This is only until the double lesson has been fully learnt: (1) that a living faith can rejoice in the Living God, even when feeling and experience appear to contradict the promise (Rom. 8:28, 29); and (2) that the divine life only predominates as the life of the flesh is held in the place of death, inoperative (Rom. 6:11a).
Knowing this, that the testing of your faith worketh patience (James 1:3).
This is only until the double lesson has been fully learned: (1) that a living faith can rejoice in the Living God, even when all feeling and experience appear to contradict the truth (Rom. 8:28, 29); and (2) that the Divine life only predominates as the life of the old man is held in the place of death, inoperative (Rom. 6:11a).
He was the example- the life-pattern for all who would become God’s children, by faith – they were not to copy what He did, but to live they way He lived – in submission to God.
God’s children became the Church, the new creation, which is His body - the Church, the fullness of Him” Ephesians 1:23. For 2000 years the church of Christ has been quietly growing into a corporate body, and God is bringing that new creation in Christ into His planned fullness: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: Ephesians 4:13.
Living by faith which comes from hearing and not by sight or signs or dreams – putting off the old man in Adam and putting on the new man in Christ – recognising our heavenly home is a greater reality that this sin-sick, cursed world. Many such writings have been on waiting – waiting God’s time and waiting God’s way.
By faith, Simeon knew that he would not see death, until…..
Faithful Men
Few have received such an astonishing promise, but those who did receive such a pledge, had to accept it, unquestioningly by faith..
by faith.
Elijah also knew, from the Spirit, that his transport awaited him – by faith.
And he was able, through the Spirit’s leading to grant his young disciples request.. for Elijah said: if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so.” 2Kings 2:10 your request shall be answered. By faith Enoch, Elijah, Simeon believed the promise and lived in expectant waiting. Enoch waited his translation. Elijah waited his transport and Simeon waited to see the Lord’s Christ. Enoch waited over 400 years and Simeon waited for the rest of his life. Their promise was given, accepted, believed and they waited – they waited in humble anticipation.
The Bible indicates that they were all men of prayer; men of praise; men of faith. Above all, it shows they were men who waited on God, and waited His timing.
To abide in ourselves is simply to try to do this living, and this working for the Lord, of ourselves; asking the Lord to help us to do it, instead of recognizing that a Life wholly pleasing to God has been lived and that faith appropriates that accomplishment in Christ.
That is available to faith, and faith says, Well, in myself the thing would be absurd, and to attempt the thing would be ridiculous; as to myself it would be folly to contemplate it.
You and I are brought into this realm of faith, wherein the simplest thing at the beginning, the taking of a first step, is sometimes fraught with horror for us.
Until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:13
for faith is a spiritual knowledge of Christ, which progresses into maturity.
As Son of God and Son of Man, He is the object of our faith – our expression of love.
Unity of the Faith
We are to grow in grace and in a knowledge of Him, until we all come to the unity of the faith..
until that wonderful day when “we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of Christ, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of His fullness of Christ.
Worthy Record
For thousands of years, such testimonials have affirmed the truth of God’s Word, and the Spirit of God has compiled this substantial witness into a worthy record – so that the Word of their testimony may bolster your faith and mine.
Great Stimulus
The witness of men and women of faith can be a great stimulus to our own trust, and these women and men who trusted God demonstrate what faith is all about. We live by faith and not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 – for without faith it is impossible to please Him.
Examples of Faith
As believers, we have been given a substantial testimonial, through a cloud of witnesses.
God wants us to trust Him; to believe in His Word; to have faith in Him alone, and so He gives an extended list of named saints and unsung heroes who exemplify faith.
Looking to Jesus
Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Faithful Stewards
The Holy Spirit calls to the witness stand a multitude of mighty men and women so that the church, which is His body, may be encouraged by their example. He calls to the podium examples of good and faithful stewards, who trusted God. He calls on church-age believers to unreservedly follow this example of faith – faith in the Son of God Who loved us and gave Himself for us.
Faith in God
Faith is the one element that unites this innumerable crowd that trusted their Lord.
Faith is the foundation that rivets together this mass of martyrs, so pleasing to God.
Faith is the component that is traced through the lives of this great cloud of witnesses.. for faith in God is what pleases the Father – believing His Word and trusting His faithfulness is what is demanded of each of us.
Testing of Faith
Now is a time of faith’s testing for the saints of God.
Life of Faith
The wicked ruled and seemingly escaped all the judgment they assuredly deserved..
But the Lord informed him far worse was to come and there was only one way to live: Faith – Faith – FAITH was the only answer he was given: but the just shall live by his faith.
Living By Faith
Habakkuk was to live by faith, in contradistinction to all that he saw in his surroundings.
Faith in God
Right in the midst of all the harsh and bitter judgment the Lord speaks.
Let us not fall to the enemy’s deceptive ploy of deep discouragement, but let us like Habakkuk become true prayer warriors – joining our intercessions with the prayers of the just of all the ages – who in the midst of great difficulties and mountainous trials, lived by faith in the Son of God.
Prayer of Habakkuk
Let us become like Habakkuk, an “Embracer of Burdens” – for right in the very middle of the most testing time when it seemed totally lost – in faith, Habakkuk sang his amazing sacrifice of praise: although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls... Hab.3:17-19
Many Religions, One God
There are many religions – but only one FAITH. There is only ONE God Who is faithful. There is only ONE God in Whom we can put our trust. There is only ONE God Who we can confidently love and be loved by. His ways are superior from the devised plans of man. His ways are unique and are disclosed to those that love Him. The one God Who is faithful can be reverently loved. He longs to draw men to Himself with His long, exquisite chords of love and He desires to woo His own into a privileged intimacy with Himself.
Paul tells us that: Abraham’s faith was counted to him as righteousness. We are His bond-slaves, and yet He is not only looking for servants… for His dear desire for you, is not just in getting the job done. We are His children, who delight to do His bidding..
Call of the Lord
He longs to tell you the precious thoughts of His heart… as He did with Abraham - shall I tell Abraham that thing which I do? But are we too busy to draw near in faith? Are we too fearful to open our ears – to hear His whispers of love? Happy is the one whom God chooses and draws into His counsel.
It is by deepening our faith in His promises that we can finally trust in His love.
Men of Faith
He would use the experience of Israel as an example for those that came after, and some Israelites chose to live godly and believe the Word of God, while other Israelites lived in unbelief and followed the ways of the pagan.
And many names and examples of men of faith are recorded in Hebrews 11.
These men of faith were exemplified by Abel; Enoch; Noah; Abraham; Jacob – and so the Seed of the woman was passed on and on.
Spiritual or Carnal
Some chose the spiritual way but many chose the carnal route. Some became men of faith but many chose to be faithless. Some were recorded in Hebrews 11 but many lost their opportunity.
Life of Faith
We are called to live by faith.. to live by faith and not by sight..
to trust in the One Who is to be trusted. We are also called to live a life of faith.. a life that relies on Him; a life that trusts in His love; a life that submits to His commands – a life that yields itself entirely into His keeping. When we look beyond the things of this life, heaven becomes more real than earth.
Oh, had we but faith to look through the lens of Him Who sees all; had we but ears of faith to hear His clear tones guiding our steps..
Confident Faith
When we can truly see Him Who is invisible, loss of worldly things count for naught.
Stand on these mighty scriptural truths in faith, and make these all-important truths from God an integral part of your life.
But while that life is in itself victorious, incorruptible, indestructible, the believer has to come, by faith, to prove it, to live by it, to learn its laws, to be conformed to it.
Heit was that needed to visit Jerusalem to rehearse these principles to the apostles. He was required to inform those who walked with Jesus three and a half years of new revelation, and throughout Paul’s epistles we see the great doctrines on which our faith rests.
And Paul challenges us in many different ways to examine ourselves: examine yourselves to see whether you be in the faith. 2Cor.13:5
Godly Focus
When Paul’s heart and soul and mind was set on the Lord Jesus, his life was one of victory, joy, faith and love... despite life’s circumstances.
It protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. `Galatians 3:24
The Perfect Law
The perfect Law became our tutor to lead us to Christ, so we may be justified by faith. It was Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a leader of the Jews who came to Jesus by night. Like all religious leaders he was a man who was separated unto legal righteousness. He knew every nuance of the Law and at this time he was the main teacher in Israel.
Search For Truth
Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher, for no one could perform the signs You do unless God was with him, were his opening words, that blessed night. Nicodemus was one of whom Paul spoke when he said that before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law – shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. But he was a man, searching for truth – and that night he found Truth incarnate.
Scripture is the sole authority on which our faith is founded and the singular guide to instruct us in our practical living.
We have the indwelling Holy Spirit and the Word of God to ensure our spiritual victory, if we will but yield to Him, walk by faith and appropriate all that God has provided, so that we can: abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.
Redeemed by Faith
We started out dead in trespasses and sins, but Christ redeemed us by faith, in Him.
We were enemies of God but have been transferred into His kingdom by faith in Him.
By faith we have moved from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light:- from the kingdom of death to the kingdom of life; from the kingdom of sorrow to the kingdom of joy – from the kingdom of fear to the kingdom of love.
Faith Not Sight
Let us not rely on feelings, but on faith.. faith in His unswerving fidelity. And though we see Him not – and though His presence is shielded from our eyes, let us talk to Him and open our hearts to Him.
We are born again by faith, and we are to live anew by faith.
There are earnest Christians who are jealous for a free Gospel, with acceptance of Christ, and justification by faith alone.
While they firmly grasp the truth, justified by faith,' they have hardly noticed the larger truth, the just shall live by faith.' They have not yet understood what a perfect Saviour the Lord Jesus is, and how He will each day do for the sinner just as much as He did the first day when they came to Him.
They know not that the life of grace is always and only a life of faith, and that in the relationship to the Lord Jesus the one daily and unceasing duty of the disciple is to believe, because believing is the one channel through which Divine grace and strength can flow into the heart of man.
Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving (Col. 2:7).
He preordained that those chosen would be conformed into the likeness of His Son.. and God took the responsibility to save us body, soul, and spirit by grace – through faith. God Himself decided He would save us totally – for we could not save ourselves. And every promise of God is yours by grace, simply because you trusted His Word.
And Romans 5:1 tells us: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Preordained Acceptance
But God preordained that all who believe in Jesus are fully accepted in His beloved Son. The peace and love and acceptance of God is only through His beloved Son. Without assurance of this precious fact, many live a life of daily dissatisfaction. Without confidence in His Word, many spend their years in constant mistrust. If the failing beauty of a wife doesn’t influence the ardour of a devoted husband, how much more God’s never-failing acceptance is of the believer in Christ. God’s acceptance of you and His acceptance of me is based on one thing – the finished work of the Lord Jesus, on Calvary’s cross: being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.
God expects believers to respond to His word and His promises with faith.
God expects us to believe what He says and seek Him with our hearts – for without faith it is impossible to please Him.
Biblical Faith
Biblical faith is a confident trust in God’s character, ability, promises, and word.
Faith in His person, pledges, and revelation is the only response that God expects.
Faith is the only way we can appropriate all that God has given to us – His children..
Acceptance by God depends on faith in Christ – trusting His finished work.
God expects believers to respond to His word and His promises – with faith.
Confident Trust
Biblical faith is a confident trust in God’s character, ability, promises, and word.
Faith in His person, pledges, and revelation is the only response that God expects. And God Himself has told us in His Word that we are accepted. Now believe it… 'for it is to the praise of the glory of His GRACE, that we have been made accepted in the Beloved'.
It is a wonderful moment for the believer when we by faith occupy our standing in the favor of the Father - when we know that we are received by Him in all the acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We think of the Lord Jesus - His perfections, His suitability to divine favor, His infinite acceptance with the Father - and by faith, we have access into the favor of which He is so worthy. -C.A.C.
This is the way of certain triumph; to accept God's will, however painful it may be, and to trust Him in the certain faith that His will must triumph in the end.
The germ of faith will outlive the sternest winds and roughest seas.
Nature or disposition may have much to do with our external manner, but it is faith in our Father which stands the wear of years, and the sorrows of life.
Testing of Faith
God permitted Satan to 'smite' Job in this unseen realm of spiritual warfare... not because God was having sport with Satan… or Job; not because God was indifferent about Job’s bitter anguish; not because God was angry with Job or unresponsive to his torment.
Job was a man of faith – ..one that feared God. Job 1:1
Exemplary Faith
God permitted Satan to 'smite' Job in this unseen realm of spiritual warfare, because Job was a man of exemplary faith, within his generation; because Job was a man that was more deeply trusted by the Lord than most.
Therefore, let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying AGAIN a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God…Hebrews 6:1
For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.Ephesians 2:8-10
Threefold Promise
Salvation is 100% God’s by grace through faith.
A believer who trusts God’s word in this matter will live his life the grace-promise-faith way.
The grace-promise-faith way is God’s way, but the law-works-merit way is the way of the flesh.
The one who doesn’t live grace-promise-faith way doesn’t negate his eternal security in Christ, but will live a defeated Christian life, for eternal security “kicks-in” immediately at rebirth, and each person of the Godhead guarantee their eternal security.
All-Embracing Guarantee
God’s guarantee of eternal and life is for all believers, whether they choose to live the grace-promise-faith way or ignore God’s word and live the law-works-merit way.
When we trust God’s promise of eternal life, it delights His heart: for without faith it is impossible to please Him,
With regards to the Christian walk (sanctification) a believer either lives the grace-promise-faith way or the law-works-merit way.
From the moment a sinner believes in Christ by faith, God undertakes to keep that believer eternally secure, and it remains God’s responsibility from that day forward, for we are all accepted in the Beloved – forever,
And let us seek to live by faith and not by sight and to live the grace-promise-faith way rather than the law-works-merit way.
Exercising Faith
‘My grace is sufficient”, is the truth of the Scripture, given to all believers.
If scripture is not trusted as God’s word, His grace will not be sufficient, for God requires us to trust Him, and to just take Him at His work: for by grace you are saved, by means of exercising faith.
Exercising Faith
And Scripture tells us why things go wrong and how to deal with them.
to take Him at His Word: for by grace you are saved – by means of exercising faith In Jesus..
by means of exercising that same faith in Him, and Jesus told us through Paul:-My grace is sufficient.
What of the faith that would remain fallow, but for the deep, chill of life’s bitterest waters?
Did you not cry out to Him:- 'Give me grace?' Did you never seek Him for a deeper faith? If this is what you truly desire, should you not consider how the jewels of grace are cut and polished? Should you not contemplate how the gold of faith is refined and purified?
His Refining Fire
Are these nothing but unconscious cries, to be tried in His refining fire..? An inner longing to be honed to His perfection, under the great Craftsman’s ‘tool’? Is not GRACE discovered through the crushings of life’s journey? Is not FAITH exercised as the storms of life assault our very foundations? Does not Faith flourish and Grace grow, through the Master’s sanctifying trials?
Growing Grace – Flourishing Faith
Grace when the sun is shining Lord,Grace when the sky is black.Grace when I get the unkind word,Grace then to answer back,Grace when I’m pushed into a nook,Grace when I get my turn.Grace when the dinner will not cook,Grace when I let it burn.
He must appropriate this triumphant, imperishable, enduring life – BY FAITH.
But while that life is itself victorious, incorruptible, indestructible – the believer has to come, by faith, to prove it... to live by it, to learn its laws, to be conformed to it.
They must be appropriated to work effectively in our everyday life – and this is done in the same way that we were saved – by FAITH.
Deposited Gift
In his 'Green Letters', Miles Stanford explains “appropriating” like this: How often we simply admire and talk about the truths the Holy Spirit reveals to us in His Word, whereas His primary purpose in giving them to us is that we might stand upon them in faith, waiting confidently for Him to make them an integral part of our life.
Time Element
By faith, we stand and seize hold of them.
By faith, we start to appropriate them.
It is by faith that we grow in them and it is by faith that we walk in them – until through simple trust these scriptural truths become inherent in our life in Him.
By Faith
May we all appropriate all that we have in Christ – by faith.. so that He may work through us be glorified in all we think and do and say – by faith
the promise of a relationship with Him through faith and prayer and worship.
If we went around rushing headlong into life in fearless ways we wouldn’t have to exercise our faith, so it’s normal and healthy to worry about that exam coming up..
In allowing fear to ‘seize your troubled mind’ we allow it to seize our hearts, our faith, our lives, The wonderful part of Amazing Grace is the promise that Father God’s grace can relieve your fears, if you cast your cares upon Him – and if leave your worries and fears at the foot of the cross.
It’s only by maturing in my faith and by looking back on my life, and seeing Father God’s hand on my life and the evidence of His grace abounding in me and my life, that I come to a place of peace, pain-free and in the perfect state of grace.
Jesus was a godly man; a man of faith; a man that trusted God in all things.
He walked in spirit and truth and humbly said, Thy will not mine be done. Jesus was indeed the example of godliness – a man who walked by faith.
Throughout God’s word, we are directed to the necessity of faith for godly living.
Three times in the epistles the truth booms out – the just shall live by faith.
Living by Faith
The father of faith – Abraham, is singled out as the primary example of a godly life.
And a countless cloud of witness testifies to the import that God places on faith.
They were a multitude of God’s people who lived by faith and pleased the Lord; a group of men and women who lived by faith and not by sight, for without faith it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6
Man of Faith
Christ Jesus our Lord also lived by faith and Christ Jesus our Lord pleased God.
Christ Jesus our Lord was God’s chosen and ultimate example of a man of faith.
Perfect Example
Though 100% God, the Lord Jesus Christ was the perfect example of a Man that lived by faith.
Just as Mary willingly and trustingly submitted to the work of the Holy Spirit in her, by faith – let us follow her example and like her be prepared to say; be it unto me according to Your Word.
Rest Of Silence
Oh, what a joy it is when earthly friends whose sensitivity towards each other, and love for each other can just sit in silence and wait in perfect understanding – just resting in the presence of the other. How much more should it be when the Lord Himself should so desire that we prove our love and friendship to Him, by asking us to wait. To wait for Him in secret silence. And in so doing, assuring Him that our love for Him is constant, and our faith in Him can stand the test of His silence,
Man of God
Paul was a man who loved his Saviour and a man whose service to his Lord is one that we hold up as an example of a great man of faith – a man of God that we ourselves would seek to emulate, and yet his comparatively short life in the ministry was one that was engulfed by an overabundance of problems and difficulties – a ministry that was packed from start to finish with unbelievable severities and significant hardships.
Strong in the Faith
While his enemy sought to do their worst, Paul discovered the inexhaustible supply of the peace of God, the joy of the Lord, the sufficiency of His Master and the blessed hope..
It warns of sloth and backsliding, of refusal to be conformed into His image. It gives consequences of yielding to the flesh; lack of faith; resisting the Spirit..
but it also gives a wonderful list of those that lived by faith and not by sight: those that looked for a city, Whose Builder and Maker is God.
Perfect Process
Take heed to the warnings in its pages. Follow the example of men and women of faith who trusted God..
Faith and Faithfulness
Remember, it all depends on faith and faithfulness. Do not fall short of the grace of God by refusing to listen to Him. Take heed of Israel’s shortcomings and loss – and be warned. Remember – He will change your heart if you just change your mind. But you must first be prepared to change your mind, and if you are… just let Him know.
Lying Influences
Circumstances of life and wickedness in the world may seem to scream the reverse, but you must never base your faith in Christ Jesus on your feelings – nor must you allow the circumstances of life to influence your trust in God.
Feeling or Faith
Feelings will lie, and circumstances can fabricate the truth of God’s word. Your faith is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ and His righteousness – and because you are in Him, the righteousness of Christ is imputed to you.
The kissing cousin to faith in God’s word, is appropriating the truth in our heart.
But while that life is itself victorious, incorruptible, indestructible, the believer has to come by faith to prove it, to live by it, to learn its laws, to be conformed to it.
Once we become aware that our sovereign Father is reigning and is in full control, our faith becomes a set attitude and we are able to honor Him by resting in His faithfulness under all circumstances.
Joseph gives a wonderful example of a man who does not know what God is doing and yet who by faith cooperates with Him at every step of the way.
And Paul exhorts us to: follow righteousness, faith, charity, and peace. 2 Timothy 2:22 But so often breeches are widened, bitterness is intensified and anger is excited.
Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.1Corinthians 16:13
Why does He seemingly turn His back and apparently walk away from our despair? Why does He delay when His word overflows with contrary pledges of deliverance? Why tax His dear one’s trust and exhaust His precious child’s hope of deliverance? Why does He allow faith to be torn to shreds due to His apparent, uncaring delay?
as hearts grow faint and weary and faith flickers dimly as God still delays.
Appointed Times
Many bewail their own perceptions of His return and cry “The Lord delays….” causing the Lord to ponder the question of the faith of His servants: when the Son of man comes, shall He find faith on the earth?
THIRD) He even uses delay to test and strengthen our faith in Him, and He will use delay in our lives to the point of exhaustion.
Trust His Delays
But He does it in His own way and He does it in His own time. We are simply required to trust His decision and to have faith in His delays.
New Life in Christ
The new life in Christ should be nurtured, while the old sin nature must be subdued, and though all Christians are positionally sanctified, (set apart unto God), we must also grow in our Christian life to be practically sanctified – and it’s all by grace. Whether we are talking about our sanctified position or the sanctifying process that continues throughout life – our spiritual growth, our growing in grace, our maturing in the faith and the good works that God has prepared for us to do, are ALL by grace.
Bridge of Faith
In a world, (or in a man), that does not know the Lord Jesus Christ – He cannot reign as king, nor can He impart righteousness to those who do not believe in His name. Condemnation is removed from ALL those that trust in the Lord Jesus Christ – BUT ALL who reject God’s free gift of grace are already condemned – because of unbelief. There is a great divide between the two which can only be bridged by faith.
Chasm of Unbelief
Eternal life is one of many gifts that’s bestowed on all who believe in God’s Son, BUT ALL who reject the gift of grace are eternally separated from God – due to unbelief. There is a huge chasm between the two – which can only be crossed by faith.
but there is a great divide that can only be bridged – by FAITH.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith– and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
John and Romans
The two books of the Bible considered as the clearest and best explanation on how to be saved, are to be found in the gospel of John – and in Paul’s epistle the Romans. Both men, in their own unique writing style and language, explain that God’s gift of saving grace for all men, is simply by believing on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. John says that grace came through Christ and whoever believes on Him will be saved. Paul reminds us that salvation comes through faith alone – that it might be of grace. But one issue confuses and confounds many people – the issue of repentance.
By Believing
John wrote his gospel so that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God – and that by believing we might have life, but he NEVER uses the word ‘repentance’. Paul in his letter to the Romans gives step-by-step instructions on how we are justified, sanctified and glorified by grace, through faith – but only uses the word ‘repentance’ a couple of times..
God-Breathed
Is it possible that these two giants of the faith, who were moved by the Spirit to write Scripture, could have misunderstood salvation, or is there another explanation? As all scripture is God-breathed, it is impossible for John and Paul to give incorrect teaching on how to be saved..
Integral Not Additional
If John and Paul clearly teach that salvation is the gift of God’s grace alone, by faith in Christ how can we reconcile the issue of repentance.
Should we not repent of our sins? Indeed, we should ‘repent’ of our sins, but repentance has to be understood as being an integral part of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ – and not an addition to faith.
Grace Thru Faith
John and Paul taught that salvation is by God’s grace alone – through faith alone.
a change of attitude – a change of heart. An integral part of scriptural repentance must include believing on the Lord Jesus… salvation – a gift of God – by grace alone – through faith alone.
Work of Christ
If we don’t repent or change our mind – we remain dead in our trespasses and sins. When we do repent or change our mind about God’s free gift of grace, that is offered to all sinners who are dead in trespasses and sins we are born again.. and the Holy Spirit places us in Christ as part of God’s family – FOREVER. Let us never add to the amazing work of Christ on the cross when by His blood alone He paid the price for your sins and mine. But rather let us simply accept God’s free gift of grace – by faith alone.
Seeker-Friendly
In this sin-sick world sincerity, love and truth are becoming very sparse. It has infiltrated Christendom with a seeker-friendly gospel. It has spread between brothers in the faith as they try to appease each other. It has penetrated truth in relationships when one won't risk upsetting another.
Now faith is the assurance that what we hope for will come about and the certainty that what we cannot see exists.Hebrews 11:1
Unique Faith
Biblical faith is unique. Biblical faith makes a clear distinction between the Creator and the creature.
Biblical faith is founded on the fact that God is God and we are not.
Biblical faith is believing God’s Word and trusting God to keep His word.
Faith is man’s response to the promises of God and God expects us to trust Him. But biblical faith can only be biblical faith if Jesus is central to our belief.
Factual Faith
God does not go out of His way to try to prove that He exists.
Genesis. 1:1 Either we exhibit faith and believe it or we reject it – there’s no middle ground.
Established Faith
God tells us the truth in His Word and expects us to respond by believing Him.
Faith is implemented through hearing the Word of God and God’s plan for man..
and faith is established by believing the Word of God and Christ’s finished work.
Saving Faith
If we believe on Jesus as saviour then we are saved – period.
Only when we believe on Christ, as saviour, does biblical faith really kick in.
Wisdom and Power
Biblical faith is for the believer – not the non-believer.
Biblical faith not only expects us to believe His Word but to act upon it.
Biblical faith is founded on truth – on facts, and not on experience of feelings. Biblical faith is rooted in the truth of God’s Word, with Christ as its central object.
Faith is not a 'good work' done for God, nor does faith have any merit or reward.
Faith is a non-meritas response to the gospel of God.
Faith has no room for human worthiness – but is based on Christ’s righteousness. It is not faith that merits salvation – but faith that gains access to God’s gift of grace.
Free-Will Choice
Faith is a free-will choice made by the individual, in response to the Word of God. Faith is the only possible response that God accepts – and salvation is the outcome. But unbelief is also a free-will choice, and only condemnation follows unbelief.
The issue in faith is not how much faith you have but in Whom you place your trust.
Simple Facts
Biblical faith is not an escape from reality or a retreat into some private little world.
Biblical faith is not some airy-fairy fingers-crossed hope – or based on legalistic laws.
Biblical faith is not a conditioning programme or a form of unthinking indoctrination.
Biblical faith is not based on feelings and emotions... or the false prosperity teachings.
Biblical faith is not a political movement, a social club, or a 'do-goody' congregation.
More Simple Facts
Biblical faith does not take the gospel and repackage into a feel-good programme.
Biblical faith does not pretend to have extra-biblical revelation or esoteric disclosures.
Biblical faith has confidence in God’s character, His Word, His ability, and promises.
Biblical faith makes a clear distinction between the Creator and His creatures.
Established Faith
Biblical faith is simply believing God’s Word and trusting God to keep His word.
Many think that because of faith they are cleared of everything before God through the Cross, and therefore by faith they are clear of everything in themselves.
But that is the error of holiness by faith.' The objective (position) is that we are clear before the Father; the subjective (condition) is that we are cleared from ourselves by the growth ministry of the Holy Spirit.
As you by faith in the positional facts realize that you are in the Father's presence, you will not try to depend upon any sense of His presence.
You know His presence because you know that your position in the Christian life is a life of faith in the facts - nothing else.
That the Father forces you to live by faith so as to draw you into His presence - not you, by sense, trying to draw Him into yours. -M.J.S.
But in the Word of our Father, faith reads our abundant title to be near to Him and happy with Him, though natural conscience and our sense of the fitness of things would have it otherwise.
Faith feeds where the moral sensibilities of the natural mind would count it presuming even to tread. -J.G.B.
The moment we walk by sight we are outside of faith.
The Father would never have us outside of faith; hence, even in answering faith, He so answers it that we need it again the next moment, even while we are enjoying the results of it. -J.B.S.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
For you are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ.Galatians 3:26
Positional Truth
We are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus and this verse can also be translated: it is through faith in Christ that all of you are sons in union with Christ. These believers knew about their heavenly heritage and their position in Christ, for in the next verse we read: for as many of you as were baptised into Christ have put on Christ.
We are simply asked to believe, trust, and have faith in the inspired Word of God.
Now this truth from God is a simple fact of our Christian life, but sadly many Christian revert to the old ways of the law – saved by grace through faith but living under law.
Justified by grace through faith but trying to be sanctified under the law.
Never forget the privileges of son-ship only come the “grace-faith-promise” way and cannot be acquired the “law-works-merit” way.
A Full Study Of JOB
Spiritual Conflict
Job’s belief was that God only blessed and prospered the upright, man of faith – but calamity after contradictory calamity conflicted with his creed.
A Dark Glass
And though Job lost his plain, precise, exact, explicit hold on God…. (that is his 'creed' – his limited understanding of God) – yet Job maintained his unshakable, unqualified, implicit, hold on the Lord…. ( that is his FAITH – his trust in God.)
Job’s revelation of the Lord was incomplete, yet Job held fast to his creed, despite overwhelming odds – triumphant in faith, as God (over time) unfolded more and more of His revelation to Job’s spiritual eyes.
both individually and corporately, until we come to a unity in our faith – and deeper knowledge of Christ Jesus.. until we are all mature in the faith – until the body of Christ reaches its full stature, even the fullness of Christ Jesus.
May we continue to build and be built, until we all come to unity in the faith. May we be fitly framed together – speaking the truth in love as we grow in grace. May we walk in humility and gentleness, patience and love.
In Hebrews Ten it is calmly claimed for believers, who are exhorted in the strongest terms to approach by faith the Father's presence without a doubt or a cloud, now.
His faith is not so strong and unwavering as he imagined; the ardor of his love soon vanishes; the power of sin, which at first he fancied was utterly broken, makes itself felt again, prayer becomes languid, and joy seems to have taken flight.
“In other words, the Father leads him into the valley, and lest he should make an idol of his faith, and a wellspring of a cistern, he is taught something of himself.
Kept by the power of God through faith (1 Peter 1:5).
The one is a life of endeavor, always being keyed up to do something greater; the other is a life of faith always looking to the Lord Jesus to reveal the next step and then give the enablement to carry it out. -H.G.
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.Hebrews 11:4
Question of Faith
It is never a question of feeling.
It is only a question of faith..
faith as an accomplished fact – faith wrought in the soul of a sinner by the work and power of the Holy Spirit.
Faith is not the fancies and fleeting feeling of the heart.
Faith is not the assent of the human intellect.
This reduces faith to the human level rather than God’s wonderful work and wisdom.
And Able learned this unique and only sufficient lesson of Faith, of shed blood.
He heard the truth, and he believed and had faith.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word – the Word of God.
Romans 10:17. Faith has to do with God and what He is and what He says and not man – never man. Faith has to do with God’s eternal Word..
Spiritual man, as pictured by Abel, has understood this by faith for 6000 years.
Precious Principle
But faith is the precious principle that has its roots and its resolution in God: for without faith it is impossible to please Him.
Faith justifies the soul: being justified by faith, we have peace with God.
Faith purifies the heart: purifying their hearts by faith.
Faith is key that works by love: faith which worketh by love.
Faith overcomes the world: the victory that overcomes the world..
even our faith. 1 John 5:4
Faith Looks to God
Man’s wisdom and works, feelings, and sentiments can never accomplish such results!!
They belong to nature and the earth – faith belongs to God and to heaven.
They look inward to Self and downward to the world – faith looks out and up to God.
They leave the soul in darkness and doubt – faith leads it into light and peace.
They look at Self’s fluctuating condition – faith has to do our position in Him.
They consider Self’s achievements – faith sees Christ’s eternally enduring Sacrifice.
Fruit of Faith
The fruit of faith may indeed produce spiritual feeling and truthful sentiments, but the fruit and result of faith must never be confused with faith itself.
I am not justified by a combination of faith and feeling – impossible.
I am justified by faith – and simply and only faith in Him …….
Faith Not Works
Because faith believes God.
Faith believes His God-breathed Word.
Faith believes His Word is Truth.
Faith takes God at His Word.
Faith apprehends God as He has chosen to reveal Himself in the person of Jesus.
It is seeking to appease God rather than having faith in God’s Word
Salvation by grace through faith is certainly the most wonderful news that any sinner can be told but the Christian life is not an easy path to tread and all too frequently suffering and pain comes in its wake.
and we should heed Paul’s advice to the church at Thessalonica: we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God, for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations, and that ye endure. 2Thess.1:4, and we should also follow Paul’s example, when he writes to the Corinthians: I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
If He did, you would not be free from your self-confidence; you would not learn to fight the good fight of faith and thus obtain the victory which the Master has won; you would not learn to say the Lord Jesus only,' but you would still continue to say Jesus and I.'
By faith we see our sins not only on His head for our pardon, but sin under His feet for our deliverance.
We are not only to take by faith the fact that the Lord Jesus died for us to pay the price and penalty of our sins, but we are to appropriate by faith the fact that He also took us to the Cross with Him.
So the story of the pathway of faith begins with Calvary and our identification with the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. -G.M.
This will not only result in avoiding outward sin which can mar our testimony, but will prevent us from entertaining the inward sins, which so easily ensnares us:- lack of faith as well as jealousy, pride, bitterness, lust, un-forgiveness, fear.
Focus of Rest
'But how you ask. 'How do you reach the rest that He has promised you?' Turn away from the visible, if you would possess the invisible. Take time with the Lord Jesus and gaze on His loveliness. Fix the eyes of your heart on Jesus and away from the world’s ugliness. Turn away from your own efforts and from faith in yourself, and allow Him to occupy your thoughts until He is resting within your heart. Come away from all else and set your heart, your thoughts, your mind on Jesus.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDYProduct of Saving Faith
Living by faith is a foundational fact of the Christian dispensation, and that means that we just believe what God has said in His Word, for we live by faith and not by sight. 2 Corinthians 3:7 Accepting that we are 'accepted in the Beloved', is another fact of this Church age.
Process of Sanctifying Faith
So after the product of initial faith, is the process of sanctifying faith.
This truth we are to hold by faith and it is true of each of us.
for if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17a Second, as we hold to this fact by faith, we are brought into the practical reality of it day by day in our experience.
and we can rebel or we can submit. We can remain a babe in Christ – OR we can mature in the faith. We can get stuck feeding on the milk of the word – OR we can start to eat strong meat. We can grieve and quench the Spirit’s work in our lives – OR we can grow in grace. All these are vital principles of the Christian life – and all these truths are foundational gospel facts and Jesus is coming back very soon – are you ready?
SECOND: we hold to this truth, as a God-spoken fact, and we do so by faith.
It is a matter of receiving by faith; walking by faith; appropriating by faith.
The riches of the fullness of the revelation of the mystery of our Christian faith, is seen in the lovely face of the One perfect human personality of Jesus Christ.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, for by it the elders obtained a good report.Hebrews 11:1-2
Elders of the Faith
Hebrews 11 tells us a lot about faith, which is trusting God and believing His word.
It tells us a lot about the confidence and conviction of the elders of faith in Hebrews 11, and how they gained approval from God, because they trusted Him.
We are told that:– faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, and by it the elders obtained a good report.
But like them we too can gain a good report, by faith.
President For Faith
When viewed from todays perspective, what amazing faith these Old Testament saints exhibited, and what lack we demonstrate today.
Enoch had no evidence of a rapture, but he walked by faith, and God took him.
Noah had no visible outward proof that the waters of judgment would swamp the earth, but he obeyed God, by faith and Abraham owned no land and had no evidence of his innumerable descendants – but He trusted God.
Confident Assurance
None of the saints in Hebrews received the promises, but they lived in the confident assurance that God is faithful: and these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise.
Parallel Statements
Can any one of us honestly say that we exhibit a fraction of the faith of such men?
Visible and Invisible
We read that 1) Faith is the substance of things hoped for (things in the future) and 2) Faith is the evidence of things not seen (invisible things).
So faith is the confidence of things hoped for.
Tangible and Intangible
Faith in an inner confidence and conviction about future things..
But the invisible and intangible is perceived by faith, and is founded on a confidence in God.
Spiritually Discerned
God is an invisible reality, Who has to be seen with the eye of faith and He becomes a tangible reality by inner confidence and conviction – by faith.
The truth of God is outlined in Scripture and like God, Himself, is spiritually discerned, by faith.
Position in Christ
Believing our position in Christ is an inner confidence and conviction, received by faith.
Believing in the indwelling Spirit is an inner confidence and evidence of things not seen, by faith.
We trust the many promises of God required by faith in the confidence (hypostasis) of things not seen.
Let us accept His word by faith, for faith is the confidence of future things and the evidence of things not seen – for without faith it is impossible to please God.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
How Blessed
How blessed..
the one that can watch the dried brook and trust in God’s unfailing faithfulness; the one that holds an empty cruise of oil and yet believes in God’s provision; the one that stands by the Red Sea’s raging waters and expects his deliverance; the one whose barren womb can spring forth with life, by faith – the one who amidst the flooding tsunamis of life, can simply rest in His love. How blessed the one that is not living at crossed purposes with the purpose of God.
And yet to this same staunch and dedicated servant, He gave His reassurances.. Satan has desired to sift you as wheat but I have prayed for you that your faith fails not.” Luke 22:31
John 4:34. But assault after assault was made upon His faith and His obedience… sometimes through the direct taunts and attacks of the tempter and sometimes subtle suggestions of family and His dearly loved friends… to leave His path of total dependence on the Father. Sometimes through the persistent criticism and accusations of religious leaders – whose hearts were set to discredit and denounce Him.
Our Testings
We all face some of the most trying and testing days ahead – as the world crashes. Areas of testings that once seemed remote, will increasingly knock on your door. Satan knows His time is short and seems to be multiplying his attacks on the saints. He seeks through whatever means to shipwreck the faith of true believers. He searches out areas of greatest vulnerabilities, and chips away in his vile manner. But the Lord continues to pray for all His disciples:- I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail. Let us keep the faith and not waver in our trust in our great and mighty God.
And the life…(the new life ~ which is Christ in me and I in Him) … the life, which I now live in the flesh.. (my natural physical body) – I live by the faith of the Son of God – Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.
In 2 Corinthians 4:8 we are: hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair, while in James 1:3 we read: knowing that the testing of your faith produces PATIENCE.
Testings by Suffering
But remember that the testing of your faith produces long-suffering and gentleness.
Challenge to Faith
It is easy to worship and trust when immersed in the glories of His person and presence. It is more challenging, to remain faithful through the dark cloud of disappointment.
It’s more discouraging to trust when faith seems to be taxed beyond breaking point.
Just to be able, through testing, trial, when everything is blowing round you like a blizzard; when everything is dark, mysterious, and even God seems far away and unreal, and faith is tested and you are being assailed on the right hand and on the left, and there is every reason outwardly for your moving, giving up, falling down, surrendering, lowering your standard, just to stand and not be moved in your faith is the greatest possible victory.... We are passing through deep experiences, the enemy is doing it and the Lord is not preventing him, but we are coming to a fuller knowledge of the power of our God and a deeper rooting beyond all previous shakeableness.
Our Father often uses our failure to foster and fortify our faith.
Faith is dependence upon the Father.
And only then do we find that we have learned the lesson of faith; to find our tiny craft of life rushing onward to a blessed life of fruitfulness and service undreamt of in the days of our fleshly strength and self-reliance.
If we take the eye of faith off the Father, our souls must soon be overwhelmed.
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith groweth exceedingly (2 Thess. 1:3).
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
Need for Faith
Every true-born child of God longs to have faith, more faith, much faith..
For without Faith it is impossible to please God.
Most of us have prayed for more faith, desiring to be like a spiritual giant in the faith..
Growth of Faith
Yet the truth is that real faith is always increased by opposition and trials.
Oh 'false' confidence may damage, discourage of even destroy dishonest ‘faith’..
but real faith in the One Who can be trusted – will be sharpened and honed– but it takes time… and it takes pain.
Trial of Faith
Every great man of God in Scripture or church history finally saw Peter’s truth.
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto the praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:7
Food of Faith
Saving Faith is instantaneous... and praise God it is finished at the time of rebirth.
Sanctifying Faith is the slow, long-term build-up of trust over an entire lifetime..
and little by little; line by line, God slowly delights to increase His children’s faith.
Ironically trials, obstacles, difficulties, and even defeats are the food of faith.
God Dependence
But faith is absolute and unconditional dependence upon God – believing His Word.
Faith is accepting unquestioningly His Word as fact..
Faith is dependence..
And God in His wisdom needs to demolish all self-dependence in order to build real faith, as one by one He removes every particle of support on which we’ve come to rely..whether it be a person or a place; a creed or a reputation– whether it be through bereavement; ill-health; poverty; pain or disappointment.
Lesson of Faith
One great saint describes it this way:- Faith is dependence upon God.
And only then do we find that we have learned the lesson of faith; to find our tiny craft of life rushing onward to a blessed victory of life ….
Full Dependence
Every true-born child of God longs to have faith, much faith, more faith..
Our having been crucified with the Lord Jesus was to make the body of sin of none effect while we live by faith, but the old man can become active and dominant in the walk of the believer when faith becomes dormant and inactive.
It may take a day or a month, I do not know how long, but I do know that when any child of God will believe and begin to express that faith in thanksgiving, day by day thanking Him for the fact which one may not yet have experienced, the Holy Spirit will lead that one into a glorious personal realization of his identification with the Lord Jesus in His death, burial, resurrection and ascension. -L.L.L.
There can be no prayer in the full assurance of faith apart from the known will of God in the matter.
The Lord may see it needful, for the trial (development) of faith, to seem for a season not to regard our supplications; yet, if we patiently and believingly continue to wait upon Him, it will be manifest in His own time, and way, that we did not call upon Him in vain. -G.M.
In faith we apprehend the growth truths; in fact the Lord Jesus apprehends us for growth in those truths.
It must be a matter of distinct faith.
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness' (Rom. 4:3), when his faith apprehended the promise of God; yet it was nearly 40 years after that this Scripture was fulfilled, when he offered his son.
The faith had its apprehension and enjoyment for many a year before the work of faith.
Our Father has placed us in eternal and living union with His Son, that He, not we, may be. Moreover, He has placed His Holy Spirit eternally within us that He, not we, may “do.” Further, He has given us the necessary faith and Scripture that we may rest in this wonderful reality, trusting Him “to will and to do of His good pleasure.” This is a far cry from futile struggle and frustrating self-effort!
And we are in union with Christ – for we are saved by grace through faith in Him. We have entered a glorious state and are seated in heavenly places – in Christ, and the present work of the Spirit in us, is to conform us into the likeness of Christ.
Enemy’s Tactics
Our position is safe and secure – it is eternal and affords the riches of God’s grace, but we should not be complacent about the many dangers that stalk our path. We need to be aware of the many ways that the enemy desires to destabilise our faith. We should be aware that the enemy’s ploys to undermine the truth of our acceptance.
Secure Faith
Well, one of the things that rejoiced Paul’s heart at Colossae was their secure faith.
Paul delighted to see how disciplined they were and how firmly they held to faith in Christ..
for even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. Colossians 2:5
They were to live by faith in the same way that they were originally saved by faith.
By Faith
We often read in scripture that we are to live by faith – but we must also apply it. We are to live by faith and not by sight.
We are to walk by faith and not by sight. We are to conduct our lives by faith and not by sight – we are to trust God’s Word.
Trusting Faith
The wonderful thing is that for those that listen and heed..
Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him – THEN your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Colossians 2:7
Rooted and Grounded
As we trust in the Lord and apply our faith in Him – so we grow more and more. As we become rooted and grounded in Christ – so we become more like Him. As we become more like Him – so we are more established in the faith.
Examine yourselvess tohether you are in the faith.
He becomes the fullness of everything inus, but the practical outworking of that fullness will ever, and always, be purely and solely on a basis of faith.
If the thing could be said at any time to have its origin in us, then faith would be dismissed.
If we had it in ourselves, if it were our constitution, faith would be dispensed with.
Fix and fasten your faith in God's Son, and leaveyourself alone for ever.
Spiritual Maturity
We are exhorted on many occasions to be maturely established in the faith. We are encouraged to press on to the high calling of Christ. We are entreated to gain spiritual perception and godly discernment. We are enjoined to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus.
God’s purpose spans far greater horizons, which is the believer’s sanctification. It is being established in the faith – spiritual maturity – growing in Christ.
But hidden with Christ in God, we can both face up to and face away from the old, looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter [marg.] of our faith (Heb. 12:2).
By Faiths
God’s blessings have nothing to do with feelings but everything to do with faith – faith in the Son of God Who loved us and gave Himself for us.
In Christ
Let us accept His many blessings by faith.
The more we accept His blessings by faith the more He pours over our head.
It is a wonderful moment when by faith we appropriate and occupy our position in the favor of the Father - when we know that we are received by Him in all the acceptance of His Son.
We think of the Lord Jesus - His perfections, His suitability to divine favor, His infinite acceptance with the Father - and by faith we have access into the favor of which He is so worthy. -C.A.C.
2 Aspects of Faith
It was Paul that recognised this failing in the Galatian Christians and cried out, O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
This only would I learn of you… Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Normally, the Spirit of Truth will reveal a truth to us from the Scriptures and, as we exercise faith in what we have been shown, will begin to take us into the experience of it.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
Trust in God
It is not how much Faith you have that counts – but in Whom you place your trust.
We can be discouraged by the tremendously deep faith of a friend or acquaintance.
We can think that our meagre faith counts little against certain spiritual giants.
Ahhh – but it is not how much Faith that counts but in Whom you place your trust.
One Foundation
There is but one foundation on which true faith can be built. 'Examine yourself,' Paul encourages, 'examine yourself to see if you be in the faith…' 2 Corinthians 13:5 'Faith is the substance of the hope set before us in Christ….
the truth of His Word. Faith is the evidence of things not seen – that is trusting the Word of our faithful God.
Scriptural Anchor
Faith stands firm on the Word of our Father..
Faith just believes unquestioningly what God has promised as a realised reality.
Faith is firmly anchored on the facts of Scripture.
Faith simply believes God.
Faith believes His God-breathed Word.
Faith trusts in His irreversible Word.
Faith accepts God’s promises as truth.
Faith takes God at His Word – Faith acts on His inerrant Word.
Substance of Hope
Faith is the substance of the hope set before us in Christ..
Faith is the evidence of things not seen..
Faith stands firm on the Word of the Father..
Faith just believes unquestioningly what God has promised as a realised reality.
Object of Faith
We must be like those 'great men of faith' who simply accept His Word by faith.
it is not how much faith that counts, but the One in Whom you place your faith - the One in whom you trust.
For indeed we have had the good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith, in those who heard.Hebrews 4:2
and a lifetime of learning scripture, will not cause us to mature in the faith, unless it is carried by grace, through faith..
The Word must be mixed with a right response to God, and a right response to God is trusting His Word – trusting it by faith.
Christians likewise are reminded that spiritual maturity comes by faith, and not by what we do.
We discover that Israel heard the good news but did not adopt a right response to His word – by faith.
Mixed with Faith
We read: for unto us (Christians) was the gospel preached, as well as unto them (Israel), but the word preached did not profit them, as those that heard it did not mix what they heard with faith.
Israel’s response to God’s word was unbelief, and so the good news they heard did not profit them, as it was not mixed with faith.
The Plain Truth
Israel lost out at that time because of a wrong response to God’s word, They did not believe what God said so they did not mix their knowledge of His Word with faith.
When we were first saved, it was because we believed God’s word, by grace through faith.
But too often we try to continue our Christian life by works through unbelief instead of by grace through faith.
