A GOOD REPORT

FAITH is the most wonderful gift that can be given to a person. Also the most necessary gift, because without faith we are all inexpressibly poor and with faith we are rich. We all will, as I hope, understand that Paul is speaking here about saving faith. Historical faith leaves us in our misery; miraculous faith makes us call upon the power of God to be delivered out of special temporary circumstances or is used as a means in Gods hand for the performance of a miraculous thing. And the faith, that we call temporary faith is not really changing the heart of man, but will only keep us under impressions of the word for a short time. The faith that is being described in this chapter is the saving faith. That faith is seen in the lives of so many in the old dispensation of grace, as the apostle shows unto us in this very wonderful chapter of this letter.

He is showing the effects of that faith when he gives a general description in the first three verses of this chapter. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. The righteousness and the holiness of the Lord are for many men only things whereof they are speaking, but which things never become reality for them. When faith comes in the life of man these holy attributes of God become reality. Then man will fear for the wrath and seek for grace. But not that only. In our text it is said, that the elders obtained a good report. Who are these elders? It is evident, that these elders are the Old Testament believers of the Gospel. What is that report they obtained? That they were pleasing God. That is the most wonderful report which can be given concerning a man. And then you must understand, that this report was not given by a man, but by the Lord and the testimony of the Holy Ghost. But how can a man be pleasing God? We never can with our works. All our righteousnesses are in the sight of God nothing but filthy rags. With all our religious works we cannot please Him. It would be a good thing to keep that in mind. In these times especially. We read in our times in many church papers about the “kingdom-work.” 0, then all the works of men are gathered together to show us that we do so many things for the honor of the Lord and for the extension of His kingdom. And I would not mention this to say that it should not be our duty to be always zealous in the work of the Lord, but to say that we with all our works we have done are still nothing. It is a hard but very profitable lesson to learn that. When a person gets into trouble about his state he surely will try to compromise with God, but there is no possibility in the way of our compromise. The Lord requires an “unconditional surrender.” But that we cannot do, because we cannot accept death as a righteous punishment. The elders, however, are taught to do this and then we hear about their humiliation and that they accepted the righteousness of their own punishment; they became a lost sinner before God. Did you become that already, reader? But were these elders pleasing God because they were by the operations of the Holy Spirit lost sinners? No, they were not. There is only one who is pleasing the Lord. That is Christ. About Him the Father said: This is My beloved Son; in Him I am well pleased. That person and the work performed by Him is pleasing to God. There righteousness and peace have met each other and truth and mercy go together. The blood of Christ is brought before God and all His attributes glorified. That is the thing wherein He is pleased. O, readers, remember that. Without Christ you never can please the Lord. Without sprinkling of His blood on your consciences you never can be brought in His presence. And now we know that the elders obtained a good report. That is only through the work of Him who is the substitute for all His people. And our text says, that it was by faith only. That is true, because only by faith they could have fellowship with that mediator. Samson did not obtain that report for his strength, Solomon not for his wisdom, Joshua not for his courage, but they all received this testimony only by faith. What is then this wonderful faith? That is sinking as a lost sinner upon the righteouness of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is all. Gods people know the power thereof. O, they never can forget that time. The door of hope was closed. Their sins were testifying against them. All hope was gone. They could not help themselves any more. The wrath of God was above them. The sword of His righteousness seemed to destroy them. But there the door was opened, when through the Spirit the Word of God was applied to their hearts, wherein that Saviour was revealed. Do you remember that revelation of Christ unto your hearts? Can you ever forget it? Then you saw that King in His beauty. Then your soul was personally invited. Although the whole law was condemning you, He said, however, to you: Come you, who are wearied and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Then your soul was allowed to flee towards that refuge and eternal rock. And although it was not lasting, nevertheless you then learned something about His wonderful grace and mercy. O, reader, that is inexpressible. The psalmist said: Supremely fair thou art, — Thy lips with grace o’erflow; — His richest blessings evermore,—Doth God on Thee bestow. No, they did not receive Him yet as their own personal Saviour because afterward times are coming, wherein they are missing Him again and then sometimes they say: I shall yet perish through the hands of Saul. But by faith they are resting upon Him. When that faith is exercised they rest upon that Deliverer. They stretch out the hands of faith towards Him, for only in Him is their Salvation. How wonderful when they receive that righteousness and may say: My Lord and My God. Then in Him they have all and in themselves nothing. Then they obtain that good report. In the first place that report is written in the Word of God. But in the second place that report is obtained in their souls by the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Then the Lord calls them His children and they are assured of His favor. All the Lord’s children receive this testimony. By unbelief it is many times darkened. By backslidings they lose the felt sense of that favor, but in the exercise of this faith, this resting upon the satisfaction of Him, Who made intercession for the transgressors, they have the testimony in their hearts, that they are fearing God. O wonderful experience; O, blessed report! Then God is not a God of anger any more, but He is only love for His people and that for the sake of His son. That report God’s people always need again. Only in the ways of sanctification can we have the comfort of this report. When we are living in practice far from the Lord we can perhaps speak about a report we received in former days, but the power is gone. May the Lord therefore work in our hearts, that we may be needy for that report more and more, and that our souls be granted the continual working of the Spirit. Reader, we can help ourselves with the report of men. I once read in a sermon of Gray, that he said: “When you have a letter of recommendation, with all the names of God’s people written thereon, then God will only look, whether the name of Christ is written there.” That is the only name which has worth. Perhaps you have a good report of God’s people? Let not your heart trust in it, when you still miss the report of these elders. You have a report of a minister? Let not your hearts be deceived. However, godly he may be and fearing God, he is a man. You need the testimony of the spirit. You have a lot of experiences? That is good, but do you have faith? We can have deliverances out of trials, hearing of our prayers, words which comforted us, but do you have that faith, by which you were directed to the fountain of saving grace and that sacrifice of reconciliation? That is the only way, wherein we can receive this good report. May the Lord teach us to find this report and this wonderful salvation in the sacrifice of redemption through the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Then you will have a good report and a heart rejoicing in the God of your Salvation.

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