Faith is the Victory - #2

Y'all won't believe this - but someone gave me a copy of "Faith is the Victory." You can't imagine my joy in receiving this book. It is out of print so it is something I will take very good care of and no, I won't loan it out! Thank you so much, whoever gave it to me.

Here's a sample of Chapter 1 - "The Pattern of the Christian's Life"

The pattern of the Chrisian's life is laid down in symbol in the journey of God's people from Egypt to the Promised Land. It is divided into three general phases: (1) From Egypt to Kadesh-barnea, representing a period of education of the believer under the special direction of God. (2) From Kadesh-barnea to the river Jordan, which represents a phase of disciplinary experience in which God deals with the self life. (3) The conquest of Canaan, which represents the life of victory through faith.

This book is concerned with the last phase of this great experience, its application to the church life of God's people and to their lives as individuals.

In this journey the life of the believer is dramatically portrayed. In Paul's letter to the Romans the life of the believer is theologically expounded. The same message is set forth in both. Thus, the apostle in 1 Cor. 10:11 says: "Now these things happened unto them for examples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." Here, and other places in God's Word, we are told that God has recorded in the history of His chosen people, the Israelites, the great truths which we need to guide us and empower us along our pilgrimage here on earth.

The reader would do well to review the account of this great journey, and note how utterly dependent upon God were His people, and how the incidents along the way give that marvelous display of divine grace in behalf of an unworthy people, simply because somebody believed God. Since many others have led us with such great profit along this pathway, and have pointed out with such diligent observation the wonderful truths revealed in this journey of symbolic teaching, we shall content ourselves with a simple restatement of the symbolisms, and press on to where the message begins.

Egypt represents the bondage of sin in which all of us are born. The "passover lamb is a type of Christ our Saviour, the "lamb slain from the foundation of the world." The blood applied to the door posts represents the sinner's trust in Christ to save, while the baptism at the Red Sea depicts the experience actualized in the sinner's heart.

....

...This is the sense in which the Holy Ghost baptizes us into the death and resurrection of Christ. This is not the so-called "baptism of the Holy Ghost," but is rather that baptism spoken of by Paul in Romans 6:3, 4: "Know you not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

Thus, the child of God, by death, is cut off from the world and pronounced dead to sin. Thus, also, he is raised up from the dead and made alive unto Christ, and is ready now to begin his walk as a believer, a child of God.

......

The events which follow in the next few weeks are full of teaching, but we must leave this to other studies. We should like to repeat that all these events up to Kadesh-barnea were educational and were designed by the Lord Himself to instruct His children in the ways of God, as well as to wean them from the life in Egypt. At Sinai they camp for a while to learn the three great truths which we have indicated in the introduction: (1) that man is utterly sinful. (2) that God is utterly holy. (3) that Jesus is the only Savior. The first two of these great truths are taught through the Ten Commandments; the third is taught through the tabernacle and the offerings.

[end] [for today]

Does this seem dry to you? Studying the O.T. used to seem that way to me until I studied "The Covenant" and several other books (Habakkuk, Daniel) and saw how much those books related to my life. It opened up the N.T. to me in a way that no preaching had ever done. When I read these things, I realize that a large part of my faith has come from seeing how God dealt with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and through them, the entire nation of Israel. They were normal people and God treated them with love and mercy. That's the story of my life - God's love and mercy transforming me from what I am "normally" to being more like Him and His character.

As I begin reading this book again, I hope to share more of this book with you. Since it is out of print, there shouldn't be a problem copying it here. (I'll write the publisher just to be on the safe side!)

Just remember that the victory in our life is not reached by faith. The victory is faith.

(and thanks again, my anonymous friend, for this precious gift)