In His grace, God knew that suffering would develop and mature Paul’s faith, which is more precious than gold in God’s sight.
God desires each of us to mature in the faith for our sufferings and trials are but for a moment – and He gives us His all-sufficient grace for all our needs.
Testing Faith
The faith of every child of God is precious to Him, for He knows how important it is that we mature in our Christian life, so that we are not tossed about by every wind of doctrine or deceived by every lie of the enemy.
And so God uses the circumstances of life, both good and bad, to test our faith so that it grows strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Day of Trouble
But faith can’t be tested in the sultry days of summer nor in the armchair of ease.
Faith is tested in the smelting fires of trials, as the temperature of the fires are heated seven times hotter, and yet it is God Who gives us the grace to stand fast in the day of trouble.
As grace is poured out upon grace, so faith increases as a believer grows in grace and matures in the faith.
And tested faith meets the stresses and strains of life..
Standing Firm
Faith stand firm and faith is increased by trusting the Word of God and applying it on every step on the journey of life.
There is no other way to develop faith except through the testings and trials of life – and there is no other way to face those trials except by standing on the promises of God.
The teaching of the fundamentals of our faith was fulfilled through God’s chosen vessel, the apostle Paul.
Church-Age Truth
The mysteries of the Church as the body and bride of Jesus Christ came from Paul. The necessity of grace alone by faith alone in Christ alone were all from Paul’s pen. The task of unveiling many church-age mysteries were also entrusted to this apostle.
The Apostle Paul
The main fundamentals of our faith were given to us by the apostle Paul. The main essentials of church-age doctrine have been delivered to us by Paul. The following quote from a great expositor of scripture stated the following:
For Us or To Us
All scripture is written FOR us – but not all is written TO us. Let us take to heart the main essentials of Paul’s’ teachings. Let us follow carefully the faith fundamentals in Paul’s epistles.
Scripture Truths
In Galatians 5:6 we read that: in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor un-circumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.. while in Romans 5:16 we read: therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace.
And in 1 Corinthians 13:2 we read that Though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
Essential Element
There are some qualities in life that we can afford to be without, but without faith we are not even able to begin the Christian life.
Without faith we are not in a position to continue the Christian life, and without faith – without trust, it is impossible to please God.
Faith the essential key – the key to unlock our hearts to His grace.
Spiritual Growth
Faith is necessary for the initial (salvation of the spirit).
God’s wonderful grace – but it is through faith.
God so loves that whosoever believes shall be saved… Faith is the key to unlock our hearts to His love.
Faith is required for holiness and for sanctification (the salvation of the soul).
Faith is needed for a life that is being conformed into the image of Jesus, for though it is by the power of the Holy Spirit – it is accessed through faith.
Yes, faith is the key to unlock our hearts to growing in grace.
Pleasing God
Faith is critical in averting our sight away from our current circumstances, and faith is equally critical in recognising our present position “in Christ,” where we are seated together with Him in heavenly places… where life’s earthly conditions have no influence on our heavenly position, in Him.
But we must reckon it to be so and we must yield to the Spirit’s leading, and so faith is the key – the key to unlock our hearts to pleasing God.
God’s Grace
Faith does not shrink back through a furtive imagination or unfounded worry.
Faith is the attitude of the soul that believes God’s Word and acts on it.
faith is the key..
God’s Forgiveness
If pardon is offered on the condition of repentance, I need faith to accept it.
Faith is the key that unlocks the heart to God’s forgiveness.
But faith is the key that unlocks our hearts to His precious promises.
John 15.9 So faith is the key that unlocks our hearts to His unconditional, agape love.
Christian Life
Faith is the soul resting on the Word of God.
Faith is the heart acting upon the promises of God.
Faith is the secret to a rewarding Christian life..
Faith is the prerequisite to pardon; peace; purity and power.
Faith is the route, that renounces guilt; worry; impurity and weakness.
Faith is the key that unlocks our hearts to His love.
God’s End
How important is faith in accessing all He has promised to us.
How vital is believing what He tells us, for this delights His heart: for without faith it is impossible to please God.
Heb.11:6 And yet faith is not the goal.
Faith is the way to realise the goal.
For when He is revealed, we shall not need faith: when He is revealed, we shall know just as we also are known.
The Key to God
Faith and belief and trust is not our goal – it is not our objective, our aspiration.
Faith and belief and trust is not the utmost need of our hearts, But faith the gracious gift we have all been given to realise our ultimate desire.
Faith is the key… Believing is the crucial tool that unbolts our hearts… Trust is the essential element that unlocks our hearts, lives and being..
If I have all faith so that I can remove all mountains and have not love, I am nothing.
For yet a little while, He who is coming will come and will not tarry…..the just shall live by faith, but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.
Now faith, is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.Hebrews10:35-11:1
One Faith
Do you ever look at mighty men of faith and wish you could reach their heights? Do you ever despair that your faith is so weak that God could never notice you? Do you ever wonder if you truly understand what real faith really is? Faith is simply believing God.
Faith is simply trusting God to do what God has said. Faith is acting, walking, or praying on the basis of what God has said about a matter. There may be many so-called “faiths” that unregenerate man follows, but there is only one God in Whom faith can placed, and this is non-negotiable: one Lord, one faith, one baptism into the Lord Jesus, by believing in Him.
One Christ
There is only one realm in which faith can be exercised – through trusting Jesus. Only the born-again believer can function in the sphere of faith.
Only a regenerate man has had the breath of life breathed into him by the Spirit of life. Only a believer in Jesus is able to function on the spiritual plane – by faith. Only a new man in Christ, who has passed from darkness to light can act by faith. Faith is simply believing God. Faith is simply trusting God to do what God has said, and faith comes by hearing which comes through the Word of God.
Faith comes by hearing the living, powerful, God-breathed Scriptures. Faith is exercised by acting on the living, powerful God-breathed Scriptures.
Man, within his spiritual capacity, is able to avail himself of what God has said, and then man (redeemed man), is to live and to act and to pray accordingly. The ‘just’ shall live by faith… the ‘righteous’, ‘redeemed’, ‘spiritually-alive’, ‘new man in-Christ’ shall live by faith. Why, you ask – why should we live by faith? What, you ask – what is the point of simply trusting God to do what God has said? Let us eat, drink, and be merry, and party in this life, for tomorrow we die!! Why you ask… because God has ordered His amazing creative plans and purposes to include you. Before the foundation of the world, He set these plans in motion, to involve you. He has designed that those with patient endurance will receive the great promise: for you have need of patient endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” Heb.10:36
Biblical Faith
Now Faith.,. (faith which brings you to saving of the soul – sanctification – spiritual maturity) faith is the substance of things hoped for. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. If God has said it in His God-breathed Word..
Waiting upon the Father is not a matter of long-suffering, but of expectant faith - quiet, restful, confident dependence upon One who is fully trusted.
When the testing comes, does our faith prove true?
When you are in faith you will find that the Lord Jesus does not remove the pressure from off you until you are asleep in it, until you are able to take it quietly.
Faith possesses all things, and hope stretches on to the fulness of the possession, yet in no restless mood, for patience sits by the side of hope in the believer's soul, and teaches him to wait for the glory of the Father.
Men and Women of Faith
Those that chose to trust Him and believe His word became men and women of faith and they, like Job, found His grace to be sufficient and His character to be true.
Job 42:6 If we are men of faith who trust His Word, no matter what, we will not be disappointed, and one day we will understand many things… things too wonderful for us, which we know not now.” Job 42:3
Faith is not a power that one possesses, by which he can move the arm of God and work miracles.
Faith accepts quiet guidance; only unbelief demands a miracle.' There is nothing in true faith that the flesh can glory in.
Faith is simply absolute confidence in the Father which gives the certainty that He will fulfill His Word. -A.H.
Faith must be based upon certainty.
Without that there can be no true faith.
For faith is not a force that we can exercise or a striving to believe that something shall be, thinking that if we believe hard enough it will come to pass. -A.H.
Let us stand in faith, and we shall never be put to shame.
Writings of John
The writings of John were also scripted to point to a time of departing glory. The first flush of faith had been replaced with a people that left their first love..
He wrote at a time when zeal had withered; truth was twisted; faith was failing.
John 16:13. And John’s gospel, letters and apocalypse explain spiritual understanding… and we are to live by faith and not by sight.
Usefulness is not activity; it is not merely being used, but it is fitness, cleanness, preparedness, and separation of heart, singleness of eye, the affections set on things above - all, in fact, that proceeds from the judgment and denial of self, and the manifestation of Christ in the life by faith.
All too often believers allow certain experiences to move them from the faith-ground of their objective position, and they are soon adrift on the sea of subjective feelings and unscriptural influences.
Whatever may have been our experience of holiness, and the measure of spiritual attainment in the past, we can never get beyond the need of abiding in Christ and the continuous reckoning of faith. -R.W.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.Galatians 2:20
Eternal Truths
We live by faith..
for without faith it is impossible to please God.
Faith stands on the truth of God’s Word and accepts it as fact.
The Alpha and Omega of all is the Author and Finisher of our faith, and we are complete in Him.
We must accept as fact what has already been made ours through faith in Christ, but we must be aware of our need of these truths in our daily walk – and only the Holy Spirit can reveal these truths to the seeking believer: for the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, they are foolishness to him: neither can they be known to them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1Corinthians.2:1 There are many ways to live that fail to deal with ‘self’ and the ‘self-life’. We have to recognise that God’s way, to self-denial, is at the cross.
Hudson Taylor:
“Since Christ has thus dwelt in my heart by faith, how happy I have been!
And now Christ lives in me, and ‘the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.’ Nor should we look upon this experience, these truths, as for the few.
Huegel:
“If the great Luther, with his stirring message of justification by faith, had with Paul moved on from Romans 5 to Romans 6 with its amazing declarations concerning the now justified sinner’s position of identification with his crucified Lord, would not stifled Protestantism be on higher ground today?
By faith, the believer reckons (counts) himself ‘dead unto sin’ (Romans 6:3-14)” (N.
Accept by faith the further fact that you died with Him, i.e., that your ‘old man was crucified with Him'” (The New Life, p.51).
Every unbeliever has a choice – to accept or reject God’s free gift of deliverance, and all who reject salvation by grace through faith in Christ, are condemned.
Every believer made the right choice – to accept God’s free gift of deliverance, for only those that trust Christ for salvation, by grace through faith, are saved.
Very few learn at conversion at once that it is only by faith that we stand, and walk, and live.
They cannot understand that it is not to the law, but to a living Person, that we are now bound, and that our obedience and growth are only possible by the unceasing faith in His power and life ever working in us (Phil. 2:13). -A.M.
People may receive blessings' and temporary deliverances' in answer to prayer, for God is merciful to His children and His Holy Spirit refreshes and blesses us even apart from the real walk of faith.
But it is of greater benefit finally to us, and much greater glory to God, if we simply accept His Word and learn to walk in the power of it by naked faith; which asks no longer certain ecstasies, but being sure of God's truth because it is His truth, maintains an attitude of faith therein; attitude - a fixed heart.
Faith, when once we see the truth, consists of a believing attitude of the will toward God.
It is God's written Word that supplies strength to the heart of faith. -W.R.N.
Nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine (1 Tim. 4:6).
It is inevitable that in a world like this the faith of Christians must be tried.
But take heart fellow believer, the trials of your faith will be found unto praise, honor and glory at the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:7).
Necessity and Blessing
Faith, in the only begotten Son, is an obligation, a necessity and a blessing for man..
if that unbridgeable gap is to be crossed – if the immeasurable gulf is to be spanned. But this first step to God is often halted a few steps down the path on the new-creation, and the spiritual newborn is halted in his spiritual life and spiritual growth. For just as the first requirement for the free unmerited gift of grace was by faith.. so too the ongoing wilderness walk through the plains and pains of this earthly life.
Spiritual Maturity
Living by faith is not the automatic outcome of the born-again believer. A life of sanctification is not the natural outcome of saved humanity. Spiritual maturity is a decision the believer makes – it’s a day-by-day choice. The ‘laws’ of sanctification (not the Law of Moses) must be applied by the believer..
I wonder, do you know Him? Do you know Jesus? More and more I see how important the words of Jesus are:- for we need to have faith as a little child..
faith that believes God’s Word without reservation – faith that trusts unreservedly and needs no other proof. My little granddaughter knows not to be afraid, because Jesus is alive.
He is our glorious, heavenly and eternal Provider But your faith, beloved – and my faith is of such great importance to Him, that He permits life’s earthquakes; relational volcanoes and situational tsunamis – so that in all things we will hold fast to Him, as our Creator; Lord; Captain; Leader; Friend… as our beloved Bridegroom..
When we enter by faith into Christ's righteousness, we enter into God's rest.
No one will think that this is the call for passivity, for abandon of concern for the things of the Lord; but it is possible for us to have the things of the Lord on our hearts and yet not to have faith in God about them.
They are the hidden things of something which is other than just restful faith in God.
I have prayed for you, (in THIS life) – I have prayed for you that your faith fails not. Luke 22:32
We are to mature in the faith or we will find ourselves drifting amidst the storms of life. In this life, we must lay hold of the hope that is set before us – or shipwreck is inevitable.
Have I this precious childlike virtue; this deep confidence; this steady faith?
Do I discredit Him with my unbelief, or do I trust in His Word and honour HIM with my faith?
Paul tells me that the gospel did not only come in word, but in much confidence, and he instructs us to, draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.
Hebrews 10:22. And he encourages is to “hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering…for He who promised is faithful.” Heb.10:23. John gives us such wonderful reassurance when he says: we know we’re of the truth and shall assure our hearts before Him. 1John.3:19
Cloud of Witnesses
There is an extensive register of faithful men and women who are listed in the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, and each one obtained a good report from God because of their faith – even though that had not yet received His promised reward.
Let us praise and thank our faithful God and join our faith with theirs as we pray, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in my life and in yours.
Study - GOD, All I Need
Multifaceted Grace
Faith is a multifaceted gift of grace – and each is given a measure of faith. God is both the Founder of my faith and the Finisher of my faith.
But God is also the Object of my faith – the One in Whom I place my trust. It was the Lord Who gave me my faith, when He stooped low to love me. It was He Who intended me to keep on seeking Him, by means of His gift of faith.
But faith must grow..
and faith must develop… and developing faith must grow. And developing, growing faith, does not come by sight or signs or miracles.
And faith must not falter when difficulties and problems arise in my life.
Virtuous Grace
Faith is simply trusting in God, by means of the faith that He has bestowed on me.
But faith grows by means of my submitting to Him. Faith matures by Him living in and through me, and working His work through me – until it is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.
Beautiful Faith
There is something sublimely virtuous and beautiful, in seeking God by faith. I have not seen Him face to face and yet I love Him.
Pleasing Grace
In this world, physical senses hold so much sway, yet we must live by faith, not by sight.
Emotions can drastically influence our being – yet we must live by faith, not sight.
All the norms of human trust are diametrically opposite to this life of faith.
Sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, signs – all contribute to the way we believe things to be – yet we are to live by faith and not by sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, signs – for without faith it is impossible to please God Hebrews 11:6 – and I do so want to please Him.
Initial Faith
The initial faith is given to us by God..
and faith comes by hearing the Word of God, but the faith of a new-born believer can remain for a lifetime in its infant state.
Faith, like all living things, needs to grow, develop, and mature.
Sanctifying faith is also given to us by God, to enable us to grow in the faith – and maturing, growing faith comes by hearing the Word of God.
And faith needs to be exercised daily to enable the growth of faith.
But this maturing faith of all believers is also from God and not of us… for faith comes by hearing – and hearing from the Word of God!
Developing Grace
'But how do you exercise your faith', I hear you say.
I can choose to allow my faith to be exercised or not.
A Maturing Grace
It is only as I am prepared to decrease and allow the Lord to increase in my life, that faith in self will be gradually replaced by faith in Christ – and the faith in which I live..
in ME – will be the faith I live in Christ – until it is no longer I that live, but Christ Who lives in me. Galatians 2:20
Oh for a faith that will not shrinkThough pressed by many a foe,That will not tremble on the brink,Of poverty or woe.
A faith that shines more bright and clearWhen tempests rage without;That when in danger knows no fear,In darkness feels no doubt.
Maturing, sanctifying, growing faith… until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son, that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
Myriad of ways have been designed to get man to be accepted by God – and in man’s foolish attempt to get himself to God, man put faith in foolish alternatives to provide for their need.
Godly wisdom and reason is closely allied to humility and child-likeness - a willingness to learn and a childlike faith and trust in the steadfastness of God.
Wives should be submissive to the head of their family, united under Christ – and then children will have a secure foundation on which to build their faith.
Given to God
When you give your children to the Lord He will fulfil your heart's desire, for they love the Lord your God with all their heart – and develop a sincere faith – in Christ… and when they are old they will not depart from it.
And we are instructed not to allow the evidence of the world to destroy our faith – yet the words of Scripture appear to be diametrically contrary to our observations.
Now is a time of faith’s testing for the saints, and of unprecedented Satanic fierceness.
But the Lord informed him that far worse was to come, and there was only to be one way to live: faith – Faith.
Faith was the only answer that Habakkuk was given: but the just shall live by his faith.
Accumulated Wickedness
Habakkuk was to live by faith in contradistinction to all that he saw in his surroundings.
Let us not fall to the enemy’s deceptive ploy of deep discouragement – but let us like Habakkuk become true prayer warriors, joining our intercessions with the prayers of the just of all ages, who in the midst of great difficulties and mountainous trials lived by faith in the Son of God
Embracer of Burdens
Let us embrace in the Spirit, the burden of our Lord for His despairing people, and become like Habakkuk, an “Embracer of Burdens” For you see, right in the very middle of the most testing time when all seemed totally lost, in faith, Habakkuk sang his amazing sacrifice of praise: although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines – the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat.
Factual Faith
But we live by factual faith in God’s Word and not by sensual sight. We live by factual faith in God’s Word and not by fluffy feelings. Oh yes, Adam hid from the Lord, and Cain went out from the presence of His God... and we too can grieve the Holy Spirit in the way we live our Christian life.
True Faith
If we trust the truth of Scripture, we cannot question the plan God conceived. If we’ve confidence in God’s revealed attributes we cannot doubt His word. God certainly gives a portion of His immutable wisdom to those that ask Him, but God in His wisdom has so designed it... that we trust Him unreservedly.
If circumstances deny His truth, faith should supersede life’s lies.
Faithful God
All he asks of us is to have faith in Him and to trust our all-wise God. All we have to do is to trust in His eternal plans and purposes. All we have to do is to believe in His immutable wisdom: faithful is he that called you, who also will do it.
Our faith in God should not depend on what happens in the physical.
We need to remember that God is working in all thing, the visible and the invisible, for time and for eternity: for faith is the confidence of things hoped for.
Faith is the evidence of things not seen.
Inner Confidence
Faith is an inner confidence and conviction about future things, an inner confidence and conviction about things which are invisible.
A Study:- Man’s Nature and Destiny
And now abide these three – faith – hope – love.1Corinthians13:13
I remember you always for these three things: your work of FAITH, your labour of LOVE, your patience of HOPE in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father .1Thessalonians 1:3
Love of God
God loved you so much, that He sent His Son into the world, to be the object of your faith – for you to believe on Him.
Living By FaithFaith – Trust – Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ has two important elements: 1) a past, and saving faith in Him, so that you might be saved and live. 2) a present and sanctifying faith, as you are being conformed into His image.
For in the future there will be no need for faith, for we shall see Him as He is, and we will be like Him.
But for now, the righteous shall live by faith.
Old Testament Times
In former times prophets, priests, and kings of Israel were to live by their own faith.
Habakkuk put into words what others had expressed in prophecy: the just shall live by his faith.
How vital it is for the believer to live in Him and He in us, for when we are in Him, Paul tells us that we live by His faith: we live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loves us.
and the life which I now live in the flesh (the day by day process of living in this physical body) I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me (Christ’s Spirit indwelling and living in me) – and gave Himself for me.
Indwelling Holy Spirit
The permanent, indwelling Holy Spirit is the most precious gift of faith imaginable, and at Pentecost His permanent indwelling became unique to the church.
They will no longer have to live by their faith as Habakkuk said – they will all live by the faith of the indwelling Spirit, just like the Church of God in this dispensation.
Faith in the Church Age
This promise to Israel is yet future for Israel.
This promise to Israel will happen at the end of the tribulation, but this promise to the Church has already happened: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God.
But God knows Satan’s accusational strategies and schemes against His own, and God’s plan smashed Satan’s falsity – and yet today many bemoan the fact that their faith is not strong like the apostles.
They feel themselves as ‘second-class’ Christians because their faith wavers.
They think God can’t love them as much as He loves others with a ‘deeper’ faith.
Faith Unlocks our Heart
No, faith is the key that unlocks our hearts to the love of God – faith in His Son: the faith of the Son of God..
And the faith of the Indwelling Son of God is the weapon we use against Satan. I in Him and Him in me is the only way a believer is able to live.
A Study:- Man’s Nature and Destiny
Life of Faith
“The world is going crazy,” and this truly is a life of faith.
Faith in the One Who saved, for His initial salvation at the time of rebirth – trusting the indwelling Spirit, for a lifetime of His working in and through us – believing in God to work out His plans and His purposes in your life and in mine.
But that trusting faith is built on a hope of salvation..
Faith in His word translates into Hope in His word: for if in this life only we have hope in Christ, then we are of all men most miserable. 1Cor.15:19
Godly Instructions
And in Romans 12, Paul tells us how to live:- we being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another – having then gifts, differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering.
A Study:- Man’s Nature and Destiny
Life of Faith
God has given us the gift of faith and the righteous are to live their life by faith.
We are to live by faith and not by sight – by the faith of the Son of God Who loved us and gave Himself for us.
A past faith when we were born from above, (a saving faith in the Lord Jesus).
A present faith when we are being sanctified (a living faith through Christ the Lord).
But what of a future faith?
Well, it will be the realisation of faith: when Christ is all in allCol.3:11.
Faith will effectively be replaced with sight: for we shall see Him as He is. 1John.3:2.
Importance of Love
Faith without love is nothing worth.
Love is preeminently a grace bestowed, just like faith and hope and all other fruit.
Love is primarily a holy adhesive, uniting faith, and hope in all that Christ is.
Three Gifts
Yes, there are three amazing gifts that have been bestowed on all that believe – Faith, and Hope, and Love – these three gifts – these three promises, but the greatest of the three is LOVE.
And we know that all things work together for good to those that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.Romans 8:28Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:Ephesians 4:13
We who trust in Him are the called according to this greater purpose of God, and throughout our Christian lives, we are being trained through testings, trials and temptations – until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God – until we all become mature, and attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Little Flock
God has indeed withdrawn His presence from the Church He loves so much, just as He withdrew from the nation He chose to be His inheritance. But He reserves for Himself a few – a remnant that will trust in His love. He keeps for Himself a little flock – a tiny ‘Gideon’s army’ who live by faith.
They wandered in deserts and mountains, dens and caves of the earth, and all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith.” Heb.11:1ff.
They would be those that put their faith in their God, no matter what.
The sin that once estranged and antagonised, is beauteously removed through faith, The God-Man became the Days-Man that Job so yearned for: his living Redeemer.
Sphere of Faith
We cannot understand the magnificence and greatness of the plan of which we are part, for we live by faith and not by sight – for we trust ourselves into His hands – by faith.
God has removed us from the realm of sight and understanding... to the sphere of faith, for we are to live by trusting Him and not by seeing or understanding.
We are to live by faith and not by sight.
Examples of Faith
The Bible gives many examples of God’s purpose being worked out in the lives of others – men and women who lived by faith; believed His word; trusted His promises.
He deals with each of the ‘called’ in order to strengthen our faith in Him.
Infinite Fullness
God is continuing to work out His eternal purpose in each of our lives. We may not know what our role is now – but we all have a part to play. His dealings may be beyond our understanding but let us trust Him and live by faith, for the infinite fullness of the Lord Jesus Christ is the wonderful purpose of God. Christ in you the hope of glory – until Christ is all in all.
He just wants us to believe His Word: for without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.” Heb.11:6.
He will then achieve the impossible: for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves – it is the gift of God Eph.2:8
for by such grace you have been saved through faith, this does not come from you; it is the gift of God.
Examples of Grace
One day we will be examples of God’s grace to the angels and heavenly powers. One day salvation will be complete but His grace will extend into the eternal ages – today we live by faith but then we will see Him as He is – and it is all by grace.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
But grow in the grace and gain knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.2Peter 3:18
And God takes time in the life of a believer to bring him to maturity in the faith.
Spiritual Growth
But he grows slowly and looks very insignificant for many decades, as silently within the Word of God nourishes the spirit, soul and body – while without the raging storms and buffeting winds of life, develop a trusting faith.
Perhaps an eagerness to share the gospel without ‘epignosis’, which is a mature faith..
We must not allow the worries of life to encumber us with a need to ‘do it ourself”, Pre-occupation with the problems of a life excludes a need for faith in God.
Picture of nature scene courtesy of Larisa
A Full Study Of JOB
Prayer Link
Throughout his gruelling ordeal and many searching questions, Job kept his faith.
Righteous by Faith
Job’s righteousness was only credited to him because of his faith – just like you and me!
We are righteous in Him, only by faith.
God knew his faith wasn’t religiosity – though his servant lacked full understanding.
Faith and Intercession
Under Job’s covering and protection, faith and intercession, God was also gracious to his wife. God was gracious to her, who had endured so much of Job’s bitter trials.
Job, together with his wife and friends, hold to the same understanding and creed - a prescribed set of beliefs about God; truths about the character of God, but incomplete articles of faith..
Spiritual and Carnality
Like Job, his wife is a virtuous woman, who holds to her husband's trust in God, but one who allows the long, spiritual battle in Job’s life, to cause her faith to fail.
A Closer Walk
What is your belief? What is the creed to which you hold fast? Are there elements in your faith, that on closer scrutiny don’t hold fast with Scripture? Have you considered my servant Job? Oh, Job was indeed perfect, upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. No external fault could be found with him.
Fullness of God
You can read about the fullness of our faithful God in Ephesians 3:19… and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. You can read about the fullness of our faithful Christ in Ephesians 4:13 …until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. You can read about the fullness of the Godhead in Coossiansl 2:9… For in him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Consider God’s Way
Have you considered 'These Three Men’'– Noah; Daniel and Job, who lived by faith – who were all beloved of the Lord and were all men after God’s own heart – who stood at ALL cost for God’s end; God’s purpose; God’s motive; God’s way?
Let us have faith in all the Scripture that all His Word is true.
For without faith in God and in His Word, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him Heb.11:6
He waits to draw out our trust, our love, our faith, and our obedience to Him.
He then seeks to test our obedience, our faith, our love, and trust in Him, before He drops His veil, and shows us His blessed face, and reveals His presence.
He waits for us to trust Him and He waits for us to truly have faith in His Word, despite some of our foolishly provocative remarks… ('I have no husband…' 'I can sort things out myself…' 'I can do it MY way'.)
Christian Heaven
The Christian life (the Christian faith) is having a relationship with a person.
The result of a victorious life is being conformed into His image and likeness until we can say with Paul: I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.
Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17).
Walking in the Spirit, our faith is heavenly, spiritual; walking in the flesh, our faith is earthly, carnal.
Is it the mind of the Father which influences my faith and controls my actions, or is it the order of things around me here?
Faith overcomes the world.
The world, in its influence on me, is the rival of God's Word, and many a one who knows what faith is for the safety of his soul, is nevertheless not safe from the world. -J.B.S.
Everything from beginning to end of the Christian life depends upon a proper faith-apprehension of that which the Father has bestowed upon him with and in His own Son in glory. -J.C.M.
Most growing believers rightly maintain that all must come from the risen Lord; but instead of taking their actual position of being dwellers in heaven, and coming from there to earth, they only look up to heaven for help as to their walk on earth; and their faith and labors are always influenced and dictated by the condition and order of things on earth; and instead of seeking the mind of the Lord as learned in heaven, they are occupied with the blessing of man on earth. -J.B.S.
Very little abiding growth and fruit can be known by the believer until he accepts the fact of identification (Rom. 6:6), and to it responds by an attitude of faith (Rom. 6:11), thus yielding himself to the Holy Spirit for the life of the Lord Jesus to be manifested in and through him (Rom. 6:13). -G.W.
We live by faith alone, and not by sight or signs.
Our faith comes by hearing and not vision or supernatural phenomena: Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God – and yet today God’s leadings are no less real and His direction no less unmistakable.
Today, the Lord Jesus is the Living Water that is poured into our hearts by faith – and today He is the Rock of our salvation, from Whose side poured blood and water.
Child-like Faith
He will lead us safely through our own valley of darkness that looms ahead.
It is a child-like trust in a heavenly Father’s goodness, that He desired then, and it is a simple child-like faith in His Word that He wants from us today, for without faith it is impossible to please God Hebrews 11:6
Second
Since we are in Christ we are to keep on being built up and strengthened in the faith. We are to remain firm in the faith and overflow with thanksgiving and praise to Him. Having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed – and overflowing with gratitude. Colossians 2:7
We go all the way to Calvary in faith and there find ourselves identified with the Lord Jesus in His death and resurrection.
The groundwork of Christianity was recovered; namely, justification by faith.
Where would souls be put if they were simply and definitely instructed in Christ Jesus and Him crucified and risen; connected by faith with the living One, who was crucified, and whose death terminated man in the flesh? -J.B.S.
The various trials and grievous pain are but for a little while, so that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to the praise, honour, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:7
Be found in Christ – (in Christ alone) not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God, by faith.Philippians 3:9
God’s Righteousness
The righteousness which is of God is pure; the righteousness which is of God is holy; the righteousness which is of God is glorious; the righteousness which is of God is beautiful; the righteousness which is of God is acceptable; the righteousness which is of God is mine by faith – the righteousness, which is of God, is become my glorious garment. 'Change me', I cry in despair 'Not so', says the Lord, 'but I will exchange your ugliness, for My beauty', and 'I will exchange your filthy rags for my glorious garment.
Our Father chooses His opportunities to teach us these things, and when He has accomplished this work the special communications of His wisdom and love no longer continue, for He desires we should walk by faith, according to what we know we possess in the Lord Jesus.
Have you not sought for faith that would remove mountains – where you soar like the eagle?
Withdrawing acute needs by filling our laps with bountiful provision may fill a temporary need, but it will not perfect in us that gracious faith – that is so necessary to please God.
They are not only used to test worthiness, patience, faith, and forgiveness – but to strengthen it, to increase it, to perfect it.
Many make a good start in faith but faint by the wayside and do not continue.
Coming Quickly
“Let us hold fast that which is good.” Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for He who promised is faithful Hebrews 10:23 Behold, I come quickly, HOLD FAST to that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown Revelation 3:11
Since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.1Thessalonians 5:8
for when we are covered with Christ we have put on faith and hope and love.
Protective Breastplate
Both faith and love unite as one, for faith works through love – while love feeds faith.
This protective breastplate of faith and love is our covering of Christ’s righteousness, for the heart that abides in Christ is the one that stands firm in the day of trouble.
Spiritual Fruit
Faith is the spiritual fruit of patient endurance: as seeing Him who is invisible.
The former enables the patient tenacity of trusting faith in Christ Jesus.
The breastplate of faith and love covers our heart, enfolding us in His righteousness.
Let us put on the breastplate of faith and love, for we are covered in His righteousness, and for a helmet – let us wear the hope of eternal salvation in Him.
God’s Building-Blocks
God’s building-blocks of grace and glory are erected in the amazing book of Ephesians. We move from one marvellous level of grace and glory to the next glorious peak. We are permitted to fine-tune the incredible truth of who we are in Christ. And it is all by God’s grace, through faith in Christ Jesus.
Abiding and Walking
Obedience, righteousness, and maturing in the faith are inextricably linked together. All are the foundation on which to build a close and personal relationship with God.
A Christian that is obedient to the Word of God is one that is maturing in the faith.
Abiding Obedience
Obedience, righteousness, and maturing in the faith are inextricably linked together. And fruit, more fruit – much fruit is the joyful product of abiding obedience..
There is the mystery of godliness; the mystery of lawlessness; the mystery of faith..
It is an impossible burden on the one that declares 'give me proof before I’ll believe'. It is always hard for prideful man to admit there are things we don’t understand, but it needs humility of heart, founded on faith to admit that we’ll never fully understand.
evertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?
Faith in the Son of Man means… faith in self must be crucified on the cross of Christ.
Blessings of God
Without faith, it is impossible to please Me, but you are blessed if have not seen and still trust – and you are blessed if you don’t understood, and yet still trust.
the man of faith, who reminded the Jews that… the LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me.
My faith would lay her hand,On that meek head of Thine,While I a penitent I stand,And here confess my sin.
2-Way Identification
God’s grace united us with His death.. making His death full payment for our sins. Our faith identifies us with Him now.. making His sacrifice efficacious on our behalf. This is full identification with Him. This is a two-way identification… I in Him – and He in me. He identifies with me – a sinner worthy of eternal death.
Letters of Grace
Often a sermon on salvation is beautifully woven into the initial letters of GRACE, G – Salvation is a Gift of God – a Good Gift that is Granted to allR – Salvation is Redemption – Received by faith, Reuniting us with GodA – Salvation is Accepted by God’s love, Available to All, Accessible through faithC – Salvation Comes thru Christ Crucified Who paid the Cost at the CrossE – Salvation Ends in Eternal life and is an Everlasting gift – and an Escape
Special Grace
But there is a special grace for those that have accessed salvation by grace, through faith: Strombeck writes the following: Grace is God’s provision to bring into being, sustain and perfect His new creation in Christ.
I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.1Timothy 1:5
But RUTH records the faith of one well-pleasing in His sight.
In JOB we read how Faith can live beneath afflictions rod;
GALATIANS show that Faith in Christ alone – the Father’s Loves.
JAMES teaches without holiness faith is but vain and dead.
The wise man is the one that puts man in his right position, with Christ on the throne – for Christ is the beloved of God and by faith, we have been placed in Him.
Philippians 2:3 He who says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same manner as He walked. 1 John 2:6 Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith..
A Full Study Of JOB
Trust In God
From our introduction to Job, we see him as a man of faith – a man of prayer.
Spirit of Comfort
From our introduction to this man of faith, he is saved – one whose sin is covered, and his triumphant call is … For I know that my Redeemer liveth… Job.19:25.
The just shall live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.Galatians 3:10 and Galatians 2:20
Without faith it is impossible to please God.Hebrews.11:6
Beginning of Faith
The Christian life begins with a simple act of faith – believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
by the faith of the Son of God.
His faith; His love.
His works flooding your faith; your love; your works.
Growing in Grace
The sanctified one shall live by faith, The faith of the Son of God, working through your faith.
Maturing Faith
But as your believing life progressed, God sought to take you deeper into Himself.
Trials of Faith
You were increasingly called upon – step by weary step..
To live by faith and not by sight or feeling or signs.
Questions of Faith
Why Lord? Why do you remove Yourself from me?
Rewards of Faith
I do it so that you will decrease and I will increase.
Though He slay me, yet shall I trust Him. Yes, Beloved, it is to draw you with cords of love into His deepest secrets – where you, 'in Christ' live in quiet, humble submission to His Word – where Christ in you becomes an Anchor for other hurting souls in your journey into faith.
World Definition
One dictionary definition of faith is trust; belief; confidence; conviction..
But faith in a precious and beloved friend can be betrayed and confidence in the dearest loved one – can be lost.
Another definition of faith is religion, church, sect, denomination – religious persuasion, religious belief, ideology, creed, teaching or doctrine.
This is often the world’s understanding of organised religion – of what they call 'faith'.
God’s Definition
God’s definition of faith, however is unequivocal and indisputable in His Word.
We read in Hebrews, chapter 11 that... Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is not an airy-fairy hope; nor a fingers-crossed type of daydream.
Biblical faith stands on the facts of the Word of God.
Scriptural faith rests firmly on the bedrock of God’s written Word.
Our faith is anchored directly upon the eternal reality..
and God makes the need for faith in the believer of the greatest significance: for without faith it is impossible to please God.
Life of Faith
By faith we BEGAN… 1 Corinthians 15:1-4By faith we STAND… 1 1Corinthians 16:13By faith we WALK… 2 Corinthians 5:7 Colossians 2:6By faith we LIVE... Galatians 2:20By faith in CHRIST and by faith in Christ alone.
Certainty of FaithFaith does not depend on vague hopes or expectations or nebulous chance.
Faith is not linked with possibilities, or probabilities or statistical odds.
Faith is not dependent on positive thinking or a hoping against hope.
Faith is not the outcome of aspirations, of possible odds or a feasibility study.
Faith must be founded on a one hundred percent certainty.
Faith must be rooted and grounded on an absolute, unfaltering 'knowing'.
Province of Faith
George Mueller wrote the following: Many people are willing to believe regarding those things that seem probable to them.
But faith has nothing to do with probabilities.
The province of faith begins where probabilities cease and sight and sense fail.
Hay adds to this by saying:- Faith must be based upon certainty.
Without that there can be no true faith.
For faith is not a force that we exercise or a striving to believe that something shall be, thinking that if we believe hard enough, it will come to pass.
Evan Hopkins writes: Faith needs facts to rest upon.
God in His Word reveals to us the facts with which faith has to deal.
James McConkey wrote: Faith is dependence upon God.
And only then do we find that we have learned the lesson of faith; to find our tiny craft of life rushing onward to a blessed victory of life and power and service undreamt of, in the days of our fleshly strength and self-reliance.
J.B.Stoney agrees by saying: It is a great thing to learn faith: that it is, simple dependence upon God.
It will comfort you much to be assured that the Lord is teaching you dependence upon Himself, and it is very a remarkable thing that faith is necessary in everything!
The just shall live by faith,’ not only in your circumstances, but in everything.
We all need to KNOW the facts.. We all need to RECKON on the facts.. We all need to YIELD ourselves unto God.. We need to cry to God for understanding.. We need to KRRY to Know – to Reckon – to Yield for FAITH. For without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists – and that He rewards them that earnestly seek Him. Hebrews 11:6.
Many a new believer has obtained relief in his conscience from his sins, because of faith in the Blood of Jesus Christ; that is, he does not see further than Romans 3.
He has faith in the work of Christ, but has not yet come in faith to Christ.
“The believer who sees that self is incurably evil (‘know’), and that it has been taken into death (‘reckon’); who gives self utterly to that death as he sinks before God in dependence and surrender to His working (‘yield’); who consents to death with Christ on the Cross as his position, and in faith accepts it as his only deliverance; he alone is prepared to be led by the Holy Spirit into the full enjoyment of the Christ-life.
Waves of error; the swing of the pendulum to some fresh popular acceptance; a great war with its horrors and many-sided tests of faith; all these have swept away multitudes and left them in spiritual ruin.
Many Christian sects and antichrist cults, declare that there is no scriptural evidence of Christ’s claim to Deity, but unless the Lord Jesus was God, there is no Christian faith.
Those who deem Scripture as God’s inerrant message will have their faith rewarded.
God’s Declarations
And though God declared through Isaiah, I will not share My glory with another, Isaiah 48:11 He charged the heavenly hosts in the book of Psalms to: Worship Him all you gods – adore Him, all you his angels Psalm 97:7 – while the writer to the Hebrews quoting this verse, said: And when He brought His supreme Son – His firstborn Son – His preeminent Son into the world, GOD said, ”AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.” Hebrews 1:6 Those who deem God’s Word as inerrant will indeed have their faith rewarded.
Those who deem Scripture as God’s inerrant Word will have their faith rewarded.
He writes, oh foolish Galatians who has bewitched you? Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?
For we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, and we are sanctified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, – and we will be glorified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone: for whom He predestined He also called, and whom He called he also justified, and whom He justified He also glorified. Romans 8:30
Live by Faith
Christians are repeatedly reminded in Scripture to live by faith.
Not faith in the power of faith – but faith in Jesus, the Son of Man.
Not faith in the power of prophecy – but faith in Jesus, the Son of Man.
Not faith in the power of positive thinking – but faith in Jesus, the Son of Man – not faith in the power of your Christian walk – but faith in Jesus, the Son of Man.
Therefore…
The book of Hebrews spends eleven chapters warning of the need of faith in Christ. For over ten chapters we are given a series of warnings and a succession of truths. The next chapter outlines a cloud of faithful witnesses that are examples for us to heed..
Lay Aside Unbelief
When we look to Jesus, we have no option but to lay aside all that hinders our walk. When our faith is the Lord we have to remove our trust in ourselves and in the world. When we trust the Lord, we look away from the circumstances of life and rely on Him, alone.
Sanctifying Faith
We must not think that faith in Hebrews only refers to being initial salvation.
Saving faith is faith in God.
Sanctifying faith is living our life by faith in Jesus.
Lack of Faith
Men that walked with the Lord throughout His ministry showed a great lack of faith. The disciples were frequently told – oh you of little faith. The same men with the authority to drive out demons and heal the sick – lacked faith!
Only weeks before Calvary the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive out the demon in the boy ?” and Jesus replied:- …because you have so little faith…”
Maturing Faith
The leper had faith, that pleased the Lord. The woman had faith, that pleased Jesus. The centurion had faith, that pleased the Lord Jesus, but only later did the disciples saving faith mature into sanctifying faith.
The saving faith of the Israelites, saved them out of the world – out from Egypt..
Only Caleb and Joshua had the maturing faith that is exemplified in Hebrews 11.
By Faith
Let us have faith like Joshua and Caleb, who by faith received their reward. Let us have faith like the leper, the centurion, and the woman – saving faith in Jesus – and sanctifying faith through Jesus, as we look to Him.
Our liberty in Christ, that comes by grace through faith, dominates the pages of Galatians as point-by-point Paul warns of the serious consequences of legalism – of deserting the liberty of the gospel of grace for the shackles of a works-based ‘gospel’.
Christ has done all for our initial salvation by the “grace-promise-faith” way.
As sons and He does all for our ongoing salvation by the same “grace-promise-faith” way.
Life of Grace
Once we have been saved by grace, we are to be sanctified by grace; to grow in grace, and to mature in the faith – to live our lives “grace-promise-faith” way.
Infants or Sons
We were all made children of God through faith (justification – initial believing in Christ) and we should be living as sons of God through faith (sanctification – growing in grace).
Despite coming to Christ by faith – they reverted to the law… eternally saved but under bondage to an impossible way of living.
Faith or Self-Merit
Paul explains that because they didn’t continue in the “grace-promise-faith” way, they returned to the old ways rather than remaining in the new way.
They replaced the life of faith for one of living by self-merit.
They replaced the new “grace-promise-faith way” for the old “law-merit-works” way.
Despite starting off by faith, believers inevitably return to the old way of the law.
Legalism and seeking to merit God’s favour by producing good works in ones own flesh is an impossibility for God is only pleased with one thing – the finished work of Christ, and that is apprehended by believers who live the grace-faith-promise way.
And Paul’s epistles are full of warnings about not returning to this way of the Law – the “law-merit-works” way, and his letters are dripping with instructions on how to live by grace – how to live the “grace-faith-promise” way.
So having been saved by grace through faith, let us, therefore, live our lives by grace through faith.
When one begins to realize the complexity of simple spiritual growth, he learns to keep his hands off, and his faith on.
Even where in the new convert there is great singleness of heart and faith, with true love and devotion to the Saviour, time is needed for a deeper knowledge of the old man and sin, for a spiritual insight into what the Father's will and grace are. -A.M.
Then may we set our affection on the things above where the Lord Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father; and though the secret power is unseen, faith in Him will lift our spirit into the clear light where He is. -H.F.W.
ourishing, leading, supporting and fulfilling my weak faith: Until it is not I but Christ that lives in me – that lives in you as well. When we dilute the Word of God, we weaken the faith that rests upon the Word of God, and lessen the promises that are therein contained.
My righteous one will live by faith; and if he draws back, I have no pleasure in him.Hebrews 10:38
A Righteous Life
Once in the Old Testament and three times in the New Testament we are told – the just shall live by faith.
The righteous man shall live by faith – a life of complete dependence upon God.
My righteous servant shall live by faith – a life that rests its entire trust on the Father.
It is through faith that a righteous person has life – a life of dependence on the Lord.
In Romans, the main focus is on righteousness – on the one living by faith, and how those with faith in God are credited with Christ’s RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Galatians and Hebrews
In Galatians the main focus is on life – of the righteous person LIVING by faith, and how faith frees us from the curse of the law so we can LIVE by trusting God.
In Hebrews, the main focus is faith – for it is by FAITH that the righteous man lives..
for without faith it is impossible for the believer to live a life pleasing to God.
Without faith, it is impossible for the Christian life to produce the fruit of righteousness.
Without faith, it is impossible to show forth righteousness, which is of faith.
Without faith, we can’t sow, pursue, or reap a harvest of the fruit of righteousness.
But living a life of righteousness can only be lived by faith – dependence on God, and of course, faith has no merit on our part, for it is ALL by God’s grace.
When we live in dependence on self we are not living by faith but our own standards.
Total Trust
Total dependence on God is faith in Him; trusting His word; believing His promises. But it is more; even more; much more – it’s trusting Him to do what is right and best.
Faith is trusting God in His infinite grace and wisdom to do what is best for you.
This may mean having to go through difficult times without understanding why. It may mean a cruel and painful loss – or the slaughter of your reputation. It may mean having to face a future that is ravaged by unknown elements. And faith is trusting God’s omniscient wisdom to be working all things for the best.
Trusting Faith
We understand what God’s strength is about but His wisdom is so different from ours.
Faith is trusting Him with your family; your needs; your health; your reputation.
Faith teaches us dependence on Him to do what is best – no matter what the outcome.
Faith Speaks
Faith says with Job: though He slay me yet shall I trust Him.
Faith says with Peter: to Whom shall we go, You have the words of eternal life.
Faith says with Paul: His grace is sufficient.
The just shall live by faithThe just shall live by faithThe just shall live by faith
Last Testimony
And Habakkuk last words in His revolutionary, faith-focussed book were: Even though the fig tree does not blossom, and there are no grapes on the vines; even if the olive harvest fails, and the fields produce nothing edible; even if the flock is snatched from the sheepfold, and there is no herd in the stall – as for me, I will rejoice in the Lord.
It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me – and gave Himself up for me.Galatians 2:20
God’s Children
Some consider the whole human race to be a world of God’s children, but they err in their thinking, if they see not the need to receive Him by faith.
only those that receive Him by faith have the power to become God’s children: for as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. John 1:12
that we need to have faith as a little child; faith that believes God’s Word without reservation – faith that trusts unreservedly in Him and needs no other proof.
Come, Lord Jesus
There are many saints at the other end of the age spectrum with faith as a child.
Looking to JESUS, the Author and Finisher of our faith…”
Hebrews 12: 2
Safe Journey
Any mariner knows that a fraction of a degree off-course and he misses his port. He may be 99% correct but that 1° is crucial to his safe arrival at his destination. If he sets his course towards a movable marker his journey will end in disaster. If he anchors his vessel to drifting wood, he will meander across a sea of confusion. If this is physical reality – how much more must this be true in the spiritual realm?
Straight Course
Hebrews is a book that is written to both encourage and warn Christians in their walk. It helps maturing believers to steer a straight life-course through this world of unbelief. It warns that faith in God is the compass that guides us through the dark storms of life.
