Jesus pleaded for people to turn back to Him and be willing to believe.  His own people had rejected and killed those sent to give them God’s truth.  Jesus wanted to protect and to save them, but, He said Matthew 23:37, "You were not willing!”  That is why Hebrews 3:7-8 ”the Holy
Spirit says: ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert.”

            Being willing to believe that God will do what He promises in His Word, is the initial step in the Christian life of faith and trust.  It is the first command Exodus 20:2-3 "I am the LORD your God.  You shall have no other gods before me,” and no idols “in the form of anything,” because God is a jealous God.  There will be
serious consequences for not believing and not trusting God in faith.

            For centuries, God has been pleading, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people" Romans 10:21.  God just wants us to love Him, to trust Him, and to obey His Word.  Romans 11:1-2 “I ask then: Did God reject his people?  By no means!  I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.  God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew.”

            God wants everyone to be saved by repenting 2 Peter 3:9, but only a few would be willing to believe and be saved.  God chose Israel to be the nation through whom His Son would come.  Acts 4:12 ”Salvation is found in no one else.” 
Anyone who is willing to believe in the atonement of Christ, will be given His Spirit as a gift, who inspires faith to believe and become children of God John 1:12.

            Our part in salvation is to be willing to trust God in faith for all things—health, healing, forgiveness, avenging wrongs, daily supplies, protection, keeping a clear conscience, and every other faith issue.  God is searching for willing hearts.  Hanani said to King Asa 2 Chronicles 16:9 “The eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed [perfect toward] him.”

            God is waiting to teach us spiritual lessons of faith and trust, if we are willing to learn.  Our knowledge of what God can do should increase Colossians 1:10 “that you may live a life worthy of the Lord [willing to believe in faith] and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.”  Being willing to believe is our part—God does the teaching John 13:16.

            Romans 11:2-4 “Don’t you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: ‘Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me’?”

Elijah thought he was the only one willing to trust God.  “And what was God’s answer to him?  ‘I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’"  Some Hebrews would be willing to believe and trust God.

            Romans 11:5-6 “So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.  And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.”  The apostle said Ephesians 2:8 ”It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

Faith in God and obedience to His Word are always combined.  If we are willing to believe God, He will show us how to trust Him in faith.  Jesus said John 12:46 “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”

            True faith is like Abraham’s faith that James 2:22-23 ”was co-operating with his actions, and that by his actions his faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And
Abraham believed God, and his faith was placed to his credit as righteousness."  Our life on earth is to glorify God by trusting Him in faith for—healing, finances, protection, correcting injustices, and any other faith issue.

            Romans 11:7-10 “What then?  What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did.  The others were hardened, as it is written: ‘God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day.’  And David says: ‘May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them.  May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever’"—because of unbelief.

            The Jews thought they loved and served God, but Jesus John 1:11-12 “came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”  What a great privilege it is to know that God will accept us, deliver us, protect us, heal our bodies, and avenge our wrongs—just by faith in Him.

            Because Israel was not willing to believe and obey God, they would reap the consequences of rebellion and unbelief.  Romans 14:12 “Each of us will give an account of himself to God”—whether or not we trusted Him in believing faith. 

Anyone who refuses to trust God in faith will eventually forfeit their salvation.  Israel chose not to believe—Romans 11:20-21 “Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith.  Do not be haughty, but fear.  For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.”

            Titus 2:11-13 “The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions [lusts], and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

            If we are willing to believe, God will teach us lessons on faith and how to trust Him.  The devil tempts us to give in to unscriptural desires, because he wants us to be in sin, rather than be in Christ.  Only those who are in Christ by a trusting faith in His atonement sacrifice will be ready to meet Him.

Jesus said Mark 3:35 "For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."  It is God’s will that we trust Him for healing without in medicine, for daily provisions without laid-up cash, for protection without human devices, and for eternal life by trusting in faith on the atonement cleansing of the cross.

            An active and believing faith on God, through the inspiration of the Spirit, is the
spiritual fruit that must be seen.  John 15:1-2 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”  Learning to trust God is the spiritual fruit of believing faith.

            Romans 11:11-12 “Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery?  Not at all! 
Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.  But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!”

            God’s grace and forgiveness is available to anyone who is willing to repent, believe, and trust Him in faith.  Israel could have turned back to God, but their unwillingness to believe, opened the door for the Gentiles to hear about Christ.  Family heritage or social status is
irrelevant—Galatians 5:6 ”For in Christ Jesus
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.  The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”  There will be a remnant who will accept God’s salvation plan of believing faith on the atonement of His Son.

            Romans 11:13-15 “I am talking to you Gentiles.  Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.  For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?”

            If the apostle’s message of Christ to the Gentiles would cause a remnant of Jews to believe and be saved, he would rejoice.  It would be his prayer, because it is all about believing God in faith, and trusting in the atonement work of Christ, to remove a rebellious heart.  John 5:24 "Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”

            Being willing to believe that God will do what He has promised, if we will trust Him in faith, cannot be stated too often or too
emphatically.  James 1:17 ”Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights [source of all Light], with whom there is no variation [nor the slightest suggestion of change].”

God is waiting to give us health, healing, food, clothing, shelter, protection, justice, and divine wisdom, if we are willing to believe and to trust Him in faith.  Psalm 62:8 ”Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.”  Our part is being willing to believe, and being shown how to trust God.  Malachi 3:7 ”Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty.”

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