her deliverance, brothers and sisters.
In Deuteronomy chapter 9, the Lord reminds the
nation of Israel, he says, don't forget, I'm
driving out the people because of their wickedness
and their unrighteousness, not because of your
righteousness. And what he's teaching them in
Deuteronomy 9 is that he's driving them out because
of judgment, not because of Israel's supposed
righteousness that they think they may possess.
So ultimately we find that this Gentile prostitute
who believes in the gospel Brothers and sisters,
she's delivered from judgment. She's delivered
from the judgment of God. Why? Because she has
faith and she believes in the report that she's
heard about God. Praise the Lord. The Lord saves
sinners, brothers and sisters. Now, what are
some principles that we can draw from these two
scriptures regarding the nature of faith? things
that are true for you and things that are true
for me, things that are always true with regards
to faith. I think there are several things, several
principles that we can draw from these two texts.
The first is this, and there's some repetition
with previous weeks, which is a good thing and
a helpful thing, brothers and sisters. We need
to be reminded of these truths over and over
because we're so easily forgetful with regards
to doctrine and truth and so forth. The first
is this. Faith believes what God has said. Simple
and straightforward, brothers and sisters. And
specifically, it believes. The promise is that
God has made with regards to that which is not
seen and that which is future. In Hebrews 11,
the author defines faith in such a way. Now faith
is the assurance of things hoped for. The conviction
of things not seen. For by it the men of old
gained approval. This is true for Israel, as
led by Joshua, when they are overthrowing Jericho.
They believed what God had said. But it's also
true for Rahab, brothers and sisters. She believed
what God had said. Now, this speaks of a knowledge
that goes beyond the head, doesn't it? This speaks
of heart conviction, heart assurance. It speaks
of convictional assurance, convictional knowledge
that compels and propels the believer forward
in obedience and courage in a life of faith.
Head knowledge is insufficient for certain things.
First, Purely head knowledge is insufficient
to save you. Mere mental assent with the truths
of Scripture is inadequate to save. If those
truths never make their way down into your heart
and your convictions and to your assurance, if
they never become heart realities and they never
affect how you live, it's never operative or
effective, then brothers and sisters, That faith
is insufficient to save you. Devils have that
kind of faith. Satan has better theology with
regards to mental assent and understanding and
comprehension of the mind than any of us. But
none of that truth has ever changed him or affected
him. It remains in the head. That kind of faith
is... demonic brothers and sisters. The faith
that's spoken of in this chapter, the faith that
is spoken of here is a knowledge that makes its
way deep down into the core of our being so that
we know down in the depths of our heart that
these realities are true. so that we know and
we have conviction of these realities, brothers
and sisters. It's immovable. It's unshakable.
It will vary in degree and intensity throughout
one's life based on your use of the means, based
on how you stir up the graces of God in your
soul. But brothers and sisters, if there's true
saving faith, That true and saving faith will
be found in the form of convictions and assurance
in the heart. And that will compel you and propel
you forward in real obedience in the Christian
life. That will always be true of faith. True
faith always rests on God's word and it impacts
the convictions and assurance. of a believer.
Now faith, this is a second, faith produces obedience
to what God has said. Again, simple and straightforward.
Why is it important to remind ourselves of this
reality? To recognize this as a principle with
regards to the character and nature of faith.
Because faith has real fruit. It really produces
things in the life of a person. When knowledge
of the gospel and God's word becomes assurance
and conviction deep down within us, brothers
and sisters, there are things that it does to
us that we are completely out of control of.
There are secret divine workings within the person.
Just as regeneration is secret and subconscious
in the life of a person, and conversion is manifest
and open and evident and seen, brothers and sisters,
the workings of faith are mysterious in some
ways. The Spirit of God doesn't always openly
work in our hearts in the depths of our beings.
We're not robots. We are people made in the image
of God with affections and longings, and the
Spirit of God is working in us to bring about
real fruit, real results and consequences and
outcomes of real faith in our lives. Real faith
always produces real fruit. or obedience. Obedience
is one of those fruits. Now, it's also important
because it shows us that obedience is not abstract.
And what do I mean by that? Well, obedience may
in fact look different in a person's life because
they have a different personality. or they're
in a different circumstance, or they're doing
a different job and interacting with different
people. So it's relative in that sense, but it's
not abstract with regards to the definition of
what it actually is. What is obedience the fruit
of faith? Well, faith produces obedience to what?
What God has said. God's word. So obedience is
conformity that is spirit -empowered and faith
-driven conformity to God's word. It's not what
works best. It's not what we think is best. It's
not that... which evangelical culture in its
cultural moment says is the best thing to do.
Obedience, brothers and sisters, is actions and
behaviors produced by faith that conform to the
word of God that God has revealed. It's living
in accordance with God's word. It is not abstract
or relative in that sense. That's always true.
If you want to live by faith, then you're going
to end up 100 % of the time living according
to the word of God. But it also means that if
you're not living according to the word of God,
that you can't be living by faith in certain
aspects of your life. It's conformity to God's
word. That's what faith and obedience mean, brothers
and sisters. Now, another principle is this.
Faith perseveres in the face of obstacles. So
we think about the nation of Israel as they're
approaching Jericho. There's the obvious and
clear obstacle of the wall. of the fact that
it is shut up tight. You can't get in, you can't
get out. But there's another couple obstacles.