SECOND:- We are to renounce the besetting sin of unbelief, which has caused so many to stumble.. for what God requires of us all is that we have faith Him and trust His Word – for without faith in Him we are unable to grow in our spiritual life.
And we need to have complete faith in God and trust implicitly in His Word.
We need to run with persevering, patient endurance the race that is set before us... knowing that faith in God and trust in His Word produces perseverance.
For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained PROMISES……….
Heb.13:8 But we live by faith and not by sight. We trust His Word because He has spoken it, and we love Him because He first loved us. Such love and faith, does not find its roots in today's passing events. Such love and faith, is not based on fluctuating feelings. Such love and faith, does not follow after human schemes. Such love and faith, is not founded on hopeful speculations. Such love and faith, is firmly fixed in the immutable God. Such love and faith is secured in the unbreakable Word of God.
Consider Jesus
When we are tempted to base our love and faith on temporal things:- on passing events or fluctuating feelings – on human schemes or hopeful speculations… just consider looking away from the temporal to the eternal. Consider looking away from the earthly to the heavenly. Consider looking away from the terrestrial to the celestial. Consider the immutability of God’s promises and prophecy.
He is Faithful
If we fail in our faith or falter in our confidence, He remains faithful. If we betray His trust or fluctuate in our feelings, He abides constant. If our love dims or if we vacillate in our trust, He stays the same.. He cannot deny Himself.
Death Penalty
Christ patiently started to open the eyes of this blind leader of the blind, who himself must come to terms with the truth that the penalty of the Law for ALL – is death. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness – Jesus too must be nailed to the tree so that all who look to Him in faith, will be saved.
Time of God
All He asks is that we trust Him in all things – put our total faith in Him, knowing that: 'ALL things work together for good to those who love God..
but God’s ways are not our ways and this little girl, in faith, accepted His will. But few were watching and few saw and even fewer understood.
Heb.10:39 'Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ', Titus 3:13 Jesus questioned: 'when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?' Luke 18:8.
Jesus also said: 'But I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail and when you have returned to Me..
It requires an absolute venture of faith; but beyond it, God says, much fruit.' And the way to it is into the ground and die' - it is the only way; His way.
And there is nothing that can deliver us from it but that entire willingness to die to the old man, which comes when by faith we understand that we have died in Christ Jesus. -A.M.
But it is Christ Who lives in me, and the life that I now live I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me – I myself no longer live but Christ lives in me Gal.2:20
The rivers by which this blessed one is planted are never-failing for the one of faith.
Spiritual Fruit
This is the man that brings for the fruit of God’s Holy Spirit; Love in times of Hostility; Joy in times of Pain; Peace in times of Trouble; Long-suffering in times of Frustration; Gentleness in times of Oppression; Goodness in times of Evil; Faith in times of Testing; Meekness in times of Irritations; Temperance in times of Temptation.
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge.Ephesians 3:17,18
Faith in Christ
Christ became a permanent resident in our heart the instant we trusted Him as Saviour. His indwelling Spirit took up His habitation on the basis of faith in God’s Son, but the Spirit of God has an ongoing work throughout the rest of our life… by faith.
Grow in Grace
We are saved by grace through faith but we are also to grow by grace through faith. The Spirit resides in the heart of all believers but as we grow, He dwells in our hearts.
And like initial salvation that is also through faith, Christian growth is also by faith – for every aspect of Salvation is God’s gift of grace, through faith.
Breadth of God Grace
The breadth of God's grace reaches to embrace all who are saved by grace through faith.
It typifies the path that the man of faith must follow to see God and live.
Yes, today as then, men of faith have to face their own 'Job experience'.
Faithful Few
The remnant who are willing to take up the cross daily, and cry, Thy will not mine...be done. The minority of believers who will deny self and hold fast to the faith.
Grow in Grace
But – praise God this dear apostle, Peter, continues with the next verse. He explains in simple terms how this is achieved… 'but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Peter 3:18 We grow in grace and mature in the faith when we fix our eyes on the Lord, and the mature believer is the one that will not be overwhelmed by life’s circumstances.
a deep, deep work, in the inner man of the new creation.., till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, into a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ Ephesians.4:13 And that’s the new man in Christ.
Will of God
The mystery of God’s will is that we come to unity in the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God.
The flesh being that in us with which the law grapples, and the flesh being now by faith reckoned a dead thing, there is no more for the law to lay hold of.
and it is by faith in God that He performs this change – and He takes His time! God uses life’s circumstances, (good and ill).
Ingredient of Faith
One essential ingredient for faith, growth, and service rests on God’s principle of ‘need‘..
and God uses this inbuilt operative of the human heart, to develop faith. God uses this innate function of man’s soul, to turn him from self to Christ. When others fail us, it is to the open arms of His comfort that we fly. When things go wrong, it is to the one source of His supply that we turn. When life’s circumstances shatter our hopes, we discover our ‘need‘ of Him.
Expression of Faith
One illumined saint expressed it this way:- “The reason our Father creates and allows needs in our lives is to turn us from all that is outside of Christ..
“Not I, but Christ.” This God-breathed principle is uniquely established in the life of each believer. This living truth is specially fashioned according to our individual requirement. Christ talked of this principled truth in Matthew, by saying :- according to your faith be it unto you. Matt.9:29 – and likewise..
Word of Faith
This truth is well set out in the following words of truth… J.B.
to reach out and appropriate by faith, from our Lord Jesus, all that we require.
We are to dress in truth; righteousness; peace; faith; salvation and the Word of God. We are to be praying always with All-Prayer and supplication in the Spirit.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
But perhaps the thing that stands out so clearly is that Nehemiah believed God’s word – he had faith in the things that God said – the truths that were recorded in Scripture.
Word of God
When we fasten our faith on the word of God, He will quicken it in our hearts.
Natural Man
However hard man tries, it is impossible for him to keep the requirements of the Law. One only has to be born as a son of Adam to be condemned to death – eternal death. Natural man / unsaved man is dead in his sins and born under condemnation. No wonder the disciples asked Jesus in astonishment – Who then can be saved? No wonder Paul warned the Galatians of the Law’s restrictive nature, when he said: before faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. Galatians 3:23
Penalty for Failure
The way of faith that was revealed was Christ – the way of the Cross – the only Way.
For as many as received CHRIST; the Messiah of Israel – Son of God and Son of Man; the giver of Life and Light of the world – the Author and Finisher of our faith….
Christ in Me
However old or young in the faith we are we all are to put on the new man in Christ, We are to put away all that is old and put on the new – until Christ is formed in us. The new man is to be the manifestation of our Christian life – Christ living in me.
So many rest content with the thought that their sins are pardoned, and that they are in the path of life, but know nothing of a personal attachment to the risen Lord Jesus Christ as their life, or of faith that lives in the invisible and walks with the Father.
The profession of faith is not cast away; religious habits are kept up; but there is nothing to show that they have entered or are seeking to enter the Holiest to dwell there.
The Reformers failed because they did not see that as faith alone could save, and place man outside himself in the Lord Jesus, he must not return to that which through grace has been crucified.
Without faith it is impossible to please Him (Heb. 11:6).
Nevertheless, the test of having the Spirit of Truth, and of not being a prey to fanaticism, is that the soul is attracted and subject to the Lord Jesus Christ - and this cannot be without faith produced and nourished by the Word of Truth. -W.K.
Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:1).
Abraham believed God, and faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.Romans 4:3,9
Trust God’s Word
This is faith..
faith to believe God’s Word. This is faith..
to assert and believe what God has promised. Faith is to step out on the seeming void and rest on the foundational rock beneath.
Lamp of Faith
Be willing to live by believing and reckon His word as truth. Be willing to see every light along your pathway extinguished. Be willing to allow every guiding star to be eclipsed. Be willing for sun and moon to be shrouded in black, dark clouds of dark unknowing..
but keep the inner radiance alighted with the steady lamp of faith.
Step Out in Faith
Descend from your perch of distrust; mistrust; lack of trust; dubiety; ambivalence.
Stir up your protective nest of seeming securities and superficial safeties. Tumble from the eagle's aerie and stretch your wings of faith..
Deuteronomy 32:11 Step out in faith in the word of God on the stormy seas of circumstances, and He will uphold you with His righteous right hand.
Our Good Shepherd
He is praying for us now, that our faith will not fail – and even when we become faithless, His prayers and pleadings on our behalf are honoured by the Father – for we are kept through His pleading prayers, so that when we do return into His arms of forgiveness, we will strengthen our brethren.
The Eternals
When writing about the glories we have in the Holy Spirit, Warren Wiersbe wrote: 'People of the world live by sight and depend on the externals, but Christians walk by faith and depend on the eternals'.
When one walks by faith in Christ we have abiding access to the very Spirit of God.
Proclaimed Truth
The heavens proclaim God’s glory to men of faith, and to opinionated fools alike, because what may be known of God is clearly manifest in them..
Here it is this strange thing, that these men went out, twelve and seventy, with this 'delegated authority' this delegated authority and exercised it, and mighty things resulted; and then these same people are found, after the Cross, with their faith shattered; nothing to rest upon.
Total Righteousness
And His gift to all who trust on His name is a justifying righteousness:- regeneration; sanctification; glorification; a new creation in Christ, and the grace of God and peace with God, and faith and hope and love and joy, and the indwelling Spirit and a heavenly inheritance – and eternal life: for He washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.
He is the focal point of all Scripture, the great “I AM,” in Whom all revelation unites, for He is the Alpha and Omega of our life, the Beginner and Perfecter of our faith.
The passive power of faith needs for its sustenance closer communion with the Father than its active energy.
Many a saint has shown the courage of faith before his enemies, as Elijah when he faced Ahab, but who, like him, quails and flees, where there is nothing to do, but quietly trust in God.
There is no way of learning faith except by trial.
It is God's school of faith, and it is far better for us to learn to trust our Father than to enjoy life.
Mark 9:24I have not found such great faith – not even in Israel… Luke7:9Oh woman, great is your faith.
Measure of Faith
Christian, examine yourself to see if you be in the faith, for without faith it is impossible to please God.
And remember, the Lord in His grace has dealt each one a measure of faith.
Faith, Beloved – Patiently Trust!
Trial of Faith
But faith is tried in the furnace of affliction, and deep faith is furthermore strained, as increasing pressure bears down.
And as faith is tried, so faith is purified.
And as faith is purified, so faith increases, and as faith increases, so faith is tried again.
Purified Faith
Purified faith is often tried through the anguish of long delays.
Deepening faith often hears the deafening clang of a silent reply.
Faith Sarah – Patiently Trust
Tested Faith
The brightness of the sun is shrouded as by a thick cloud.
And yet the answer is withheld, and faith is further tested.
Wait of Faith
It is not that their prayers were not vehement.
Faith Hannah – Patiently Trust
Suffering of Faith
But it pleases Him Who is sovereign, Who gives according to His own pleasure, to bid our patience develop into long, long-suffering, Into the long, longer..
Delays of Faith
For those things, we reckon as refusals are simply His postponements, and those desires we count as denials – are simply His delays.
Faith Mary – Patiently Trust
The Rewards of Faith
His postponements will not be delayed forever, nor will His delays be postponed indefinitely.
I pray…that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
Spiritual Fullness
It is so that Christ may dwell deeply in our hearts through faith. It is that we may be rooted and grounded in the extensive love of Christ. It is so that we may be able to comprehend the vast dimensions of God’s love.
Fullness of God’s Love
As we abide in Christ so He will dwell in our hearts by faith – with thanksgiving.. That we may not only know about God’s love, but to know God’s love in reality.. that we not only know He is life – but to have His life living within our heart – that we might be filled will all the fullness of God’s love – as an actuality.
I don’t mean basing faith on emotional feelings which can fluctuate to and fro – but a trust that God provides sufficient grace no matter what we are facing in life.
Servants of Travail
But God will have His way, in each and all of His chosen bond-servants, as each...despite much striving, deep lamentations and kicking against the pricks, eventually chose to stand firm and trust in His Word… in blind faith, despite a myriad of contradictions, which strewed each of their dejected paths.
After the believer enters into life by faith, he wonders why it was so difficult for him to see that it was all of grace - the humble reception of a finished work.
What believers need is the simple faith that the establishing in Christ, day by day, is God's work - a work that He delights to do, in spite of all our weakness and unfaithfulness, if we will but trust Him for it.
To the blessedness of such faith, and the experience it brings, many can testify.
But the death of the Lord Jesus is - judicially, and for faith - the end of that man, and the Christian walking in the Spirit owns him no more.
The more clearly we enter, by faith, into objective truth, or what is true of us in the Lord Jesus, the deeper, more experiential and practical will be the Spirit's subjective work in us, and the more complete will be the manifestation of the moral effect in our life and character. -C.H.M.
But if this foundational truth is not apprehended by faith, there is no bright, happy, emancipating sense of full and everlasting salvation. -C.H.M.
We are to hold by faith the position which the Father has given us in the risen Lord Jesus, and abide therein, occupied with the interests of our Father and not our own.
Taking thought of ourselves is a divergence from the place of faith.
Position
But our worthiness is not of us but from faith in Christ, And our eternal seat is secure for we are positioned in Christ, And we have been forever accepted by God because of Christ. This is why it is vital to know our God and to know our position in Christ.
Oh, yes, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.
What more satisfied and appyperson is there even amidst suffering and sorrow than he or she who is most perfect in patience, love, faith, and the other fruits of the Spirit?
Alive unto God in Jesus Christ, our Lord (Rom. 6:11)
Until the believer's faith is firmly established in the fact of his position in the risen Lord Jesus, he will not be able to rest in Him during the process of his position becoming his condition.
While Martha was cumbered about much serving, and her love, most true in its way, went forth in actively providing for the Lord's outward need, Mary, unconsciously perhaps, proved her stronger faith and deeper love by sitting at His feet and drinking in His words.
Faith never thinks about that which is in ourselves as its ground of rest; it receives, loves, and apprehends what the Father has revealed in His Word, and what are His thoughts about the Lord Jesus, in whom is His rest. -J.N.D.
There should be a progression in one's faith from objective facts about the Lord Jesus to personal fellowship with Him.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the only object for faith, the only One that satisfies us, as indeed He is the Father's object; and if we have got but one mind with the Father about Him, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. -W.K.
We are not according to our Father's pleasure, nor are we in simple restfulness as to our acceptance, if we do not enter by faith into the new position to which He in His grace has placed us.
Pinnacle of Faith
The book of Ephesians must be the pinnacle of faith, hope and love for the believer. The book of Ephesians has rightly been called the Holiest of all Holy Scripture, and we would do well to read its content; reflect on its glory and rely on its truth – for it reaches beyond man’s creative vision and peeps into the mind of the Creator. It touches into the heavenly realms and glimpses the likeness of the glory of God.
To be a leader one must be a dependent one, a led one; one who is looking away (from all that would distract) to Jesus, who is the Leader and the Source of our faith (Heb. 12:2).
For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love (Gal. 5:6).
No more representative theological dictum from the Covenant viewpoint has been formed than the Westminster Confession of Faith, which valuable and important document recognizes life truth only to the point of imposing the Ten Commandments on Christians as their sole obligation, and in spite of the teachings of the New Testament which asserts that the Law was never given to Gentile or Christian. -L.S.C.
In Acts 26:18 we read: by faith in Christ they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified, while in Romans 6:19 we read: just as you offered the parts of yourselves as slaves to moral impurity, and to greater and greater lawlessness, so now offer them as slaves to righteousness, which results in sanctification.
But while that life is itself victorious, incorruptible, and indestructible, the believer has to come by faith to prove it, to live by it, to learn its principles, to be conformed to it.
Faith is going to determine which of two things is going to characterize us.
That is the effect of the absence of a positive faith.
The only way of Life and deliverance from such a paralysis is a deliberate faith in God which causes us to take the attitude that we are going on with God, understanding or not understanding, explaining or not explaining, having light or having no light; we are going right on with God on the basis of what God has done in us, made real in us, of what God Himself is to us by what He has effected in us.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
Without faith it is impossible to please Him..Hebrews 11:6
Biblical Faith
There is much confusion about Biblical faith, and much that is considered to be faith, that is unscriptural.
Faith is not a religion or a moral system.
Faith is not problem-solving, positive thinking or repetitive praying.
Faith is not hoping against hope that something is going to happen, nor is it hiding behind an ‘airy-fairy’ belief system.
Faith is the objective act of trusting God and believing His word.
Objective Act
Faith is objectively saying, I trust God’s word of truth implicitly.
Faith it believing that the word of God as fact and not fable.
Faith is believing God’s word, trusting His word and reckoning His word to be true for:- without faith it is impossible to please Him.
Hebrews 11:6, How important, therefore, to know what faith actually is, what it means and how we can objectively act in our Christian life, by faith.
Examples of Faith
In the Old Testament, there are many examples of faith – people objectively trusting God’s word.
There are a number of different words in the Bible that exemplify what faith is and how faith is applied in the life of the great men and women of faith that are listed in Hebrews 11.
Words of Faith
AMAN – Abraham was given a promise, and he trusted God: he BELIEVED.. (aman) which means that Abraham was propped up, supported or carried by God.
OMAN – Isaiah exalts and praises the Lord because He is faithful and TRUE.. (oman) and just as God was faithful and true for Abraham, He is faithful and true to all His children and we can trust Him and put our faith in His word.
YAHAL – Job was able to proclaim: though He slay me, yet will I TRUST.. (yahal) which refers to lengthy waiting, where no matter what pressures reign down upon us, we are to continue to mix faith with our biblical knowledge of God.
Expanding Faith
To please God, we must have faith Him and trust His Word.
We must TRUST (kawah) the Lord by waiting patiently for Him – however long it takes, for without faith it is impossible to please Him.
Pleasing Faith
There is no pleasing God without faith.
We cannot please God without the sort of faith that was displayed by the men and women of faith described in the Bible.
There is no pleasing God without faith.
Let us objectively mix our faith with the truth of God’s word – like so many saints who have gone before.
Commands to Pray
Pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 1 Timothy 2:8 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer Romans 12:12 Build up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost Jude 1:20 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit Ephesians 6:18 Night and day praying exceedingly.. 1 Thessalonians 3:10 Pray in spirit, and truth, John 4:24 Pray without ceasing.. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Brothers, pray for us..2 Thessalonians 3:1
Childlike Faith
When I am busy with the children I pray that they come to know and love the Lord, – I pray that I become as a child..
Intercessory Prayer
How we long for loved ones to be drawn by the Holy Spirit to a saving faith in Jesus, and our intercessory prayers can often have a part to play: for no man comes to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him John 6:44.
Measure of Faith
How we desire that each seeking one is given the faith that they may believe in Him: for God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. Rom.12:3 and how we pray that God will use whatever means is necessary to get their attention.
Pray in Faith
We know that God hears the prayers of His saints, so it’s important that we pray. It’s important that we pray in faith and that we trust Him to hear and to answer. How needful that we think rightly, asking Him to remove any doubt from our mind: for assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain: ‘be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” Mark 11:23
We need to pray that we will be effective in sharing the gospel: I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective or the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us, for the sake of Christ.
We may be certain He has further service, further burdens of faith and prayer to give us when we are ready for them. -J.O.F.
In the true prayer of faith' the intercessor must spend time with the Father to appropriate the promises of His Word, and must permit himself to be taught by the Holy Spirit, whether the promises can be applied to this particular case.
He remains in the presence of God, till He, by His Spirit, awakens the faith that in this particular matter the prayer has been heard. -A.M.
Ministry of Intercession
Intercession is a ministry for those that are of the Royal House of Faith.
James warned of unstable praying and encouraged the righteous prayer of faith, while John records Christ’s sublime high-priestly prayer – in John chapter 17.
Kingdom of Priests
Intercession is a ministry for those that are of the Royal House of Faith. Intercession is a privilege for those that are a kingdom of priests unto the Lord. Intercession is an office in which saints of old have poured their pleading prayers.
Free Will Choice
No one is predestined to be saved, for salvation is a free gift to be received, by faith. No one is predestined to be lost, for all men are given a free-will to accept or reject.
Those who accept God’s free salvation, by grace through faith in Christ, are saved.
Grace Thru Faith
Predestination is based upon God’s grace, which is accessed by faith in Christ alone.
Predestination is not the whim of a random, heavenly dice – but faith in Christ.
Predestination has not one iota of human merit attached, but is by faith in Christ.
Predestination is based on grace alone, by faith alone, in Christ alone – period.
NEVER let it be said that God predestined unbelievers to the lake of fire, for that is a lie of the enemy. But those that refuse salvation by grace through faith choose their own destiny – and that is the truth of Scripture.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
Grace Thru Faith- study [24]
Period of Preparation
There must be a long and deep period of preparation, in the man and woman of God, if that life is to shed abroad the attributes of the Lord Jesus in thought word and deed..
Ongoing Preparation
'Rest' in the justifying faith of the new-birth, is a past and done deal. 'Rest' in the sanctifying faith of the growing saint is an ongoing process.
For faith it is more like this: there is such power at work as to make possible the setting aside of the obstacle very quietly, so that we afterward wonder And they were amazed.
It is good to have amazement, but let us recognize that a certain amount of our amazement is because we have not sufficient faith.
It may come in the way of difficulties in the path of faith; or in the shape of such trials and sorrows as are common to all men - loss of property, loss of health, or bereavement; or it may be as the governmental consequences of sin; but in one way or other all have it.
She received the same privileges as spiritual giants like Peter, Paul, John and James, for along with every born-again child of God, there is no partiality or favouritism with Him – we are all one in Christ, and yet we all have to mature in the faith.
Let us receive God’s Word and examine it with all eagerness, so that we may grow in grace and mature in the faith.
The Apostle Paul said, Through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
The believer truly walking in the liberty wherewith Christ hath set him free (Gal. 5:1), has Him ever before his eye of faith; delighting that because of Him he is in the Father's favor.
Let it be remembered we are to fight the good fight of faith,' which consists of resting in our position of freedom, and not in obtaining that position.
It is what the Lord Jesus did there that counts, and what He did becomes a growing force in the life of the believer when it is seen, and rested in by faith.
The beginning of spiritual growth is faith in that fact.
Eternal Significance
God made peace with us by grace, through faith in the one perfect sacrifice for sin, and we are entrusted with a holy office – entreating the world to receive salvation.
And faith looks at things as the Father looks at them.
Faith never thinks about that which is in ourselves as its ground of rest; it receives, loves, and apprehends what the Father has revealed, and what are His thoughts about the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is His rest. -J.N.D.
Through grace the old man' was nailed to the Cross and buried in the tomb; through faith the old man will be kept there.
Continuously reckon yourself to be totally severed from all that belongs to the old man and all that pertains to the old sphere, and faith will eventuate into experience. -R.P.
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (Heb. 10:23).
Faith does not create or produce, but rests and rejoices in what God has already done.
A great many people have the faith that seeks, but they have not a faith that rests.
I am sure this rest of faith is the center of all activity.
You cannot work without friction until you have this rest of faith - complete dependence not only on what the Lord has done, but on what He is to you this very moment.
A superficial acquaintance with God's plan leads to the view that while justification is God's work, by faith in Christ, sanctification is our work, to be performed under the influence of the gratitude we feel for the deliverance we have experienced and by the aid of the Holy Spirit.
Often the believer struggles hopelessly for years, until he listens to the teaching of the Spirit, as He glorifies Christ again, and reveals Christ, our Sanctification, to be appropriated by faith alone. -A.M.
And let ever again a quiet, hopeful, gladsome faith hold itself assured that all you need for a holy life will most assuredly be given you out of the holiness of the Lord Jesus.
When circumstances seem impossible, when all signs of grace in you seem at their lowest ebb, when temptation is fiercest, when love and joy and hope seem well nigh extinguished in your heart, then rest, without feeling and without emotion, in the Father's faithfulness; abide in the fact that He loves you infinitely, and even now is working in you faithfully; and honor Him, and put the enemy to flight by taking to yourself the words of Job: Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.' I have prayed for thee' (says the One who ever lives to make intercession for us) that thy faith fail not.' -D.T.
Chapter 3: all men are guilty before God and righteousness only comes by grace, through faith in Christ.
Chapter 4: gives examples of men of faith and God’s promises to those who live by faith.
In chapter 3 we discover God’s plan of salvation, which is grace alone by faith alone in Christ alone – and we are saved and praise God, worshiping Him with grateful thanks.
grace alone by faith in Christ alone, and in chapter 5 we discover His promises are yes, and amen in Christ.
King David
Although the promise of great blessings and a land inheritance came to the people of faith through Abraham, perhaps the most stupendous promises given to man – were made to Israel’s King David.
It must be possible for us to say with perfect assurance and confidence before God: Lord, what I am as apart from Christ is one thing; what I am by faith's union with Christ is that I am righteous with Thine own righteousness; I cannot be destroyed, I cannot come under condemnation!
so that Adam, and his fallen race, could be reunited in spirit with God – by faith.. faith in the Seed of the woman, not faith in any of the fallen progeny of Adam – salvation in the Son of Man..
Righteous acts don’t have their source in my old sin nature but in the new life in Christ: for in myself I can do no good thing, for all my righteousness is from the Lord… not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness which is from God by faith.” Philippians 3:9
Justification
Many teachers consider discipleship as integral to the initial stage of salvation… making discipleship a requirement of salvation – an add on to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ..” But salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
God’s Gift
Salvation involves what God gives to us – His own life, not what we give to Him, for Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
Faith of Abraham
But what does it actually mean to ‘believe’ – to ‘believe on the name of Jesus’? Well, Paul cites Abraham as a man of faith – an example of one who believed God.
Abraham did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, because he was fully convinced that what God had promised He was also able to perform. Romans 4:20-21
Trusting God’s Word
Abraham believed God when he was called to leave Ur – to travel to a distant land. Abraham trusted God when he was told that he would be the father of many nations. Abraham had faith in the truth of God’s word and trusted Him to fulfil His promises. Oh, Abraham did some stupid things like trying to help God – but the bottom line is.. God knew his heart and KNEW Abraham depended on God to keep His promises. And the trust that Abraham had in God was credited to him as righteousness.
By Grace – Thru Faith
To have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is to believe what God has said about Him.
Faith Choice
Believing is man’s one and only response to the grace that is a free gift of God - for by grace and grace alone are you saved.
Salvation is the free gift of grace that is given to all who believe on Christ. Paul tells us that believing is a faith choice – that is might be of grace. It means we choose to believe that God’s gift of grace is by believing on Christ. Righteousness is our portion because we trusted what God has said in His word. It isn’t believing on Christ for salvation PLUS doing something else.
Being born again is not believe and be baptised – but believe on the Lord Jesus. Paul tells us that if it is not by faith – then it is not of grace.
This complicates the simple message of salvation by grace alone – through faith in Christ.
Act of Consecration
This beautiful act of consecration may be a result – but is not a condition of salvation Paul tells us that if it is not by faith – then it is not of grace. A carnal believer will certainly suffer loss of rewards – but never his eternal salvation, which is always and only by grace – through faith – in Christ.
Some people add works of the flesh, works of the Law – self-imposed rules or Church regulations and a variety of ‘add-ons’ to the basic gospel of salvation by grace – through faith in Christ Jesus, while others insist on actions relating to eating or drinking – places of worship or times and seasons – spiritual fruit or gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Does our faith only kick in when all is going well – “a tummy-touches-table” guy?
How many really truly had faith in Him – one here and one there?
Bible Faith
A few days ago I reflected on those that really truly had faith in the Son of Man – faith written about in the scriptures.
A woman with an issue of blood – a blind-deaf mute– a dead girl’s mum and dad – and because of their faith in Jesus mountains were moved in their lives.
They had arrived at the extremity of their hope and then they trusted Him, but His own kith and kin restricted His power by their lack of faith in Him.
One Example
But there is one guy, a centurion with an ill servant, who exemplified real faith. He believed the Word of God.
It is that sort of trust and that level of faith at which the devil trembles.
Resisting Satan
Are we man enough or woman enough to stand to the end and have faith in Jesus?
Will we resist the devil despite all that he does to trounce our faith in the Son or will we revert to being one of the multitude, that just looked from afar?
Outward Appearances
Many with an outward appearance of godliness are wolves in sheep’s clothing.. for the love of many will grow cold towards their fellows – and where love does not reign faith morphs into unbelief.
Let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love..
Living faith, divine love and patient hope are the three essential garments of protection.
This combination of faith, love and hope is our essential protection from this evil day.
Grace of God
Through the grace of God, we can be perfected in love and practical in our faith.
Let us be like the Thessalonian believers, who Paul remembers with affection for... your work of Faith, your labour of Love, and your patience of Hope, in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,” 1 1Thessalonians 1:3
Work of Faith
There can be no acceptable work of God in our lives that is not a work of faith. There can be no work of faith, which is not a labour of God’s agape love in us. There can be no end-time endurance without the patience of hope resting on Him.
You examine yourself to see if you truly are in the faith – with Christ central.
There are decisions that can detrimentally affect our earthly walk and future rewards, and it all has its roots in faith in God; trusting Him; believing His word: for without faith it is impossible to please God.
Divine Signpost
Just as faith is the essential key to unlock our hearts to His love, and just as charity is one small part of the whole of the love of God, so prophecy is a mere signpost to point us to incarnate love: Love never fails, but whether there are prophecies, they will be done away..” 1Cor.13:8
and I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness – which is from the law, but that righteousness which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.
I’ve fought a good fight, I’ve finished my course, I’ve kept the faith” 2Timothy 4:7 A man who can truly say, “I have finished my course,” is an entirely broken life.
We are sanctified. We are positioned in Christ and we are positionally sanctified. We were positionally sanctified when we were justified by faith in Christ, but must move to practical or progressive sanctification, if we are to grow in our Christian life.
Faith Contrasted
The shout of steadfast faith is in direct contrast to the moans of wavering faith.
I do not know of anything that is more valuable than the secret of this shout of faith.
Steadfast Faith
Now, no one can suppose for a moment that this loud shout caused the walls to fall. The vibration from their combined voices was insufficient to cause 1 stone to tumble, and yet the secret of their victory lay in their shout – for it was the shout of faith.
It was a shout of obedience to God’s instructions – and it showed faith in God’s word.
Accomplished Victory
The towering walls of this fortified city of Jericho must have appeared impregnable, but though there was no sign of an accomplished victory – they trusted God’s word – and they shouted the shout of faith.
Shout of Faith
God had said, “I have given it to you,” and they believed Him, and shouted in faith, and God honoured His word and God did unto them according to their trust in Him – and when they shouted the shout of faith, God caused the walls to tumble down.
Triumphant Record
God had declared that He had given them the city, and faith reckoned this to be true..
and centuries afterwards the Holy Spirit recorded this triumph of faith in Hebrews: by faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been encircled for seven days. Hebrews 11:30
In the days of Israel’s “shout of faith” – God spoke to His people through prophets: long ago God spoke many times, in many ways to our ancestors through prophets..
Obedient Submission
Israel’s shout of faith was a demonstration of believers that trusted the Word of God – and they were obedient to carry out what God required of them – in His way… Let us trust in the Word of God and similarly demonstrate our ‘shout of faith’ – as we obediently submit to all that is required of us, as set out in the Word of God.
Crowd of Witnesses
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses, who lived by faith – such as Joshua and the Israelites who obediently did all that God commanded them to do... let us like them obey what God has asked us to do, which is to strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up – the sin of unbelief….
and let us run with endurance the race God has set before us – by faith.
And let us keep looking to Jesus, Who is the founder and perfecter of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, and despised the shame.
Down Payment
We are placed into the body of Christ the moment we first trust Jesus as Saviour. First, we had to hear the gospel of truth, for faith comes by hearing the word of God. Then we had to believe the gospel of truth and all who believe in Christ are saved – and through believing in His name we were given the right to become His children.
He sought us and saved us and sealed us by grace – through faith in Christ.
which is passed to all humanity, but God in His love and grace has provided a solution for the old sin nature, in Adam – and the solution is to be taken out of Adam and placed into Christ – by faith: for as by the one man’s disobedience (Adam) the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience (Christ) the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19,
By Grace Through Faith
It is by grace that we have received forgiveness of our sins. It is by grace that we have been delivered from the power of sin . Remember:There are 2 fundamental SIN problems, but BOTH are dealt with at the cross of Christ. It is by grace through faith in Christ that we appropriate forgiveness – of SINS. It is by grace through faith in Christ that we appropriate deliverance – from SIN.
Faith asks for no props from the men and things around it; it finds all its springs' in God; and hence it is that faith never shines so brightly as when all around is dark.
It is when nature's horizon is overcast with the blackest clouds, that faith basks in the sunshine of the divine favor and faithfulness. -C.H.M.
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.Hebrews 12:2
Even if we are totally unable to obey and cannot even exercise faith, a day comes when the resistance has vanished and we are trusting the Lord Jesus in simplicity of heart.
The tragic mistake of thousands of believers is in trying to live in two worlds at the same time - in nature and in God, in self and in Christ, in the flesh and in the Spirit, by faith and in independence, by abiding and by effort.
It is all false, wherever we may find it, whether associated with religion or not.... The Christian Faith embraced as a religion, a philosophy, or as a system of truth and a moral or ethical doctrine, may carry the temporary stimulus of a great ideal; but this will not result in the regeneration of the life, or the new birth of the spirit.
The Christian needs exercise – if he is to develop and mature in the faith.
Christian Obedience
Paul warns us to sift through our attitudes and search our motives – so examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. These instructions are not to the unbelievers, but to Christians. This examination does not mean check out to see if you are born again – this is an instruction to see if you are on the road to spiritual maturity.
A Study:- Man’s Nature and Destiny
Desire God’s Word
Just as newborn babes require milk from the breast, so too spiritual babes must be fed. Paul instructs us: as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow. 1Pet.2:2. A new-born believer will grow by reading and delighting in the Word of God, and faith in that young believer with grow – for faith comes by hearing God’s Word.
Therefore, leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
the completeness and perfection that belong to spiritual maturity. Let us not again be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works (dead formalism) and of the faith [by which you turned] to God, Let us not repeat the teachings about purifying, the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment and punishment. [These are all matters of which you should have been fully aware long, long ago.] Hebrews 6:1-2
Stunted Growth
Growing in the faith and maturing spiritually has a number of associated terms, Sanctification - Salvation of the soul - spiritual maturity - growing in the faith - growing in grace.
Spiritual and Carnal
A spiritual Christian is the one that is growing in the faith – maturing. A carnal Christian is the one that is not growing in the faith – not maturing. A carnal Christian can also be called a fleshly believer... born again but not growing – born again, but not growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.
Abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence – abound in all love2 Corinthians.8:7
Abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, abound in all love 2 Corinthians 8:7
Abound in all Faith
How do we abound in all FAITH? Well, we trust the word of God in everything and accept His Word as fact. We believe His Word to be true.
We have faith in Him. We don’t look at the crushing circumstances of life but trust in His love.
The flesh revelsin that, and when you come and say to that whole order of things,The way of God is the way of utter dependence and faith, with theHoly Spirit in entire charge, and you must keep your hands offand be willing to do only what the Lord tells you and no more,(that which is meant by the declaration, I can do nothingout from Myself) it is an offence to the natural man, evenin religious matters.
The whole accomplishment of God in Christ is on thebasis of Divine Life mediated through faith.
After a lifetime of living by faith and a lifespan of watching and waiting, Simeon saw, and Simeon cried, “mine eyes have seen your salvation.” Luke 2:30
This remnant man had lived a life of blind faith, love, patience... and he waited.
This loyal, godly Old Testament saint, exemplifies a true man of faith, who pleased God. For he believed God; he trusted God, he watched, and he waited – and yet Simeon, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise. Heb 11:39 ..
Word of God
And like all scripture which is given for our learning, Simeon serves as an “ensample” to us – an example and shadow of heavenly things.. just like all the men and women of faith, discovered in the pages of Hebrews 11.
Men of Faith
By faith, from Adam to John the Baptizer, Abel to Zechariah, Job to Simeon... we see men who lived by faith – men given as examples to teach us God’s perfect way.
Like Simeon, it is not the physical eye that shows us the truth God wants us to learn, for we live by faith and not by sight. 2Cor.5:7.
But we too must “SEE” the salvation of God – through the spiritual eye of faith, and we must “KNOW” the promise of His Word, with the understanding of the heart.
Life of Faith
As we face the future we must humbly seek to live out His new life in us and through us.
The Will of God
And so Satan seeks his revenge on those who will keep faith in God – like Joseph and Job – and though Satan means it for evil against you – God will turn it for good.
But many fall at the last hurdle and lose their faith: So I urge you like Joseph, Job and Jesus to say, Thy will be done in my life – to Your praise and Your glory forever and ever – Amen.
The only way to please God is to have faith – faith that I can do all things through Christ – that without Him I am nothing and can do nothing of myself to please the Father.
When men or women are called by God into some piece of Divine ministry and, in the face of the demand, are conscious to the last degree that they have no ability, no resource, no power to fulfill that ministry, that in themselves the thing is utterly impossible, that for them to essay to do it would be the utmost folly and absurdity when in such circumstances they recognize that they have a living Christ in whom are resources more than enough to meet that demand... and by faith lay hold of Him and go forward into the ministry with that consciousness... that is spirituality; and that is practical, tremendously practical.
It is not in our personal clinging to a God-given thing, whether it be a promise or a possession, but faith's restful and fear-free holding on to the Lord Himself.
Walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith. (Colossians 2:7)
It all looks such a muddle, but as faith holds on, one day we shall praise Him, as we see the reason for it all afterwards; the path of the just... shineth more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 4:18.
Just then, is the time for us to stand fast in the Lord and maintain that stand in faith.
Faith has nothing to do with the outward appearances.
Faith has nothing to do with miracles, wonders, or signs.
Faith has nothing to do with probabilities or improbabilities.
Faith has nothing to do with humanistic philosophies.
Faith has nothing to do with calculations.
Faith has nothing to do with speculations.
Demonstrating Faith
If you desire to couple any one of these things with faith – it is no longer faith.
Faith plus anything extra, however noble is no faith at all..and without faith it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6 Faith rests on the naked Word of God.
Faith begins and ends with the promises of Christ.
When you take Him at His Word you are demonstrating faith..and you will find rest for your soul, even when the circumstances surrounding you may scream to the contrary.
Examples of Faith
God delights to exercise faith in you, just as He did with his servants of old.
Challenges to Faith
Despair whispers: 'Give up – Lie down and die; there is nothing that can be done'.
Response of FaithFaith responds not to Cowardice nor Despair.
Faith takes no heed of Impetuosity or Haste nor foolish Presumption.
Faith listens to the Word of God, even if the answer seems long in coming.
Faith hears God’s quiet counsel and calm instruction: Stand Still… and see the salvation of God.
Reward of Faith
'Do not be afraid…' Moses told the terrified Israelites. 'Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today, for the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.
Just sit calmly still!Thou longest much to know thy dear Lord’s will!While anxious thoughts would almost steal their wayCorrodingly within, because of His delay.Persuade thyself in simple faith to restThat He, who knows and loves, will do the best.
Our Father has taken us over Jordan and placed us in Canaan, but the reality of it is never known until by faith we accept the fact on the basis of having died with Christ, and that therefore heaven is our place, and we know it to be our place now; and that this side is not our place, and we know that it is not.
The walk of the believer should ever be the natural result of realized privilege, and not the constrained result of legal vows and resolutions - the proper fruit of a position known and enjoyed by faith, and not the result of one's own efforts to reach a position by works of law.' All true believers are a part of the Bride of Christ; hence, they owe Him those affections which become that relation.
God’s Grace
Paul’s epistles give descriptive details of the riches of God’s grace towards believers. He details over and again our position in Christ – our privileges and our possession. He desires that our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is firmly fixed on truth and not on the philosophies of man.
Deceptive Teaching
He also warns of an increase of false teachers and an inflow of demonic doctrines. Paul does not want believers to be deceived by false teachings or spiritual powers – for God has given us the truth in his epistles and desires that we remain firm in the faith.
Undermining Faith
This mindset of the world is rooted in the traditions of man and human viewpoint, and such a perspective robs the believer of all that it means to be IN CHRIST. We must be alert to the many ways that the enemy seeks to undermine our faith.. not allowing ourselves to be swept into the ungodly philosophies of this world – and not permitting false teachings or spiritual powers to rob us of our joy in the Lord.
We must have confidence in the heavenly position to which we have been elevated. We must understand the eternal plan and purpose that God has for each of His own. We must rejoice in our spiritual blessings and glorious identity in Christ Jesus. We must renounce all the lies that the enemy uses to undermine our faith in God.
INSTEAD…
INSTEAD... live your lives, by faith in Christ.
Be rooted and grounded and built up in Him - strengthened and established in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness and bubbling over with gratitude to our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
My Cross means that not even for Me can you be or do anything out from yourself; but if there is to be anything at all it must be out from Me, and that means a life of absolute dependence and faith.' -T.
God’s Grace
Like each and every gift of grace, His strength is ministered to each of us according to our need. We have no need of a bank deposit of $upply, No spiritual battery from which to draw our spiritual £trength. His supply is a continuous flow, received by faith as need requires. Life is divided into days – and day after day after day, He provides and supplies the strength. Down through the weeks which flow into months and years, He continues to provide ‘Strength for the day and bright hope for the morrow!’
Once we take, as actuality, what is already ours in Christ – we are living by faith.
Appropriating Truth
How do we appropriate the truth of God’s word and how do we live by faith?
Paul was a guy who practiced living in the sufficiency of Christ – by faith. Paul was a person that demonstrated how the normal Christian life should be lived.
But you, dearly beloved friends, must continue to build your most holy faith for your own benefit.
Defeat : Prepare : Edify
Such prayer is destined to DEFEAT the strategies of the enemy. Such prayer is designed to PREPARE the way for the salvation of the lost. Such prayer is designated to BUILD UP and edify the body of Christ in holy faith.
Every believer has an equal opportunity to become a participant, praying priest – linking their intercessions with those of past mighty men of faith and love.
Teach me, Lord, to pray with those who like Jude have prayed before - but you, dearly beloved friends, must continue to build your most holy faith for your own benefit.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing… Whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
Never-Failing God
Christ had nowhere to place His head and maybe in a way, I began to understand just a fraction of what that meant. But would I have to follow in His poverty-stricken footsteps even here – as each ‘pushed-on’ door continued to be slammed in my face. My faith was weak and my heart was crying and my courage was far from valiant! And encouraging phone calls came from my mother – that “He would provide…” Inspiring support from one who had also trodden this homeless way before me. Yet I almost despaired that God’s promise included me as well.
a little faithful flock. Many are called to be sons of obedience but few choose to answer the call. Many Christians prefer a legalistic life to a life of spiritual faithfulness and grace. Many believers prefer a carnal life to a life of surrendered obedience and faith.
but when obedient faith is exercised in the spirit of humility and grace, God works through ANY-one.
The apostle John informs us in that fellowship with God is the healthy Christian life, while Peter reminds us that God’s Word is the food we need for healthy spiritual growth – and God desires that we mature in the faith.
And once saved by grace through faith, we are to live by grace, walk by grace and grow in grace – in spirit and truth.
We want to earn our salvation but God requires us to accept His free gift of salvation and mature in the faith His way.
Do I allow visible facts of life to distort my understanding and affect my faith?
Biblical knowledge and articles of faith are necessary – but we must beware, when our philosophical ideals conflict with God’s revealed character.
first – from an early Christian walk of prayer and praise to secondly, the vital trial of our faith which is more precious than gold, to thirdly – the time when we shall know as we are known, and shall see Him face to face.
Faith or Works
The work of Christ on the Cross was His finished work alone – I can add nothing more.
I was born into the family of God by faith and by faith I am to live as a child of God.
Will I choose to live my Christian life by faith or will I try to live my life by works.
As a believer, I have a choice – to live by faith in the Son or to live by works of my own.
Life of Faith
Hebrews is not written to newborn babes in Christ, but is meat for the mature man.
Hebrews tells us how to live a life that is pleasing to the Father – a life of faith.
Hebrews is a book that urges obedient trust – listing many people of faith as examples.
We are to live by faith, for today is the accepted day..
Today is a time of child-training with rewards laid up in heaven – today is the day to live by faith as exemplified by all in Hebrews 11.
These were all commended for their faith.
This faithful company chose to trust God and like them, we also are to live by faith.
And Hebrews 12 tells us how to live by faith – how to be pleasing to the Father.
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Pioneer, and Perfecter of faith.
Hebrews 11 and 12
Hebrews 11 is the example of a great cloud of witnesses who lived their lives by faith.
Hebrews 12 gives instructions on how to become a witness that lives by faith as well - lay aside every weight -lay aside the sin which so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that is set before us.
We are to put away all that diverts us away from faith in God and trust in Christ – and we are then directed to strip off the one sin, which so easily ensnares us.
Lack of Faith
But Scripture is its own best interpreter, and the book of Hebrews zeros in.
The sin that hinders our Christian life and our walk with the Lord is a lack of faith.
Trust in Christ
The sin that trips us up and clings so closely is unbelief – as exemplified in Israel, for without faith it is impossible to please God.
But by faith all the men and women of faith in Hebrews 11 pleased God.
They were all commended for their faith.
Hebrews 12:1 The besetting sin of so many maturing believers is a lack of faith in God’s Word, because the focus of so many believers is trust in self and not trust in Christ.
Today Is The Day
Let us not harden our hearts or grieve the Lord as Israel did – let us live by faith..
Today is the time of child-training with rewards laid up in heaven – today is the day to live by faith as exemplified by that great cloud of witnesses.
God-guided Lesson
He will speak to your heart; He will shape your thoughts; He will direct your path– as in humility and faith you follow the best way. Thus you will not be continually directed by circumstances..
one fixed on Jesus the Author and Finisher of faith.
and He shall direct our path in all things, as in faith, we put our hand into His..
Both the forgiveness of sins and deliverance from sin are gifts of grace to all believers – and we appropriate both forgiveness and deliverance by faith in Christ's sacrifice.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
Foundational Facts
God has given us vital principles of the Christian life – foundational gospel facts.
He brings us to faith through rebirth..
Sixth, that we are seated in heavenly places in Christ and Seventh, lost in wonder and in praise in the knowledge of Himself. So after the product of 'initial faith' – is the processes of 'sanctifying faith'.
Rooted in Love
And after all of this… what then? The interesting this is, that over these years I have observed it all comes back to one thing… LOVE. Firstly, our relationship with the Lord Jesus is by faith. Secondly..
that faith without love is really very ineffective. Thirdly, every promise in Revelation 2 and 3 brings you back to loving Jesus. Fourth, every crown we can gain has its roots in love. Fifth – there is nothing we can do of ourselves. All these are vital principles of the Christian life. All these truths are foundational Gospel facts.
Growing Faith
Count it all joy when you fall into various troubles..
it increases your faith.
But don’t pray for wisdom with a doubting mind – that exhibits a lack of faith..
and remember – faith is increased through the various troubles and trials of life.
and count it all joy when you fall into various trials – it increases your faith!
He will convulse your very being – with the trial designed to increase your faith – as you pray for cherished wisdom, that is bestowed through believing trust.
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame. (Hebrews 12:2)
If only the believer had the eye of faith, to see it and believe it.
