“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

The writer of Hebrews seems like the excellent, ‘tough as nails’ coach, who knows what is needed to be victorious and is not afraid to state things as they are. This coach operates out of a wealth of knowledge and experience, but is completely motivated by love for each player.

Though Jesus clearly depicted God as a loving Father, He also taught that our Father is no joke. What He says, He means; what He promises, He fulfills. He is full of grace and mercy, but His Word is true… ‘He will never change.’

For the next few weeks, I’d like to share some stories from this past summer. If you know me at all, you’ll know how imperfect I am. Paul wrote: ‘Work out your salvation with fear and trembling,’ which does not mean we earn our salvation. “For it is by grace you have been saved — through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8) Through His Son, God has accomplished every good thing. When we receive Christ as Savior and Lord, God aims to mold us into the image of His Son. He wants us to hear the Good Shepherd’s voice and to learn to live by faith. He gives us His Spirit to be our Guide, Comforter, and Helper. Jesus lives in us and says: ‘Now, live in Me.’

You may recall that my daughter Karlyn and I went to Spain in July 2021 at the invitation of Dave and Cindy Bintz, who have served as camp directors at L’Arcada Sports Camp in the small town of Banyoles, a couple hours from Barcelona. I was asked to share Jesus with the American coaches who had come to serve and the Spanish Christians who used their vacation time to be counselors. These counselors were between 18 and 28 years old, and most of them met Christ as teenagers at that same camp.

Less than 1% of the citizens of Spain claim any relationship with Jesus. Parents send their kids to L’Arcada because their children love sports and because they are immersed in English for a full week. Regarding Christianity, the parents basically give these instruction to their children: ‘Be polite, but we don’t want you to get involved in religion.’ The misdeeds of those throughout history who wrongly represented God still cause untold damage and leave a whole nation in darkness.

I was full of energy our entire trip, as we rose early and worked full speed until about midnight most days of the week. The day before we returned home, Karlyn and I traipsed through the lively city of Barcelona. We walked more than ten miles and visited most of the places we wanted to see. Karlyn was amazed at her old Dad.

Though we both picked up COVID on our trip and Karlyn’s phone was stolen on our hike through Barcelona, we were thankful to establish rich friendships, and I was able to encourage many in Christ. Before we departed, our new friends prayed for us and asked us to return.

About a month after the school year began, I had to start a new chemotherapy to fight multiple myeloma, the blood cancer I’ve dealt with since the year 2000. Soon my body started weakening and the doctors gave me some time off to recover. The chemo was effective and the cancer numbers dropped. My biggest problem became the impossibility of my bone marrow to produce blood cells. My pattern became visiting Emory twice a week to receive platelets and blood. One afternoon in January, while receiving an infusion, I felt God speak to my heart: ‘Dana, I want you to return to Spain this summer.’ Here began the faith journey of 2022…

“Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what you have been promised. For in just a little while: ‘He who is coming will come and will not delay. But My righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.’” (Hebrews 10:35-38)

The writer of Hebrews says to examine those who went before us… learn from the faithful and learn from the faithless. After the twelve spies, one from each tribe, returned from Canaan, only Joshua and Caleb said: ‘Yes! We can take the land!’ The other ten cried: ‘No! We can’t do it!’ Unfortunately, the people sided with the ten and God said: ‘Because you did not believe in Me, you will not enter the Promised Land.’ All the Israelites wandered the wilderness for the next forty years, one year for each day the spies were gone. Only those who had been under twenty years old… and Joshua and Caleb… entered Canaan.

What was the difference between the two and the ten? All had witnessed God’s power as He judged Pharaoh and the false gods of Egypt. All walked through the Red Sea. All ate manna and quail sent from above. All drank water from the rock. But only Joshua and Caleb stood strong and exclaimed: ‘Don’t you see? God delivered us from bondage! He has cared for our needs and protected us on our journey. Nothing is too hard for Him!’ Faith was the difference.

The writer of Hebrews warns: “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.” (Hebrews 3:12) We are not served by a human high priest, as were the Israelites. Our hope is in Jesus, the One “who has been found more worthy than Moses.” (3:3) “Therefore, brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our Apostle and High Priest.” (3:1)

Faith in the Son is God’s path. As He walked the earth, Jesus constantly called people to believe in Him. To His skeptics, Christ said: “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” To His disciples, He asked: “Do you finally believe?” After declaring He was the Resurrection and Life, He challenged a grieving Martha: “Whoever lives by believing in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” After His own resurrection, Jesus said to Thomas: “Because you have seen you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

“Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!” cried the struggling father of a tormented boy. This is a great prayer! Jesus will help us… He is the ‘Author and Perfecter of our faith.’ We don’t please God by working harder or determining to do better. He says: ‘Cast your burdens on Me for I care for you! Trust in My Son and believe what I’ve accomplished through Him. Have the confidence of Joshua and Caleb and experience My faithfulness and power!’