The fact that they have to march around it day
after day after day. The fact that they have
to work through their wrestlings of heart and
the struggles of their heart as they do that.
There's obstacles that faith must persevere in
the face of. The people marched around in faith
day after day after day. I bet one day, I bet
the first day, they were very gung -ho. The second
day, they were probably pretty gung -ho. The
third day, questions may start entering into
their mind. The fourth day, they may be thinking,
nothing's coming of this. My obedience, my faith
is not doing anything. It's not accomplishing
anything. They're waiting on God to act. yet
what do they do? They get up the next day and
they march around. They get up the next day and
they march around. They wait on the Lord in faith
and obedience. They wait on God to act by waiting
in faith and obedience and persevering in the
face of obstacles. There may be those present
who don't know what the future holds for them.
They don't know what is coming next. They don't
know what is ahead. They don't know what's going
to happen. They don't know what's going to occur
in their life next. There may be those present
who are facing uncertainty and difficulty and
trial and obstruction and obstacle. Time after
time after time. What do you do, brothers and
sisters? What do you do? You press on in faith.
You keep on in faith. You wait on the Lord to
act. When you don't think your obedience is doing
anything, keep obeying. When you don't think
that your obedience is accomplishing anything
and your marriage, When you don't think that
your obedience and your faith to Christ and his
word is doing anything and your friendships or
your preaching or your ministry or your service,
keep on obeying. Wait on the Lord to act. Wait
in faith and obedience, brothers and sisters.
Press on. Keep on. Continue obeying even... when
obedience doesn't seem to do anything. But also,
in the face of the unknown, you know what to
do, brother and sister. You may not know the
exact decision you need to make in every circumstance
as providence comes into your life, but you know
what you ought to do. When you don't know what
to do in the Christian life, do you know what
you fall back on? You do what God has said to
do. You keep being faithful. You keep seeking
the face of Christ. You keep coming to God and
his word. You keep loving the brethren. You keep
raising your children as a faithful mom. You
keep leading your family and providing your family
as a faithful father and a husband. Brothers
and sisters, when you don't know what to do in
life, go back to the word of God and do what
God says to do by faith. Look to him and his
word. Faith perseveres in the face of obstacles.
This is always true. faith now lastly we see
a final principle and that is this faith proves
itself in the face of peril and danger we see
this in Rahab Rahab was willing to be in danger
she was willing to count the cost She was willing
to risk it all because she believed God's word.
She believed God's promise. Faith is always willing
to count the cost. To do that which is required
and to give up and sacrifice that which is required
of them as those with faith. Rahab is actually
mentioned in James chapter 2, at the end of James
chapter 2. And if you think about James chapter
2, what is it talking about? It's talking about
faith and works. So what do we find in Rahab?
That she as a justified woman, someone who's
believed on Christ, now... has a faith that is
operative and effective and justifies itself
among men because of its works. We find, brothers
and sisters, all throughout Hebrews 11, all throughout
this text today, that faith does not simply rest
on Christ and receive benefits. This is vitally
important. But faith works, brothers and sisters.
Faith exerts. Faith acts. If your faith has rested
on Jesus Christ, and you have received the righteousness
of Jesus Christ, if you have every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, if
you are in saving union with Jesus Christ, brothers
and sisters, then your faith will not merely
rest, it will act and work for that which God
has promised. It is one thing to say that we
trust in Christ for justification. It's another
thing to purely say we trust in God for our Why
is that distinction important? Because justifying
faith that rests on the promises of God will
what? It will work for that which God has promised
to his people. A lot of times we look in Scripture
and what is described as faith is really hard
work. It takes energy. It takes diligence. It
takes exertion. It takes suffering. It takes
discipline, brothers and sisters. That is faith
not purely resting on God and his promises. That
is faith working, brothers and sisters, in this
life for that which God has promised to his people.
And that... is historically accepted in doctrine
and theology. I'm not saying anything novel in
that. All of our faiths, if we are in Christ,
it will rest on Christ, brothers and sisters.
But we have got to move beyond the idea that
it is legalistic and dogmatic. to say you should
work at your sanctification. That is not legalistic.
It is not wrong to exhort the people of God to
work in their faith. Do you know why? Because
the word of God does it all over the place. The
word of God presents this example of what faith
is. brothers and sisters. I wish and I pray and
I long that every single person had a faith such
as that. A faith that rests on Christ. A faith
that receives all his saving benefits. A faith
that is saved by faith alone, through grace alone,
and a faith that operates and is effective in
the life of the believer. A faith that works.
You don't know the glories and the blessings
of knowing Jesus Christ without that kind of
faith. You don't have eternal life without that
kind of faith. You are doomed to wrath and hell
without that kind of faith. You don't know the
blessings of having a great shepherd that watches
over you and leads you and works in you and comforts
you and strengthens you and builds you up and
guides you and directs you. You don't have a
shepherd because you don't have that kind of
faith. There is no blessing greater. than having
God -given faith that rests on Christ and works
because it rests on Christ. Because if you have
that faith, do you know what you have? You have
everything because you have God. You have Christ.
You have the gospel. You have redemption. You
have every promise that he's ever made. And it's
all yours in Christ.