Living Faith
Enoch, the seventh from Adam beautifully exemplified this living meeting in the air: “By faith, Enoch was translated that he should not see death, and was not found, because God had translated him: but before his translation, he had this testimony, that he pleased God” Heb.11:5
Man’s Choice
Man has a choice – and that choice is by faith and not by sight or works.
Choose life or choose death – there is no middle ground, Man must meet God on a new principle – one decreed by God Himself – a principle we see in Abel, Enoch, Noah, and many others – even faith.
Law of Faith
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved…” Acts 16:31 Then once saved we are to live by the law of faith, we are to stand by faith; walk by faith; live by faith; pray by faith.
For faith secures the believers’ source, channel, power, sphere, and duration of Life: sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof Matt.6:43 – so live this day by faith.
It is the spontaneous outworking of spiritual forces released, in the acceptance by faith of tremendous facts concerning Christ; which facts are proclaimed out of experience in the power of the Holy Ghost.
Position and Condition
Some believers allow the trials and circumstances of life to shipwreck their faith. They only see the condition of their life instead of accepting their position in Christ. Oh, the trials of life are waxing worse and worse, but faith holds fast to His Word.
Carnal Way
Some believers unconsciously and unknowingly do not take the spiritual way. Their dear desire IS to walk in the spirit, in light and truth, and to abide in Christ, but there is a blockage that has barred their way – a resister, blocking their path, and most if not all great men and women of faith have faced this exact difficulty.
The only safe one is Christ, and therefore the only one who stands in God eyes is Christ, and it is as you and I, in all the brokenness, frailty, conscious weakness and humility of our own beings, by faith cling to Christ that we shall find the way out, the deliverance, the salvation.
Murray Explains
Andrew Murray explains:- A superficial acquaintance with God’s plan leads to the view that while justification is God’s work, by faith in Christ… sanctification (growth) is our work… to be performed under the influence of the gratitude we feel for the deliverance we have experienced, and by the aid of the Holy Spirit. As a result, many sincere Christians set out on this path..
Murray Concludes:
The believer struggles hopelessly for years, until he listens to the teaching of the Spirit, as He glorifies Christ again, and reveals Christ, our sanctification, to be appropriated by faith alone.
The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.Galatians 2:20
For we are saved grace…(through faith) and not of yourself so you won’t boast.
Salvation is God’s grace…(by faith) and is not to do with our merit so we can’t brag.
We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Throughout time men of faith looked for the day when the day-star would appear, for it is at one point on life’s horizon, at the break of the day, that the Son arises.
Basic Truth
This is the crux of being established in the faith.
In Paul’s life, the Lord swept away all self-confidence and all faith in himself, so that He Who raises the dead to life might show forth His life in him..
Your statement of faith may include the fact that you believe Jesus died and rose again, ascended to heaven, and is at the right hand of the Majesty on High, but how are you going to prove your statement?
You may believe it; you may be willing to lay down your life for that faith; you may state it with tremendous emphasis, and yet you are not thereby proving it.
You will never prove a thing by saying: I believe in all the fundamentals of the Christian faith!
Deity of Christ
The deity of Christ is an issue, upon which the entire Christian faith stands or falls.
If Christ is not God, there is no Christian faith – no Salvation – no hope – no future.
Those who accept the free gift of Salvation, which God freely gives to all who trust in His Son as saviour, (by grace through faith) revere Christ as God manifest in the flesh.
Whole Hope
One godly saint of old wrote these words for posterity: With all possible conviction and faith I confess my Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, on Whom my whole hope of eternal life and present rest and strength depends – in the proper and ultimate sense, we say – He is God… eternal; all-holy; almighty; One from eternity and to eternity, with the Father and the Spirit… forever and ever Amen.
you see He is God!! It is we who are to have our own expectations hammered into the finest powder... until we, by Faith, submit willingly to His entire leading and unimpeded guidance.
But this, while we are yet here in time, will everbe by faith's union.
In eternity, where the reception of thatfullness will be unhindered, the work of faith, though not itsfruit, will have passed.
But it is very important that we should recognize that foreverGod has bound up everything with His Son, and that nothingwill ever be had or enjoyed apart from Christ, while for thispresent life that is only by faith in the Lord Jesus.
But one thing was characteristic of Him in relation to a difficult handful, and that was His faith for them.
What faith the Lord Jesus had for those men!
It was not that He had faith in them, neither was it that He had faith for them because of what He saw in them; but He had infinite faith in the Father for them.
To do and to suffer His will is the highest form of faith. To bear a daily burden..
To be weighed down by evil in a Christ-rejecting sin-sick world. To be able to stay and to stand in such a school of discipline - to be able with His grace, to say.. The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it - is this not faith at its highest success? Is this not faith at its crowning pinnacle?
Cross to Carry
Great faith is not so much seen in the ability to do. Great faith is exhibited in the willingness to suffer with patient endurance. To have a God of compassion and empathy we need to have a suffering Saviour, Who in all points was tested like as we are, Yet without sin, for Who but the heart of Him could understand the suffering we choose to bear.
Simple Faith
“If our faith were but more simple, we would take Him at His Word..” So go the words of a dearly loved hymn, with a truth we often miss..
Everything of sin results in misery, depression, hurt, pain and disappointment, while all that comes from God is good, pure, holy, just, gracious, and loving. This truth permeates the warp and weft of scripture… from beginning to end. “If our faith were but more simple, we would take Him at His Word..”
It is now a scientifically proven fact that as fear increases so faith decreases.
It is the same destructive, savage decay used to shipwreck the faith of saints.
If we have been brought into the family of God, should we not obey His voice? Let us not disobey our Father’s instructions -but by faith rest in His WORD.
Let us not display unbelief – but by faith, let us rest in His promised provision.
Faith and fear are impossible bedfellows.
When worry and fear increase – so our faith in the Lord decreases.
and let us by faith, rest in His very precious provision.
Let us lay hold of God thoughts; let us by faith appropriate those thoughts, let us believe in God thoughts, let us seek to get into line with those thoughts, and take the Holy Spirit and His energies to form us, and constitute us, that God thoughts may become living expressions in us.
Only those who do not believe on the Son of God – by faith, do not have life.
Only those who do not trust Jesus as Saviour – by faith, remain spiritually dead. All who do not believe in God’s Son by faith – condemn themselves through unbelief. All who do not believe in Jesus Christ by faith – separate themselves from God.
We’re to trust in Him alone – to have faith alone in Christ alone and what He did for us.
This does not mean that our faith will not be tested. If it is faith, it must be tested – but profoundly speaking it will be easy to believe in God’s love.”
add to your faith – virtue; add to virtue – knowledge; add to knowledge – self-control; add to self-control – perseverance; add to perseverance – godliness; add to godliness – brotherly kindness.
His body became weary – His soul sorrowful, His spirit was committed to the Father and He was filled with compassion. From a biblical standpoint the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ is unquestionable. Denial of the true human nature of Jesus Christ (together with denial of His deity) – are probably the two most vital components in the whole of the Christian faith.
Unique Person & Work
The two natures of Christ is a simple concept and yet it contains a profound reality. Without the two natures of Jesus Christ humanity has no Saviour and no Salvation, but by faith in the unique person and work of Jesus Christ – as Son of God and Son of Man we are given the free gift of life – eternal life – abundant life – by God’s grace.
Fluctuating Faith
Our faith fluctuates like the tides of the sea – now strong - now failing fast.
Decaying World
In the carousel of life, even the man of faith is dissatisfied with his earthly lot, and we long for stability in just something – anything..
It is very possible to have a wonderful grasp of the Scriptures, a comprehensive and intimate familiarity with doctrine; to stand for cardinal verities of the faith; to be an unceasing worker in Christian service; to have a great devotion to the salvation of men, and yet, alas, to have a very inadequate and limited personal knowledge of God within.
Oscillating Faith
And faith in God fluctuates between good and bad circumstances. And trust in God ping-pongs as emotions rise and then tumble. And life has no stability because we have not fixed God’s Word in our heart.
Paul knows the One in Whom he has placed his trust and faith, in 2 Timothy 1.
And all we have to do is to believe it, to trust Him, and have faith in Him.
How often faith in Elohim – the Strong One – the Powerful God fluctuates..
For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.Galatians 5:5
This is the place where the greatest patience and trusting hope must be exhibited… where Love and Faith support the weary arms of Hope.. just as Joshua and Hur held up the weary arms of Moses, until the precious desire blossoms forth as a Tree of Life..
Although both faith and joy are included in the fruit of the Spirit,' joy can only flourish upon the foundation of faith.
When faith is present and active, favorable circumstances are not necessary for joy; trials and tribulations cannot daunt it.
So may we rejoice in the Lord' though all is dark around, with the joy of faith that sees the unseen and looks beyond the present and temporal to the eternal. -G.G.
Is it not true that faith wavers, weakens and ofttimes goes right down and under when in the way of the Lord's interests ourselves are entirely shut out?
What is the key to faith then?
The key to faith is this dividing of soul and spirit, or, in other words, it is the complete abnegation of self-interests not in the Buddhist sense of annihilation, but in the sense of God's interests becoming positive and predominant.
That is where the battle of faith rages; it rages upon that ground always.
It is this completely disinterested concern for what the Lord wants that is the key to faith.
You can see in the consummation that next generation which did go in, went in on this matter of faith only.
Moral Perfection
There is talk of one brilliant Brahmin scholar who was determined to bring the person of the Lord Jesus into disrepute and who spent the best part of eleven years searching Scripture to highlight the weakness of the person of Christ and the failings of His beautiful character and moral perfection – only to be brought to his knees, in faith.
People of Faith
Throughout Scripture God is looking for men or women with a heart for God.
He is simply looking for people of faith – people who will trust Him and believe His word – and throughout Scripture we see one here and we discover one there. He is looking for men of faith like Abraham and He is searching for leaders like Moses.
Heart for God
God is looking for men after His own heart like David, who will shepherd His people, and He is searching for prayerful men of integrity, like the prophet Daniel. He is looking for willing men like Isaiah who volunteered to do the Lord’s bidding – trusting men like Habakkuk, who lived a life of trusting faith.
Elements of a woman, that worships at His feet, in heart and soul. A man of faith – a woman of virtue.
As we read through Scripture, we discover one here and we find another there… But in the fulness of time God sent His only Son in the form of man, in Whom would dwell all the godly attributes of Deity bodily – for He is the ultimate Man of faith and virtue, the perfect Man of prayer and praise, the godly Man of wisdom and worship, the loving Man of obedience and humility, the gracious Man so beloved of the Father, Who was chosen to be our Saviour for He is the true Man after God’s own heart.
In receiving the Word of God by faith, there is first, light; then exercise of conscience; third, prayer - you are cast on God; fourth, the work of the Spirit to lead you into it.
It is a spiritual thing, the impact of Christ; not tradition, not history, not theology, but the spiritual power of His presence in terms of Life through faith and righteousness.
Trials and Temptations
God reveals patience and other graces through life’s trials and temptations. God develops faith in the man or woman that is thus broken before Him. James tells us to count it all joy when you fall into various trials.
God reveals that faith and spiritual fruit is perfected through sufferings… but He also reveals that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Generating Centre
We are expected, by faith, to listen to His Word and to accept His explanation, for Jesus is the only medium, the only link – the only channel to the Father.
Gift of Grace
The mystery of our faith was a truth that emanated from the heart of God.
It is the mystery of our faith; it is the glorious gospel of Christ; it is the amazing plan of God’s gift of salvation to you and to me.
We can confidently believe His word with absolute assurance and utter confidence, for without question, this is the great mystery of our faith.
Justified in the Spirit
The 2nd principle of this mystery of our faith is that Christ was justified in the spirit. Christ, Who knew no sin, was made sin so we might be made righteousness, in Him. He was made sin, and He bore the world’s sin – but Christ was the innocent sacrifice..
Great is the mystery of godliness Praise the Lord – for He wills that all are saved and come to faith in Jesus.
How gracious is God – for the people that walked in darkness were given the light, and those born dead in their sins can become sons of God, by grace through faith. Great is the mystery of godliness for the earth shall be filled with His glory as the waters cover the sea.
Spiritual understanding comes in the wrappings of tested faith and many trials!
James writes: My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience..
– 2) spiritual understanding is connected with steadfast faith in the Word of God – but let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
My Cross means that not even for Me can you be or do anything out from yourself, but if there is to be anything at all it must be out from Me, and that means a life of absolute dependence and faith.
John 5:24 and Paul expounds: for I through the law died to the law that I might live to God, I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
The only way inis by our receiving Divine Life as a gift through faith inJesus Christ, and that becomes the new basis of the newcreation, the basis upon which everything begins and iscarried through, the basis of Divine Life.
We shall come to the place where Abraham came, who became the great type of faith which moved right into resurrection: He considered his own body now as good as dead (Rom. 4:19).
Never, never is it necessary for anyone to know that desolation of God-forsakenness while they put their trust, their faith, upon His taking up this age-long issue as Man for man the issue of the light of Thy countenance.
And if He is there within, He has come to stay, and victory is in faith; believing that, standing on that, holding to that; and we must carry that through to its final and full issue, that He is Lord of all, Head of all principality and power.
If the Lord has willed us to the place where we are, our acceptance of it in faith may prove that it becomes a far bigger thing than any human reckoning can judge.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus.Philippians 1:6
Praise the Lord of Heaven and earth, that His ways and purposes are not ours. His purpose in life will be carried out in the life of a believer – by faith. His plan for each life will take time..
Fallen World
We live in a vile world system where the god of this age seeks to harm and destroy. We inhabit a wicked world where Satan seeks to point an accusing finger at God! We live in a corrupt sphere – where destruction of faith in God, is a key to Satan’s evil.
by faith offered up his only begotten son (of promise) to God.
Abraham in faith pleaded for mercy, when faced with Sodom’s destruction.
Well, for one thing, the very door into true Christianity is the door of rest, the rest of faith.
You will not think me too elementary, for you know in your heart, as well as I do in mine, that this matter of heart rest, the rest of faith, is a live question continually, it is coming up all the time.
It is the rest of faith, not just the rest of passivity, indifference, and carelessness.
Others prefer the trinkets of this life to the treasures that are stored up in heaven and many can’t comprehend that faith comes to the church by hearing not by sight – unlike Israel for whom signs were designed, so they could recognise their Messiah.
Yes, Many can’t comprehend that sanctifying faith comes by hearing not sight – thinking that spiritual maturity comes through experiences, signs, wonders, miracles or feelings!
And sometimes He will take us to the extremity of hope to test our faith in Him, for sanctification is: “being conformed into the image and likeness of Christ“.
God has set one singular requirement for spiritual growth, which is by grace through faith..
Single Standard
We are told that the only standard for pleasing God, is faith.
God has set out His criterion for pleasing Him and it is by faith.
Interlinked Attributes
But sanctification, grace, growth, faith et al, are all interlinked, and a wrong course in one will inevitably influence all the rest.
If we only have faith in the visible aspects of His word, we deny the invisible.
the mystery of faith – the mystery of the seven stars and the seven candlesticks..
Impossible Burden
This is the most difficult of all tasks for the insatiably curious human mind. It is an impossible burden for the one that declares “give me proof and I’ll believe”. It is always hard for prideful man to admit there are things we don’t understand, but it needs deep humility, founded on faith to admit that we’ll never understand.
Even Christ voiced His own condemnatory prophecy on the church of the future, will I find faith on the earth….?” Luke 18:8
Before time was created and the stars were formed, God alone existed, and God had a plan to save those who would believe on the name of His Son – and God purposed that man would be saved by faith and that man would live by faith.
and He purposed that without faith it would be impossible for His children to please Him – and He set out His plans and purpose in the Word God.
Live by Faith
The book of Hebrews was written to believers, showing the importance of living by faith: My righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.
Hebrews 10:39-11:1 tells us much about this ongoing, life-long sanctifying faith.
It is a continuous dialogue on the ongoing, lifelong sanctifying faith.
Saving of the Soul
In Heb.11:38 we are told that the justified man shall live by faith, which pleases God.
The redeemed man is to live out his Christian life by faith, which leads to the saving of the soul.
Life of Faith
Just and righteous living is connected with a life of faith.
Unjust and unrighteous living is disconnected from a life of faith.
These verses are telling us how a Christian is to live: for the just shall live by faith.
Now faith, is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Justifying Faith
And through faith, we understand that justifying faith is simply believing God – trusting in His saving grace.
Redeeming faith is simply believing that Christ died for your sins.
This justifying, faith caused the Spirit of life to make you a new creation in Christ.
This redeeming, justifying faith is connected with the blood of the Substitute.
Sanctifying Faith
Sanctifying faith is simply trusting God to do what He has said, as you grow.
Such faith is acting or living on the basis of what God has said about a thing.
Sanctifying faith is the tool the Spirit of life uses to develop spiritual maturity.
Sanctifying faith (Hebrews calls it the saving of the soul) conforms us into the image of Jesus.
Law and Grace
Under the Law, we read in Habakkuk that the just one was to live by his own faith.
Under grace we read in Galatians that the just shall live by faith: the faith of the Son of God, for the Spirit of Christ lives in us, as we yield to His child-training.
It is through sanctifying faith that we are given understanding.
Through the eye of faith we see spiritual things – we gain spiritual understanding: for things of the Spirit of God are spiritually discerned. 1Cor.2:14.
Established Order
Through faith, we understand that the ages were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen – were not made of things which do appear.” Heb.11:3.
God from the beginning, gave ‘order’ to all ages, of all time: past, present, and future, and He explained His plans and purposes in His Word – through faith.
Living by Faith
By faith.
Simply by faith..
simply by believing that: things which are seen (that is seen with the spiritual eye of faith), were not made, (that is: are separate and distinct, and not the same as), of things which do appear. (that is: the disorder in the world, that we see around us).
5 Points of Faith
Through the spiritual eye of faith that we see that His plan for us is perfect and ordered.
By the spiritual eye of faith a believer is to understand that:- 1) God ordered the ages through Christ. 2) The spiritual eye of faith sees the order in God’s wider plans and purposes. 3) The eye of faith sees God’s design as separate and distinct from today’s disorder. 4) The eye of faith looks beyond the chaos of today to the order of God’s future. 5) The eye of faith looks with Abraham to: a city….whose builder and maker is God.
The eye of sanctifying faith looks beyond the clamour of this sin-sick world.
The eye of faith sees; understands and believes that: if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself – that where I am there ye may be also.
The Faith of Hope
It is always so when faith’s hope appears to perish through our imperfect understanding... for God exchanges immortal beauty for the ashes of despair.
Hope of Faith
Bring Him the very finest and richest offering of loving trust and trusting love..
God opens the door of duty and service for each of us – if we will but step out in faith, and quietly move on in the direction He has planned for us, and thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying, This is the way – walk in it – when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
As you step out in faith, into the unknown, you will discover He has prepared the way ahead.
Love and faith combine to always have an advance of angels, to roll the stone away.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)
If He said, I am going to lead you into a bad time, it is all going to be dark and strange and perplexing and bewildering and helpless, but it is all right, I am working a tremendous thing, this is what I am going to bring out of it, if He said that, the faith element would fade out.
This is what is meant by Hebrews 11 and the men of faith, that is what it means.
Single Salvation
There is only one salvation, which is a gracious gift of God, and is accessed by faith alone.
One Gift of Grace
Salvation is ONE and yet salvation is THREE – for we were saved at a single point in time:- (justified) We are being saved through the passage of time:- (sanctification) and at a point in time, known only to God, we will be finally fully saved:- (glorified). There are not 3 salvations, but ONE gift of grace that is accessed by faith, in Christ, God’s ONE gift of salvation has THREE elements – 1) justification, 2) sanctification, and 3)glorification.
There is only one salvation, which is a gracious gift of God – accessed by faith alone.
We’re justified by grace; sanctified by grace and glorified by grace – through faith in Christ, and these 3 sparkling gems unite into God’s unique gift of grace – SALVATION.
How do you know but that in that very uninteresting, perhaps unpromising sphere of life you are on test on some of those great matters, such as faith, patience, or patient endurance?
When we come to analyze the throne we may find that it is made up of patience, faith, endurance, and all such moral elements, and that these elements constitute the power by which He governs.
There is something mighty in the ultimate outworking of the patience of Jesus, the faith of Jesus Christ, the endurance.
Education, politics, news – unrest, uncertainty disorder and chaos all combine.. and fear of the future and a loss of hope is the inevitable outcome – and lack of faith is the insidious bedfellow of hopelessness and despair… UNLESS… Unless we can hold fast that what is good – hold on to the promises of God.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20
Grace-Promise-Faith
There are two paths believers can follow in their Christian life, either grace or law, either faith or works, either promise or merit, either God’s way or man’s way.
The “grace-promise-faith” way is described in Scripture as a ministry of life: the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
A Christian living the “works-merit-law” way, will find death, failure, and misery, while one living the “grace-promise-faith” way will have life more abundantly.
Paul describes the serious consequences of living the “works-merit-law” way while outlining the tremendous advantages of living the “grace-promise-faith” way.
And in Galatians, he writes: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.
The “works-merit-law” route, as opposed to the “grace-promise-faith” route.
Law is man’s work, founded on the man’s merit and accessed through law, while grace is God’s work, founded on the promises of God and accessed by faith.
Any believer who has strayed along the “works-merit–law” path and its ministry of death can be restored to the “grace-promise-faith” way and its ministry of life for, His mercies are new every morning – great is His faithfulness.
Very few of the fundamentals of our faith came through Christ’s twelve apostles – (note: by fundamentals I mean the foundations of salvation – being saved).
Increased Understanding
The inexpressible, unknowable, unfathomable God started to unveil Himself, and men of faith, who trusted the strength of Elohim gained further disclosure.
Gen 5:2 And Abraham, the man of faith, who trusted God’s word said… My Adonai – My Lord, (and Master) if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Gen 18:3
Believe: believe in the Name of the Lord Jesus and have faith in His Word. Trust: just trust in His love.
God’s Commands
And He commands us: Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. Live by faith and not by sight and don’t get embroiled in signs and wonders. We live under grace and not under the law.Be faithful in the place that God has put you. Be faithful to the point of death. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God.
That the church will be totally leavened, as Jesus warned us. That there will be a famine for the hearing of God’s Word. That believers will run to and fro looking for a teaching that tickles their ears, and that Christ Himself asks that haunting question: will I find faith on the earth?
Acceptable Sacrifice
The difference was in their sacrifice and their approach to a holy God: by faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, and by the sacrifice he offered, he obtained witness that he was righteous.
as He taught Adam in the garden, through bloodied skins of innocent animals Faith believes that without a blood-spilt sacrifice there can be no approach to God.
Christ’s Atonement
The fleshly, carnal, egotistical Self – thinks man can draw close to God, but self-denial through the bloody sacrifice of Christ’s death is the only way, Praise and worship, and grateful thanks is all that man can offer to the Lord, but this can only be offered in full and clear intelligence that our sins are put away – and this can only be known by faith, in virtue of Christ’s accomplished atonement.
But we read in Hebrews: we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul, and we do this – by faith” Heb.10:39.
infirmities… reproaches… needs… persecutions… distresses… Five things that Satan utilised to destroy the faith of Job – and Satan failed.
Five things that Satan used to shipwreck the faith of Paul – and Satan failed.
Trust in the Lord
And Paul’s cry of joy proclaims, but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ, for Paul knew, just as Job knew that my Redeemer Lives. .es- there are 5 things that Satan is using to demolish and utterly shatter Your own faith, and they are: infirmities..
Look To Christ
Paul and Job eventually learned to look away from life’s circumstances – away from life’s situation and to look to Him, The Author, and Finisher of their faith. Yes, Satan’s attacks on ALL God’s bond-servants are used by the Lord – used to remove ALL that hinders the Lord Himself from living in and through you.
Prevailing Prayer
Such intercession becomes a progressive reality in the life of the man-of-faith.
Job lived by faith, and demonstrated his trust in the Lord through his intercession, and thus, from the start of Job’s walk with the Lord – Job interceded.
Noah, Daniel, and Job were Ezekiel’s – These three men…. These three men travailed in prayer. These three men worshiped the Lord. These three men lived by faith. These three men pleased the Lord. These three men were effectual prayer warriors. These three men were found interceding in the fiercest of times. These three men were found pleading for family; for friends; for their nation
Instead of triumphant living and conquering faith, we discover failure and misery – and a glut of impossible circumstances, frequently pockmark our Christian walk.
Faith Versus Fear
Sometimes it is the promises and truth of the Word of God that darkness assails..
destroying faith and hope – God knows how much we can all bear: For no temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1Corinthians 10:13
Truths to Remember
Jesus said: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. John 10:28. While Paul told Timothy to: Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 1 Tim6:12 Job confessed: Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
He is talking of the believers’ inherited rewards of those that love Him.. for those that live by faith in His Word – “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,” we are encouraged.
And Christ tells us that faith in His return and His kingdom will not be found.
but none of us know the date and time that the end of our life will be, but from the moment of believing faith, we were accepted by God, through Jesus.
From the first act of faith we were born again and accepted in the Beloved.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.Philippians 1:6
God is working in each life for eternity, and we must grasp hold of the scriptural fact that maturing in the faith takes time.
It Takes Faith
There are no shortcuts to spiritual growth.
This is not to discourage us in any way but to help us to settle down with our spiritual sights on eternity, by faith..
Jewish Founders
It was Jews and converts to Judaism that witnessed the wonderful works of God. It was 3000 Jews and converts to Judaism that were born again on that special day. It was Jews and converts to Judaism who became the founders of the Christian faith – and it was Jews and Jewish converts to whom Peter addressed his glorious speech.
Two of the major elements in the spiritual life and experience of His own are the seemingly slow and hidden ways of God, and the demand for persistent faith in His servants. -T.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
Simple Faith
There is one major weakness in the body of Christ, and individual Christians alike.
Saving Faith
It is not about believing in God… it is believing on the one that died and rose again.
Abiding Faith
But she has a choice..
to remain as a newborn babe in Christ OR to mature in the faith.
And whether 4, 14, 24, 44, or 94, maturing in the faith takes trust in God.
And whether 4, 14, 24, 44, or 94, growing in the faith takes time in our life-journey.
Such as the TIME that it takes to mature in the faith..
such as the FAITH that moves mountains is simply trusting God, not self!
Abiding Walk
Maturing in the faith takes TIME – a lifetime.
Maturing in the faith needs TRUST – simply standing on the facts of the Word of God.
Maturing in the faith requires that you apply PRINCIPLES of spiritual growth – principles that are clearly and concisely outlined in the Epistles.
Start of Faith
There is one major weakness in the body of Christ – and individual Christians alike.
Living Faith
Living your Christian life in the wonderful freedom of Romans Chapter 8 – where we read: There is therefore now no condemnation..to them which are in Christ Jesus (that is to them which are living their lives in Christ Jesus, and not living in the failure of the old man of Romans 7) There is therefore now no condemnation..
First Flush of Faith
And days come and weeks go and newfound faith is rejoicing shared.
And years pass and decades roll by and he looks back to that day of his salvation when faith was shared with friends and family and some joined and others refused.
He Who was the founder and perfecter of our faith, walked the same path of fear and doubt – Who for the joy before Him endured the cross, despising the shame.
Christ is not that, and we have at such times to say, Lord, this is my infirmity, this is how I am, but You are Other; I transfer my faith to You from myself and from these things.
Through grace, we are not in the flesh, but in Christ, yet the flesh is in us; but our part is to reckon it as having been, before God and to faith, judicially put to death in Christ crucified, thus setting us free to be so constantly occupied with the triumphant Son of God, as to find all our resources, all our strength, all our springs, in Him. -H.H.S.
Meditate on the mystery of the triad of his gifts: faith, hope and love – and you will discover the all-inclusive, all-comprehensive depth of His love – His deep love for you.
Always guarded by the power of God through faith.... In such a hope keep on rejoicing, although for a little while you must be sorrow-stricken with various trials (1 Peter 1:5, 6, Wms.).
If there is a great trial in your life today, do not own it as a defeat, but continue, by faith, to claim the victory through Him who is able to make you more than conqueror, and a glorious triumph will soon be apparent.
Let us learn that in all the hard places our Father brings us into, He is making opportunities for us to exercise such faith in Him as will bring about blessed results and greatly glorify His Name.
This almost never happens in the early flush of faith – but after decades of training... for the old sin nature must be recognised for what it is – a life of self.
Without faith it is impossible to please God.Hebrews 11:6
The Need for Faith
The great issue of the book of Hebrews is faith.
Faith comes by hearing…..
Hear Him
In times past God spoke through His prophets, but in these last days, God has spoken – through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Hear Him. By faith Able… By faith Enoch….
By faith Abraham….
By faith also David and the prophets. Yes, God speaks and man is called to believe what God has revealed. Hear Him. God has spoken - You must trust me completely..
Need to Trust
Nor try to find answers in other places, for we live by faith and not by sight.
Look to Jesus
Look to Jesus the Author and the Finisher of faith, for faith comes by hearing and hearing from the Word of God. HEAR HIM.
If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine (1 Tim. 4:6).
Paul outlines both options in his epistle to the Galatians: 1) the grace-promise-faith way and 2) the works-merit-law way.
The grace-promise-faith way is 100% achievable and done by God for man.
There is probably no more important message to the church today than this, for most believers having started their Christian life by grace through faith, revert from grace back to the law, by trying to live their life for God.
Blessings abound for those humble enough and courageous enough to seek to live their life the grace-promise-faith way.
Paul’s Challenge
Paul challenges those given initial salvation by grace through faith with these words: are ye so foolish, having begun in the spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? He is saying, having begun ‘the grace-promise-faith way’ are ye now made perfect by ‘the works-merit-law way?’ Many believers aren’t properly schooled in these two contrasting ways of living the Christian life and fall into the works-merit–law trap.
The grace-promise-faith way is the ‘spiritual’ route.
All believers are born-again the ‘grace-promise-faith’ way, for salvation is simply: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved – by grace thru faith, which is a done deed.
Faith Not Works
Believers make a choice to either live God’s way, which is the ‘grace-promise-faith’ way, or man’s way, the ‘works-merit -law’ way.
But, however commendable works of the flesh may be, they will never please God, for we are to live our lives by faith and not by works of the law.
To grow spiritually is the responsibility of each believer, but like justification can only be achieved the ‘grace-promise-faith’ way.
Grace-Promise-Faith
Grace abounds to those that are both humble and courageous enough to walk the grace-promise-faith route.
There is so much more to explore about living by grace in the book of Galatians, which step by step brings us from persistent failure and self-effort, into a victorious Christian life, which is only possible by God’s grace – through faith.
It is nigh impossible to see and know Him there by faith without a resulting intense desire to be wholly devoted to Him here. -C.A.C.
We have a new Person before us as the Object of our faith and affections; and as we drop ourselves and have the Lord Jesus as our Object, He is formed in us.
and 'waiting' for the Lord is an active expression of faith.
For faith is believing what God has said.
Faith is trusting Him in all that He has ever said in His word.
Jesus the Lamb of God
And for his remarkable, child-like faith, Simeon was one to hold and bless the infant Jesus.
Faith – Devotion – Seeking – Waiting. 'Wait' is a word so often underlined in my bible.
Faith...
Faith, is the key that unlocks our heart to reach the heart of God. We are all of us ageing in the physical, just like the aged Simeon.. but our souls are eternal and His plans for us are in the celestial body.
Faithful Life
This faithful godly man was given illumination in his old age, because he demonstrated a life of faith, of love, of patience and – Simeon waited.
The life of grace can only be understood if one has learned how to live by faith, and then apply it.
You see, living by faith does not come naturally..
Probably most of us still admit that faith can be difficult, yet faith is what is required and without faith, it is impossible to please God.
They live the “law-works-merit” way – rather than the “grace-faith-promise” way.
Every believer has been saved by grace through faith and placed in union with Christ; baptised into Christ’s death and was identified with Him the moment they believed.
A Teachable Spirit
To live our Christian lives by God’s “grace-faith-promise” rules, rather than the more logical “law-works-merit” rules requires us to live by faith and not by sight.
So that we walk the “grace-faith-promise” way (or fly the IFR way) rather than slipping into the “law-works-merit” way (the VFR way)
By faith, Simeon knew that he would not see death – until…
Unquestioning Faith
His future held no fear and each day that passed he must have thought..
is it today…? Few have received such an astonishing promise, but those who received such a pledge, must accept it, unquestioningly by faith.
By faith, Enoch was translated that he should not see death Heb.11:5. Elijah also knew, from the Spirit, that his transport awaited him by faith, and he was able, through the Spirit’s leading to grant his young disciples request.. and Elijah said:- if thou shall see me [when I am] taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee. 2Kings 2:10
Expectant Waiting
By faith Enoch, Elijah, Simeon believed the promise and lived in expectant waiting. Enoch waited his translation, Elijah his transport and Simeon to see the Lord’s Christ. Enoch waited for over 400 years and Simeon waited for the rest of his life. Their promise was given, accepted, believed, and they waited in humble anticipation.
Prayer and Faith
No doubt discouragement hit each at times as we see in Elijah.
The bible indicates that they were all men of prayer; men of praise; men of faith. Above all, it shows that they were all men who Waited on God, and waited His timing.
Elijah’s Faith
How often must he have been tempted to stagger through unbelief? How often must his circumstances have caused his deep resolve of trust to sink into despair – into unbelief and wavering at God’s promise. But Elijah trusted God – and Elijah waited.
Lesson For Today
What lessons good Elijah demonstrates to us in these latter times, as we reflect on his unwavering steadfastness of faith.
And Elijah trusted God – by faith.
Faith For Today
And what shall I more say, as we are reminded in Hebrews 11:32..
It is not difficult for us to see in the case of Abraham how his faith was brought into relation to God's time.
The time factor with Abraham was a very real one and was perhaps one of the keenest and most acute factors for his faith....
Again and again we come upon a test of Abraham's faith along the line of the timing of God.
Indeed, from one standpoint, we may summarize the whole of his life and say that it headed up at last to the triumph of faith upon that particular factor.
If his faith had given way he would naturally have taken the attitude that, since the thing had not been fulfilled in so long a time and in his lifetime, it all represented perhaps a big mistake on his part, a false expectation, some misguidance, and so on.
A Worthy Calling
Our initial salvation when we were born again is a gift of grace – received by faith. Our Christian walk as we grow in grace is also a gift of grace – received by faith. And as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of Him, so we will reflect our Lord – and we will walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called.
Grace through Faith
Well, every part of salvation is a gift of God’s grace that is accessed by faith. God does it all and we contribute nothing – all we had to do was to freely believe. Once we believed that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God Who died to pay the price for our sins…..
In Christ Jesus
All God‘s works were performed through the Word – the Word Who became flesh. All God’s blessings and healings – flow through faith in the Man, Christ Jesus, for in Him all things were made and by Him, all things hold together.
Faith in Jesus
For 3½ years the very revelation of God walked this earth, but He was not accepted. He came unto His own creation and His own people did not receive Him, but as many as did receive Him to them He gave the power to become sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.
There is one way and one way alone to come to the Father, and that is through faith – Faith in what?
Faith in the Son.
Faith in God
His own people believed in God – the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Many more believe in a distant creator God, Who rules from the heavens. But belief in God, faith in God, trust in God….
must be translated into faith in Christ Jesus the Lord.
Access Through Christ
For it is only through the faith in the Son of God, Who loves me that I live; Faith in the Son of Man, Who gave Himself for me….
that I am forgiven; Faith in the Servant King – Who broke the power of sin and death in me – that I have access to the throne room of the Father, and I am permitted to call Him Abba, Father.
In The Faith
Do you trust in the Lord, Christ Jesus, and in Him alone?
Do you have faith in the Son of God – the Son of Man… God incarnate?
“According to your faith (in the One Revelation of God Himself) be it unto you.” “According to your faith (in the Lord Jesus Christ) let it be to you.” “Be of good cheer, your faith (in the Son of Man) has made you well.” “Go your way; your faith (in the Son of God) has made you whole.” “Great is thy faith (in Me).
Let us examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith (in Christ alone)
Tough Lessons
But Saul of Tarsus met Jesus and had to be taught some of life’s toughest lessons. He learned that his own wisdom; knowledge; charisma and ability counted as nothing. He learned about faith: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 1Cor.2:5.
Author and Finisher
Let us in this life accept His child-training – His chastening – our sufferings: looking unto Jesus, Who is the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the suffering of the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb.12:2. Yes, Jesus..
We implore, more faith Lord, and the foundation of our security is ripped away.
He indeed is the Personification of unselfishness and strength; of mercy and love – and we live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved us, and gave Himself for us.
Your Rock is Christ, and it is not the Rock that ebbs and flows, but your sea of feelings.” Let us honestly examine our hearts to see where we have placed our faith.
But part of growing in the faith dictates that faith must be tested.
Growing Pains
Growing pains inevitable occur in all believers when our faith in Christ is tried. Sometimes stunted growth is the result of a lack of good teaching. Sometimes spiritual growth is resisted because of carnal desires.
Two Creations
Paul details how the righteous are justified by faith and are to live by faith – alone.
He explains in great detail God’s wonderful plan of redemption – through faith in Christ.
A Study:- Man’s Nature and Destiny
Faith is the substance of things hoped for – the evidence of things not seen.Hebrews 11.1
Need For Faith
Throughout the pages of Scripture, we are been pointed towards the need for faith.
Faith in the threefold work of the Holy Spirit in us and through us:-1) Saving our spirits. 2) Sanctifying our souls. 3) Serving through our bodies.
Initial Salvation
Faith is necessary for the initial salvation of the spirit.
We are saved by grace, God’s wonderful grace – but it is through faith.
God so loves… that whosoever believes shall be saved… John 3:16, for salvation, is being born of the Holy Spirit and is accessed through faith.
Spiritual Growth
Once a man is saved, faith must grow and develop through child-training.
Faith is needed for salvation, for sanctification, and for service and faith is essential if we are to please God in our daily living.
Faith is necessary for the continuing salvation of the soul.
Faith is required for holiness..
Faith is needed for a life that is being conformed into the image of Jesus, for maturing and sanctification is by the power of the Holy Spirit..
and is accessed through faith:-
Christian Life
Faith is necessary for living the Christian life.
Faith is critical in averting our sight away from current circumstances and faith is equally critical in recognising our present position “in Christ,” – for we are seated together with Him in heavenly places.
We must believe this truth – by faith.
The writer to the Hebrews climaxed the great need for faith in his eleventh chapter, reminding us that without faith it is impossible to please God.
Old Testament Faith
All the prophets of old pointed to the One that was promised to come, and a remnant believed and passed the baton of faith down through the generations.
Habakkuk put into words what others had expressed in prophecy: the just shall live by his faith.
New Testament Faith
Paul, that great apostle to the church, reminds us to live by faith and not by sight, demonstrating that in this church age our badge must be faith – faith working through love: for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
Paul also cautions us that faith without love is of little account.
We read: though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 1Cor.13:2.
The JUST shall Live by Faith.
The Just shall LIVE by Faith.
The Just shall Live by FAITH.
Faith in Hebrews 11
Faith is certainly an important element in this Christian life.
Faith is a vital quality in life that we just can’t afford to be without.
Faith grows by believing God’s Word.
Without faith, we cannot begin the Christian life.
Without faith, we are not able to continue the Christian life.
Without faith, we are not in a position to live the Christian life: for without faith, it is impossible to please God.
we must yield to the Spirit’s leading – we must remove all the doubt that hinders our faith.
Faith in Action
Faith does not shrink back through a furtive imagination or unfounded worry.
Belief does not require any visible reassurances or concrete guarantees: faith is the substance of things hoped for – the evidence of things not seen Heb.11.1.
Faith is the attitude of the soul that trusts the Word of God.
Faith is the action of the will that believes what Scripture says.
Faith is the decision of the mind that think on these things – and to act on the truth of the Bible.
Faith and Forgiveness
But what of forgiveness of the sins that I commit during my Christian life?
Pardon is offered on the condition of confession – confessing our sins to Him – and I need faith to accept His forgiveness.
Faith and Peace
I need to believe what God says and I need to trust what He means!
Faith is crucial for it unlocks our heart to God’s forgiveness.
Faith and Love
I must centre my mind on Him and trust in His immutable Word.
Importance of FaithFaith can be summed up in the following way: Faith is the soul resting in the Word of God.
Faith is the heart acting upon the promises of God.
Faith is the secret to a rewarding Christian life that triumphs.
Faith is the prerequisite to pardon, peace; purity, and power.
Faith is the root that renounces guilt, worry impurity, and weakness.
Faith is a key that unlocks our hearts to God’s love.
How important is FAITH in accessing all He has promised us – His children.
How vital is BELIEVING His Word and what He tells us – for this delights His heart – for without faith it is impossible to please God.
One Family
We are members of one body; united by one Spirit – one Lord, one faith, one baptism.
Grounded in Truth
We are to build each other up in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God. We are to mature in the faith until we attain to a measure of the fullness of Christ.
We are to stand firm in the faith – encouraging those that are weaker in the Lord.
All this can be if we will go the way of this man, and say, es, this has gone on long enough and it has to end, and to end, so far as my giving diligence is concerned, at once, and I do most truly by the grace of God take a deliberate and definite faith attitude toward the Lord Jesus for my complete deliverance and the setting of me upon my feet for His glory, for His praise!I think there will be an issue, and I think it will be e, leaping up, stood upon his feet, praising and glorifying God.May it be so with every one of us.
Men of Faith
Abraham is a highly esteemed prophet, who is honoured as the great father of faith, and rightly so for when called he trusted God and it was credited as righteousness. Moses was the great prophet, who is held in honour by the religions of the world, and rightly so, for He was the one who gave God’s perfect Law to the people of Israel.
Repentance and Grace
Abraham was a highly esteemed prophet and honoured as the great father of faith. Moses was the great prophet – reverenced by the many religions of the world, but John the Baptist is the greatest of all the prophets that have been sent by God.
His witness was to both Jew and gentile – a double message of repentance and grace. The LAW of Moses was given to REVEAL sin... but GRACE through faith in Christ REMOVES sin.
Our Father does not test our faith so much as He exercises and develops it.
Until we are carried quite out of our depth, beyond all our own wisdom and resources, we are no more than beginners in the school of faith.
Faith counts on the Word of God outside and apart from everything and everyone here.
When you are in faith your life is centered in the Lord Jesus.
The moment the heart is detained by anything here, faith is obstructed.
Eve had lost faith when she saw that the tree was good for food, and pleasant to the eyes.
If she had kept faith - dependence upon God - she would not have looked, but she had parted with the faith which overcometh the world when she saw.' The moment one becomes occupied with the visible one has parted company with faith. -J.B.S.
In John, the condemnation is connected to saving faith.
But we address the passage in Romans to believers... and is referring to sanctifying faith and living the Christian life.
They can live the grace-promise-faith way or they can live the works-merit-law way.
Right Choices
Remember, there are two paths a born-again believer can follow in their Christian walk: either the grace-promise-faith way or the works-merit-law way; either by grace or works of the law; either by promise or the works of the flesh; either by faith or by merit; either by living a spiritual life or living a carnal life; either by walking in the spirit or walking in the flesh; either by walking in newness of life in Christ or by walking by means of the old sin nature in Adam.
Let us seek to please our heavenly Father, by walking the grace-promise-faith way.
Ofttimes His trials were delivered though the ones that He loved the most: get thee behind me Satan, He cried to His dearly loved Simon Peter, and yet to this same staunch and dedicated servant He gave great reassurances: Satan has desired to sift you as wheat – but I have prayed for you that your faith fails not.
But assault after assault was made on Christ’s faith in the Father, and His obedience to God.
He uses whatever means he can to shipwreck the faith of believers.
He chips away at our faith in his vile manner.
Trusting Faith
The Lord warned that at His return for His Church, believing faith would be rare.
He even asked the question, “When the Son of Man comes.. will He really find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8.
However, this question is preceded by a precious principle of faith:- and shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?
Many are the Scriptures that warn us to 'hold fast to our faith'.
Job 13:16 And the prayer of Habakkuk is a timely reminder to hold fast to the faith we posses, for despite the temptation to lose his faith in God – He rejoiced over God’s faithfulness.
There is nothing we can do that can earn our salvation or trigger His approval, other than being covered by the blood of the Lamb and clothed in the righteousness of Christ - which can only be ours by God's grace through faith in Christ.
It is only by grace through faith that we are being conformed into the likeness of God's beloved Son... and by His grace, we have been promised an immortal body and innumerable, additional spiritual blessings by simply trusting Him for our salvation - by believing in the sacrificial death, burial, and Resurrection of Christ.
Jesus knew whether their professed faith was from a genuine heart of real repentance towards God and a desire to live godly, or if it was simply a counterfeit faith, that was following after Him for selfish motives.
Nor should we ever never forget that it is only by grace through faith in Christ that we are given a new opportunity..
a new nature that reflects the perfect character of the Lord Jesus, in His humanity - as we grow in grace and mature in the faith.
And in the same way, there are those in the Body of Christ today who are not enticed into the worldly ways of the apostate church, but contend earnestly for the faith, fighting the good fight of faith, taking hold of the eternal life to which the Church is called, and conducting themselves in a manner that is worthy of the gospel of Christ.
Both Abraham and Sarah, though reproductively dead and incapable of parenthood, trusted God's Word and became the pattern for Israel to follow - trusting God's promise, believing His Word, and living by faith.
And the Church as members of Christ's Body are His spiritual seed, for He is the eternal Author and Finisher of our faith.
Having been saved by grace through faith in Him, we are also called to live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved us and gave His life for us.
A faith that believes God - a faith that trusts His Word - a faith that walks in spirit and truth - a faith that in grace and humility whispers: Not I, but Christ.
God is faithful, and not only has he already delivered us from the consequences of sin and eternal separation from Himself by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ on Calvary's Cross, but He has also promised to deliver us from the evils of this world as we travel through this earthly life: Our hope is in Him, knowing that He Who has already delivered us, will deliver us again.
His deliverance is as sure and His Word is true, and we are to live by faith in His Word.
But the call of God for all His children is a life that is being conformed into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus; a life that is seeking to live godly in Christ Jesus, until it is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me: And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Let us run the race that is set before us and press on towards the goal of the upward call of God, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.
Paul encourages us to be patient in affliction and to share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus, while James instructs us to consider the trials and suffering we go through as a great joy, knowing the testing of our faith produces endurance, which brings our hope and trust in the Lord to its completion.
God's chastening hand may be corrective when we are at fault, but it can also be a refining fire which strengthens our faith in the Lord and establishes our hope in Him.
His words were not designed to exalt his person, position, or status, for his collective writings emphasise that our great salvation is only because of the amazing grace of God and His unfathomable mercy that saved us through faith in the sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
These saints remained constant in their love and loyalty towards the Lord, and were those who were maturing in the faith, growing in grace, and aware of their privileged position in Him.
Like all born again believers, those in this city were saints - saved sinners who had been declared righteous by God and made spiritually alive through faith in Christ.
It was not because of their goodness that they were called 'saints', but because of their great salvation through faith in Christ.
He urged them to fix their hope completely on the grace they received when they first heard, believe the glorious gospel of grace, and understand their salvation was through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
Since you have been declared righteous, by faith in Christ - love one another wholeheartedly.
Peter was calling them, and us, to love others as Christ loved us - with a sacrificial love, that can only come from a heart that has been saved by grace through faith in Christ - a heart that is in fellowship with the Father, through a cleansed heart that is walking in spirit, and in obedience to the truth.