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Hebrew 11:6

“Therefore, since we have a great High Priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:14

In March of 1952, eighteen years after marrying Charity Chang, Watchman Nee was arrested on false charges, then tried and imprisoned. During his captivity, Charity was the only person permitted to visit. She passed away six months before he died on May 30, 1972. With no fanfare, his body was cremated and the family was notified. When Nee’s sister-in-law and grandniece arrived to gather his ashes, an officer showed them a note found under his pillow. Written in large letters with a shaky hand, this may be the last thing Watchman Nee wrote before meeting his Savior: “Christ is the Son of God who died for the redemption of sinners and resurrected after three days. This is the greatest truth in the universe. I die because of my belief in Christ. – Watchman Nee”

This Chinese disciple finished his race with the message he taught others: Christ is everything. Because Jesus overcame, we overcome. Because He lives, we live. ‘Even though my freedom is taken away, my loved ones are banished, and my life on earth is ending… by God’s grace, I stand.’

In the final chapter of his short book on Ephesians titled ‘Sit, Walk, Stand,’ Watchman Nee focuses on Paul’s instruction to stand against the enemy who hates God and all His children.

Christian living begins with sitting and leads to walking, but it does not end with these. Every Christian must learn also to stand. Each of us must be prepared for the conflict…

Only those who sit can stand. Our power for standing, as for walking, lies in our having first been made to sit together in Christ. The Christian’s walk and warfare alike derive their strength from his position there. If he is not sitting before God he cannot hope to stand before the enemy.

Satan’s primary object is not to get us to sin, but simply to make it easy for us to do so by getting us off the ground of perfect triumph on to which the Lord has brought us. Through the avenue of the head or of the heart, through our intellect or our feelings, he assaults our rest in Christ or our walk in the Spirit. But for every point of his attack defensive armor is provided, the helmet and the breastplate, the girdle and the shoes, while over all is the shield of faith to turn aside his fiery darts. Faith says: Christ is exalted. Faith says: We are saved by grace. Faith says: We have access through Him. Faith says: He indwells us by His Spirit. Because victory is His, therefore it is ours.

In Christ we stand.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Ephesians 6:10-17

‘Sit, Walk, Stand’ by Watchman Nee; Gospel Literature Service; ©1957; Bombay, India

In the parable of the sower, Jesus explained that temptation, distraction, and difficulties will oppose those who hear the Word. “But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)

The fruit is in Christ. “I am the Vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) No surprise Paul prayed we could see our position in Jesus ‘in the heavenly realms’ and ‘grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge…’ (Ephesians 3:18-19)

In his short book, ‘Sit, Walk, Stand,’ Watchman Nee points out the wonders of our blessings in Christ revealed in the first three chapters of Ephesians. Paul prayed that we can ‘understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.’ (1:19-20) And we are seated with Him! (2:6)

Paul uses the last three chapters of his letter to show how our position in Christ leads to victorious living. Watchman Nee writes: “Though the Christian life begins with sitting, sitting is always followed by walking. When once we have been well and truly seated and have found our strength in sitting down, then we do in fact begin to walk. Sitting describes our position with Christ in the heavenlies. Walking is the practical outworking of that heavenly position here on earth.”

As the old hymn says: “When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

“At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true).” Ephesians 5:8-9

‘Sit, Walk, Stand’ by Watchman Nee; Gospel Literature Service; ©1957; Bombay, India

‘Power’ is an important gift for the child of God, but it is much different than the ‘power’ exerted on the athletic field or wrestling mat. “God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’ let His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (II Corinthians 4:6-7)

God’s power transcends any rival, and it does not come from the weight room or training field. The power is seen in the ‘light’ God shines in our hearts which results in ‘the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.’ When we turn to the Lord and experience His freedom, we see the ‘Lord’s glory’ and are ‘transformed into His image.’ (see II Corinthians 4:16-18). This is true power… and Paul is careful to explain it ‘is from God and not from us.’

God wants us know His power, to believe in His power, and to let His power in us impact the world. Notice the use of this word in Paul’s famous prayer below. Praise God for the ‘treasure’ He has placed in these ‘jars of clay.’

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:14-21