Because we have a new-life in-Christ, and have been made a new creature through faith in Him, we have been given all we need for life and godliness, and Peter is reminding us that we have a responsibility to live our lives in a way that honours the Lord.
We are to remember that at the point of our salvation we were declared righteous in God's eyes, through faith, and have a duty to continue in holiness of heart, by standing on the truth of the gospel and allowing our conduct to reflect the character of Christ - through the power of the indwelling Spirit.
We have been obedient to the truth - through FAITH.
And as we continue to purify our heart and soul through living a life of faith, in obedience to Christ's commands, He will pour into our heart that sincere love for the brethren, that only comes through faith in Him - for we can only fervently love one another from the heart as the love of Christ streams into our soul and out to others.
He was full of faith and power, and Stephen performed great wonders and miracles among the people, causing many to come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
They placed a pagan 'Asherah pole' inside the holy Temple of God and even sacrificed their own children on the satanically inspired altar, to a blood-thirsty god, called Molech.God's offer of salvation, by grace through faith in Him, has lasted many thousands of years, but a day of deep darkness and righteous judgement is coming on the whole earth, when His wrath will be poured out on a God-despising, Christ-hating, sinful world.
Because of some issue that was mentioned in the previous chapter or verses, we are instructed: Therefore, leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.
We are being instructed to grow up spiritually in our Christian faith, and not to remain stuck in early Christian infancy.
Once we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, we are to grow and mature in our Christian walk.
And so we are urged to move on from the initial salvation message, where we are justified by faith, and are urged to grow in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour - as we press on to spiritual maturity.
We are to progress into a deeper relationship with the Lord, and to develop a more secure faith in Christ's sufficient grace, in every circumstance of life.
We are to stop being bottle-fed with the simple justification truths of Scripture and are to start to wrestle with the tougher aspects of our Christian faith, where we learn obedience by the things that we suffer, through a process of ongoing sanctification - where we are being conformed into the likeness of Jesus, Himself.
How vital to mature in the faith and feed on the meat of the Word of God - so that we may progress in the faith, share the good news of the gospel with others, and be ready to give an answer for the hope that we have - to all that are interested.
Just as we who are saved by grace through faith, were crucified with Christ and identified with His death, so we who are saved by grace through faith are risen with Christ and identified with His resurrected life, for in Him we are born into newness of life.
Because He died, we are saved by grace through faith.
Because He lives, we too will live and receive His resurrected life as a free gift of grace through faith.
God used the tempestuous ocean waves to correct the rebellious Jonah, and He used the same raging seas to develop, increase, and perfect the faith of Peter and the other disciples.
God never changes, and He has promised: When you pass through the waters, I will be with You. Fear may blind our eyes to the precious promises of God and cause faith to falter, but we are called to look to Jesus in every difficult, dangerous, or distressing circumstance of life, for fear and faith are incompatible bed-fellows.
It was eternal God Who commanded and caused this wonderful revelation of Himself to be gifted to man, through the Holy Scriptures, and He did it for a purpose: To advance the obedience of faith among all nations.
There is no excuse for unbelief, for now, as the prophets foretold through the command of the eternal God, His message of salvation by grace through faith in Christ is made known to all nations everywhere so that they too might believe and be saved.
Paul was unsure whether he would eventually be released or have to face immediate martyrdom for his faith, and perhaps the words he wrote in this passage also ministered to his own soul, during those long dark days in Rome.
He would go as a forerunner before the Messiah, in the spirit and power of Elijah, and turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and return many disobedient sons of Israel back to a living faith.
As Christians, we live by faith and not by sight, and often we are faced with decisions or choices which may have a significant impact on our future life and witness.
The omnipotent Creator of all things, the omniscient Judge of the earth and eternal King of Israel was despised and humiliated, rejected and unjustly condemned to death so that all who believe in the sacrificial offering of Himself might be lifted out of the pit of condemnation in which we are all trapped - so that by faith in Him we might become children of God and heirs of His promise.
but the day is fast approaching when ALL unfulfilled prophecies in connection with Christ will be finally and fully fulfilled and we too will Behold the Man, Who chose to die a sacrificial death so that by faith in Him..
But the Christian is called to live by faith in the Word of God and not by sight.
We are to live by faith in His Word, and not to be led by our feelings, experiences, or emotions that may be induced by the world around us.
The Word of God not only tells us of our salvation by grace through faith in Christ as Saviour, but the Bible tells us the end from the beginning.
It tells us that our faith is built on the witness of the apostles and prophets of God.
Peter saw the transfigured Lord on the holy mount with his own two eyes, but we are to live by faith in the Word of God and the more sure word of prophecy that God gave to us through holy men of God.
And we who trust in Christ as Saviour should heed the truth of God's Word in our hearts, by faith with thanksgiving, until the day when Christ returns for us in the clouds, to take us to be with Himself forever.
He came in the likeness of mortal flesh, lived a humiliating life, died an obscene death, and was hated and scorned by those He came to save, all because it is not His will that any are condemned but that all come to faith in Him.
Praise God that we can receive salvation through Him – by faith.
Our sins have been forgiven by faith, and our eternal citizenship is secured for us in heaven.
His Resurrection from the dead imputes His resurrected life into those that are His; for His eternal life is a free gift of God's grace, through faith in Him.
By faith we are forgiven of our sins and identified with His perfect righteousness. By faith we transferred our allegiance to Satan, our citizenship of this fallen world system, and the punishment that follows, into the kingdom of God and the glorious future we have in Him.
It is adherence to man-made rules and regulations, but faith in Christ is the only way that God ordained for man to live.
As members of Christ's Body, it is by His grace we are saved, through faith in Him, and it is also by grace through faith in Him that we are to continue to live our lives.
May we live each day through faith in the Person and work of Christ Jesus, our God and Saviour.
A life with a passion for Christ gives rise to a life of victory, where the power of faith and the sufficiency of His grace, overcomes the difficulties of life and the sting of death.
And it is as we walk in spirit and truth, as we live our lives in faith and love, as we remain in Him and abide in Him, we are able to say, It is not I that live, but CHRIST that lives and abides in ME, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.
He wrote to remind them of the hope of rewards at Christ's return.Paul's epistles are filled with wise instruction on how to live the sanctified life of a normal Christian, and often include the names of other brothers and sisters in the faith who laboured with him in spreading abroad the gospel of grace.
Timothy was sent to find out how the believers there were getting along, to establish them in the faith, and give them spiritual support and godly encouragement.Paul rejoiced when Timothy returned with the joyful tidings that they were being established in the faith and well-grounded in the Word, despite the many difficulties and distresses they were facing: May the Lord cause you to increase in your faith and abound in your love for one another and for all people, was Paul's heartfelt prayer for them all, just as we also do for you.Paul continued in prayers and loving intercessions for the saints at Thessalonica, beseeching God the Father Himself and Jesus our Lord to direct and govern their ways.May we be like Paul, and remember to lift up our fellow Christian brothers and sisters in continuous and loving prayer and heartfelt intercessions.
We are not only to trust Him when the great giants of opposition and oppression are put to flight, but we are to keep on trusting Him when our faith in God is severely tried, when we are insulted and persecuted, and when others say all kinds of evil against us falsely for Christ's sake, for He is a faithful God Who does not change, He abides forever, and He has established His throne in the heavens for righteous judgement and everlasting peace.
Our faith in God pleases Him while our thanksgiving glorifies Him, and the one that glorifies the Father is the true worshipper who worships Him in spirit and truth.
Our faith in God pleases Him, while our genuine thanksgiving glorifies Him.
As we recognise the truth that Christ's sacrifice was made once for all and forever... and that by faith in Him our sins are not simply covered but fully forgiven, we can rejoice with exceeding great joy that the Mosaic Law, the Feasts of the Lord, the various priestly ceremonies and bloody sacrificial offerings of the Old Covenant, were true shadows of the glorious reality that was manifest in Christ Jesus Who has saved us from our sin and seated us together with Him in heavenly places.
His Word is a lamp to our feet and a guiding light along our pathway, for by grace through faith we have been made His children and are called to walk in the light of His love, by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.May the light of His love so shine through each one of us, that men may see our godly deeds, hear the Word of truth, trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, and glorify our Father Who is in heaven.
Let us pray that God would send out labourers into the harvest-fields of souls that need to be saved by grace through faith in Christ, and let us ask God to bring into our lives people, with whom we can share the good news that: Whoever will call on the name of the Lord, will be delivered - for how can they call on the Lord, in Whom they have not believed?
Paul traces the great plan of redemption from the first man-Adam to the last Adam-Jesus; from the old creation in the flesh to the new creation in the spirit; from the old sin nature to the new life in Christ; from the curse of the Law to the freedom of grace, and points out that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone and not by personal merit or through works of the flesh.
Paul made it very clear that Israel plainly understood that the Lord required godly righteousness by grace through faith, and not man's fleshly righteousness by works of the Law, but they refused to receive their heavenly Kinsman Who was God's chosen sacrifice for the sin of Israel as well as the Redeemer of the whole world.
It was Moses who foretold that Israel would be provoked to jealousy and anger by a rag-tag group of foolish Gentile believers who would receive the free gift of salvation from the God of Israel, by faith, before they did, and it was Isaiah who foretold that Israel's Messiah was also to be a light to lighten the Gentile nations: And that they would become God's children as a result of Israel's transgression, rebellion and apostasy.
Faith is expressed in prayer and prevailing prayer is an expression of faith - and David pleads God's righteousness as the legitimate reason for his own cry of deliverance: For the sake of Your name, You will lead me and guide me.
Nebuchadnezzar's fluctuating emotions demonstrate the folly of a double-minded man and the importance of knowing the truth, standing firm in the faith, and honouring the Lord in all we are.
And however much we like to speculate - there is only One Who knows exactly what took place on that special, second day of creation... when the waters below were separated from the waters above and God ordained that great star-studded expanse to separate - one from another - and it is by faith that we understand that the worlds were prepared and created by the Word of God.
We who were dead in trespasses and sin and without God in the world, have been brought near to God because of Israel's transgressions, and by grace through faith in Him, we have been made children of God, forgiven of our sins, made part of the Body of Christ, been in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit and received eternal life as a free gift of God's grace.
Whether the brothers and sisters to whom he was writing were new into the faith or well-weathered, seasoned saints, they were often referred to as 'little children', for all had been sinners saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, all had their sins forgiven through His shed blood, and all had been given eternal life as God's free gift of grace.
The enemy will taunt you with your unworthiness to receive all the promises that God has given to His people and try to scupper your faith in Him, but your unworthiness has been replaced with Christ's righteousness, and when God looks at your account, all He sees is the righteousness of His Son.
By God's immeasurable mercy, inestimable grace, eternal wisdom, and unlimited kindness, their faith was credited to them as righteousness.
The man and the woman were saved by grace through faith in God's Word.
They were saved by faith in the coming Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us never forget that like Adam and Eve, Noah and Abraham, Daniel and Peter - James and John, we have been saved by grace, through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God's unimaginable mercy, incalculable grace, infinite wisdom, and amazing kindness - not as a result of works, lest anyone should boast.
He knew that many blessings and benefits follow those who continue earnestly to pray in faith and for those who are vigilant in their worship, praise, and thanksgiving.Paul knew that it is God's will that His blood-bought sons and daughters rejoice in the Lord always, and so he encouraged each one to rejoice continuously, to pray without ceasing, and in everything to give thanks and praise to our Heavenly Saviour.But Paul also knew that prayer is a God-given privilege that has been awarded to every Christian, and those that walk in spirit and truth and pray into the Father's will, are assured that their prayers will be heard and answered, for His greater praise and glory.Paul therefore coveted the intercessions and prayers of these saints in Colossae.
He was a precious brother in the faith, a loyal servant of the Lord, and a faithful minister of the gospel who accompanied Paul on his third missionary journey.
Not only did it contain news of Paul's current circumstance, but he knew that this faithful servant of the Lord would edify the saints, encourage them to stand firm in the faith, and hold fast to the truth of the glorious gospel of grace.He wrote to inform them of his current situation during his imprisonment in Rome, and to reassure them that he was Christ's ambassador in chains whose ongoing desire was to share the gospel as boldly as he could.
The godly character of this dear man of faith was manifested in his actions, attitude, and commendable ministry.May we, like Tychicus, walk in wisdom, pray in spirit and truth, redeem the time, and give godly comfort and encouragement to our Christian brothers and sisters in Christ.
Despite the Corinthian Christians being saved by grace through faith in Christ, Paul had some serious concerns about their ungodly conduct, their spiritual immaturity, their argumentative behaviour, and their abuse of spiritual gifts.
Sadly, this is what happened at Corinth to such a great extent... that the foundational facts of their faith in Christ's death, burial, and Resurrection became so distorted that the saints had started to deny the likelihood of their own resurrection from the dead.
Paul pointed out that believing on Christ's Resurrection is foundational to their faith - and because He lives, we too will live, in newness of life.
If Christ had not been raised from the dead, then everything about the glorious gospel of grace, and our faith in the Lord Jesus would be false and worthless!!
If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is worthless, Paul wrote, and you are still in your sins!
All who have been saved by grace through faith in Him, have been promised that their earthly, perishable body will be raised a heavenly, imperishable body..
God speaks to us through His living Word (the Lord Jesus Christ), and His written Word (the Holy Scriptures), and God has called us to hear Him because faith comes by hearing and hearing from the Word of God.
How much more we who have an old sin nature need to keep ourselves ever covered by His protecting power and yielded to the guidance of His Holy Spirit, as we remain in Him and He in us.The little power-packed book of Jude opens by encouraging maturing Christians to contend earnestly for the sanctifying faith that works in and through the lives of born-again believers, and which will bring them to spiritual maturity.
The book concludes with a lovely section that encourages us all to remain in the love of God, to build ourselves up in the most holy faith by means of the indwelling Spirit, and to keep our hearts and minds focussed on the Lord Jesus, watching for His any day return.We cannot keep ourselves from stumbling, but Christ can, and so we need to dig deeply into His Word.
Faith in God and believing in Jesus Christ Whom He sent, was the important issue.
During His early ministry, there are many examples where Jesus stated that a miracle occurred because of someone's faith.
It was because of her faith in Jesus that the woman with an issue of blood was healed.
It was by faith that blind Bartimaeus received his sight, and when Jesus saw the faith of the four men bringing their sick friend to Him, He healed the paralytic man.
They did not have faith in Jesus.
However, on this second visit, their lack of faith was exposed more fully and their hostility started to percolate.
No wonder Mark recorded the serious lack of faith that was displayed in Nazareth that day.
And so, we read that Jesus was not able to do any miracles there because of their lack of faith, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.
those saved by grace through faith), and that on whomsoever that Stone shall fall, will be ground to powder. (i.e.
God in His wisdom and grace gave us this important picture of world domination, through a succession of evil empires dominated by Satan, to purify our hearts and strengthen our faith.
Let us rejoice that He is coming back to reign on earth and that because of our faith, we will reign with Him forever.
From start to finish, the book of Galatians outlines the deep concern that the apostle Paul showed for the Christians in Galatia who, having been saved by grace through faith in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and having been born from above, chose to give up the glorious liberty they had in Christ (salvation, through the hearing of faith) for the meritorious work and legalistic bondage from which they had been set free.
Having been delivered from slavery to sin by faith and having been released from the curse of the Law, they returned to a works based salvation!
If salvation is gained any way, other than by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, then Christ died in vain!
Page after page, Paul had contended with the Galatians because they had abandoned the liberty of the Christian faith, having been seduced by the Judaisers of the day into adopting the restrictive practices of the pre-Cross legalistic Judaism.
The only reason that we are declared righteousness is because we are positioned in Christ by faith, accepted in the Beloved, and covered in His cloak of righteousness.
We are declared righteous by faith in the only begotten Son of God for the forgiveness of our sin and we are to continue to LIVE by grace through faith and not by works of the law.
Most people seem to know that the only way to be saved is by grace through faith in Christ... but we are also to live by faith and to grow in grace.
We are to live our lives - by grace alone through faith alone in Christ ALONE.
But by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, God delivered us from the domain of darkness: And transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son.
But by a simple act of faith in Christ's finished work at Calvary, we have been lifted out of this shocking state of eternal slavery and transferred into Christ's glorious kingdom of everlasting light and life; the kingdom of God's only beloved Son.
We should study God's Book of instruction, particularly those passages that relate specifically to the Church, and we should continually feed on His Word in our hearts by faith with thanksgiving.
He also explains that in the end times, two-thirds of the nation of Israel would be killed, but that a remnant would return to the Lord and be saved by faith in Him.
May we be increasingly aware of the days in which we live and take every opportunity to tell others that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ before this terrible time of Tribulation.
They were a young Church, who were growing in grace, maturing in the faith and making steady progress in their Christian walk.
Paul's letters were designed to strengthen their faith, encourage them towards holy living, correct any false doctrine, remind them of his apostolic authority, and further instruct them in Church-age doctrines and principles of godly conduct.
Gold, silver, precious stones and crowns are identified as the rewards which are given to celebrate the work of faith, the labour of love or the steadfastness of a believer's hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, and each crown is received in the presence of God the Father.
In Corinthians, we read of the Imperishable Crown, which is given to those who have run the race of life and obtained this award because of their obedience to God's Word, as they looked to JESUS the Author and Finisher of their faith.
In the early Church, it was hard for Jews who were steeped in centuries of tradition to recognise that the Christian faith was not an extra bit of doctrine tagged on to the Jewish religion, but the fulfilment of God's promise to make a New Covenant with them.
They did not understand that the Law of God, the Prophets of Israel, the Psalms, and the Feasts-days were all pointing to Christ, and that 'the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus' had set them free from 'the law of sin and death'.Today, as in those early days of Christianity, there is still much confusion about the 'gospel of God' and there are many attempts to add law to grace, and works to faith.
They are men and women of faith, who are not only physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but Israelites who have trusted God – and their faith is credited as righteousness.David, Daniel, John the Baptist, Paul the apostle, Mary of Bethany, Barnabas, and many others were physical decedents of God's chosen nation, and because they believed God and trusted His Word, they were justified in God's sight.
Indeed, Scripture labels Jews as 'the Circumcision' to identify their physical link to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to differentiate them from 'Uncircumcised Gentiles'.HOWEVER, as Abraham was also the father of FAITH, Paul identifies ALL believers, both Jew or Gentiles, as 'the True Circumcision' who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh.
ALL believers, whether circumcised Jew or uncircumcised Gentiles, are one in Christ and lay claim to the same spiritual circumcision, a true circumcision of the heart because we are ALL saved by grace through faith in Christ.
For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but we are a new creation and may peace be on all (Gentiles) who will walk by this rule, and may MECRY be upon 'the Israel of God'.What grace that believing Gentiles, together with believing Jews, are designated by Paul as 'the True Circumcision' because of our faith.
We are not called to make the world a better place, but to share the good news of the gospel of grace, so that men, women, boys, and girls may be saved out of the world - by grace, through faith in Christ.
We also discover later in Scripture that it is faith in God that is credited to man as righteousness..
Noah believed in Him... Noah had faith in Him.
Without faith it is impossible to please God, but Noah's faith pleased God and so Noah, found grace in the eyes of the Lord and His faith was credited to Him as righteousness..
of believing in God - of having faith in God..
for without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who dilligently seek Him.
Indeed it was by faith that Noah..
by which He condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
Paul was certainly filled with joy knowing that there were many who were continuing his work and preaching Christ from a sincere love of the Lord and a desire to tell forth the glorious message of salvation by grace through faith in Him, but he also rejoiced over the ministry of those whose motive in preaching was rooted in envy and strife.
May we never allow wrong motives or fleshly attitudes to influence the calling that God has laid on each one of our lives, rather, let us rejoice that the good news of God is being proclaimed to lost souls who need to hear the glorious gospel of salvation, by grace through faith in Christ.
But a life of faith cannot be founded on the shifting sands of doubt and disappointment, but needs to be secured to the changeless foundation of Jesus Christ Who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, for His steadfast love never ceases.
Despite being in the midst of death because of sin, we have an assurance of great glory to follow, for we have been saved by grace through faith in Him.
He has promised an eternal home in which we will be housed, an everlasting and secure heavenly dwelling-place which is ours by God's grace through faith in Him.
It was at that time that the Lord Jesus began in earnest to prepare His little band of faithful followers for His shocking betrayal, false accusations, unjust trial, cruel death, and glorious Resurrection.Over and again, His disciples failed to comprehend the serious nature of Christ's repeated prediction of His fast-approaching betrayal and death, and it became necessary for Jesus to speak plainly about the severe self-discipline His followers would require if they were to stand fast in the evil day and not be sifted as wheat by the enemy, nor emotionally tossed about by the terrible things they were soon to face.A simple, immovable, childlike faith in Christ Who had come as God's anointed King, His promised Messiah, and Kinsman-Redeemer, was essential as the days grew darker: Whoever receives Me, Jesus said, receives Him Who sent Me.Petty differences of colour or creed were to be laid aside, and a unity in the faith was to be established by those who acknowledged Jesus as Lord.
But we who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, should recognise God's Word as the most precious tool in our Christian arsenal which provides all we need for life and godliness.
He also reminds us that we have a living hope in Christ, for when we finally see Him we shall be like Him... and this glorious hope keeps us pure, even as we are pure through faith in Christ - for by faith in Christ we are forgiven of our sins and covered in His own righteousness.
Praise God that there is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus - their sins are remembered no more and they are accepted in the Beloved and covered in His perfect righteousness - by faith.
as we look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.
And we find that Paul's closing words to the Corinthians, are designed to encourage Christians to watch, to be on the alert, to stand firm in the faith..
And that same, the evil enemy, who is called the devil and Satan, will also try to approach us as an angel of light - through the medium of deceptive people, false apostles and deceitful workers, who pretend that they are apostles of Christ - but their witness and faith is compromised.
We are not to compromise our faith but to cling fast to that which is good and noble, right and pure - honourable, admirable and lovely.
But too many Christians wrongly think that a victorious Christian life is a happy, trouble-free existence where every whim of our heart is magically fulfilled by some sugar-daddy in the sky, cherry-picking Scriptures that 'prove' this false interpretation of the Word while proclaiming that the problem of others results from their lack of faith.
We are reminded in Scripture of the men and women of faith who experienced shocking ordeals, many of whom endured torture and trials and underwent stonings and scourgings.
James explains that God uses trials to test our faith and to produce endurance.
Our life trials are not, as some suggest, a lack of faith or God's punishment, but a purifying tool that God uses to hone and refine His children, to develop our trust and dependence upon Him.
God's purpose in each of our lives is to educate, discipline, and train us in righteousness and the fiery trials that come upon us are used by Him to try us, as the furnace tries silver, to cut deep into our fleshly nature and polish off all the fleshly dross that contaminates our new-life in Christ so that by grace through faith we will not murmur, but humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, knowing that He has promised to exalt us in due time.
He never goes back on His Word nor does He grow weary, and in His loving-kindness, He gives grace to the humble and renews the strength of those that wait upon Him, by faith.
They are a call to us all to turn from any wrongdoing in our lives and live by faith and not by sight; to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding.
It is faith in His Word that is needed to soar with wings as eagles.
His grace is enough for every eventuality in life, and His provision comes through faith in His beloved Son.
No matter what our station in life, there are many lessons that each one of us can learn from this little letter to Philemon. What a joy to know that no-one is excluded from the good news of the gospel of grace, for anyone can be saved through faith in Christ.
Men were saved by grace through faith, just as they are today, BUT the people were required to work the works of God and the keep the entire Law, to earn God's blessing.
He was superior to the priestly line through Levi or the royal line of David, for Melchizedek, a type of Christ, was both KING of Jerusalem and PRIEST of the Most-High God, and he commanded honour from the greatest Jewish patriarch, the father of faith.
Jacob's faith in God needed to be rekindled and God needed to break the fleshly inclinations of this schemer so he would recognise that God and not Jacob had been his Provider and Protector over the years - that God and not Jacob had guided his path.
Jacob needed the strength to continue his journey; he needed courage to meet with his estranged brother; he needed faith to continue on the road to Canaan; he needed wisdom to know what to do.
By faith, Jacob endured his trial.
His faith was strengthened, he grew in a knowledge and understanding of God, and became an overcomer who was spiritually prepared to relinquish to his own reasoning and to trust the promises and provision of God.
He had to live by his faith and not his wit.
It is wise to note that Jacob's experience in his wrestling match with the Man Who dislocated his thigh is very similar to the trials, tribulations, and testings that each one of God's children experiences when He wants to teach us an important lesson, instruct us in a necessary truth, or fine-tune our faith in Him.
May we never forget that those who bless Israel will be blessed, and those who curse them will themselves be cursed, for salvation comes through the Jews – for salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ, our God and our Saviour.
Jeremiah reminds the faithful remnant of believing Israel (and also those of us that are saved by grace, through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord), of the wonderful fact that the Lord examines the heart and gives to each what they deserve, based on what they have done, by faith: I, the Lord search the heart.
God is righteous and must punish sin, but He is also faithful to fulfil His promises to those that love Him and to reward those that place their trust in Him - for without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
so that we may grow in grace, mature in the faith and discover the hidden things of God - for secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things He has revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all that He commands.
Let us praise our covenant keeping God for all His loving-kindness and tender mercies to us and to all men, and let us live by faith in the Son of God Who loves us and gave Himself for us by taking upon Himself the judgement that we deserve so that His multi-coloured-grace can shine in our hearts throughout all eternity.
As a result, we find: The Word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many priests were also becoming obedient to the faith.
An increasing number of Jews, including a large number of priests, were coming to faith through the power of the Spirit, as the truth of Scriptures was unfolded.
But his successful ministry angered the Jewish leaders who arrested him and killed him for his faith in Christ.
The enemy of our soul desires to shipwreck our faith and render our testimony impotent - either by stroking our ego or by causing us to become fearful.
Whether Jew or Gentile, all men are guilty sinners and under God's eternal judgement UNLESS they are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
All are at enmity with their Creator and bound for the lake of fire UNTIL they are saved by faith in Him.
Although the Lord chose the Jewish race to be His people through whom the Messiah would be born, their birthright did not provide any exemption from God's directive that salvation, which is a gift of grace, received by faith alone in Christ Jesus alone as detailed in Scripture.
Although Israel was identified as God's chosen nation through their covenant agreement with the Lord and the sign of circumcision given through Abraham - salvation for Jew and Gentile alike is given by God's grace - through faith in Christ Jesus.
While salvation comes THROUGH the Jewish nation, it is only through faith in the Jewish Messiah that an individual soul can be redeemed from the slave market of sin.
He wanted them to understand that God is not a man that He would change His mind or reject His people and so, anticipating their reasoning, he asked a rhetorical question of his readers: Shall Israel's unbelief make the faith of God without effect? - will their unbelief make the assurances of God ineffective?
They refused to take the 'Mark of the Beast' and they were martyred for their faith: And I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast, nor his image, nor had received his mark upon their foreheads or on their hands.Following the Rapture of the Church, the wrath of God will be poured out in full measure on a God-hating, Christ-rejecting, Jew-loathing, sinful world.
This is why Paul and the other apostles laboured to share the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ, to share the whole counsel of God, to teach sound doctrine, and encourage the daily study of Scripture - so that we may be perfect and mature in the faith, wanting nothing.
Despite the many false Christs, false prophets, ravenous wolves, and relentless attacks by the enemy on the Christian Church, the pure gospel of grace has reached our ears - for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
And the gift of God that the Lord Jesus spoke of to this woman-at-the-well is His free gift of salvation, which is openly available to all who will accept God's gracious offer of redemption and be cleansed of their sin, by faith in Christ.
There is one God Who gave one Saviour to the world and ordained one way to be saved; by grace through faith in Him.
It is not God's will that any should perish but that all should come to a faith in Christ's finished work at Calvary, and so God planned and purposed to give His one and only begotten Son to become the one and only Saviour to a world of lost sinners, and ordained that the one and only way to be saved was by grace through faith in Him.
Like Christians in the early Church, we also need to know that there is a resurrection unto life for the believer, and a resurrection unto death for those that have rejected God's gracious offer of salvation by grace through faith in Christ.
Let us seek to share the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ with those that are dead in their sins and without hope in the world, knowing that every day that passes is a day of grace when lost souls may come to a saving faith in Christ Jesus our Saviour.
It is by maintaining a simple trust in Him that we are able to thwart all the earthly thorns and thistles in life that seek to trip and to trap, to ensnare, undermine, and destroy our faith.
The amazing gospel of the grace and glory of Christ that removes condemnation from all who are saved by grace through faith in Him, is the same gospel of truth and righteousness which places all who have not believed in the only begotten Son of God under God's eternal condemnation and an everlasting separation from the Creator Who made them.
Have we walked in the 'old ways' that stand on the Word of truth and lead us in the way of righteousness, or have we bought into a watered-down doctrine and a compromised faith through adopting worldly philosophies or engaging in fleshly behaviour.
We are not called to walk the same ancient path to which Israel was called, but we are required to be faithful to our calling, to walk in spirit and truth as outlined in the Word of God, to grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to mature in the faith that we have been taught.
However, God's Words warns that the God of love, Who will redeem us by faith, is also a God of justice and righteousness, Who will judge the wicked and condemn the unrighteous.
Should not we who are saved by grace through faith in Christ, recognise the deep significance and consequences of the God-breathed content of His Word and take it to heart in these perilous days?
Let us act in accordance with one of Paul's final instructions to Timothy, his beloved son in the faith.
Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings....continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them.
However, these Pharisees needed to know that the spiritual part of the kingdom does not come with observable signs but through faith in Christ, in Whom are the words of eternal life.
Believers in this Church dispensation have already entered the spiritual kingdom through faith in Christ.
However, those who do not believe during the Church Age will be left to face the outpouring of God's wrath during seven years of Tribulation... and any who come to faith during this period and endure to the end, will enter the kingdom.
What about those of us who are saved by grace through faith in Christ?
Well, we are not appointed to go through the Tribulation because of our faith in Christ. We who have believed, will be removed before the Great Tribulation begins - HOWEVER, the progression of evil about which Christ is speaking in this verse has been ongoing throughout the entire Christian dispensation.
In the penultimate verse of Ephesians, Paul is offering a familiar and well-loved salutation to his brothers and sisters in Christ: Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.Peace, love, and faith are three spiritual qualities that are sprinkled in unfettered abundance throughout Paul's writings, and yet they retain a freshness each time they are bestowed on God's children of faith.Only once in the New Testament, is this phrase peace be to the brethren, used.
Indeed, the peace of God which passes all human comprehension, is a gracious gift from our Heavenly Father which is promised to all His children through Jesus Christ our Lord, for it guards the heart and mind of all who cast their cares upon Him.God's peace is the gracious gift that under-girds our going out and our coming in, and every man or woman of faith in Christ, is promised that heavenly peace will garrison our heart and mind in every difficult circumstance or troublesome situation.
MY peace I give unto you.The amazing love of God, binds us together in worship and praise to our Heavenly Father Whose loves for us is so profound, that He gave His only begotten Son to become our substitute for sin, while the supernatural love of Jesus is such that while we were yet sinners, Christ died on our account so that we might be forgiven of our sin, receive a new life in Him, become united with Christ and abide with Him forever.Faith, enables us to worship in spirit and truth.
It empowers us to carry out the work that God has prepared for us to do and it emboldens us to engage in the spiritual warfare of this age, effectively: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and satanic powers, who prowl around, seeking to destroy our ministry and taint our testimony.Peace and love with faith, comes directly from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The unity of the triune Godhead, combines to bestow peace to the brethren, and love with faith.
Titus was a true son in the common faith, which was given to us by the apostles and prophets of the early Church, and which contrasts sharply with the unbiblical teachings of false ministers which too often are founded on the sinking sands of fleshly experiences, fluctuating feelings, ever-changing opinions, fleshly propensities, carnal presumptions, and extra-biblical 'revelations'.
They profess to know God and can deliver motivational speeches, but in their lives they deny the Lord Jesus by twisting truth which disqualifies their profession of faith.
He tells of our redemption by grace through faith in Him, of reconciliation with our Heavenly Father, and of our glorious transfer from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son.
We are also encouraged to bear with one another in love and to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, knowing that we are one in Christ and united together in one faith, one hope, one baptism, and one Lord.
What a long-suffering and gracious God we have – for as He has dealt in grace toward His erring nation, so He will deal with Christians who have wandered far from His outstretched arms of love or when faith wears thin and life seems too much to bear.
It is always a joy when a man or woman trusts in Christ as their Saviour and sets out on their life-journey with Jesus at the helm, but what a thrill it must have been for Paul when Titus, his true son in the common faith, was ready to take on full responsibility for the establishment of the Christian churches throughout the Isle of Crete.
It is at the start of his letter, that Paul identifies his relationship with Titus as his true child in a common faith.
Titus was an uncircumcised Greek who heard Paul preaching about Jesus many years before and responded to the gospel of grace by faith.
He was not only Paul's son in the faith, but became a loyal and trusted friend and a fellow bondservant of Jesus Christ.
Paul never wanted anyone to become complacent in their faith and always made a point of reminding others of the joy we have in Christ, and so his letter to this 'son in the faith began by reminding him of God's amazing goodness and grace, the privileged peace we have with God through our great salvation, and the perfect peace of God that can guard our heart when our mind is stayed on Him.
It is by His grace through faith in Christ that we have peace with God, for we have been forgiven of our sins and received eternal life - through faith in Him.
Christians have obtained salvation by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and are not appointed to wrath, but these concerned believers thought that the Day of the Lord had already started.
The Christians in Thessalonica were fairly new believers, but Paul had made sure that he taught them the full counsel of God, including prophecies about the Rapture, the Great Tribulation, the coming man-of-perdition, and the terrible wrath of God that will be poured out on a world that rejected Him and refused to be saved by faith in Jesus Christ.
Those connected with Isaac, Sarah, the New Covenant that was cut at Calvary, and the heavenly Jerusalem, represent those that are saved by grace through faith - and by God's grace their faith is credited as righteousness.
They live by faith and have been removed from the curse of the Law, for the wages of their sin was paid in full by Christ's sacrifice at Calvary.
By faith, we are no longer under God's condemnation because we trusted in the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
Before the Cross we were in bondage to the Law, but by grace through faith in Christ, we have been released from the deathly strangle-hold of the Old Covenant and its power over us has been severed.
May we never forget that by faith in Christ we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman - for which we praise His holy name.
But in every respect, the Lord Jesus fulfilled the Law of God which was given to Israel through Moses, and He kept the statutes of the Lord in order to remove the curse of the Law from those who would believe on His name and trust in Him for salvation by grace through faith in His sacrificial work at Calvary.
Sadly, both groups are making serious inroads into the hearts and minds of Christians who do not have a sound biblical understanding or have been incorrectly taught by liberal theologians who deny the essentials of the faith, or those that have their roots in the occult.
By grace, through faith in Christ, we have access into the very presence of God.
In His goodness and grace, He causes the sun to rise on the evil, as well as those who have been declared righteous by faith.
We need to consider the rich promises that have been poured out on us so lavishly, and we need to reflect, with thanksgiving, on all that the covenant of grace - into which we have been brought, means - through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
In place of the life of their firstborn sons, a lamb would be selected and slain in their place, and the shed blood of the innocent animal was to be smeared on the lintels of the doorposts on their home as a sign of their faith in God.
Jesus is the one to Whom every Passover lamb points - for just as these Passover lambs were slain their firstborn sons, so Jesus came to die in the place of sinful man. He was sent to redeem His people from their slavery to sin so that by faith in Him, they would LIVE.
Jesus is our spiritual food and we who partake of His body and blood by faith, will LIVE.
Just as the blood on the doorposts of the Israelites in Egypt was a physical sign of their faith in God's Word, so a heart that has been sprinkled with the shed blood of Christ by faith in His sacrificial death on the Cross, is the spiritual sign that we have passed from death to life - from slavery to the freedom that is in Christ Jesus.
They were to fellowship with one another; sharing, helping, edifying, and encouraging each other in their common faith, as well as contributing material and financial gifts to one another when a necessity arose or by giving time and support to the one in need.
As children of our Heavenly Father, we are to function in the divine nature that is ours, by faith in Christ.
The eternal Son became the perfect Man to demonstrate to sinners like you and me - who would be saved by grace through faith in Christ - just HOW we should live, as children of God.
Peter explained, in previous verses, that we who have been called by His own glory and grace, have escaped the corruption that is in the world - by faith.
We have been given all we need for life and godliness - by faith.
And because we are His sons and daughters, we should make every effort to supplement our faith with goodness, our goodness with knowledge, our knowledge with self-control, our self-control with endurance, and our endurance with godliness.
God requires perfection from us and this is an impossibility in our own fallen nature - but we are being made a new creature in Christ and have been clothed in His righteousness by faith.
It develops in us a steadfast faith with a Christlike attitude towards others.
Earlier in Chapter 14, Paul directs his Christian brethren on how to respond to brothers and sisters that are weak in the faith.
We are not to judge the spiritual temperature of other believers, nor cause a weaker brother to stumble in their faith because we have found a greater freedom in Christ.
Salvation, or entrance into the kingdom of God, is by grace through faith in Christ and has nothing to do with eating, drinking, or any other rites, rituals or observances.
True worship can only flow from a heart of faith and does not consist of the actions we undertake, the outward behaviours we exhibit, or strict adherence to certain prescribed laws or imposed practices.
Our salvation depends on faith in what Christ has done for us.
Righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit comes through faith in HIM.
Not only was the penalty for our sin paid in full, by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, but also its suffocating power has been broken.
He not only caused us to become new creatures, by faith in His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, but supplied us with good seed to sow into the lives of those who do not know His goodness and grace – and then to carry out His own good work in our lives, through the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit.Paul rejoices that God is able to make all grace abound to us so that always having sufficiency in everything, we have an abundance for every good deed, and he reinforces this truth by quoting from the Psalmist: He scattered abroad.
The Trinity is integral in this passage, where we stand united by one faith - through believing in the one, unchangeable body of truth which is recorded in the inerrant and eternal Word of God.
We all acknowledge one God and Father of all, Who is over all and through all and in all, for by grace through faith in the eternal Son of His love, we have been redeemed and declared righteous in the eyes of God - and He has made us His children.
He is Father to all who are saved by grace through faith in Christ.
Just as Abraham was justified by grace through trusting the Word of the Lord, so we too are justified by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, the living, incarnate Word of God.
However, in this Church age, all those differences have been removed: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus, our Lord. All who have trusted in Christ as Saviour are equal in the eyes of our Heavenly Father, saved by grace through faith in God's only begotten Son.
Oh, man has been blessed beyond compare because of the gracious pardon that we have received and the eternal salvation that we have been given, by grace through faith in Him.
But first, they must be spiritually enlivened when the Holy Spirit of God breathes the breath of new life into their cold, dead hearts, by their faith in Christ.
New life can only come through faith in JESUS, their Messiah.
This verse is rejoicing that the silver-haired head of a godly old man, is a thing in which to rejoice – for it is a crown of splendour and a garland of glory.Similarly, this is not to insinuate that only older men who have grey hair are crowned with glory, but that an older man (irrespective of his hair or lack of it) who has trusted God in his life, is graced with certain wisdom and sound judgement that comes from above and deserves the respect and honour of the younger generation.There are many older people who mourn the loss of their good looks or bemoan a decline in their physical fitness, and although physical beauty and youthful strength are often held up as desirable, it is rather the godly wisdom of a mature man-of-God or elderly lady-of-faith that should command the respect and reverence of those that are younger.
His desire is that they grow in grace and mature in the faith, explaining that when the Word of God abides within their heart, they will overcome the evil one and mature in their faith as they advance in age.Paul reminds us that although physical fitness is good, we should not only strive after bodily discipline and physical health, but rather engage in our spiritual development by fixing our hope on the living God and trusting in His Word, by faith.May we all recognise the benefits of a grey head or sagging muscles, knowing that it is a crown of glory when found in the way of righteousness.
As those who have been saved by grace through faith, we can recognise in Solomon's wise request, the things in life that are important to the Lord and the nature of the prayers and intercessions that should be offered, in accordance with His will.
Knowledge and understanding of the Lord Jesus and His Word should be high-up on the priority list of the man or woman who is growing in grace and maturing in the faith... and we have been promised that if any of us lack wisdom we should ask it of the Lord, for He gives generously and without reproach... BUT there is a condition.
The man of God must ask in faith and not doubt the Word of the Lord, for the one who doubts proves himself to be spiritually unstable and is driven and tossed by every wind of change.
Solomon was a man who had observed God's faithfulness in his father's life and because He trusted in Him, the Lord heard and answered his prayer of faith in an astonishing way.
Indeed, we read in Hebrews that without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe Who He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Jesus kept and protected them and prayed for them, that their faith would not fail - and He was finally able to proclaim: I guarded them and not one of them was lost or perished.
Whose blood was shed on Calvary so that by faith in Him these men for whom He was now praying might have life - and have it more abundantly.
for whoever believes in Him by faith is not condemned but the one who does not believe is already condemned - because He has not believed in the only begotten Son of God.
The Bible tells us that all unsaved people are, by nature, children of wrath and disobedience, until the time when they trust in the Lord Jesus for salvation by grace through faith in Him.
Peter's heartfelt desire was that those who had trusted Christ for salvation knew from the depths of their soul the incredible value of the gracious gift that was theirs through faith in Christ Jesus: This precious treasure is for you who believe, he declared.
All who are saved by grace through faith should cherish it with every fibre of their being.
The Son of God Who became the Son of Man, was the Stone that the Father ordained from before the foundation of the world, to be the Bedrock upon which our faith is to be founded.
Whether this epistle was written to a particular lady and her own children or referred to believers who had come to faith through her word and witness, is not the main issue.
For many years, John had faithfully taught the Word of truth and seen many come to a saving faith in Christ Jesus, and it rejoiced his pastor's heart to hear that some of the believers connected with this dear, godly lady, were living righteous lives, walking in the truth of God's Word, and living lives that honoured the Lord Who bought them with His own blood.
The one who is living in truth is the one who is submitted to God, standing firm in the faith, resisting the evil one, and permitting the Word of God and the truth it contains to dwell within them richly, with all wisdom and in love as it is applied in their lives for the glory of God.
Depending on the attitude and desires of the remaining, unsaved partner in such a marriage causes Paul to make a number of recommendations and suggestions.In short, Paul's broad instruction to newly saved Christians is not to immediately remove oneself from marriage to an unbeliever, but wherever possible to remain, and pray that the Lord might use the relationship to work out His plans and purposes in both their lives in His time, in His way, and for His greater glory.Remaining with an unbelieving spouse can often be a great concern for new Christians who find themselves wonderfully saved yet 'trapped' in a marriage with someone who remains unsaved and who often become hostile to their partner's newfound faith.
He calls us to be of one mind, to have unity of spirit in the bond of peace, to hold fast together our faith in Christ Jesus and the gospel of grace, and to live in harmony one with the other.
It is God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Who is to be highly praised, for He gave His only begotten Son to be born into the human race and to die for the sin of the world, so that we might be accepted in the Beloved by faith in His saving work at Calvary, and be seated together with Him in heavenly places.
We who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ should foster an inner attitude of grateful thanks, loving appreciation, joyous anticipation, and everlasting wonderment at all that He has done for us and His inexpressible love towards us: In that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
More often than not, students of Revelation are looking for the events that take place in Revelation and spend their energy trying to make sense of them, while missing the most important truth - that every event that takes place in this book is written to reveal more and more of the Lord Jesus Christ Who is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the Last - the Author and Finisher of our faith, without Whom we would be without hope, forever lost, and eternally damned.
Only God in His grace, can give a repentant sinner a new heart of flesh, and God the Father has determined that it is by grace through faith in Christ.Jesus came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel to establish His kingdom which was promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.
We are enabled to overcome the world (by faith), to overcome the enemy (by resisting the devil), and to overcome the flesh (by denying self and taking up our cross, as a true disciple of Christ.)
Today, those who have been saved by faith in Christ, are a Temple of the living God.
Having been identified with Christ and positioned in Him by faith, we will similarly be identified with Him in the eternal ages to come - for when we see Him, we shall be like Him - having immortal bodies of flesh and bone, for we are bone of His resurrected bone and flesh of His resurrected body.
We who have overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil in this life, by faith, will be made a pillar in the temple of our God and we will not go out from His presence anymore.
They were to be a light to lighten the gentiles and a righteous people who would tell forth the wonderful works of God, so that the nations would know that God is the Lord and be saved by faith in Him.
We were sentenced to death because of our sins and our imputed sin nature, but Christ was judged in our place, paying the full price for our sin, by faith.
Salvation in the Old and New Testaments is always given to the unworthy sinner by God's grace, through faith in His Word.
That simple faith of Abram, which trusted in the Word of the Lord, was credited to him for righteousness: For faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
They heard His voice, they trusted His Word, and their faith expanded to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting: You are the Messiah the Son of the Living God, was their confession, and they believed that God had sent Him into the world to save His people from their sin: I give eternal life to them, was Christ's promise to those who believe, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
Salvation through faith in Christ is the great gift of life.
Through faith in Him, we received abundant life and life eternal.
Rahab was certainly a woman of faith, for she is mentioned in Hebrews 11.
Her action was recorded as righteousness in James 2, which shows that her motivation was based on a living faith in the God of Israel and not simply a desire for self-preservation: Wasn't Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, the apostle wrote, when she received the messengers and sent them out by a different route?
Had Rahab exercised greater faith and been truthful, it may have caused her to witness an even greater miracle of escape, or allowed her to participate in a supernatural event of even greater magnitude.
May we always remember that He causes all things to work together for the good of those that love Him and have faith in Him.
While the story of Samson is a stark example of unfulfilled potential in the life of a servant of God, it also gives us great hope... for despite his deeply flawed life, Samson is a man who is named in the great chapter of faith in Hebrews 11.
It was not Samson's faults that are remembered by the Lord, but Samson's faith - which was reckoned to him as righteousness.
Praise God that, like Samson, our faith in Christ is reckoned to us as righteousness, but may we be men and women who seek to honour the Lord in all we say and do, for His greater glory and for our eternal benefit.
He did not know that this was to be a test of his faith, for God abhors human sacrifice.Many years earlier, while residing in Ur of the Chaldees, Abram met with God and believed His Word, when told that the Lord would give him a land.
It was at that point that Abram's faith was credited to him as righteousness – for God is able to read the thoughts and heart of man.
NOW, many years later, that hidden, invisible faith within his heart was to be tested by an outward demonstration of obedience.
Abraham was to express his inner faith by an outward word.
We are saved by grace through faith in the sacrificial work and glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ - and this is non negotiable.
However, those that have already been saved and have become children of God by faith in Christ, are expected to behave in a manner that is worthy of their status as children of God, as empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Only those that are saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus can display these divine characteristics of our holy and loving God and Father.
We read that the eyes of the Lord search to and fro to see if there is anyone that has a trusting faith in the truth of God's Word - and their faith is credited as righteousness.
It is only by faith in the sacrificial death of Christ that our spirit can be regenerated and new life breathed into us, at salvation.
But just as we, who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, were born in the image of the man of dust, so too we will also bear the image of the heavenly man; for He Who started a good work in us at salvation will complete it in the day of Christ Jesus.
Let us reckon ourselves dead to sin by keeping the old sin nature nailed to the Cross by faith, and let us reckon ourselves alive to Christ as we allow His Holy Spirit to direct and govern our lives, to His praise and glory.
Suffering as a Christian is not a matter of choice, but the certain consequence of our faith in Christ.
God uses them to strengthen our faith.
Peter's prayer was that Christ's followers would be firmly established in both faith and duty, despite the difficulties that would inevitably arise in our lives, for Peter knew that all those called by God's kindness and grace will one day partake in His eternal glory and joy.
Paul wanted all the believers there to grow in their Christian faith and to walk in spirit and truth.
Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong, he urges, and let EVERYTHING that you do be done in love.
But this unreachable goal is the impossible command given to all believers, and it not only applies to the natural loving kinship within the inner nucleus of beloved companions and best-loved family members, but the beggar in the street, the thieving politician, the accusatorial religionist, the enemy at the gate, the scoffer of our faith, and those that despise, reject, hate, persecute, and kill us.
We read of death and destruction and we grieve to hear of the intense suffering, persecution, and slaughter of many martyrs of the faith throughout this God-hating, Christ-rejecting, anti-Semitic, Christian-despising, sinful world.
But Habakkuk's fear turns to faith and his distress is stilled as the Lord answered His cries... explaining that relief will certainly come... but only at God's appointed time and only in His designated way.
Sinners are saved from the penalty of sin by God's grace, once and for all, through trusting in the death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ for salvation, but believers must mature in the faith and continue the process of ongoing salvation.
And we mature in the faith, grow in grace, and learn of Christ, by depending upon the light of His life within, obeying His commands to love as He loved us, and by keeping His Word so that His love might be perfected in us.
And only then, in His power and strength, we may learn to walk in the light, to grow in grace, to mature in the faith, to love as Christ loved, and to enjoy unbroken fellowship with our Father in heaven.
As more grace is added to the grace we have already received, the more we mature in the faith and change into the beautiful image and likeness of the Lord Jesus.
Just as we need physical exercise and nourishing food for our bodies to grow and develop, so also we need spiritual exercise to mature in the faith.
We are to mature and ripen our precious faith, and we are to stand on His promises and believe His Word.
As we walk in spirit and truth and submit to the Spirit's leading, we discover that we will grow in every facet of grace and virtue, faith and love, holiness and understanding, wisdom and obedience.
Access to the same grace of God and intimate knowledge of Christ is also what Peter, in the closing days of his life, is urging all who have a saving faith in Christ to strive for earnestly.
May we ALL grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for by grace we are saved through faith, by grace we are to live our lives through faith, and one day by God's grace, we will pass into His wonderful presence, when we shall see Him as He is, and we will be like Him and live with Him into the eternities of eternity.
Once we have been saved by grace through faith and born again of the Spirit, we become a spiritual being.
And only by faith in that cleansing flood are we born of the Spirit, placed into Christ, and identified with His perfect holiness, even though we don't deserve it.
How long it took for this truth to blossom in the heart of Nicodemus we will never know, but as one of the men who laid Christ's dead body in the stone-cold tomb, we know that this dear man did not only SEE heaven with his spiritual eye of faith, but will enter the kingdom of heaven as a forgiven child of God and a member of the Body of Christ.
This has become part of that never-ending hymn of praise that is sung by all who have been saved by grace, through faith in His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection.
He sounds as if he were advancing in years, because John refers to Him as 'Gaius, the Elder' and yet it is likely that this elderly gentleman was brought to faith in Christ through the ministry of John himself, for in addressing him, the apostle writes: I have no greater joy than this – to hear of my children walking in the truth.John makes no secret of his love and respect for this man, whom he admits to love in truth, for it appears that his whole life was dedicated to the Lord, and Gaius must have been a wonderful testimony of a godly man who walked in grace and love, for we read that his soul prospered.
John's prayer is that Gaius' physical health will reflect his obvious spiritual strength and Christian maturity.This verse clearly contradicts the distorted teaching of certain 'prosperity teachers' and 'faith-healers' who insist that if sick people do not recover, it is due to a lack of faith, or that if you are materially poor, you are not a spiritual believer because God wants all Christians to be materially wealthy!
There is no one that is excluded from His gracious offer of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ... and there are none that are given extra-special treatment based on their status, skills, colour, parentage, gender, intellectual capacity, political leanings, business acumen, or charismatic personality.
We are all saved by grace through faith in Christ... and as God's blood-bought children we should never forget that we also have a Master in heaven - Christ Jesus our Lord.
As those who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, we should all seek to apply the principles of godly living in every area of our lives, no matter where we are or in what situation we find ourselves.
but after having been saved by grace through faith we were forgiven of our sin, joined to Christ and positioned in Him
so that by faith we are born-again into God's family and our life is hidden with Christ in God..
God ordained that by faith in Him we died to sin and we died to the Law..
as we are joined together with Him by faith.
We are made one with Him by grace through faith..
By grace through faith we were united forever with Christ Who was raised from the dead in order that we might have His everlasting life living in us..
Only those that are positioned in Christ by grace through faith can bear fruit to the glory of God.
for it is not by works of the Law that a man is justified or reckoned righteous - but only through faith and absolute reliance on Jesus Christ.
We who are saved by faith are dead to the Law and its consequences because we are part of the body of Christ - and when we abide in Him and He in us we bear much fruit to the glory of God.
God will never tempt a man to sin, for God hates sin and cannot look upon sin, but God will often use temptation in a man's life to test his faith, patience, and perseverance, and the one that endures the test will glorify God.
As we trust His Word, carry out His will, abide in Him, and He is us, we will bear the fruit of patience and hone our faith in Him.
His way will lead us deeper into fellowship with Himself and enable us to mature in the faith, grow in grace, and gain a deeper knowledge of the holy, for He desires us to enjoy a satisfying and unbroken communion with Himself.
Unbelief and a hardening of the heart are closely associated with that first generation of Israelites who were saved from Egyptian slavery, but quickly fell from faith into fear.
It is easy to criticise Israel's lack of faith and rebellion, but how often do we fail to trust God's Word?
After his short introductory remarks to Timothy, Paul reminded his 'son in the faith' of some earlier advice he gave him on carrying out his pastoral duties in Ephesus, and the importance of addressing any strange doctrines that had been brought into the congregation.
Not only is Paul's epistle a personal letter to a spiritual son, encouraging Timothy to be faithful, to stand firm in the faith, to communicate the truth of the gospel, and give advice on the selection of church elders, but he warns against apostasy and false teaching within the congregation.
Whether by adding some unscriptural dogma, subtracting or changing the truth of the gospel of Christ, or introducing some new and unfamiliar teaching, these false teachings can too often cause confusion or discouragement and prevent believers from growing in grace and maturing in the faith.
May we seek to be vigilant in prayer, courageously stand firm in the faith, be obedient to God's call on our life, equip ourselves with a knowledge of the truth, and live a life that honours our Father in heaven.
The glorious gospel of salvation, by grace through faith in the sacrificial death and wonderful Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, should delight the worst of sinners.
He paid it ALL and He ROSE from the dead so that by faith in Him, we may also rise to life immortal.
However, Christ had no intention of remaining alone... for He is the eternal Son of God and He became the perfect Son of Man in Whom we have redemption, by faith.
And we, who have been saved by grace though faith in Christ, have within us the life of Christ which can become abundantly fruitful, when our lives resemble His likeness.
The accumulation of wealth and trusting in ones own bank balance is too often the thing that is most frequently substituted for faith in God and trust in His never-failing supply.
And Paul's passion was to establish the Church in sound doctrine, and to bring to spiritual maturity those that were saved by grace through faith in Him.
In this age or grace, we are to be sensitive to the fact that actions which we know to be permissible before God, may become a stumbling-block to a Christian brother or sister whose conscience dictates otherwise, causing them to falter in their faith.
This verse has caused many Christians to think their salvation is lost if they become discouraged, walk away from their faith for a time, or become engage in worldly carnality.
This letter is written to Christians who have the same precious faith as Peter, and this verse is exposing the dangers of false teachers and the devastation they can cause to those that are ignorant of God's Word.
He is also encouraging them to have a closer walk with God and an ever deepening understanding of their faith.
In his earlier letter, he assured his readers that God's mighty power will protect all who have come to saving faith in Christ and will guard their hearts against such lies.
However, Peter is expressing his concern for unbelievers who are brought to a superficial knowledge of Christ without being saved by faith in Him.
But those who allow their ears to be tickled without ever coming to the knowledge of the truth, by faith, are in serious spiritual danger: And their last state becomes worse that at the beginning.
Peter is explaining to his listeners that when the unsaved are captivated by the enticing lies of a false teacher and presented with a distorted view of the gospel, they are given a taste of the good news of Christ without being brought to a saving faith in Him.
Peter knew his time on earth was short, and wrote his second epistle to remind Christians of the fundamentals of their faith and the need to live godly lives.
Paul's priority was to teach the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ so that men and women everywhere would be saved by grace through faith in Christ for the remission of their sins - to explain it in such a way that whoever he was teaching would hear and believe.
And Peter was one of Christ's inner circle who witnessed the honour and glory of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah of Israel and Son of the most high God, on that glorious Mount of Transfiguration.Early in his second letter, which was addressed to other believers in the faith, he called to mind that wonderful day when Jesus was transfigured before his eyes – a short while before the Lord Jesus died on the Cross, and rose again as the sacrifice for man's sin.Jesus received great honour and glory from God the Father, Peter recalls, with appropriate humility and awestruck wonder.
which not only returned man into fellowship with his Creator, by faith..
who are saved by grace through faith and have been made a new creation in Christ and await the full the final consummation of our new birth.. (when our mortal bodies put on immortality and corruption is replaced with incorruption), so too the creation itself awaits in eager expectation for that day when God's curse on creation will be finally lifted.
Although as Christians we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ and made part of the new creation, we continue to live in a fallen, 'earthy' body of flesh and blood and await that day when we will be fully and finally 'adopted' as glorified sons of God - with a new body of flesh and bone..
He had been chosen to be the missionary to the Gentiles who were formerly alienated from God, hopelessly dead in sins, and engaged in evil deeds, but by God's grace, many were reconciled to Him through faith in Christ for their salvation.
In writing to Timothy, a beloved son in the faith, Paul explains in the opening words of this epistle that he is suffering deeply because of the gospel of Christ.
But his suffering only caused his faith to grow stronger, as he set his mind on the sure and blessed hope of Christ and of eternity to come.
May we come to the unshakable knowledge that our times are in His hands, and at His appointed time and in His designated way, we will one day step into His eternal presence, when faith will vanish into sight and hope be emptied in delight.
O give me Samuel’s mind,A sweet unmurm’ring faith,Obedient and resignedTo Thee in life and death,That I may read with child-like eyesTruths that are hidden from the wise.
From the beginning, the enemy of our soul has sought to hide God from us, to distort His character, to disrupt His plan of salvation, to deceive the nations, to destroy His Anointed and to shipwreck the faith of those that put their trust in Him.
Let us be diligent to build ourselves up in our most holy faith, as we wait expectantly for Christ to come in the clouds and take us to be with Himself.
At salvation, they had all received the free gift of God's grace... but they were trying to replace that free unmerited gift of grace, which they had received by faith in Christ, with their own works of the law.
They were trying to grow in grace by their own effort rather than God's way, which is by grace through faith.
These Christians had believed in Christ for salvation and had been justified by faith, and like Abraham, their faith was credited to them as righteousness.
Did You receive the Holy Spirit by works of the law or by the hearing of faith?
These Christians had, of course, been saved by grace through faith in Christ, but instead of living their lives by grace through faith in Christ they had reverted back to a system whereby God's free gift of grace had been replaced with their own meritorious works of the law!!
But Paul had taught them that all their own acts of righteousness are filthy rags in the eyes of God... and that the only acts of righteousness that God will ever receive from His born again children are those that are carried out by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit by faith in Christ - as He lives in us.
The Galatian Christians who should have been growing spiritually and maturing in the faith, had adopted legalistic practices which prevented them from growing in grace and reaching spiritual maturity.
May we die to self and live to Christ until by faith we are conformed into the image and likeness of Christ.
But the Law is a vital signpost pointing sinners to Christ Who became the once-for-all sacrifice for sin, and Who alone can remove man from under the curse of the Law, by faith.
The character of God, and the plans and purposes which He ordained in eternity past have never changed, nor has the means of salvation been altered, for salvation comes by faith alone in God.
But those who have trusted in the Word of God for salvation, by grace through faith in the shed blood of our Kinsman-Redeemer, have the inner witness of God's Holy Spirit within.
A disciple of Christ is a learner of Christ, and we are all called to be disciples of Christ, to learn of Him, and to mature in our faith.
Only a believer who is being washed in the water of the Word, pressing on for their upward call in Christ Jesus, and maturing in their faith, can truly be called a disciple of Jesus.
The good news of salvation and life eternal, is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
Faith is simply having the confidence that the future things God has revealed in His written Word, will unquestionably happen.
The reformation verse that shattered corridors of Christendom was: The just shall live by faith.
The righteous man shall live by faith, the godly man, the virtuous woman, the justified sinner, the maturing believer, are to all live by faith, as well as being saved by faith.
A living faith in God's Word and the confident hope in His promises are two graces that embrace each other in love at the foot of the Cross.
This is not a 'Que sera sera, fingers-crossed and-hope-it-happens' type of faith.
This is the faith that accepts without question that the Word of God is entirely dependable and is an indisputable fact.
This is the faith that unquestioningly takes God at His Word, knowing that all He has promised to us in Christ is more secure than the rising of the morning sun and more certain than the daily passage of time.
It is an objective faith that is secured to the knowledge that our redemption rests on Who Christ is, and what He has already done on the Cross on our account.
Our faith is not on who we are or what we have done to commend ourselves to God, but on Christ and His accomplishments.
Objective faith is not based on sight or sense but rests its case in the arms of God's Word of Truth.
Faith is not based on experience, nor calculated through reason.
True faith is anchored on scriptural facts.
The eye of faith sees beyond our present reality and places its feet firmly on divine revelation given by Almighty God, through the Word-made-flesh.
The heart of faith enables us to treat as reality those things that are unseen, even when circumstances of life appear to contradict the truth of God's Word.
It has nothing in common with so many superficial apologies for faith, based on sight, experiences, opinions, fancies, dreams, or imaginations that excite the soul, feed the flesh, and pander to the human ego.
Without faith it is impossible to please God and Jesus said, Blessed are those that have NOT seen, and yet have believed.
May the hope we have in Christ and the faith we have in God be built on the truth, of His Word and grounded on a sure conviction.
Job is unaware that a serious spiritual challenge concerning his faith in God, was taking place in heavenly realms.
He often uses our pain to strengthen our faith and develop spiritual maturity.
May we all stand fast in the evil day, knowing that this not only protects our heart and increases our faith, but gives honour to His holy name and encourages others.
The focus of Romans chapter 4, is salvation by grace through faith.
Although we are also to live by faith, to walk by faith, and to pray in faith throughout our earthly life (the ongoing process of our sanctification) the emphasis of this particular passage is initial salvation (justification).
Paul first identifies Abraham as the 'father of faith' and reminds us that when God called him to leave his home and family in Ur of the Chaldees: Abram believed in the Lord, and God reckoned it to him as righteousness.
His decision to believe God's Word, leave his home, and set out for the land God promised him, was a decision of obedient faith, and in the book of Hebrews we read how he looked into the far distant future, with full assurance that the promises God made to him would be fulfilled.
The only good work that secures our salvation is Christ's finished work on the Cross, and the only way we can receive salvation is by faith.
There is nothing we can add in order to improve our salvation or make it more secure, for like Abraham and David, salvation is by faith alone in God's Word, and when a man or woman believes in their heart by faith, God declares us righteous in His sight.
Religious Jews challenged this truth, but Paul used these two patriarchs to show from the Law (Genesis to Deuteronomy), from the Psalms, and from the Prophets, that justification in the sight of the Lord is through faith alone: How blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered, we read.
There is nothing in heaven or earth or under the earth that can reverse the status of fallen man, with one exception, faith in Christ (a heart that trusts God's Word). Everyone who has believed God's living Word is justified in His sight and their sin is forgiven.
Old Testament saints believed God's promises and,throughout their lives, looked forward in faith to the coming Messiah Who would save His people from their sin and bring in an everlasting kingdom of righteousness. Old Testament saints were justified before the Cross, and gained His approval through their faith.
New Testament saints are those who have lived by faith since the Cross and Resurrection.
They also believe God's Word and look back in faith to the Cross, when the Saviour of the world bore the sin of the world and washed the stains of sin away from all who believe in Him.
They have also gained His approval through their faith and been imputed with righteousness and the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Both Old and New Testament saints have gained divine approval through their faith.
May we never forget how blessed we are that the righteousness of God has been made ours by faith in Him.
I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living, are the words that bring Psalm 27 to a close They were written by a man who demonstrates a living faith in the living God.
Faith in the Lord was to David like a fragrant perfume that revived his weary soul or the sweet honeycomb that re-energies the exhausted traveller.
The eye of faith is to see beyond the visible and to discern the invisible.
It is to trust the Lord our God with all our heart for things which we have hoped for, and it is the evidence of the reality of things that can only be seen with the eye of faith.
The strength of hope is to believe in the reality of the promises of God - promises that we cannot yet see with our physical senses, but facts we discern with the eye of faith.
Today, men's hearts are fearful of what is coming on the world, but we are not of this world that we should despair, for our faith is in the same God in Whom David trusted.
They did not rely on their outer adornments to recommend themselves to others, but nurtured a heart that was submissive to their own husbands.Sarah was one such woman of faith, and she, like so many other holy women of God, did not rely on her external looks, pretty trinkets, or any other sort of exterior embellishment to make herself appealing.
Too frequently we see the character or attitude of many Church leaders and their congregants becoming self-indulgent, while at other times we observe Christians being EITHER 1) overly critical of their fellow believers for insignificant things OR 2) prepared to compromise their Christian faith by refusing to address issues of spiritual importance which should not be ignored!
There should be unity in the essentials of our faith, liberty and Christian courtesy surrounding any non-essential doctrinal issues, and godly love and graciousness should be demonstrated in the actions and attitudes we show towards our brothers and sisters in Christ - knowing that God is not a God of confusion but the God of peace.
But this beautiful truth is relevant for all who by faith have trusted the Word of the Lord, no matter in which dispensation they lived..
It is to appeal to the sovereign authority of the Lord for our salvation by faith in Christ.
May we who have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus always acknowledge that He is the one and only true God and that His eternal Son was born into the human race to live a perfect life and to die a sacrificial death, so that whosever believe in Him might not perish but have everlasting life.
Christ alone is the life-giving spiritual manna from heaven that lasts through time and into eternity, and it is given as a free gift of His grace by faith to ALL who will trust in Him.
Many had adopted the prevailing behaviours, beliefs, and attitudes of the world, indulging in fleshly actions, becoming carnal believers, and not spiritual men and women that were maturing in the faith.
From the day the Lord called Abraham to leave his family and his hometown of Ur and go and settle in a distant land that God promised to give him as an inheritance, to the day he obeyed His command to take his beloved son to a particular mountain and offer him to the Lord as a burnt offering, Abraham's faith in God was sorely tested in many ways.
With each successive test of faith, the trial presented different challenges, and each time the trial became increasingly intense.
Abraham's faith was severely tested when he had to wait for 25 years for his 'son of promise' to be born to his elderly, barren wife.
It was, similarly, a great test of faith when he had to send Ishmael, his 13-year-old 'son of the flesh' far away.
At times, his faith grew weak, and at times, he did not understand, but through it all he discovered that God is always faithful and His promises are always sure.
The day finally arrived when Abraham's faith was tested in the extreme, for the Lord called his servant to: Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering, on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.
The trials and testings through which God's servants are often allowed to pass are very precious to our Heavenly Father, for they produce endurance, steadfastness, patience, and a strengthened faith.
The sacrificial offering of his beloved son through whom God's promised Seed was to be born, was the ultimate challenge to Abraham's faith, and yet he did not falter in his resolve to obey the Lord and trust in Him, even though he did not understand.
Abraham believed God when He told him that through Isaac His redemptive plan would be fulfilled, and the old man's faith had become so secure that he believed, without question, that God would raise Isaac back to life.
Abraham may have enrolled in 'the school of faith' when he left Ur and was justified at the age of 75, but he demonstrated that secure, sanctified faith which had matured and developed over time and through various tests, when he took his son Isaac to the place about which God told him and built an altar, arranged the wood, bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
Only by grace through faith can we receive the love of God which passes our understanding.
Only by grace through faith can we experience the beautiful fruit of the Spirit in our hearts - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
It is only by God's grace, through faith, that man is redeemed from the slave-market of sin.
It is only by grace that the sin barrier between man and God can be broken down, through faith, and we can receive peace with God.
The head-knowledge of these Jewish leaders was of no value to their spiritual well-being, nor was it significant to them because they did not mix their knowledge with a trusting heart of faith in the Word of God and the prophetic writings of holy men of God.
He is Jesus; the Word made flesh and God incarnate Who came to earth as the Sacrifice for sin and to give His life so that by faith in Him, we too might live.
A trusting faith in the Lord puts to flight the terrors that stalk us by night and quench the fiery darts that fly around us by day - but the fear of people and dread of what man can do to us is a dangerous trap into which any one of us can all fall..
And when faith in Christ's sacrificial work is finally received into the heart, that man or woman is born of the Spirit of God and a thirsty soul who aches for peace with God is satisfied.
But it is also God who instils a deep hunger in the heart of the Christian and so, like Paul, they reach a point in their lives when they too cry out: That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. And the one who has been saved by grace through faith begins to learn that salvation is not only that exciting point of rebirth into the family of God, but is also a long and often difficult journey through life, where faith is tried and tested and God is proved to be faithful once again.
Trials are a criterion that God uses to test and increase our faith in Him, and to appraise and develop our trust in His Word.
They are designed to test our faith, develop our faith, hone our faith, and increase our faith in our Father in heaven.
The faith of each of His children is valuable to the Lord, more precious to Him than much fine gold, which will one day perish.
In like manner, the faith of a Christian needs to be pure, unblemished, and perfect, and the trials of life are designed to purify our hearts, increase our dependence upon the Lord Jesus, deepen our love for our Saviour, enrich our spiritual lives, strengthen our hope in His many precious promises, and increase our faith in the Word of God.
For the faith of His children is of much more value to our Father-in-heaven than gold or silver.
Let us rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all things, even during the trials that come our way: Knowing that the trial of our faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found to praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
Jude also shows an understanding of the devil's tactics to shipwreck the faith of Christians, through legalism, apostate teaching, worldly carnality, false religiosity, or a 'works-related' Christian life.
This is why the apostle instructs us to: Build yourselves up in our most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.
Not only are we called at the beginning of Jude to: Earnestly contend for the faith, but as he brings it to a close, we are further instructed: Build yourselves up in our most holy faith, through spiritual development as we yield to the Lord.
How important to build up our faith on a sound foundation, to fight the good fight of faith, and keep ourselves in the love of God.
How needful to pray in spirit and in truth, for this will nurture our faith, feed our souls, maintain fellowship with our Father, and enable us to face the fiery trials that pursue our way.
But God in His grace, purposed in His heart to redeem His fallen creation (through the Person of Jesus Christ), to breathe His eternal life back into His New Creation in Christ (through faith in His sacrificial work on Calvary and glorious Resurrection), to reinstate His own image and likeness into the heart of man (reflecting the glory of the Lord by being transformed into His image, from glory to glory).
Although the quality of the meat was not affected and false idols have no power over those who consumed it, eating meat offered to idols often caused psychological suffering for new converts, causing them to falter in their faith: Therefore, Paul writes, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so I will not cause my brother to stumble.
There were many practices in those early days of the Church that were perfectly lawful and apparently harmless which could cause another believer to stumble in their faith because of their pagan association, and eating meat offered to idols was one such practice.
It is more important to curtail one's own freedom in Christ in order to prevent a weaker brother from faltering in their faith.
If the freedom we have in Christ causes someone's faith to flounder or encourages a brother to do something his conscience forbids, it is contrary the law of love.
Being ready and willing to forgo some of the liberty we have in Christ so the faith of a weaker brother is not compromised, is what Paul is teaching.
Paul is saying that although you may know the liberty you have in Christ and have every right to partake in a particular activity, if a weaker brother sees you doing something which he considers to be sinful because his inner conscience forbids it, then to keep on doing it becomes a sin - because your freedom weakens his faith, rather than building it up.
Paul is arguing that if our greater awareness of our freedom in Christ causes a weaker Christian to stumble in their faith or wounds their fragile conscience, it is not only a sin against that brother but also is sinful in the eyes of God, and dishonours the Lord Who bought us.
How important to become increasingly sensitive to the needs of others, especially those that are weak in their faith or vulnerable in their consciences.
May we always consider the needs and vulnerabilities of other believers and be especially aware of those that are struggling with their conscience or faltering in their faith.
May we encourage them in their faith, strengthen them in their Christians walk, and never allow the freedom we enjoy in Christ to impact their lives negatively, for the honour and glory of our God and Saviour.
Believers are exhorted to be diligent in the faith and strive to be approved unto God – a worker that does not need to be ashamed before Him.
The urgency of this message becomes increasingly intense as Paul's life draws to a close, and none more so than in this final letter to Timothy, his beloved 'son in the faith'.
It was not his own, limited, and inadequate strength that Timothy was to draw upon, but the fathomless and immeasurable strength of God alone – which is poured out in rich abundance on those that, by faith, are in union with Christ and maintaining close fellowship with the Father.
And the Law always points to Christ Who is the only One Who can save by grace through faith in His death, burial, and Resurrection.
And we, who have the Holy Spirit dwelling within by faith, should ensure that, day by day, our hearts are examined for any evil intent or murderous thought... and cleanse our hearts from all ungodly thoughts which in certain cases translates into murder.
The positive declaration view sees faith as a force that can create one's own reality, or that God can be commanded to heal or to work miracles according to man's will and in response to man's word.
God does indeed reward obedience, but not the sort of ritual obedience of rigid adherence to a series of imposed commands in order to guarantee a reward that God is obligated to grant, as is suggested by many in the Word of Faith movement.
And in the ages that are to come, by grace through faith in Christ's sacrifice at Calvary, we who are His children, will show forth the immeasurable riches of God's grace in kindness toward us, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
But those that are His chosen Bride, by faith in Christ, will be seated with Him on the throne of the Lamb, showing forth His excellent grace to principalities and powers in the ages to come.
David, the shepherd king of Israel, was described as a mighty and virtuous man, a man of battle, intelligent in word – and Jehovah was with him.Ruth, the grandmother of David, was known as a virtuous woman in Bethlehem, and the good seed in the parable of the sower, is identified as one who, having heard the Word of God, holds fast to it in a just, noble, and virtuous manner, having a worthy heart that brings forth much fruit to the glory of God.Perhaps the best known passage that outlines the exemplary life in virtuous living, is the woman described in Proverbs 31, where a vast array of noble, godly, gracious, and wise attributes are listed.She is a woman of faith, who serves God with her whole heart, mind, soul, and strength.
Though very short in length, the epistle of Jude contends earnestly for the faith.
Jude used these three historical examples of rebellion and the dire repercussions that followed, to emphasise the importance of eschewing evil, holding fast to the faith, pursuing truth, and rejecting the deadly message of the heretics and apostates of his day.
What a joy to finally discover that righteousness is imparted to all who believe in God Who raised Christ from the dead so that we might be saved by faith in Him.
After such a catalogue of wrath and condemnation in the early chapters of Romans, what a comfort it is to read that by faith we are justified.
Yes, it is through faith in His sacrificial crucifixion and glorious Resurrection from the dead that we have been justified; it is by God's grace through faith that we are been justified, just as Abraham was justified by grace through faith in Him.
Once justified we must recognise that the old life in Adam is past and must remain nailed to the Cross, while the new, born-again life in Christ is to mature in the faith, to grow in grace, and to walk in spirit and truth.
And starting in chapter 6, Paul guides the justified believer, step by step, through the many benefits that have already become ours in Christ by faith, and which are accessed by grace through faith in the glorious gospel of God.
But through the blood of Christ, we have been qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints, by faith.
It is only by faith in Christ's sacrifice at Calvary that we become qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints.
It was GRACE that caused God to send His only begotten Son to be the sin-sacrifice for you and for me, but it is the BLOOD of CHRIST that cleanses us from all sin, through faith in Him.
He did this so that sinners such as you and I could be redeemed from the pit of sin and death and saved from eternal separation from our Creator, through faith in Him.
Paul's desire for their ongoing sanctification and maturity in the faith was so strong that He prayed often and continuously that the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father (Who loved us and gave us eternal encouragement by His grace), would encourage their hearts and strengthen their souls in every good work and word.
It is the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father Who have given us eternal comfort by grace through faith.
While Israel's eye of faith was on the Lord's fiery pillar, they were secure in God's unfailing protection, but as soon as they took their eyes off Him in unbelief, they saw the surging waters, the mountainous problems, and the intimidating enemy.
Let us never forget that like Israel, the challenges we face in life are important opportunities for our faith in God to grow, and for God to receive all the glory and honour due to His name.
What a difference the Church would make in the world, if the simple message that: A soft answer turns away wrath, but harsh words incites anger, were applied in lives of all who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ.
Like Israel, every member of Christ's Body has our part to play in the perfecting of the saints, for the work of ministering, and the building up of the body of Christ - until we all reach unity in the faith and a deeper knowledge of God’s Son - as together we grow into a mature man, to a measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
There are no super saints for we are all serial sinners who have been gloriously saved by God's grace - through faith in His Son.
No one among us should think of themselves more highly than others, for God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.
It should be a joy for every Christian to rejoice together in the simple message of salvation, by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.It was the uncomplicated message of redemption that Jude planned to share with fellow believers in Christ, when he started to pen his epistle.
He wanted to rejoice in the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting, by faith in Christ.But the Body of Christ had been slowly and stealthily infiltrated by certain vulgar individuals who were denying the efficacy of the blood of Christ, and adversely influencing the faith of others.And so Jude wanted to remind his fellow believers of the fate of those people who deny the truth of the gospel and blaspheme the name of the Lord, with their satanically inspired lies.He reminded them of the terrible fate of corrupt cities in the time of Abraham.
The safest way to earnestly contend for the faith is to read, mark, learn, inwardly digest, and earnestly apply the Word of God in every area of life – as led by the Holy Spirit of His dear Son.
Hebrews 11 lists numerous people of faith and the terrible way that many were treated in Old Testament times.
And here in Paul's letter to Timothy, we are similarly warned by the Spirit of God that in the last days, some will fall-away from the faith because they gave heed to false teachers, deceitful spirits, and doctrines of demons.
God's people need to know how to conduct themselves in this fallen world system and how to protect themselves from all forms of apostasy and evil: Because the Spirit explicitly says, that in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.
How important, therefore, in these last days, to buckle on the whole armour of God, to stand fast in the faith, to persevere in tribulation, to be vigilant in prayer, and steadfast in praise with thanksgiving: For the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.
Their salvation is by grace through faith in Christ's finished work on the Cross, and forgiveness of sins and eternal life are two of many heavenly benefits that every sinner receives by grace through faith in the only begotten Son of God.
Having reiterated the principal that God is the source of all wisdom and believers are the privileged recipients of His illumination, we are reminded that no teacher of the good news should have pretentious claims to personal wisdom, for all are all are servants of God, all are equally equipped from above, and all should be wholly united in humbly proclaiming the wonderful wisdom of God, by grace through faith in Christ, to all who believe.
We are all called to minister, but no minister of God, no matter how distinguished his position or humble his calling, can glory in his own cleverness, nor should those who learn from the ministry of others, elevate the importance of one believer above another, for we are all one in Christ and we all have the same common benefits of being in Christ – we are all declaring God's established gospel, all are proclaiming the faith common to all believers.
These Corinthians should have been growing in grace, maturing in the faith, receiving the strong meat of God's Word, and equipped to support one another, but their fleshly behaviour and prideful attitudes caused them to regress into spiritual infancy.
Chapter 2 begins sometime after this with Job's second trial of faith.
Satan falsely asserts that this distraught man remained true to his faith in God and held fast to his integrity for selfish reasons: Skin for skin!
She was also traumatised, but unlike her husband, her faith faltered as she watched the man she loved sitting in dust and ashes as a social outcast from their local community, scraping the boils on his flesh from morning to night.
Like Abraham, Job's faith in God was credited to him as righteousness, but there was another important lesson he was soon to learn.
Although Job longed to have a Mediator, a Days-man between man and God Who could arbitrate and argue his cause, we can rejoice that Jesus is our Mediator and we have been declared righteous by faith in Him.
Jesus is our living Redeemer, and the righteousness with which we are clothed is a gift of God to men and women of faith - to those who trust in His name - to those who believe His WORD.
And the Bible teaches, NO man comes to the Father but through faith in Him.
He opens the door for whosoever will to come to the FATHER and be returned into fellowship with Him, by faith in the SON.
The NEW Life that Jesus promised to the narrow-minded religionists of His day, through faith in His name, is the eternal life that the Father gave to the Son, when He raised Him from the dead, to enable Him to give newness of Life to whomsoever He chooses - to those who believe on His name for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
We need to remember that throughout the history of the world, prophets of God, men of faith, and those who follow the Truth of God's Word were insulted, persecuted, hated, and rejected - just as Jesus was insulted, persecuted, hated, rejected, and even killed.
As a nation, they had collectively violated His Word and rejected His offer of salvation by grace - through faith in Jesus Christ, their Messiah and King.
Only those who have been born from above, by faith in Christ's redeeming work, are given the light of His life as an eternal possession and are brought into the radiance of His unconditional love.
It may be Satan who throws suffering our way in an attempt to bring out the worst in us and shipwreck our faith in the Lord, but it is God Who takes our suffering and turns it into a test for good, for our faith is always tested by God in order to bring the very best in us.
And James reminds us: The testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
His letter implies that many were facing deep financial hardship as well as severe persecution for their faith, and so he encouraged his brothers and sisters in Christ to consider it real joy when they encountered various trials and hardships because the testing of their faith produced perseverance, steadfastness, and patient endurance.
How similar the days in which we live mirror the days about which James was writing, and the lesson that they were to learn is one that we need to understand fully and apply consistently if we are to resist the temptation of Satan who seeks to shipwreck our faith.
If we can consider the obstacles of life to be opportunities that mature our faith and produce in us patient endurance, we will come to understand that God is using the trials of life to benefit our Christian character, and to help us grow more like the Lord Jesus.
When trouble comes our way, let us consider it an opportunity for great joy, knowing that when our faith is tested, our patient endurance has a chance to grow and our life will glorify our Father, Who is in heaven.
Having taught His disciples to pray to the Father in faith, Christ gives a long dissertation on the futility of fretting, the fruitlessness of worry, and the anxiety that is caused when our primary attention is on how we can provide for our own, temporal needs and necessities rather than relying on the Lord.
God knows that worry entraps the heart and fear fractures faith, which can cause a believer to spiral down into a pit of despair.
He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Genesis and Revelation, the Source and Conclusion, and the Author and Finisher of our faith.
May we daily feed on the Bread of Life, by faith with thanksgiving as we journey through life, for He alone is our life-sustainer for in Him are the words of eternal life.
He thanked God for their work which was energised by faith, their service which was motivated by love, and their unwavering hope in the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The apostle knew these spiritual qualities can only be exhibited in a life that is persevering in the faith, walking in spirit and truth, and working the works of God through the sufficient grace and supernatural power which He supplies.
Their 'works of faith' were not the dead works of the Law or the barren works of carnality. A work of faith can only be accomplished through the power of the indwelling Spirit.
The faith demonstrated by these justified believers is the spiritual foundation upon which all spiritual work is anchored.
Their faith was a sanctifying faith, the type of faith James challenged his readers with when he wrote: Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. It is always important to ascertain if a passage relates to initial salvation (justification) or progressively ongoing salvation (sanctification).
Faith that justifies is a work of the Spirit in the heart of a man or woman who has trusted Christ's finished work on the Cross.
Faith that justifies takes place at one moment in time, when Christ is made the object of our faith.
Credible faith must have a credible focus.
When a sinner is born-again, their faith in Christ is reckoned by God as righteousness.
However, the ongoing faith that sanctifies, is the work of faith that blessed Paul's heart in this verse.
And Paul constantly bore in mind the Thessalonians work of faith, their labour of love, and the steadfastness of hope they had in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sanctification is a work of faith which takes time to grow and mature.
It is the faith that translates into spiritual works that honour the Lord.
The apostle John calls the product of this sanctification process: The righteous acts of the saints. A 'work of faith' is a righteous act of God which He carries out through us because of our faith in Christ.
When our faith rests on Him, the work we produce is HIM working through us.
May we follow in the footsteps of the Christians of Thessalonica whose good works were energised by faith, whose service was motivated by love, and who maintained an unwavering hope in the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
May our work of faith be actively dependent on Him.
May our labour of love become a living sacrifice that honours our Father in thought, word, and deed, and may the steadfastness of our hope in Christ Jesus our Lord, stimulate others to work the works of faith, to labour in love, and to remain steadfast in the blessed hope we have in the Lord Jesus, in the presence of our God and Father.
She placed her faith in Him and determined to trust Him despite the difficulties she faced and the distresses that burdened her heart.
God gives everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, an opportunity to come to know Him as their Father, through the Word of truth and by faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We should not be stuck in the elementary teachings of the Christian faith, but should be pressing on and reaching forward for the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, on a daily basis.
We should be moving forward, each day, in our knowledge and understanding of our faith in Christ.
We should be maturing in the faith, growing in grace, progressing in the sanctification process, and becoming increasingly like the Lord Jesus Himself as we keep Him as the focus of our heart - for He is the Head of the Church and we are His Body.
Salvation for pre-cross believers who lived in the dispensation of the Law and post-cross believers who live in the dispensation of the grace-of-God, is given and received in the same way - for salvation is by God's grace through man's faith in the God's Word.
In this Church age salvation is ours by grace through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ..
Salvation is always a matter of faith..
We have been born into the kingdom of God by faith..
As part of Christ's body we are called to continue His work on earth as He lives in our heart by faith - for we are bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh.
But every one of the hundreds of privileges that have become ours by faith in Christ..
But He is also our life, for we have been made a new creation in Christ and have the additional privilege of being positioned in Him by grace through faith, and are seated together with Him in heavenly places.
The eyes of the Lord are still searching out men or women whose heart is completely His so that by grace through faith, Christ may be formed in us.
We who are saved by grace through faith in the shed blood of Christ Jesus, have no right to consider ourselves superior to unsaved humanity, for our heinous sin put Christ on the Cross, and the inestimable price of our sin was paid for at Calvary.
He washed away our sins by faith in Christ's righteousness and not due to any merit on our behalf, and the more we accusingly decry the sinful acts of others, the more we condemn ourselves.
It was their faith in Christ and their love for each other that motivated Paul to write to these faithful brothers and sisters in Christ, and caused him to pray continuously for them, giving thanks to God for them all.
Faith and love are two of the principle graces that are the hallmark of the saint, and along with hope they combine into a trio of Christian attributes that are so beloved of the Father.
Faith and love are two 'fruits of the Spirit' that blossom and bloom in the lives of all believers that are walking in spirit and truth.
Paul goes on to say: Faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven, the fruit of which is the gospel growing throughout the whole world.
Let us be known for our faith in Christ and our love for all God's people.
We are to rest confidently in the knowledge that He is our faithful God; the supreme Creator of all, and Commander of the armies of heaven Who redeems us by faith in the shed blood of Christ, and will never leave us nor forsake us.
We are to know in our heart, by faith with thanksgiving, that He is the Lord our God Who pardons all our iniquities and heals all our diseases, Who redeems our life from the pit, and Who crowns us with lovingkindness and compassion.
Although the nations rage like the billows of the sea and the people imagine a vain thing against the Lord God Almighty, we are called to be still in the presence of the Lord and to know Him in our heart by faith, with thanksgiving.
It speaks of the irony that the Gentiles who did not seek after God, have gained the righteousness that comes by faith, while the Jews who strived to achieve it through their own efforts by keeping the Law, failed miserably and even rejected the One through whom righteousness is received.
But if we are living by faith and trusting His guidance, He will bring us to the place that He knows is best - not only in this world but in the eternal ages to come.
None of the warnings threaten believers with loss of salvation, as some people teach, because we are saved by grace through faith in Christ's sacrificial offering of Himself on the Cross and His glorious Resurrection; we can do nothing to receive salvation and we can do nothing to keep our salvation.
We are made a new creation in Christ and given life-eternal when we are born from above - and it is given once, for all, by grace through faith in Him.
ANY believer who has been saved by grace through faith in Christ's sacrifice on the Cross who decides to adopt legalistic practices in their religion, is endangering themselves.
May we read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the instructive and informative teachings in Hebrews and take special heed of those passages that war us against insulting our God and Saviour Who died for our sin and rose again so that through faith in Him we might be born from above, declared righteous, and receive the riches of His goodness and grace freely and without cost.
He has sent Me to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed.Jesus pronounced the fulfilment of this ancient prophecy from Isaiah, and the people there wondered at the gracious words that fell from His lips, yet they sought to slay Him for they could not accept the truth – but He passed through their midst, for His time had not yet arrived.Although Jesus was rejected in His hometown of Nazareth and an attempt was made to kill Him, He fulfilled this and many more astounding ancient prophecies, over the course of His life.The Spirit of God was indeed upon Him, for He submitted to the leading of the Spirit throughout His life, spoke only those things He heard from the Father, carried out His Father's will, and fulfilled every prophecy relating to His first advent.He did preach the good news of salvation to the poor, proclaiming freedom from sin, Satan, death, and hell – by faith in Him.
Jesus is our great High Priest and the one we acknowledge by faith as our God and Saviour, and we are to pay attention to His life and His behaviour - for He was faithful to His Heavenly Father Who appointed Him to be our Kinsman-Redeemer.
Just as Abraham was justified because he believed what God had said, so we too are declared righteous by faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.
It does not rest on our good deeds or works of the law - our salvation rests on Christ and is ours by faith in the truth of God's Word.
Abraham was declared righteous by faith and we also are justified in the same way - by the hearing of faith - by believing God's Word - by trusting all that He has written for our learning.
Being a son of Abraham is a matter of faith - both in the Old and New Testaments.
Abraham believed God when He called him out of his home town to a place that God had promised as an eternal inheritance and Abraham obeyed by faith - and his faith was credited to him as righteousness.
Noah believed God and built an ark, by faith.
David, Daniel, Isaiah, and the many saints listed in Hebrews believed the Word of the Lord - and they were justified by their faith.
When we believe this by faith... just as Abraham believed God by faith, it is credited to us as righteousness and we are declared justified in the eyes of God.
Israel may have been the physical descendants of Abraham and even chosen to be entrusted with the Law, the prophets, and the promised Messiah, but they were saved by faith in the Word of God, not simply because they were physical descendants of Abraham.
In this Church dispensation, it is those who believe by faith who are reckoned by God as the spiritual descendants of Abraham.
Believing Jews and believing Gentiles alike are the spiritual offspring of Abraham - we are justified by faith.
We are justified by faith.
However, certain Jewish teachers were unable to let go of their insular religion in the Church in Galatia and Paul gave a strong and severe warning - that the sons of Abraham are those of faith.
He reminded them of a verse from Habakkuk: The just shall live by faith, and that Scripture itself foretold that God would also justify the Gentiles by faith in the same way that He justified the Jews by faith - for the Lord told Abraham: In you shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
But in this dispensation of the grace of God, all believers, Jew and Gentile alike, are children of faith and members of the Body of Christ.
We are all one in Him and have been commissioned to be ministers of reconciliation who share the good news that Christ died for our sin, was buried, and rose again the third day - and all who believe on Him will not perish but have everlasting life - and it is all by faith.
It details the glorious plan of salvation and the enormous sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, whereby fallen man is not only released from slavery to sin, delivered from eternal condemnation, and reconciled back to God, but also saved by grace through faith in Him, made a new creation in Christ, made a citizen of heaven and a joint-heir with the Son of God, bestowed with the riches of God's grace, in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit, eternally secure in His gracious love, and so much more.
The Lord is indeed rich in goodness and grace, mercy and love, wisdom and knowledge and power, and in Christ, we too have been made rich in everything, for He has bestowed on us the riches of His grace in Christ Jesus our Saviour and, by faith, we have a rich reward that is kept for us in heaven.
All things live through Him, and all things centre in Him for He is the Alpha and Omega, the Author and Finisher of our faith.
It was God Who planned the redemption of mankind before the foundation of the world, and by the grace of God, through faith in Christ, we have become the children of God and joint heirs with the beloved Son of His love.
The godly are called to trust in the Lord and to hold fast to the faith once offered to the saints, for our hope is in Christ.
We are to maintain our faith in the power and promises of God, for He will vindicate all His children and His justice will shine as brightly as the noonday sun.
And because we have peace with the Father we have gained access, by that faith, into the grace into which we have been established.
Man's natural desire in life is to live in ease and to avoid life's problems and pain, but Scripture reminds us that only those who face the distresses of life through His sufficient grace, develop the patient endurance and proven character that is so acceptable to the Lord, which in turn results in a mature faith and a hope that is firmly established in Him.
The faith in which they stood, enabled them to glory in their tribulation and exult in their afflictions.
The former is a comprehensive discourse on the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith, rooted in the gospel of the grace of God.
It was sent to the Church in Rome and teaches salvation is by grace alone through faith in Christ, which has set us free from slavery to sin through the fleshly works of the Law.
Paul's teaching was in line with Christ's other apostles and he strongly rejected the dishonest criticism of these legalistic Judaisers who were shipwrecking the faith of the Galatians with a false, legalistic 'gospel'.
We also discover he was a man of prayer, who had a deep faith in God.
His desire is to shipwreck our faith by causing us to doubt God's goodness and question His Word.
God does bless His children, and although we need to confess any sin to the Lord, we should never assume that difficult circumstances are always a result of our wrongdoing, as it shows a lack of faith in His Word and distrust of His promises.
Job trusted in God, and his faith was credited as righteous.
Salvation must rest on a genuine, bona fide heart-faith in God and His Son, Jesus Christ Who was sent by the Father be the sacrifice for the sin of the whole world.
IN WHOM do we place our faith!
Our faith must be IN the person and work of Jesus Christ Whom God has sent and our confession must be TO the Lord our God and not before other men - as so many like to teach!
Christ also removed the spiritual barrier between Jew and Gentile so that by grace through faith in Him, those that were afar off were brought near.
The brotherhood of believers became one Body, and Christ reconciled them to God through the Cross so that Jew and Gentile alike are justified through faith, and have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
While God shows no favouritism between rich and poor, because salvation is a free gift of grace to whosoever will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, James does seem to imply that God extends special favour towards those that are poor, in respect of the riches of this world: Listen, my beloved brothers, he writes, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
How can it be that God has chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith, when James clearly teaches that God does not demonstrate bias or favouritism towards any of His creatures? Could it not be argued that if God has chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and become heirs of the kingdom, that He is demonstrating bias towards the poor of the world?
Well, it is not that God favours poor people by making them rich in faith, but He knows that the riches of this world can become an obstacle to faith, because the wealthy man too often places his hope in his bank balance or trusts in his wealth to get him out of difficult circumstances, instead of relying on the Lord to provide what is needed according to His riches in glory.
Poor, poverty-stricken people more ready to respond to the gospel of grace with an open heart, ready acceptance, and trusting faith, than prosperous persons who too often find difficulty in casting all their cares on Christ - preferring to centre their hope on cryptocurrencies, commodity markets, and their capital assets.
God knows that those that trust Him and believe His Word are truly rich – for the outcome of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is forgiveness of sins, peace with God, a new life in Christ, the indwelling Comforter, joint-heirship in Christ's coming kingdom, and a glorious and eternal heavenly home, among a multitude of wonderful blessings that are showered on all who are rich in faith by trusting His Word.
Most of those who put their faith in Jesus and trusted Him for salvation, were simple folk with few earthy possessions - and yet the testimony they leave behind is a wealth of faith in Christ because they loved Him and discovered His grace to be sufficient and His strength to be made perfect, as He lived in them and they abode in Him.
Too often, the world's opinion of riches is bound up in the baubles of this world that will one day be burned up, but let us pay heed a truth that has stood the test of time - God has chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, and this is a promise which holds true for all who love him.
God's Word is the light of truth that is written for our learning to lead us away from each shadowy danger that crosses our path and to strengthen our faith in our Saviour as He gently leads us.
Indeed, multiple passages teaches that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone, and there can be no deviation from God's declared way of salvation.
It is faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross for the forgiveness of sin, and His glorious Resurrection from the dead that saves mankind from their sin.
May we be ready and willing to give an answer for the hope we have in Christ and pray that through our ministry, some may be plucked from the brands into a saving faith in Jesus.
Daniel and his three friends had a choice to make when confronted with evil - to stand firm in the faith, and honour the Lord or compromise their trust in God by bowing to the golden image.
May we not allow the world to shape us into its mould, but stand firm in the faith, knowing that He has promised to strengthen us to the end, so that we will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Despite all that Philip and the other disciples had witnessed throughout the three and a half years of His ministry, the disciples' stumbling block was a lack of faith.
Prayer has been called 'the breath of the soul' and expresses the very essence of faith in our Heavenly Father.
We have His assurance that the Lord our God hears, and answers, every cry of the heart and each prayer that is offered in faith.
He also longed for others to grow in grace, mature in the faith, and develop their own close intercourse with the Lord Jesus – and so we discover many heartfelt prayers for the maturing of the saints throughout His writings.
No wonder he and the other apostles gave such serious warning to the Church to contend earnestly for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. And this warning is equally pertinant TODAY
Let us contend earnestly for the faith and be sober and vigilant..
His sacrificial death paid the penalty for our sin, but the icy grip of death could never hold Him in the grave, because eternal deity possesses immortality and perfect, sinless manhood is not subject to the sentence of death nor the curse of the Law (and we who believe Him, who are in positioned in Christ, are similarly not subject to the sentence of death or the curse of the Law, for by faith in Him we are accepted by God in the Beloved).
May we who are positionally sanctified in Christ, so submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives that we may also be practically sanctified as we mature in the faith, grow in grace, and come to know the Lord Jesus more and more with each passing day.
He gave us new life and made us alive, through faith in Christ.
Because of His sacrifice on the Cross, those who have trusted Christ by faith have been quickened by God and made alive in Him, despite being spiritually dead in our sins.
By faith, we were made spiritually alive and born afresh into a new creation in Christ.
Although we were spiritually dead in our trespasses and sin, we have been made spiritually alive by faith in Christ’s work on the Cross.
Those of us who were spiritually dead and eternally separated from our heavenly Creator have been quickened from the dead and made alive in Christ, by grace through faith.
2 Peter 2:22 is the final verse in a section that describes the devastation that occurs in the life of an unbeliever who escapes the pollution of the world when they come to an intellectual knowledge of the Lord Jesus through an apostate teacher, but are not brought to saving faith in Him because they are taught a counterfeit Christ and a fake gospel.
Men and women who are taught a false way of salvation, cannot mix truth with faith and be saved.
Those who are truly born again, by faith in the Person and work of Jesus, are changed people.
There may well be times when a Christian becomes a prodigal and is foolishly drawn back to the world, for a season, acting like a dog returning to its vomit, but unlike the unsaved, Christians are eternally justified by faith in Christ, positionally sanctified in Him, and as Paul writes: He whom He justified, these He also glorified.
Once again, it was the elders who set correct priorities in going to visit the House of the Lord on arrival in Jerusalem, before beginning to establish homes in their own ancestral cities, and it was the heads of families who recognised the importance of restoring the foundations of their faith, which had fallen into such disrepair for so prolonged a period.
As Christians, we have peace with God through faith, and have been made ministers of reconciliation, so that fallen sinners may be reconciled back to God and gain true peace in their heart.
Christ came to earth to reveal God's goodness and grace, and His death on the cross opened the way for fallen man to find peace with God - to be reconciled back to Him through faith in His Son.
During Christ's absence from the earth, those who believe on His name have been entrusted with a life-work that proclaims the gospel of grace to a lost world, so that men, who are dead in their sin and estranged from God, may know the truth, be saved by grace through faith in Christ and find peace with God.
Our initial salvation brings peace WITH God but during our walk of faith through the journey of life, we can enjoy the peace OF God - God's continuous, divine peace in our hearts, Let not your heart be troubled, Jesus told his confused disciples just before He was to walk to the cross, Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in Me.
We who believe, can receive that peace that passes understanding as we remain in right relationship with the Father, through faith in the Son.
We are to be witnesses to the truth of the gospel and preach the truth to every creature - that peace with God IS possible by His grace, through faith in Christ.
But the gospel does not end at the Cross, for Christ rose from the dead so that all who have faith in His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection will also rise from the dead into newness of life.
It is through faith in His redemptive work that we are given a new life, a deathless life, an eternal life, which begins the moment we are saved by grace through faith in Christ - and that life reaches into the eternal ages that are to come.
She knew His voice and out of a heart of unwavering faith and deep love, she replied 'Rabboni'.
Multiple passages tell us that salvation is by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, but here we read that He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey.
Is eternal salvation conditional on faith or on obedience?
In Romans 1:5 we discover that the obedience that God requires of man is faith - faith in His Word.
We read that the 'obedience of faith' is brought about by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
Paul was appointed by God: To bring about obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake.
And Paul concludes His Roman epistle with these words: Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to the obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever.
To praise God for the deep faith, generous love, and patient endurance that is exhibited by those who hope in the Lord, and to pray impassionedly for evangelistic doors to be opened so that the gospel of grace may be proclaimed far and wide, to those who do not yet know Him.
And rather than thankful praise for the work that God is doing through others, and a dear desire that they mature in the faith, too often a bitter attitude toward fellow brothers and sisters in Christ is nurtured.
Following a beautiful chapter on faith, which reminds us of our privileged position in Christ and the glories that are yet to be realised in Him, Hebrews 12 exhorts the Church to maintain our hope in Christ; the Author and Finisher of our faith.
How important that our faith does not fail and that we stand firm in this evil day.
As His children we are already at peace with God because He forgave us our sins by grace through faith.
Because we are His children, by faith, we have been permanently positioned in-Christ, which has given us peace with God, the forgiveness of sins, and life everlasting.
But now that we have been saved by grace through faith in Him, we are to strive to live in peace with all people and to pursue godly consecration and holiness of heart without which, we are told, no one will ever see the Lord.
Unless we are saved by faith, we cannot have peace with God and unless we are walking in spirit and truth, we will not know the peace of God.
Without Christ's Resurrection we would be forgiven of our sin, for which we praise His holy name, but we would remain separated from our body forever, for perishable must put on the imperishable and mortal must be clothed with immortality, through faith in Him.
Spiritual JOY is from the Lord, and gives strength and rejoicing, even in the midst of problematic and painful circumstances, while spiritual PEACE is inner tranquillity and godly composure, that is free from anxiety through faith in God's Word.
It is only as we grow in grace, become mature in the faith, and keep a short rein of sin in our lives, that we will produce the spiritual fruit that exemplifies the spirit-filled believer.
We, who are saved by grace through faith in Christ, are one part of that precious plan of salvation.
Today, by grace, we are 'living stones' being built up into the Body of Christ: Till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.
But his letter was designed to keep these believers focused on the truth, steadfast in their faith..
they presented by their unshakable faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.
How important it is to be orderly and steadfast in our faith, such that nothing can shake our trust in the Lord, Who provides us with the sufficient grace and strength to face all eventualities.
And He witnesses within our inner being that we are children of God and that we have received eternal life, by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Saviour.
And once again we are reminded that when faith is founded on this One, sure Foundation, nothing can destroy our hope, demolish our faith, disturb our peace, or disrupt our fellowship with the Lover of our soul, for when we remain in Christ and He in us, we become irrepressible conquerors and overwhelming victors.
This is a godly principle of faith – that when we abide in Christ during the inevitable disasters that flood our lives, faith increases, trust is amplified, hope is expanded, and our love of Jesus reaches even greater heights, as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of Him.Oh, such life victory has nothing to do with our own great strength, intellectual ability, or healthy bank balance, for of ourselves we would be overwhelmed by all these things rather than becoming a conqueror through Christ.
Without the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Christian faith would be in vain, for the gospel dictates that Christ died, was buried, and rose again according to the Scriptures, and Paul started to name the many eye-witnesses who met with Jesus following His glorious Resurrection from the dead.
Hebrews is an example of Scripture that gives maturing believers guidance on how to live by faith - how to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.
While the first, obvious step in pleasing God is to get saved by believing in the redeeming work of Christ, it is the ongoing, living faith of a believer that pleases God, in the day by day exercise of life.
It is ONLY through Christ's imputed righteousness can we please God, for without faith it is impossible to please Him.
But once we are saved we are to please Him by living by faith.
Once we have believed in Him we are to, believe that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Having been saved through justifying faith, believers are to continue to trust Him, by believing His Word, living by faith, and diligently seeking His face day by day.
Once we have believed in God's saving grace through faith in Christ, we are also to believe that, He rewards those that seek Him, as stated in Scripture.
There is rejoicing in heaven when a sinner believes, but we truly please Him when we LIVE by faith.
If we desire to please our Heavenly Father, we are to LIVE by faith and not by sight.
Too often, those who started their Christian life by faith, stop relying on the truth of Scripture.
Christians who try to live in their own strength or rely on their own good works do not please the Lord, because they are not trusting His Word - for faith is the evidence of things NOT seen.
Faith in God's Word is what pleases Him.
We please Him when we are saved, but we are to please Him throughout our Christian life, by believing His promises are true and by believing He rewards those who seek Him - by faith.
Those who diligently seek Him, produce the beautiful fruit of the Spirit, so that they grow in grace and mature in the faith, which pleases our Heavenly Father.
The more a Christian trusts God's Word, believes all He says, has faith in His promises, believes He is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek to know Him, the more they will grow in grace, mature in the faith, walk in spirit and truth and please Him - for to the one that has much, even more will be given.
Let us maintain our faith in God and never doubt the veracity of the Gospel message, even when His truth is shrouded from our eyes, or when the reality of His Word does not reflect our life-experience, for without faith it is impossible to please Him.
Let us trust in the Lord with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding, knowing that without saving faith and sanctifying faith, it is impossible to please Him.
The letters that are written by Paul and the epistles that other New Testament apostles penned, should thrill our hearts, for in them we gain exclusive information about our Heavenly Father and privileged access to Him through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
And Paul further teaches believers how to live godly lives, as is fitting for those that are saved by grace through faith in Christ's sacrificial death and His glorious resurrection.
For all who believe on Him by grace through faith, would be reconciled to God, become eternally saved, and forever forgiven by means of the astonishing atoning sacrifice that Christ made on that singular day.
so that by faith in Him we might never be forsaken but united with Him forever.
The promises of God to His children are 'yes' and 'amen' in Christ, and God has promised that we who are saved by grace through faith in Him, have a glorious inheritance that is being reserved for us in heaven.
It was faith in Christ's finished work that saved us when we first trusted in Him as Saviour.
And as God's children, we are called to live our life by faith in the Son of God Who loved us and gave Himself for us.
When we were born again, we were saved by faith in Christ.
We were redeemed by the blood of the Lamb Who gave us His life - His resurrected life - His eternal life - and we were saved once and forever by faith.
Not only are we justified by faith and sanctified by faith, but one day we will also be glorified by grace through faith in Christ's sacrifice at Calvary.
Today, we are being: Kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
The righteous man is the one who has been saved by grace through faith in Christ.
He is declared righteous by believing God's Word, and his faith is credited to him as righteousness.
The Lord knows those that have been covered in His own righteousness by faith, and He is with us throughout our earthly life.
The Lord is intimately connected with each of His own, for all who are saved by grace through faith are united with Him forever and His Holy Spirit is both with us and in us, BUT evil men are condemned.
For those who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, these prophecies from Isaiah and Malachi have already been fulfilled and our life is now hid with Christ in God and we are part of the New Creation in Christ.
Today, the enemy is like a roaring lion who is prowling around, accusing the saints, and seeking to destroy the faith of all those who have trusted Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
Jacob is one of many biblical characters whom God used to bring to fruition His perfect plan of redemption and who was used to teach us an important lesson - that there is nothing we can do to gain God's blessing or become His child - that it is not by wit or wisdom, schemes or cleverness, power or might that we are saved and brought in to an everlasting relationship with our Heavenly Father, but by His grace alone - through faith alone in Christ alone.
Tensions between the two groups increased so significantly that the religious, Jewish leaders who rejected their Messiah, took steps to suppress the testimony of God's grace by exterminating everyone who professed faith in Jesus of Nazareth - the King of the Jews.
The Jewish Sanhedrin became desperate to halt the spread of the gospel of grace - that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again, according to their Jewish Scriptures - to save His people from their sins, by faith in Him.
Both Abraham and Stephen demonstrated an unshakable faith in our Almighty God, for they knew that nothing in the heavens above, the earth beneath, or the waters under the earth, is able to thwart God's perfect plan of redemption for both the people Israel that the Christian Church.
God is the Father of lights and Creator of all, but at the appointed time He became our Father, by faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God set out His plan of redemption within the pages of Scripture and faith comes by hearing..
All believers from Adam onwards are saved by grace through faith in God's Word and all believers in this Church dispensation are considered to be a kind of first-fruit in God's eyes.
which is connected with the resurrection of the dead, whereby all who have believed by grace through faith are considered to be the 'first-fruit,' for we all belong to the Lord and will all one day be resurrected from the dead - but as Scripture states, this will happen to each person in the proper order.
He will not reform the old 'self' but transform the 'new-life' in Christ from glory to glory, until we all reach unity in the faith and knowledge of His only begotten Son.
But not only does He desire a vertical oneness of each of His children with Himself, but He also yearns that we have a horizontal oneness with our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ; that we become one in principle and purpose, one in thought and word and deed, one in faith and doctrine, one in love and hope.
No man can gain eternal life and enter heaven except through faith in Jesus.
In God's perfect economy the good deeds, generous acts, philanthropic behaviour, and kind conduct that fallen man is able to generate, falls far short of the glory and perfection of our holy God, for faith in Christ Jesus our Lord is the only Way. There is nothing we can do that could earn us a place in the heavenly realm.
And by His grace and goodness we discover ourselves to be His beloved children, by faith in Christ.
Herein is love: not that we loved God, but that He took the initiative and loved us first, by sending His only begotten Son into the world to die for sinful man so that whosoever believes on Him would not be condemned, but be given abundant and eternal life, by grace through faith.
Older men are to be self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance.
He should instruct his sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters, in the things of the Lord so they come to a saving faith in Christ, mature in the faith, and grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
From his youth, David found God was faithful and true, and despite his own foolish actions, some irresponsible decisions, and sinful behaviours, David maintained a holy faith in the Lord and found Him to be the only Rock on which he could stand and his only secure Tower of Refuge.
David acknowledged that in this world we will suffer trials and tribulations and the enemy of our soul will use every opportunity to depress our heart and shipwreck our faith, but this man of God never forgot that the Lord is in control, and the mischief of the oppressor will finally return on his own head.
David has become a great example of a man whose trust in God was severely tested, but one who maintained his faith in His Redeemer.
The man who falls on the Stone will be broken to pieces (saved by grace through faith) BUT on whosoever that Stone falls, (the unbeliever) will be scattered like dust.
Titus was Paul's spiritual son in the common faith.
They were a New Creation in Christ and were equal members of His Body.The little letter to Titus gives important information on the appointing of godly elders in the congregation, establishing sound teaching, correcting doctrinal error, setting out appropriate Christian behaviour for men and women alike, and encouraging all believers in their faith during our brief sojourn on earth.Although we don't know when the Church in Crete was founded, this comprehensive letter to Titus gives clear instruction on the important issues of governance and guidance within the Body of Christ.By God's grace, we all have the Word of God as our plum-line for truth.
His ministry was to develop the faith of God's chosen people, through sound doctrine and mutual encouragement.
He preached Christ crucified, Christ risen, Christ ascended, and Christ glorified... and his mission was to bring the lost to faith and the saved to spiritual maturity.
Paul was commissioned by God to evangelise lost sinners and to further the faith of those that had been saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.
But it is the Father in this verse Who is called 'Saviour', for it is not His will that any should perish but that all should come to salvation, by faith in Christ.
This much-loved passage gives real insight into our position in Christ and reminds us that because we are united to Him by faith, we are to love one another as Christ loved us.
But it also reminds us that the joy of the Lord often comes through much suffering and pain, but we who are united to Christ by faith in Him, have the assurance that His grace is sufficient, for His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
We are positionally sanctified the moment that we place our faith in the Lord.
For the rest of our lives, we are being progressively sanctified as we mature in the faith, grow in grace, and submit to the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit within our lives.
He has promised to recompense, with bountiful gifts, each labour of love, each work of faith, each heart that is watching for His soon return, and each prayer that cries out: Maranatha!
God was to use Paul to bring the good news of the gospel of grace to lost sinners, whose minds are blinded by the god of this world and whose eyes are closed to the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ: To turn them from the dominion of Satan to God and tell them that through faith in the Lord Jesus they would receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Christ.
He was to witness before Jews, Gentiles, kings, and governors, that faith in Christ will bring salvation to all who believe on His name.
It is only by grace through faith in Christ, that we are brought into the light.
It is only by faith, that our eyes have been turned from darkness to light.
It is only by grace through faith, that we are transferred from the dominion of Satan into the family of God.
It is only by His grace, that we have received forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Him.
And they were given the opportunity to place their faith in Christ, that they too may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Christ.
He is the One who points us to Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith, Who died and rose again so that we might live and be raised into life immortal, and He is the one that bestows on us gifts of the spirit and spiritual graces.
But he also knew that there are many within its ranks that are not only against the Lord, but seek to set themselves up in place of God and shipwreck the faith of Christ's followers.
Almost 2000 years have passed since John's warning of antichrists in our midst and antichrists within our ranks, and the closer we get to the return of Christ, the more careful we should be that we hold fast to the truth of God's Word, walk in spirit and truth, and stand fast in the faith - for the glory of God.
Let us glorify God with our bodies and submit our lives to the leading of the Spirit, for we have been delivered from the dominion of evil as willing slaves to sin have been reunited with our precious Saviour, by grace through faith.
We eat of Christ, our Bread of Life and drink from the Living Water of life, for unless we eat of His Body and drink His Blood, through faith in Him, we will remain dead in our sins.
They were saved by grace but they were overthrown in the wilderness because they did not live by faith.
Instead of the Church proclaiming the gospel of the grace of God to a lost world, 144 thousand Jewish evangelists will start to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom – and then Christ will return as their anointed King.Although this is a time of Great Tribulation, it is not God's will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance through faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sin.
And it is during this 'Time of Jacobs Trouble' (the 70th week of Daniel) that we discover a great multitude without number who will be saved by God’s grace, through faith in the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.We read in Revelation 7, that after the sealing of the 144 thousand Jews who come from every tribe of Israel, a great multitude which no one could number, will come to faith in Christ.
They have washed their robes and made them white, in the blood of the Lamb.This great multitude are those that have been forgiven of their sin, by faith in Christ.
However, from reading the book of Revelation, we discover that their faith will be severely tested, for about three quarters of the entire world's population will be slain during this period.Although there will be a global slaughter during this terrible time, a great multitude will be saved for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God, because they did not worship the beast, nor his image, nor did they receive his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands.Though not part of the Church, these saints of God will be resurrected when the Antichrist is defeated and Christ returns to earth to take up His rightful position as Israel's King.
And as members of Christ's Body in the post-Cross dispensation of grace, we too should follow the example of this faithful little remnant in Israel who, despite the terrible sufferings they experienced both individually and as a nation, were men and women of faith who continued to trust in the Lord with all their heart and did not lean on their own understanding.
since the fall of Adam, the enemy of our soul has been counterfeiting the truth, promulgated his own distorted gospel and flooding the world with deceit, corruption and fear, in an attempt to shipwreck the faith of believers and overthrow the authority and sovereignty of God Himself.
And the love of God is perfected in all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, for we are saved by grace alone - through faith alone - in Christ alone.
Should not we who have been saved by grace alone - through faith alone- in Christ alone, give testimony of God's great love for mankind by giving up ourselves to His service until we can say as He did: Father Thy will be done in my life, to Your praise and glory.
This precious promise is no less true for God's people today who have been rescued from slavery to sin and subjection to Satan, than it was for His people who were in servitude to Pharaoh and slaves in the land of Egypt, and it all comes down to a matter of faith in God's promises - of trusting His Word - of believing the truth of His Scripture.
He will never leave us and He will not forsake us, even when our faith wears thin or when we fall into sin or turn away from His loving truth.
But as the time for Moses' death drew nearer, a new generation of Israelites were given an opportunity to believe God's Word, trust the promises of God, enter the Promised Land, and live a victorious life of faith instead of a defeated life of unbelief and doubt.
separated unto God as His peculiar nation), the Israelites were led for many years through their wilderness walk, learning the lesson that all God's children must learn if they are to reach maturity, with a faith that trusts His Word and obeys His command.
And like Israel, the Lord will take us through long years of child-training and painful growing pains so that we too will become mature in the faith, trust His Word, and obey His command - even on those occasions when we do not understand.
A Christian should be more concerned with the development of personal character, growing in grace, maturing in the faith, and the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit, than engaging in a ministry of activities, however valuable it may seem to us or to others.
We have not only received forgiveness of sin and life everlasting through faith in Him, but have been called to be partakers of God's heavenly kingdom and received a share in His own glory, as heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ!
What amazing love that through faith in Him, sinners such as you and I, might be saved by grace and raised into newness of life.
It is only by faith in Him that we have become a member of His mystical Body, are indwelled by the Spirit of God and are given the sufficient grace to live in newness of life.
Paul encourages Timothy to flee from evil lusts and to preach the whole council of Christ... and he further expresses his grief over certain men who were distorting the pure gospel of grace and destroying the faith of some by teaching that there was no Resurrection!
Some teach a prosperity gospel with its accompanying unbiblical 'word of faith' declarations and positive proclamations, together with an emerging church where Scripture is altered to tickle the ears of carnal men and foolish women.
Many like to focus on social changes in the community while denigrating the gospel of Christ, the salvation of the lost, and spiritual maturity, while others continue to teach an equally concerning works-based religion, rather that a grace-based faith which too often promotes the unbiblical teaching called 'replacement theology' - which incorrectly teaches that the Church has replaced Israel.
No one has seen the invisible God at any time, and yet God the Father sent God the Holy Spirit to live in and work through all those who have chosen to trust in God the Son for salvation, by grace through faith.
He also knew that giving them practical examples of how to live in these times, would be beneficial to them, and those around them: But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
In his desire to contend earnestly for the faith, Jude's prayer and pleading to the Father was that multiplied blessings be bestowed on all those who are in Christ Jesus.
Although this verse was given to Israel by Malachi and will be realised for them at Christ's Second Advent, this is a truth for ALL who have believed on Him in their hearts by faith that has already been fulfilled in each of us at our salvation.
The Thessalonians were new believers who needed encouragement to stand firm in the faith.
In this passage, Paul reminds all of us how to walk in a way that pleases the Lord, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God. Having been saved by grace through faith in Christ, we are to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.
The believers in Thessalonica were growing in their faith, but Paul wanted them to abound in grace more and more with every passing day - and this should be our desire too.
However much we mature in the faith, grow in holiness, walk in the spirit and live righteously before God, there are always more lessons to learn, greater heights to reach and a deeper knowledge of Scripture to discover.
He wanted them to grow in grace, walk in spirit and truth, mature in the faith, love as Christ loved, live in unity with one another, and rejoice in the Lord always.
Paul was their 'father-in-the-faith' who knew that God's will for each of His children is their sanctification.
Once we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, any good works that we undertake are to be done through the new, Christ-given nature which we receive at salvation, and not the old, sin nature which was imputed to us due to our membership of the first creation in Adam.
When the Lord Jesus won the victory on the Cross, we received a new life by faith.
we are to keep the Word of God in our heart as the singular benchmark for truth and to look to Jesus every moment of the day, for He is the Author and Finisher of our faith, Who will one day come to take us to be with Himself.
Paul wanted these Philippian Christians to stand fast in the faith and to immerse themselves in the truth of God's Word..
Though sinless, Christ took our sin upon Himself and was punished in our place so that although we are sinners, we are clothed in His righteousness by faith, and freed from the consequences of sin and the curse of the Law which condemns all humanity to eternal separation from God.
The blood of innocent animals could only cover humanities sin until the perfect Lamb of God in the Person of the Lord Jesus came to earth to become that singular sacrifice Who alone was sufficient to cleanse us from all sin and clothe us in the righteousness of God, and we access His forgiveness of our sins by faith in Him.
And so for your sake and for mine, the Lord Jesus Christ was led like a lamb to be slaughtered, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, Jesus did not open His mouth so that all who believe on Him by grace through faith in His death, burial, and Resurrection would not perish but have everlasting life.
It was Abraham who did not waver in his trust of God and because of his faith, he was declared righteous.
Abraham was not justified by good works... his righteousness was gained through faith in God's Word.
Through the life and example of Abraham, we are taught: With respect to the promise of God, Abraham did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God.
Indeed, he made many mistakes in his journey through life, and had to learn many lessons along the way. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful testimony to this man that he did not falter in his faith, which not only glorified God but gives us an example of the need to understand how important it is to believe God - for without faith, it is impossible to please God.
Although he did not understand how this was possible and even tried to assist God in its fulfilment, Abraham became the forefather of faith, because he trusted what God had said.
He believed what God had promised him, and he had faith that God would fulfil His covenant promise in every detail, even if he did not understand how or when.
Righteousness is received as a free gift of God - through faith in His Word.
As Abraham journeyed through life, we discover that trusting the promises of God and holding fast to his Word, is a vital key to developing our faith.
Our faith can be severely challenged by the problems and pain of life, and faith falters if we allow ourselves to be tossed about by the conflicts, fears, worries, and doubts of daily life.
But as we learn to stand fast in the faith and receive strength in the power of His might, the problems of life will not overwhelm us, and we will discover that our faith in the Lord remains firm and is strengthened.
There are many precious promises of God, and faith requires all of His children to trust His Word, believe His promises, and have faith in the truth of Scripture.
It is a great tribute to Abraham that Paul records that with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God... and we should seek to achieve an equivalent faith that stands firm on the promises of God.Not one of us should stagger at the Lord's promises within His Word, for what God has said He will carry out to completion, for God cannot lie and will never change His mind, and the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
But the man that trusts in God is clothed in confidence and strengthened in his faith, which glorifies the Father.Oh what peace and power, excellence and grace there is in trusting the Lord.
What joy and gladness rejoices the heart and mind of the one whose faith does not waver in unbelief at the promises of God, for he will be strengthened in His faith and give glory to God.
There are, of course, certain non-negotiables in Christian doctrine and our walk of faith, such as the deity of Christ and the virgin birth, His incarnation and bodily resurrection, the authority and inerrancy of Scripture, the Tri-unity of the Godhead, the hypostatic union of Christ and His Second Coming, but there are broad Scriptural principles in God's Word that guide us in our daily decisions and personal conduct.
And although two Christians may differ in non-essentials of the faith, both have freedom to choose their personal preferences without fear of condemnation.
Paul warned Timothy that the Holy Spirit expressly said that in later times: Some would depart from the faith, by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, while Peter speaks of false prophets and treacherous teachers who will: Rise up from among the people, and secretly bring in destructive heresies.
He encourages us to build ourselves up in our most holy faith by praying in the Spirit and keeping ourselves within the loving protection of our Heavenly Father.
Their weak faith did not rejoice when the women testified of the empty tomb.
The fluctuating hope and teetering trust of the two disciples was shortly to be transformed into factual faith, when they invited Jesus to come into their home and sup with them.
These two disciples had placed their faith in the Lord Jesus for salvation, but they had not yet learned to live by faith; to walk in spirit and truth; to live their life by trusting God's Word and not relying on sight, circumstances, or their fluctuating feelings.
It is very easy to find our hearts swayed by the difficult circumstances that impact our lives, but how honouring it is when we live by faith, walk in spirit and truth, and do not rely on our own interpretation or understanding.
Both Peter and Paul were apostles of Christ who had been called and chosen by the Lord, but like every one of us, they were also able to slip back into carnality and sin – and like each of us, there were times when they also had to be corrected by another brother in Christ and re-examine their faith to see if they were adhering to the truth of the gospel or being led astray, into legalism.After Paul had been so gloriously saved on the road to Damascus, Peter and the other apostles continued to share the gospel of God around Jerusalem and the local Judean area – predominantly to Jews.
Paul, on the other hand, quietly taught in various Gentile communities and set up Christian churches throughout the wider Asia-minor region.Although the apostles at Jerusalem recognised that Paul had been divinely commissioned to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, there was little interaction or overlap between these two Christian ministries for many years.It was after Peter's angelic vision at Joppa and his experience with the salvation of Cornelius the Gentile centurion, that he came to understand that Gentiles and Jews were equal in the sight of God, and both were saved by grace through faith alone.
Indeed, the Jerusalem council was formally set up to clarify the fundamentals of the Christian faith.They agreed that Gentile believers could not be expected to adhere to Jewish rules, rites, and regulations, but too often, Jewish converts to Christianity clung fast to their former rituals, even though they knew that it was not the Law that justifies them before God, but faith in Christ.Although these early Jewish believers understood that salvation was by grace alone through faith in Christ alone, many of them, including some of the apostles, continued to cling to the Jewish Sabbath, Jewish sacrifices, the Temple worship, feasts days, and other Jewish observances.Time passed since Paul's first, brief visit to Jerusalem where he had met with Peter and a few Church leaders.
But one day, Paul found it necessary to challenge Peter about his faith – when this leading elder of the apostles started to revert back to pre-Cross observances.This issue came to a head one day, when Peter was visiting Antioch and started to separate himself from Gentile believers.
It was fellow Jews who had insisted in the segregation of circumcised Jewish believers from uncircumcised Gentiles Christians – and Peter caved into their pressure.Peter wanted a peaceful existence, and although he was a pillar of the early Christian Church who knew that salvation was by faith and not by following the Law, he crumbled from pressure and withdrew himself FEARING those of the circumcision.May we know the truth, stand fast on the Word of God, and not allow ourselves to compromise the glorious gospel of Christ through fear of the world, fear of our Christian brethren, or fear of our fellow man.
We need to believe that the wrath of God was poured out in full measure upon Christ Himself on our behalf so that we might be forgiven of our sins, clothed in His perfect righteousness, and receive eternal life as a free gift of God's grace, by faith.
It is faith in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary that renders a man or woman saved, forgiven, and a citizen of heaven.
He is the one who has the love of God shed abroad in his heart and confesses Christ crucified, risen, ascended, and glorified; the one who trusts in the atoning Word of Jesus Christ in his heart, by faith with thanksgiving.
Our very life has been redeemed from the pit of the dead, for not only are we forgiven of our sins and the beneficiaries of eternal life, by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but part of that free gift of grace was to redeem us from that pit of destruction that was prepared for the devil and his angels, and eternal separation from our heavenly King.
Abraham is often called the father of faith because: Abram believed God, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
In chapter 12, we read that he immediately left his home and family roots and set out to a land that the Lord would show him... where God would not only bless him but that through him, all the families of the earth would be blessed. And so, at the age of 75, Abram set out on his journey of faith towards the Promised Land.
Abram believed God and obediently set out for the Promised Land, and his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness.
Despite being justified in the eyes of God because of his initial faith when he left his home and family and set out for the Promised Land, the Lord sought to develop, deepen, expand, and enlarge his faith until Abram realised that the Lord alone could supply all his needs according to His riches in glory, according to His perfect timing, and according to His perfect will.
Like us, Abram was justified when he first believed the Word of the Lord but like us, His faith needed to grow and mature - which takes time in the life of every believer.
The doctrine of justification by grace through faith in Christ is the crux upon which our Christian faith rests.
Having been born again and credited with Christ's righteousness, it will never be withdrawn, as was the case with Abram, and like him, we also are to live the rest of our life by faith.
We are not to superimpose our own flawed and limited understanding of all that God has said, but to live our lives by faith as well as starting out by faith.
It was only by His grace through faith in His promised Word, that Abram was reckoned to be righteous and the same is true of all who believe that God's Word is true and His promises are sure.
Too often, our faith in God falters because what we see with our eyes and experience through life's challenges, conflicts with our human logic.
But He takes and uses all our failings to develop and deepen our faith in Him until, like Abraham, we eventually realise that He alone can supply all our needs, according to His grace and not our feeble works.
We finally read in Scripture that Abraham was not weak in faith; he staggered not at the promise: he was strong in faith; he was fully persuaded.
The carnal behaviour of some and the bitter wrangling of others, had necessitated Paul's strong rebuke, and yet his dear desire for this group of believers was that they grow in grace, mature in the faith, and live as shining lights with a good conscience before the Lord.
He wrote it so that his next visit would not cause him continuing sorrow over their stunted, spiritual growth, but that their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ would be a cause of great rejoicing for Paul and great joy for these saints of God.
Who in addition gave everyone who was present the beautiful gift of speaking in a language they did not know - so that men of Israel from around the world would hear the wonderful works of God and be saved, by grace through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ - their promised Messiah and almighty God.
As those who have been saved by grace through faith, we look to that time when, with Christ, we will rule and reign with Him for 1000 years before His eternal kingdom extends into the eternal ages to come, when there will be a new heaven and a new earth.
Though some erroneously link a lack of faith with a lack of healing in this Church dispensation, this is unscriptural, for we live in a fallen frame and reside in a dying body.
And like Israel, we who have already been saved by grace through faith in the Messiah rejoice today, for we too have been dressed in His heavenly mantle of salvation and we too have been draped in His royal robe of righteousness.
Many Jews were prepared to add 'believing in Christ' to their religious rites, but very few could accept the gospel Paul taught; that faith alone in Christ alone was sufficient for salvation and that no man living would be justified by works of the Law.
These legalists, however, berated Paul, insisting that circumcision was also necessary for salvation, which is diametrically opposite to the gospel of grace, for we are not justified by any works of the Law (circumcision) but by faith in Christ.
It seems they claimed Paul changed his position on circumcision and was now promoting it, alongside faith in Christ!
Paul insisted that faith in Christ is the one and only way to be justified before God and in chapter 1, he even pronounced a curse on anyone who taught a different gospel: If we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!
First, they persecuted Paul for teaching the true gospel of grace and then pretended he had changed his doctrine to entice the gullible believers into accepting a false gospel, which added circumcision to faith in Christ as a requirement for salvation.
However, the seriousness of his next sentence cannot be overlooked, for if circumcision was required for salvation, the very reason he was being persecuted was void: For the stumbling block of the Cross would have been abolished. But NOTHING, including circumcision, can be added to Christ's sacrifice on the Cross, for in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, for we are saved through faith alone in Christ alone, working through love.
Rahab's request demonstrated her faith in God and before leaving, the men swore an oath that if she faithfully carried out their instruction and did not report their visit to the authorities, they would show her kindness and faithfulness when God gave the city into their hands: Our lives for yours, they promised.
Apart from being highly visible to the Israelite army when they came to conquer the city of Jericho, the cord in the window is a beautiful expression of faith.
Her action demonstrated Rahab's faith in the Lord and testified to faith of all who were with her in her home.
The scarlet thread represented her own individual trust in God, a sanctifying faith that put into practise the faith that had already justified her in the sight of God.
It is through Him that a justified sinner is declared to be righteous in God's sight, by faith.
Rahab believed on the Lord for her salvation, and every member of her family, including her father, mother, brothers, and sisters, and all who trusted in the God of Israel and joined her in her home, were also saved through faith.
They were saved by grace through their initial faith, and then demonstrated their faith by obeying the command they were given.
All who are justified by faith in Christ's atoning work at Calvary are wonderfully saved, but justification is the first step towards a life that is lived by faith - day after day - a life that stands firm on the promises of God and refuses to be shaken by the circumstances that surround us, for to do so honours our God and Saviour.
Over the next two years, a series of Roman trials were held in which Paul was called upon to defend his Christian faith from his Jewish accusers - during which time the plot to kill him continued, unabated.
It is here in the early verses of chapter 4, that Paul makes an appeal for Christian harmony and the fellowship of all believers, as well as outlining the primary elements of unity in the Sprit which underpins the Christian faith in this 'dispensation of the grace of God'.
Paul goes on to list seven key elements of Christian unity in the verses 4 to 6, where we read There is ONE body and ONE Spirit, just as also you were called in ONE hope of your calling; ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, ONE God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
This short section makes it very clear that there can be no compromise of our Christian faith with other religions... or a modification of the gospel to appease others... as certain people in the broad spectrum of Christendom teach today.
Just as we have been saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, we have also been called into one hope of that calling - which is founded on the ONE Lord - Jesus Christ.
The ONE faith about which this verse is talking, is the Christian faith which includes the entire body of doctrine, which was once delivered to the saints, by the apostles and prophets who penned the New Testament Scriptures.
The Church is the Body of Christ and by faith we are all baptised into that spiritual Body by the Spirit of God... the moment we are redeemed.
God testified to pre-Cross Israel as well as to the post-Cross Church in every way possible to bring us to faith in Christ's finished work on Calvary, for it is not His will that any should perish but that all come to faith in Him.
There are many examples of men and women of faith drawn from Scripture which encourage us to maintain an unshakable trust in God's Word and stimulate the firm conviction that God is faithful and His promises stand fast forever.
Abraham is the supreme example of a man of faith whose life bears witness of the never-failing faithfulness of our good and gracious God and whose life experience encourages us to maintain the hope we have in Christ; our sure and steadfast anchor, on Whom to secure our soul.
God's promise to Abraham is equally pertinent for all God's children, for the faith of ALL who believe in God and the Lord Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, is credited to them as righteousness.
When God declared Abraham justified by faith, He swore by Himself because He could swear by no one greater, and that same oath stands firm for ALL who are the spiritual seed of Abraham.
Using someone like Abraham as an example of faith in a passage on developing faith, is to encourage us to follow in his footsteps of faith.
Weeping over sin is an important step in bringing a lost sinner into fellowship with Christ and the forgiveness of sin, through faith in Him.
May we cleanse our hands, purify our hearts, and mourn over sin and the devastation it causes in our life, and may we praise and thank our glorious Saviour, Jesus Christ, Who died on the Cross to pay the enormous price for our sin, so that by faith in Him we might be eternally forgiven and receive the promise of life everlasting.
It is a statement of great importance for our eternal destiny, and we are to believe this truth in our heart, by faith.
First, we hear a factual truth, for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
But after truth has been heard and faith has been birthed, we need to make a wise response.
We are to believe in our hearts by faith.
When we consider the price Christ Jesus paid to come into this world and save us from our sin, when we reflect on the stain that sin has left on our heart and realise the forgiveness we have received by God's grace, through faith, surely we can do nothing other than conclude with Paul that of all sinners, I am the worse sinner of all. He saved us, not because of the righteous things we have done, but because of His great and wonderful mercy.
We have been saved by grace through faith - but this is not a license to sin.
Having been saved by grace through faith, we have been given all we need for life and godliness.
Having been saved by grace through faith, we are called to become a living sacrifice that is holy and acceptable unto the Lord.
Having been saved by grace through faith in Christ's sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, we have been fully equipped, by the Holy Spirit, to walk in newness of life - and become men and women with a heart for the Lord and a desire to obey His Word.
There are many marvellous mysteries of godliness that are too deep for our limited mortal minds and so He revealed what we need to know through His eternal Word Who was made flesh and dwelt among us so that by grace through faith, we could be made the righteous of Christ and dwell with Him forever by simply believing on Him.
If only our faith were simpler and we were more childlike, we would take all that God says in the Scriptures and simply trust in His Word – and that's called FAITH!
Faith is simply maintaining confidence in all God says.
When, by faith, we have such an assurance of the truth of God's Word, even when things appear to the contrary, we discover that life falls into its correct perspective.
And step-by-step, the book of Hebrews demonstrates the difference between a life of trusting faith and the one that lives in doubt and unbelief.
Hebrews alerts us to the many fleshly dangers, sinful temptations, and worldly appetites that can lure a believer away from a life of faithful discipleship into an attitude of discontent, greed, and a lack of brotherly love towards our fellow believers. It gives a series of warnings against unbelief, which comes from a hardened, rebellious heart as well as providing a portrait gallery of dear saints, whose faith we should emulate, for they simply trusted the word of the LORD and in the end, came forth as pure gold.
When the historical facts of Scripture, the immutable character of God, the great crowd of witnesses who lived a life of faith that was pleasing to the Lord, and our own experiences of God's grace are all combined, then we too should be able to confidently say, The Lord is my helper, what can man do to me?
Despite having rejected the God Who created them, and having refused His gracious offer of salvation by grace through faith in Christ, man has continued on his foolish quest to establish his own form of peace into this world at war.
Christian hope is the highest expression of glorifying God, for it springs from a trusting heart that believes God's Word of truth by faith.
And the hope that comes through faith in Christ does not disappoint, because the supernatural love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Who was given to us, through time and into eternity.
The former grouping refers to unbelievers while the latter clearly identifies saved individuals. 'THEY' are people who have not trusted Christ as their Saviour while 'WE' are those that have been saved by grace through faith in Christ.
But since we are of the day, let’s be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
God knew that Paul would respond to his calling by faith and so he was set aside for this ministry from his mother's womb.
But Paul realised that it was only by God's amazing grace that he had been saved... in order to reveal God's Son in him so that by his witness, many would be saved by grace through faith in Christ.
Christ's ministry to Israel was before the Cross... but after the Cross, salvation was open to Jew and Gentile alike and it was by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
How we praise God that Paul was set apart for God, even from his mother's womb and that God was pleased to reveal His Son in and through Paul's ministry so that Jew and Gentile alike may be saved by grace through faith and together become part of the one new man in Christ - to His praise and glory.
They will all perish and wear out like a garment, but God has promised to make a new heavens and a new earth so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in His kindness toward you, me, and all who are in Christ Jesus, all who are saved by grace through faith in Him.
By faith, Abraham chose to forsake the temptations of Sodom for the promises of God, which he considered of greater value than the transitory riches this world offers.
When considering the choices Abraham was required to make between accepting God's permanent promises of eternal reward and great blessings through faith in the Person of Christ, and taking the temporal treats and passing perks of this fallen world system, we understand that the renouncing the things of this present life, and the suffering we may have to face, are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred upon us.
Abraham was saved because he believed God's Word, and his faith was credited as righteousness.
There were times during his walk of faith when Abraham enjoyed fellowship with the Lord, and times when he was out of fellowship, those times he followed his own human logic instead of God's divine direction, such as the time he went down to Egypt during the famine, instead of trusting God to provide for his needs; and the time he took Hagar as his concubine, instead of trusting God to keep His word, concerning the promised SEED, Who would be born through his wife, Sarah.
When he was sitting in the door of his tent and saw three 'men' standing opposite him, Abraham was walking by his faith and not by his sight.
But He is the same Lord, yesterday, today and forever, and like Abraham, we can trust His Word and we must obey His will, and by faith in Him, we also have found grace and favour in His sight, and have been given His promises that He will never fail us.
Jesus alone, Who is man's only Mediator before God, is worthy to open the scroll - because He humbled Himself and became a Man so that by faith in Him we might be exalted as sons of the Most High God.
They sang a special song - a different song - they sang a new song which should rejoice the heart of ALL who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ: Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed US to God by Thy blood.
The wrath of God was poured out in fullest measure on Christ so that your sin and mine could be forgiven by grace through faith in Him.
We are saved by grace through faith and not destined for wrath, because we believe on Christ.
The only alternative is to refuse to believe on the only begotten son of God, in which case those who refuse God's offer of salvation by grace through faith in Him will suffer the full force of God's anger, wrath, and condemnation because they did not believe on the only begotten Son of God.
Yet by grace through faith in Him our sins have been washed as white as snow and we have been forever forgiven of our sin, adopted into God's family, placed into the Body of Christ, and reconciled to the Father.
By grace through faith in Him, we have been redeemed by our Kinsman-Redeemer and received our new life in-Christ.
Praise God that Jesus set at liberty those who are bruised, and proclaimed the year of the Lord's favour to all who by faith have trusted in Him.
The shocking truth was that faithfulness, godliness, and brotherly love had almost been eliminated from their lives, and Christ's strong criticism was a warning to these spiritually slumbering Christians, to wake up and to reverse the lamentable spiritual demise into which they had fallen - if the church was to survive. The true gospel of Christ, which was once the foundation upon which this church was built, had been eroded, and John was instructed to urge these believers at Sardis to strengthen whatever remained of the faith that had once been delivered to these saints.
The church was sick unto death, but yet there was still a little life left and, in this urgent appeal, John implores them to stir up their spiritual resolve and reignite their flickering flame of faith.
Multiplied acts of benevolent charity, bountiful giving, or altruistic deeds, however admired by man are also rejected by God, and are not complete before the Lord, unless they flow from a life of faith and fellowship in Him. No wonder we see such an urgent appeal for watchfulness and eager attentiveness, for although the Christians as Sardis demonstrated an outward facade of godliness, there was a deep.
This is not a prophecy about the justification of individual people coming to faith in their Messiah, but the whole nation; the lost sheep of the house of Israel being brought back to their land and collectively coming to faith in their Messiah.
We do not know what was passing through Nathanael's mind the day that he meditated in the shade of that particular fig leaves, but this simple display of Christ's divinity caused him to respond to the Lord Jesus in faith, with the words, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God.
However, when he addressed Jesus as 'Rabbi' and identified Him as 'The Son of God' and 'King of Israel' his words showed great respect and a heart of faith and hope in the truth of Scripture.
May we be man and women of faith in whom there is no guile.
And although being born into the nation of Israel afforded the Jews many benefits, Paul left us in no doubt that they too need to be saved by God's grace through faith – and not by keeping the Law.Paul quotes many verses from the Hebrew Scriptures to verify the condemnation of everyone, including the people of Israel, for this verse is particularly aimed at them because they were the chosen, covenanted people of God.
What was the purpose of setting standards that could never be reached?The Law was given to Israel not as a means to salvation, but to identify their sin and to establish their need for salvation, by faith.
The Law spoke to them and they were to tell other nations that they needed salvation – by faith in God.It is by breaking a law that one is condemned by that law – and even if someone starts to keep that law perfectly, from one particular point in time, it cannot remove condemnation from past guilt, for we were born sinners.
And Israel, who were given the Law, were to tell the Gentile nations this information so that they may recognise their own sinfulness and be saved, by faith.The Law EXPOSES sin but does not JUSTIFY the sinner.
and many respond and are saved by grace through faith..
Redemption requires us to believe on the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins and by grace through faith in Him we are born from above..
Christ is the full expression of the Almighty God and has become God's true Representative to man, and yet He is also the perfect Mediator Who, by grace through faith in Him, represents man to God.
His ways are so much higher than our ways and His thoughts than our thoughts, and yet in Him we have intimacy with the Father, we have the mind of Christ through faith, and we have the indwelling Spirit of God.
The majesty of His glory and depth of His wisdom stands in sharp contradistinction with created humanity, and yet God has an intimate interest in each one of us, and a dear desire that none should perish but that all should come to saving faith in Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus is not only the Source and Sustainer of our physical life - the old, fallen, biological life we inherited from Adam, but He is also the Author and Finisher of our new, spiritual, eternal life, which we received by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
May we come to a deeper understanding that the self-contained, eternally existent LIFE of Christ which is poured into the hearts of all who are redeemed by His blood, declared righteous through faith, indwelt by His Spirit, and made into a new creation so that we can walk in His eternal light, wisdom, holiness, and love.
Brothers and sisters in Christ who are weaker in the faith, may find that their consciences prohibit them from practicing something which although quite 'lawful', could cause them to stumble in their Christian life.
Although God formerly spoke through these great men of faith, Jesus Christ was the Word made flesh. He was God's anointed Ruler and consecrated Spokesperson.
Today believers are having to endure much suffering at the hands of the ungodly, but when we can recognise that God takes the trials of the enemy, and uses them as tests of our faith, we can identify the sufferings we undergo as godly discipline, which the Lord is using in our lives for our eternal benefit.
It was during his second missionary journey, while staying in the city of Athens, that Paul taught certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers about the gospel of God and His great salvation – which is through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.On his arrival at Athens, Paul's spirit was provoked within his breast, when he saw that the city had been given over to the worship of idols and false deities.
The pagan deities that the Athenians worshipped, needed human beings to build their temples and bring them things, whereas the great God of the universe needs nothing from men – since He Himself gives life and breath to all people and all things.There is no correct way to introduce the gospel of grace to unbelievers, but there does need to be willingness to tell others about Jesus and bring God's message of salvation to the lost – and many missionaries have found that a good starting point is to give others a correct understanding of the God of creation Who made heaven and earth and everything in it, and of man whom God created in His own image, but who sinned and needs to be redeemed from sin and death and hell.May we, who have been saved by grace through faith, make ourselves available to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit so that lost sinners may be given the opportunity to hear the gospel and believe, through our ministry – for how shall they hear if no one is willing to tell them?
The Galatian Christians had come to faith in Christ by grace through faith.
For by faith in His death and Resurrection, the power of sin in their lives had been severed, its deathly consequences had been destroyed, and they had all been set free from the curse of the Law.
The Law is the tool that God used to show fallen man that they are lost sinners in need of salvation, but the Law can never correct sin which only comes by grace through faith in Christ.
He was sent to empower us with His life, for having been saved by grace through faith, Paul was teaching these Christians how to live by grace through faith so that in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, they would grow in grace.
They were to live by faith so that Christ would be formed in them by the power of the indwelling Spirit - as they died to self and lived for Him.
Sadly, believers become enslaved to rules and regulations instead of being free to live their lives in the liberty we have in Christ - by grace through faith.
Although in context the target audience for this amazing passage is the nation of Israel, all who have been saved by grace through faith in Him in this Church age are blessed by this passage.
It is precious to discover that He was led like a lamb to the slaughter for us, and willingly and quietly took the punishment that you and I deserve so that our sins could be completely forgiven through His sacrificial death, and by faith in Him, the power of sin has been broken in our lives and we have been placed in union with Christ and identified with His life.
God's gracious gift of salvation by grace through faith in the shed blood of Christ for the remission of sin, has been made available to all.
God in His love and justice poured out His undiluted, furious wrath upon His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes in Him, by faith in His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, might not perish but have everlasting life.
We should not be ashamed of the glorious gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe, and yet the majority of mankind reject His gracious offer of salvation by grace through faith and pour scorn on the irrefutable, undeniable, incontrovertible evidences of His divine majesty.
But although the enemy of our soul may afflict us with temptations and trials, God is good, and in His grace He will use those trials to test our faith and develop in us spiritual endurance that brings us into a maturing faith in Him.
The One Who is the Creator of heavenly light is the same One Who is the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith, and His Word is Faithful and True.
However, Paul concluded that living on in the flesh was more necessary for the sake of his readers at Philippi and that it would also produce fruitful labour for him and so he wrote: Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith.
It would spur them on to greater spiritual maturity, strengthen their faith in God even more, and produce their mutual 'joy in the faith'.
It also seems that as he penned this verse, Paul began to anticipate his next visit to Philippi and the mutual 'joy in the faith' they would have when they next met, for he continued: That in me you may have abundant cause for exultation and glorying in Christ Jesus, through my coming to you again.
Paul found his joy in Jesus and 'the joy of the Lord' is our strength too, and whether we live or die, our 'joy in the faith' is one of the many benefits we increasingly access as we abide in His love and He in us.
The person who has clean hands and a pure heart. Only those who have been declared righteous by faith are granted access into the presence of the Lord.
Only those that are are clothed in His perfect righteousness by faith can ascend the hill of the Lord and stand in His holy presence.
It is made clear that only those that are saved by grace through faith, will receive this blessing from the Lord.
All who have clean hands and a pure heart by faith in Him, will be admitted into this holy place.
Christians who harbour hatred in their heart for other believers, are seriously impaired in their Christian walk.This serious matter is not just limited to those that outwardly detest or criticise other Christians, but those who put on a show of Christian piety and civility while nursing a heart that is blackened by hatred towards their brethren – which equates to murder in the eyes of the Lord.What a shocking state of affairs that believers can be so filled with dislike for another child of God, that they are described as being in darkness, walking in the darkness, and not knowing where they are going because their hatred has caused this darkness which has blinded their eyes.The direct contrast between light and darkness, love and hatred in this passage, is staggering when we realise that this is referring to a Christian – for although saved by grace through faith… their life and witness is being wasted away in their cancerous attitude.Christians are ambassadors of Christ in this world, and everything that we say and do reflects positively or negatively on the Lord Jesus, Himself.
Paul outlines the interconnections that should exist between wives and their husbands, fathers and their children, slaves and their earthly masters - and vice versa so that no matter what position we hold in our individual family or within the wider community, we may mature in the faith, live godly lives, and bring honour to His holy name.
We must not confuse the rewards we receive for holy living with the free gift of salvation which we received freely by grace through faith in Christ.
He is pointing out that faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ should not reflect an attitude of personal favouritism - and then he goes on to give a brilliant example of hypocrisy that can be found in the lives of many Christians..
He has been expounding the length and breadth and depth and height of the good news of God's grace towards us, and the over-abounding riches we already have in Christ, by faith in His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection.
And Paul's heart-desire and earnest prayer is that we understand the riches of His grace towards us and that we stand firm in the faith, grow in grace, trust in the Lord with all our heart, and become rooted and grounded in the love of Christ.
Jesus was not only the almighty, omniscient God Who planned and purposed that salvation would be available to all by grace through faith in the Messiah of Israel, but prophets of old wrote that He would be born of the Seed of the woman Who would come through the nation of Israel, of the line of Judah, and the house of David.
This dear Gentile woman had a partial but limited understanding of the truth of God, the worship of God, and of God's great plan of salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us worship the God who ordained from the beginning His glorious plan of man's salvation by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
So often as Paul draws his epistles to a close, he gives a list of wise instructions on godly living with the view to developing a Christ-like nature, where the man or woman of God may learn to grow in grace and mature in the faith, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Our praises stream back to the cruel cross and the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, and our hallelujahs fly forwards to the glories set before us and our eternal home, for we are redeemed by His blood, born anew by grace through faith, and resurrected with new life in Him.
Though we delight in John as the apostle of love and Paul as our chief apostle of faith, we identify Peter as our great apostle of hope.
In this chapter, Peter reminds us about our great inheritance that is being kept for us in heaven, and that this life is our one opportunity to prove our faith, as we walk by the Spirit to the praise and glory of the Father, eventually resulting in praise, glory, and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. And the reason we can so confidently walk by faith today is all because of Christ, our living hope: Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
David was a man of faith who knew that the Lord heard his vows and pleading cries.
When exercising faith through petition or intercession and by standing on the promises of God as undeniable certainties, we have that inner assurance that God hears and answers our prayer, for His ears are ever open to our cries for help and He responds to the faintest sigh of His elect people.
We do not have access to our Heavenly Father by works of the law, or through our own righteous deeds, good works, or merit, but by God's grace, we have access, by faith in the precious blood of Christ on Calvary's Cross.
He touches on mysticism, with its emphasis on dreams, visions, feelings, and one's personal experience of the spiritual realm rather than on Christ, and in this verse Paul cautions against asceticism, where holiness is acquired through severe self-discipline, self-denial, the renunciation of pleasures, or austere religiosity, rather than through faith in Christ.
The way that Mordicai and Esther willingly compromised their faith stands in stark contrast with men like Daniel and his three friends, or Joseph, the son of Jacob.
And yet there are many men and women of faith who similarly compromised their faith in God, such as Abraham with Hagar, King Saul who offered a sacrifice to the Lord instead of waiting for Samuel, Elijah, who was intimidated by the ungodly Jezebel, and even apostles like Peter, who stopped eating with Gentile believers, for fear of the Jews... and Paul who chose to take a Jewish vow, so that he could testify of his innocence, instead of trusting God to fulfil His will through his life.
Perhaps we should rejoice that God will use sinners, such as you and me, to bless others and to increase our own spiritual temperature, and perhaps we should recognise that God is in control of this fallen world system and use this story to develop our personal trust in God and maintain a growing faith in His Word.
May we be obedient to God's Word and be careful not to compromise our faith, even in those times of great difficulty and danger.
Martha answered immediately and made a great and thrilling confession of faith in Christ.
Her profession of faith has shone down centuries of time and ignited hope in the hearts of many.
Martha's confession of faith was not made after Lazarus was raised from the dead.
Martha's confident reply demonstrated that her faith in Christ was firm, settled, steadfast, and unshakable.
Martha is often remembered as the woman who fussed and flustered about the kitchen and was bothered and troubled by many things... but as she stood before her God and Saviour and acknowledged, Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He Who comes into the world, Martha showed herself to be a woman of virtue who exemplified what it means to live by faith and not by sight.
The message that Paul delivered was a demonstration of the power of God as the Holy Spirit worked through him, causing a spiritual stirring in the hearts and minds of those that heard his healing words of truth, which brought them to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Having led us step by step to the realisation that we are all unrighteous sinners in need of a Saviour, and having made it crystal clear that we are saved as a gift of God's grace through faith in the unchangeable Word of truth, Paul guides us through the meaning of justification (which means being declared righteous by God through faith in Christ), and he outlines reasons why we can only be proclaimed righteous by faith in Christ alone, and not because of our own merit or any good works that we do.
He explains that it is through Christ that we have peace with God, and it is by grace through faith in Him that we have access to this free gift of salvation.
It is only through faith in Him that we have moved from death to life, and through Him that we have passed from eternal separation from God into the heavenly sphere of justified access.
This is indeed a cause for rejoicing, for by faith we have been declared righteous and brought into the family of God, and it is by grace through faith that we have been made a joint-heir with Christ and given a share in His glory, when in fact we merited nothing more than eternal damnation.
And as we read through this fifth chapter of Romans, we discover that this astonishing free gift of salvation, which is accessed by faith alone in Christ alone, is multiplied into an even greater and a much more wonderful truth: Having now been justified by His blood, we will also be saved from the wrath of God, all because of our faith in Christ.
Having been declared righteous by faith, we now have an additional promise that we will be delivered from any contact with the wrath of God, which the Bible tells us is still future for a Christ-rejecting sinful world, and it is all by faith in Him.
His sacrificial death paid the price for our sins, while His eternal life breaks forever the power of sin and death in the life of those who believe, by faith.
The death, burial, and Resurrection of Christ not only secured our justification by faith but also it assures us that we will be delivered from any future wrath of God.
His death was the means that declared us righteous in the sight of God, and His life guarantees that our life in Him is eternal, and it is all by grace through faith in Christ.
He was of the house of David and of the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.Yes, God raised up His Servant and sent Him first to Israel so that they would be blessed by turning, in faith, from their evil, idolatrous ways to Christ.
Every stage of salvation is by faith and not by works of the flesh.
Salvation in all its stages has nothing to do with our own merit or good works, but has everything to do with faith in Christ and HIS good work.
We do this through faith in Christ, and in the power of the Spirit, until we are wholly perfected when we get to heaven (glorification).
One blessing of salvation is the immediate and permanent indwelling Holy Spirit Who develops in us the precious fruit of His righteousness through many acts of faith, as we grow in grace.
However, the responsibility to live godly lives and to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires, is a choice each believer must make, for the fruit of righteousness can only come through faith in Christ and not through carnal works of the flesh.
We received the imputed righteousness of Christ at salvation, but the impartation of the spiritual fruit of righteousness, is rooted and grounded in godly acts of faith which can only be produced as we allow the Spirit to lead and guide us in all we do.
It is a godly summons to the lost, to come to HIM, and trust Him for salvation, for it is not God's will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and faith in Christ.
Sadly, they do not yet know that Purim is a dim shadow of their great salvation which comes through faith in Jesus Christ - for the eternal Son of God came to earth as the perfect Son of Man to pay the price for their sins and to redeem His people, Israel, as foretold by the ancient prophets.
All our discussions and dealings while passing through this life should honour our King, for we are all His representatives and ambassadors of heaven, and all our conversation and conduct should reflect the righteousness of Jesus with which we are clothed and covered.Our eternal home is a gift from God, but it is only through faith in the spilt blood of Jesus that we have a full assurance of our heavenly inheritance.
But it beautifully illustrates the victorious life and spiritual richness believers can enjoy if they walk by faith and not by sight.
The Lord Jesus is our promised rest, and to live a victorious life in the daily challenges we face, is to appropriate what is already ours - by faith - for His grace is sufficient.
In the same way, believers in this Church age can immediately enter the promised rest we have in Christ and be kept in His perfect peace, through a living faith, humble obedience, a heart that is guided by the Spirit of God, and a life that walks in spirit and truth.
Like Israel, the Church (who are also redeemed by faith), have only scratched the surface of the privileges that are ours by faith in Him.
Every one of us have been given all we need to live a victorious life through Christ and partake of our promised rest, if we will simply believe His Word, live by faith, and receive all that is ours in Christ.
It is in Him alone that we can live a victorious life and claim a better resurrection in our own spiritual battle, and it is all done by grace through faith in Christ alone.
The Lord sanctioned Israel to wander 40-years in the wilderness because they tried His patience and tested His forbearance with their lack of faith.
Just as Israel were saved by faith, baptised into Moses, and God’s chosen people, so Christians are saved by faith, baptised into Christ, identified with Him, reckoned as righteous, and children of God.
In like manner, instead of pressing on, growing in grace, maturing in the faith, trusting His Word, acting upon it, and resting in Him, we too can remain in spiritual infancy.
Like Israel, we have a choice to live our entire Christian life in spiritual infancy; wandering in a wilderness, frightened of the 'giants in the land', living defeated and disobedient lives OR we can trust His Word, hold fast to His promises, and live a victorious life as we abide in Him, grow in grace, mature in the faith, fellowship with the Father and do not lose faith when challenged by life's circumstances.
Similarly, once justified, Christians do not lose their salvation, but lack of faith can keep us defeated and wandering in a wilderness of spiritual immaturity, rather than claiming the precious promises of God that are 'yes' and 'amen' in Christ.
But whether it is my joy, our joy, your joy, or John's personal joy in the Lord, the joy of knowing that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, brings with it a boundless and unfathomable spirit of joy.
Satan and his fallen accomplices, are striving all day long and throughout the night to shipwreck the faith of believers - and he takes no holiday from his ignoble pursuits.
It is when we are clothed in Christ and covered in His righteousness that we are enabled to resist Satan and stand firm in the Christian faith.
As we continue on the journey of life in the strength of Christ, may we resist the devil and stand firm in the faith, knowing that our brethren in other parts of the world are passing through the same sort of difficult experiences - and that both they and us have been promised God's sufficient grace in every situation.
Christ's sovereignty over all flesh was referenced in His prayer, as was His authority to grant the gift of eternal life to those whom the Father had given to Him, to those who by faith would trust in His redeeming work.
Christ's prayer would later expand into intercession for the whole Body of Christ who would come to faith in Him through the word of their testimony and their faithful witness to the truth.
The hour for Christ's betrayal and crucifixion arrived, and so He prayed that we would be united together in doctrine, in faith, in hope, in truth, and in love.
Israel was saved out of Egypt's oppression by grace through faith in God's Word.
Like Israel, we too have been saved by grace through faith in God's Word and cleansed by the blood of the perfect Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world, and Who triumphed over death for all who trust in Him.
They did not trust God to provide for their needs, and Paul used Israel's lack of faith in the wilderness as a warning to the Church against unbelief.
We are born into the family of God and have become a new creation through spiritual birth, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We have been made heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, by faith.
And we were set apart by grace through faith in Christ our Saviour, before the foundation of the world.
We have been called to share forth the good news of the glorious gospel of grace to a lost and dying world, for God in His omniscience, knew who would accept His gracious offer of salvation, by faith.
Our character and conduct should reflect the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, for by His grace and through faith in Him, we have been given access into the throne-room of God.
When we are eternally saved by grace through faith in Christ, forgiven of our sin, declared righteous before God, positioned in Christ, indwelt by the Spirit, and made one with Him, nothing and no-one should be placed alongside Him; for there is nothing to compare with Christ's sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary for you and for me.
He continues by presenting the doctrine of justification by faith in his third chapter, and then expands his reasoning in chapter 4, with examples of biblical characters who believed God's Word and whose faith was credited as righteousness.
They would not accept that we are saved by God's grace, through faith in His only begotten Son, and for this reason, Paul used illustrations from the Old Testament to validate his line of reasoning.
It was only through his faith that God reckoned him to be righteous.
Like Abraham, David did live under the Mosaic Law, but was justified in God's sight in the same way as his forefather - by faith - and not by keeping the Law.
By using Abraham and David as examples of justification by faith, Paul was able to show that the legalistic teaching that men are saved by obeying the Law, is false and unbiblical.
Both Abraham and David were justified by faith and not by keeping the Law.
It was because his sins were forgiven BY FAITH, that David wrote in Psalm 32: How blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered.
Abraham was justified in Ur of the Chaldees, because he believed God and His faith was translated into action when he set out on his journey to the promised land.
David was a man after God's own heart because he believed God's Word, and we see his faith in action when he used his sling to protect the sheep from a lion, and a bear, and when he defied Goliath.
He was justified by faith.
He did not have to carry out some penance or legalistic action to atone for his sin, for all his sins, past, present, and future were forgiven because of his faith in God's sacrifice for sin; Jesus Christ the righteous.
The same blessing is available to for ALL who are justified by grace through faith in Him.
Jesus did not excuse this woman's adultery by finding fault with God's law, for later He challenged her to face her wrong-doing and to go and sin no more. And by His atoning death, she too was forgiven by grace through faith.
And how we praise and thank Him that by grace He took our punishment upon Himself, and through faith in Christ, we are forgiven of all our sins through His atoning death.
Praise God that by faith the PENALTY of sin has been dealt with.
Praise God that all who have been born from above can conquer the world, through living a life of faith.
This is the victory that has conquered the world, even our faith.
Every additional illustration of the godly wife, affirms the importance of being a woman after God’s own heart who follows His instructions.Here in the book of Peter, an additional dimension is added to other godly admonishments, where wives are to graciously submit to their own husbands – and particularly unsaved husbands so that, even if their husband is unsaved and disobey the Christian message, they may be won over to a saving faith by the godly and gracious way their wives conduct themselves, both in private and in public.The responsibility for wives to live in accordance with biblical instruction, has its roots in the way that God ordained that we should live – from the beginning.
Like it or not... the greatest freedom in marriage, as well as in other relationships, is in carrying out God's will and purpose for our lives, in His way, and for His glory.God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son for the redemption of all mankind, and Christian women who are married to unbelieving men, are supplied with the greatest opportunity to draw them to faith in Christ.
God's wisdom is not available to unbelievers and is also hidden from the angelic rulers of this age, for had they understood the incredible saving power of the Cross to redeem humanity - by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory!
The foundation of our faith was laid by the holy apostles and prophets of God and is recorded for us all in the completed Word of God.
He was a skilled singer and a poet, and although a man of faith who acknowledged that God is good to Israel and to all who are pure of heart, Asaph became discouraged and found that his faith wavered when he constantly saw how wicked men seemed to prosper and get away with all sorts of evil practices.
Life seemed so unfair to this man, and his faith in God was sorely tried when he saw how the ungodly prospered and increased in riches and popularity, despite their oppressive ways, crooked schemes, arrogant attitudes, and foul mouths.
Asaph knew that he had led a decent, honest, and respectable life by comparison with these ungodly swaggards, and life seemed so cruel and unfair to this man of faith.
This was the question that was on Asaph's heart, and which caused his faith in God to falter.
But rather, let us declare the wonderful works of Him Who has saved us by grace through faith in Christ, adopted us into His own family, and covered us in Christ's royal robe of righteousness.
Through His death and Resurrection, Jesus broke down the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile, uniting us together into one Body with one Lord Jesus Christ, one faith in Him for salvation, and one baptism by the Holy Spirit of God into the Body of Christ, which is the Church.
Nevertheless, his responsibility, like ours, is to live by faith in God, to trust the Word of the Lord, and to believe all that God has told us.
We too face increasing pressures in our own day and age and at times, we too may be tempted to consider that the task of living by faith and trusting the Lord is overwhelming in the midst of a crocked and perverse generation.
Christ's sacrifice on the Cross gave every believer access into the presence of God, by faith.
We are only able to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God because we are identified with JESUS. Jesus identified with our sin through His sacrifice so that we could be identified with His righteousness, by faith.
I am sure that Paul had a special place in his heart for these brothers and sisters in Thessalonica who received the message of salvation with joy and peace, who believed despite the severe suffering they were undergoing, and whose exemplary faith was talked about across Greece and beyond: Brethren, beloved by God, he wrote we recognise and know that He has selected you; He has chosen you.
By faith in Him, they were all equal members of the Body of Christ.
They were 'one-in-Christ' and brothers in the faith.
The conduct He calls for can only be achievable by drawing on the supernatural power of the indwelling Spirit of God in a life that is saved by grace through faith, a consecrated heart that is dedicated to serving our blessed Redeemer in spirit and in truth.
Prosperity teachings have sprung up and unscriptural denominations have been formed to push this 'new age' practice of 'positive declaration' in 'The Word of Faith movement'.
The Bible teaches that a man must pray in faith, and without any doubt, unforgiveness, or sin in his heart.
Hebrews outlines another principle of answered prayer, which is a far cry from the 'name-it-and-claim-it' teaching of the Word-of-Faith movement and prosperity teachings: Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
So many today long for a voice or vision to supplement their faith.
But we are to live by faith and not by sight.
We are to live by faith and not by signs.
We are to live by faith and not because of some alternative system that supports our faith.
One week earlier, Christ's other followers were invited to come and touch His body, to see their risen Saviour was not a ghost, so that their faith in Him would similarly be rekindled and inflamed.
On both occasions, to a lesser or greater degree, trust was triggered and faith was stimulated through the physical senses of sight and touch.
But this is not how it should have been, for we are to live by faith and not sight.
Faith is the evidence of things we do not see or touch or hear!
The approval and blessing of God is on the one who has faith in His Son, trusts His Word of truth, and believes the Holy Scriptures.
We are to live by faith, not by sight or sense or situations.
Instead, we discover his faith is reignited as he pronounces a most earth-shattering declaration, for Thomas answered and said to Him, 'My Lord and my God!'
Although God knows that trust may be triggered by our senses, emotions, and daily living, He also knows those things can as easily be shattered into a thousand tiny fragments and sifted like wheat by Satan, if faith is not securely anchored to Christ as fact.
There may be times we wished we had lived in the days of the apostles and SEEN the Lord with our own eyes, and felt His gentle touch, but how blessed are we who have not seen Him in the physical realm but have SEEN Him with the spiritual eye of faith and are still able to cry as Thomas did, my Lord, and my God.
Earlier in this Psalm, we are told not to fret about evil-doers nor to be envious of those that work iniquity, for when our mind is correctly focused on the Lord, then our hearts are not weighed down with the troublesome behaviour of the wicked, nor overwhelmed with the continuous influx of evil in the world.Rather, we are instructed to keep the eyes of our heart upon Jesus Who has promised to carry all our burdens and to comfort us in all our affliction so that we may offer solace to others who are also weighed down by the cares of this world and oppressed by evil-doers.As we change our focus onto the Lord, so our faith in Him is excited within our heart and we are encouraged, by David, to trust in the Lord and do good – to feed on His faithfulness so that we may become strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
We are to believe His promises and hold fast to the Word of truth.Just as fretting should be overtaken by trust when God is the focus of our attention, so faith expands into joy when we delight ourselves in the Lord and make Him the singular joy and rejoicing of our heart. Delight yourself in the Lord, we are told.
We are justified by God and forgiven of our sin by grace through faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
However, Jesus was not teaching here that we earn the right to God's judicial forgiveness by forgiving other people as this would be contrary to the Bible's teaching that the forgiveness of sin is an expression of God's grace and mercy because of our faith in Christ.
May we, who have been forgiven of our sin by faith in Christ, be quick to forgive others their trespasses, shortcomings, and debts - in the same way that we have been so graciously forgiven by our Father in heaven so that we may maintain sweet fellowship with Him and show forth His goodness and grace in our lives.
Jude urgently encourages believers to stand fast in their faith.
He warns them that they needed to earnestly contend for the faith, and defend the truths of the glorious gospel of Christ which had been entrusted to the apostles for their learning.
Nor do I mean the occasion when a believer is baptised with water, but the moment a soul has been placed/baptised into Christ, by faith.
If you have been born from above, by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord, these precious verses are written for your edification.
Some Christians say that our great salvation and God's gracious acceptance of us is too easy, and encourages believers into licentious living and a careless attitude, but I suggest to you that as a believer grows and matures in the faith and starts to see the incredible, glorious grace of God and the staggering truth that is outlined in the first few chapters of Ephesians, it will open your eyes to that amazing love of the Father and compel you to glorify His holy name.
The truths that are packed into these early verses of the epistle to the Ephesians should rejoice our heart, steady our soul, dispel our doubts, and strengthen our faith, and we should thank Him continuously for our great salvation and the many precious promises that are ours in Christ.
The first people listed in the 'roll-call of 'faith' in Hebrews, lived before the flood.
The essential quality that identified them as men of faith was having the confident assurance that future events revealed by the Lord will certainly take place, and that things that may be invisible, or hidden from our understanding, are nonetheless true.
Faith that pleases God not only looks back to the origin of the universe and the way He formed the heavens and earth in the beginning, but it also looks ahead to the future.
Faith that honours the Lord believes what God has foretold on how He will bring it to its conclusion.
The two people of faith who lived prior to the flood of Noah, were Abel and Enoch.
While Abel presents the picture of a justified man, Enoch demonstrates the life of a sanctified man, that walked by faith.
It is faith that pleases God, and both Enoch and Abel were men of faith, who pleased God.
The blood-sacrifice that was offered by Abel was accepted by the Lord, Who bore witness to his faith.
God saw the heart of both brothers, but only one was a man of faith who worshipped God.
God commended Abel's faith by accepting his gift, and although he died by the hand of his jealous brother, the faith of this young man has become a great witness throughout generations and a life that points to the true sacrificial Lamb of God, Whose shed blood takes away the sin of the world.
The reverence Abel offered to the Lord through the blood-sacrifice, signifies the first step in a believer's walk of faith, that salvation is by grace through by faith in God's Word.
But once that initial step is taken, a life-walk of faith is needed, and Enoch exemplifies a sanctified man who lived his life by faith in God.
It was Enoch's walk of faith that was pleasing to the Lord.
And it is as we walk in close communion and intimate fellowship with our Heavenly Father, by grace through faith in His Word, that we too become pleasing to Him.
Christ was to die, the Church was to be born, and many were to come to faith in Jesus as the Messiah before that year was completed - and judgement should have fallen on the nation.
Paul had taught them the truth of the gospel of grace and by faith in Jesus, they had been born again, forgiven of their sin, transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son, and received the gift of eternal life.
We live in a fallen world, and there are many challenges that face the believer who has not only trusted Christ for salvation, but is also ready and willing to deny self, take up his cross, follow Christ’s example, and say without compromise – Thy will, not mine, be done.The newborn baby Christian has to grow in grace and mature in the faith over an unspecified period of time, to reach this level of maturity in his faith, while other who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ may slip in and out of carnality and worldliness for many years, stunting their growth and even regressing in their faith back to spiritual infancy.Many, if not all believers, are called to become mature in the faith by walking in spirit and truth and living godly, Christ-centred lives, but few are willing to exchange the cosy blessings of early Christian infancy, for the difficulties that inevitably follow the mature believer.
Few choose to leave behind the elementary teaching about Christ, and press on into maturity.Sadly many believers, although saved by grace through faith in Christ, refuse to move past the elementary principles of the Christian life.
They choose to lay, again and again, the early foundations of their Christian faith i.e.
repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.
In other words, they simply remain in spiritual infancy and keep repeating the first stage of their Christian faith, over and again, without pressing on to spiritual maturity.Many are falsely taught that becoming a Christian will secure a quiet life and provide a ticket to prosperity, with numerous earthly blessings and a free pass from God, to prevent or remove any difficulties or dangers that may arise.
and likewise as Christians we have to admit our guilt, renounce our idolatry, repent and recognise that we are sinners who need a Saviour so that by faith in His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection we may be cleansed of our wicked ways, forgiven of our sin, washed in His precious blood, declared righteous in the eyes of our heavenly Father - and live a life that is holy unto the Lord.
Let us never forget that many who profess Christianity today do not have a saving faith, but are used by Satan to teach a false gospel and to lead many astray.
True believers who are saved by grace through faith in Christ, stand in stark contrast with those that are unsaved and yet profess with their lips to be Christians.
Because he had been given prophetic insight into God's impending judgement on these wicked cities, it ignited pity in Abraham's heart for the lost souls who lived there, and concern for those like Lot who were credited with righteousness because of their faith in the Lord.
We also know that it is not God's will that any should perish but that all come to faith in Him.
Indeed, the more we understand that the Lord is in control, that He alone can solve the mysteries of the universe, that He is the Author and Finisher of our faith, and our future times are in His hands, that we are enabled to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not lean on our own, limited understanding or attempt to find answers from our own, inadequate imagination.
God has done all things appropriately and well, and He has set eternity in the heart of all men so that those who seek Him with all their heart will find rest for their soul in Him and receive the gift of eternal life through faith in Christ.
He is not obliged to respond to the crazy vows, positive declarations, or affirmative oaths that are promoted by 'Word of Faith' teachers and those that promote the prosperity gospel.
Every child of God is called to mature in the faith and grow in their spiritual life... and throughout the New Testament we are taught that maturity in the faith is tested and established through trials and tribulations.
Peter reminds us that the testing of our faith is more precious than gold and calls on us to rejoice despite being distressed by various difficulties, while Paul encourages us to exult in our trials, knowing that tribulation is a necessary step towards spiritual growth and godly wisdom.
However, we DO need to ask in faith.
We are to pray in faith and trust God to keep His Word.
How important to have a believing heart that trusts God to keep His promises and expects Him to answer our prayers of faith - especially when we are going through difficulties and problems.
And James not only explains WHAT we are to pray for (pray for wisdom), but HOW we are to pray (pray in faith).
The man of God must ask in faith and pray without any doubt in his heart.
When the man of God prays to the Lord in faith, he is stable in his ways and God's grace will sustain him through all the trials and difficulties he may have to face.
What a terrible indictment of a born-again believer who fails to live His life in faith - but rather chooses to pray with an unbelieving heart and is tossed to and fro by every wind of change.
May we develop a trusting heart of thanksgiving and praise that believes God's Word and prays in faith - expecting Him to keep His promises and fulfil his Word.
It was one act of disobedience that placed us under God's eternal condemnation, and one act of willing obedience, that brought justification of life to all men - and it is received simply by faith in the finished work of Christ.
so too by Christ's one act of obedience we are declared righteous and receive justification of life- by faith in Him.
By His one act of obedience we are inputed with Christ's righteousness - and it is ours simply by faith - by believing in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
By faith we are placed in eternal union with Christ - the God-Man Who is our kinsman-Redeemer and the federal Head of God's New Creation.
There are no contradictions in the Word of God, and yet many believers consider this letter of James to be at odds with the teachings of the apostle Paul, for James seems to be basing salvation on works while Paul clearly says, Having be justified by faith we have peace with God.
James is emphasising that genuine salvation is based on works which can be observed by man, while Paul teaches that genuine salvation is based on sincere, heart-faith which can only be seen by God!
Paul is talking about the ROOT of justification, which is by faith, while James is talking about the FRUIT of justification, which is by works.
Only God can see the heart, so only God can see the root of salvation (faith), but when a Christian is walking in spirit and truth, they will produce the fruit of salvation (good works which God has prepared for us to do).
There is complete and perfect harmony between these apparently conflicting teachings, as together they show the relationship between genuine faith and professed faith.
The man who makes an outward profession of faith may be a genuine Christian, but he could also be putting on an act.
Alternatively, his faith could even be in the wrong object.
The object of our faith must be the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, for there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved.
Paul and James are approaching salvation (or saving faith) from two different perspectives (God's and man's).
But James is also making a contrast between a true believer and one that only makes an outward profession of faith while not having truly trusted in the only object of faith which brings salvation to mankind (the death, burial, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God and perfect Son of Man).
In this verse, James is contrasting someone who HAS faith and is born-again with someone who SAYS he has faith and it not born-again.
James is approaching saving faith from man's perspective (show me your faith by your works and I will show you my faith by my works).
For although the genuine faith of a spiritual believer will indeed be accompanied by good works as James indicates here, a carnal believer may have a genuine saving faith and yet be walking in the flesh and not showing forth any good works in their lives, similar to the carnal Christians that Paul described in 1 Corinthians 3.
Genuine faith is visible only to God in the inner heart of a saved man, but genuine faith is not visible to other believers as we cannot see into the heart of one another.
Only the fruit of saving faith can be demonstrated through the good deeds that are carried out to the glory of God by the spiritual Christian who is walking is spirit and truth.
She needed to drink of the living water of life that only comes by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who alone paid the price for her sin, and ours.
The first chapter of Ephesians is weighed down and running over with countless spiritual blessings in heavenly places, which God our Father has freely given to us by grace through faith in His only begotten Son.
He redeemed us from slavery to sin and forgave us all our sins, and He also revealed to us who have been made His children, by grace through faith, the glorious mystery of His will.
God knows all things, past, present, and future, and in His eternal wisdom He knows all who will choose to trust in the Son of His love, by grace through faith.
Many Scripture passages tell us that without faith in the Son of God it is impossible for the unbeliever to be saved.
We are told in Hebrews that without faith it is impossible for the believer to please God.
Faith in God is simply believing His Word.
Faith simply trusts what God has told us.
For the unbeliever, faith in God is trusting in the death and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus for redemption, trusting Him for the forgiveness of sins.
For the Christian, faith in Christ is simply trusting God to finish the good work that He started in our lives when we were first saved, trusting God's Spirit to work in us for our Christian growth.
The Christian faith is the only one that claims their Founder is risen from the dead and alive for evermore.
Its members believe in the historical Cross of Christ, and have placed their faith in the sacrifice that He made on that Cross, which saves people from their sins.
But now He is risen, ascended, and glorified, and He has the power to save to the uttermost all who come to Him in faith.
Death has no more dominion over Christ, and He is the firstborn from the dead, paving the way for the bodily resurrection and everlasting life for all who believe in Him by grace through faith.
It is His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection in which we place our faith, and those who have trusted Christ as Saviour, have been given the indwelling Holy Spirit as God's guarantee that they will also receive a resurrection body.
We are permitted a peep behind the heavenly scene, where this man, who was justified in the eyes of God by faith, became the target of Satan's accusations.
The Tribulation period is not only to punish the nations for rejecting God's offer of salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but is designed to punish His people for their rebellious apostasy, defiant idolatry, and many centuries of disobedience.
May we recognise that the time is short and do all that we can to tell a lost world that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, Who faced the wrath of God for us when He died on the Cross.
He exposes the dangers of allowing partiality to influence our judgement about other people, and teaches on faith and works, justification and sanctification, and the dangers of an unstable mind.
And James also teaches about the effects of true and false wisdom – the cause of covetousness and its righteous cure.And here in this verse, the apostle simply explains to his readers the consequences of knowing what is godly and honourable in the sight of the Lord, and yet refusing to carry it out... therefore, he warns, to the one who knows the right thing to do yet does not do it, to him it is sin.The man or woman who has become a child of God by faith, may not be under the law of Moses, but we are most certainly under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, and James teaches that to know what is good but to do what is evil – whether in thought, word, or deed, dishonours the Lord Who bought us with His precious blood and blemishes our testimony for Christ.As children of God, our motive and attitude should be to live for Christ every moment of the day – to present our lives as a living sacrifice to Him, to trust His Word and walk in utter dependence on Him, moment by moment, and for His greater glory.Living the Christian life as God intended and instructed, should be the main aim of the Christian, and failure to do so is identified by James as a sin which should be confessed to the Lord and addressed in our life if we are to remain in holy fellowship with the Father and grow in grace, to His honour and glory.
Whether we are faced with fleshly temptations that rise up from our old sin nature or testing trials that come from above, we know that God takes all things and weaves them beautifully together for good, to those that love God and are called by grace through faith in Christ, according to His good purpose.
James calls us to meet our various trials with an attitude of joyful thanksgiving, knowing that the testing of our faith produces endurance.
If we meet endurance with a godly attitude of complete dependence upon God and trust in His unfailing Word, we discover that the end result of that testing trial will be the perfecting of our faith as we grow in grace and draw closer to our Heavenly Father, in love.
The barbaric suffering and humiliation that accompanied Christ’s cruel death at Calvary was designed to bring to completion God’s foreordained redemption plan which He purposed would bring many condemned sinners back into a right relationship with God, by faith, and adopt them into His family as His children.The death of His only begotten Son was acceptable to the Father, because He alone was worthy to pay the price for the sin of the world.
He became the Founder of our faith and Finisher of our salvation.Though He was fully God and a perfect, sinless Man, Christ was to be made perfect during His sojourn on earth, through a willing obedience to His Father and the things that He suffered as He walked towards the Cross: For it was fitting for Him, for Whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.Jesus was not 'made perfect' through some moral refinement or lessons on virtue, for perfection can’t be advanced or improved.
One cannot get away from the Jewish nature of Matthew's Gospel and for good reason, for salvation is from the Jews because salvation must come through faith in JESUS, the Jewish Messiah.
As he brings his prayer to a close, the writer leaves us in no doubt that God is ready to hear the cry of His people who trust in Him, for He is ready and willing to answer the prayer that is made in faith.
It denounces justification by works of the law, insists that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone, and like the epistles to the Romans and Hebrews, it quotes the singular, most noteworthy verse from Habakkuk that prompted the great 16th century reformation: The just shall live by faith.
Galatians confirms the reformers' premise that the Bible is the plumb-line for truth, with Scripture being the sole authority in matters of faith as it relates to the salvation of the soul.
It stresses that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ alone.
Paul's intense hatred of legalism was because he himself had been entrapped in its web of deception, and it pained him to see these dear folk in Galatia being so brutally deceived by this legalist teaching that places men back under the curse of the Law after having been liberated by God's grace through faith.
They did not know Paul personally, but they kept hearing, He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.
Paul was praising God for saving his soul from damnation and setting his feet on the pathway to peace with God, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and he did not want the Galatian believers to put themselves back under the Law, as these Judaisers were teaching.
No wonder Paul said that anyone who teaches a different gospel other than salvation by grace alone through faith in Christ alone, is to be cursed.
May we be willing to stand up for the gospel of Grace, when legalistic teachers tell us that salvation requires something in addition to faith.
Paul is not only talking about the fleshly desire to acquire riches, but the accompanying worries of keeping it safe and hoarding it up.Sadly, the love of money can become a snare with many barbs which plunge men into ruin and destruction – for the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil and some - by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
As Christians, we live in the dispensation of grace and although all who call on the name of the Lord Jesus during this Church Age are saved by grace through faith in Him - this particular prophecy specifically relates to Israel and the coming Great Tribulation period when all who call on the name of Jesus will be saved from God's terrible wrath.
A multitude without number will call on the name of the Lord - but will be slain for their faith in Christ during this time of trouble, while those who are saved to the very END of the Tribulation will become citizens in Christ's Millennial Kingdom.
The book of Revelation tells us that there will be a multitude without number who call on His name and will be eternally saved... despite being beheaded for their faith during the Great Tribulation - and together with the Church age believers, these martyred saints will rule with Christ for 1000 years.
And Christ's victory is ours by faith, for we are His Body and are identified with Him and He with us.
And because our battle is against spiritual rulers of darkness that influence the evil that is taking place in this world today, they can never be defeated in our lives through natural weapons and worldly ways. There is only one way to defeat the spiritual enemy that seeks to shipwreck our faith in Christ Jesus, and it is through the Holy Spirit of God Who works in believers.
Christ's victory at Calvary is ours by faith today.
But God in His mercy and love looked down in pity on a rebellious race of prideful men, and purposed in His heart that by His grace and mercy, through faith in Christ, He would redeem this lost and dying race.
God's way is by faith, and salvation is a free and irreversible gift of God's grace to man.
Salvation is only given to those that have faith in the Messiah; the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God.
Old Testament saints believed in the coming of a promised Messiah, while Church age believers put their trust in their risen Saviour, but it is ALL by faith.
However hard man tries to please God, the only way possible is by faith in Jesus Christ: Unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
But to those of us who have been saved through faith, walking in truth and love, and growing in grace through the process of sanctification, it is the power of God.
Everyone who has been saved by grace through faith in Christ will be victors who will inherit these things, and thirsty souls will be refreshed and renewed.
He is the Perfecter and Finisher of our Faith.
He is the Anchor of our soul, the Bread of Life, the Living Water, and He is the One who gives the water of eternal life to whosoever thirsts, for He is the One Who has provided salvation, by grace through faith in Him.
An attitude of tranquillity should be part of a normal Christian life, for we receive peace with God when we are justified by faith in Christ's finished work on Calvary, and we have ongoing access to the peace of God when we remain in fellowship with Him - in purity of heart - in the unity of the spirit.
It is the Spirit of peace Who reconciles man to God through faith in Jesus Christ and gives us the ministry of reconciliation.
Peace with God, through faith in Christ, can never be lost, or left, or stolen away, but the peace of God, which is Paul's prayer for these saints in Rome, is an inner peace that is readily available to all who walk in spirit and truth.
But if we suffer for doing what is right in God's eyes; obeying His Word, holding fast to that which is good, proclaiming the good news of the gospel, or simply placing our faith in Christ as Lord and Saviour, we may well have to face mocking, threats, persecution, and death.
We live in a world where the vast majority of people are dead in their trespasses and sins, at enmity with God, and have willingly rejected His gracious offer of salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are not to fear our adversaries or be troubled if they mock our faith or be fearful by their threats and animosity.
Paul said that the intimidation and trouble Christians face because of our faith in Christ, is sharing in His suffering: That I may know Christ, was Paul's prayer.
But what did Paul mean when he said, in order that I might attain to the resurrection of the dead? Paul was already saved by grace through faith!
For as in Adam all die, so also those who are positioned in Christ, by faith, will all be made alive and be resurrected from the dead. So why would Paul strive to attain to the resurrection of the dead?
Paul already had the assurance of the resurrection of the dead, due to his faith in Jesus.
He knew that the good works that we do to the glory of God have no effect on our salvation - for salvation is exclusively by grace through faith in Christ's sacrifice.
Paul knows that spiritual knowledge, godly counsel, and an understanding of the Scripture, is able to make us wise for salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The prayer that is offered to God in faith proceeds from a heart that is pleasing to the Lord.
David's prayer was uttered to the Lord from a heart that was open and clean before Him, for he had faith in the God to Whom he prayed, and he expected God to hear and answer his prayer.
It is not faith in prayer that is powerful, but faith in the God to whom he prayed that caused the prayers of David to be effective, for David trusted the Word of the true and living God.
Empty prayer from a heart of unbelief or the insincere prayer of pretence avails little, for without faith in the God to Whom we are praying it is impossible to please Him, for whoever comes to God in prayer must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who diligently search for Him.
Prayer is the privilege of people who are saved by grace thorough faith in Christ, for by His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, He tore down the dividing wall between God and man and gave us access to His throne of grace, for mercy to find help in time of need.
Anxiety not only demonstrates a lack of confidence in God and a lack of faith in His Word, it is deliberate disobedience to His clear directive.
We are to tell Him all our needs, lay all our burdens down at His feet and leave them there, for as anxiety is set aside, so our faith will correspondingly increase.
Worry has a detrimental effect on our fellowship with the Father, for as faith increases so worry is eliminated.
But if worry is allowed to bubble-up in our heart and ferment in our mind, so faith begins to falter and the enemy is given a foothold.
True prayer comes from a worshipful heart of thanksgiving and praise that is looking to the Lord by faith to supply everything we need, according to His riches in glory.
When the prayer of faith sees the Lord as the sole supplier of our every need, we should be anxious for nothing but trust Him in everything.
It is by faith that we were saved, and it must be by faith that we live.
It is by faith that every anxious thought is banished from our heart, and when faith in our Heavenly Father is translated into prayers and supplication, with thanksgiving, our requests may be made in quietness and in confidence that He will hear and answer.
It is to God that our prayers and petitions are made and through our Saviour that our prayers are presented, because we have been saved by grace through faith in Him.
By grace through faith we are one with Him, and in the power of the Spirit have been imputed with the righteousness of God and have the sinless life of Christ dwelling within.
May the Word of Christ dwell in us richly so that we only say and do those things that are honouring in His sight so that others will be blessed, we will mature in the faith, and God will be glorified.
All who are credited with righteousness through faith, have the new life of Christ breathed into our soul, for though Adam became a living soul, Jesus became a life-giving spirit.
And through faith in Him, we have newness of life, and are granted His everlasting life within.
Mary was the blessed vessel that God used to bring forth the Son of His love into the world, and together with Mary we all look to Jesus as the Author and Finisher of our faith: My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour, was her glorious song of rejoicing which was recorded in Scripture - when she praised God that the child in her womb was indeed her own God and Saviour.
The wages of sin is death, but the Son of God set aside His heavenly glory in order to clothe Himself with human flesh and take upon Himself the punishment that we deserve so that by faith in Him we might be forgiven of our sin and returned into the same privileged fellowship with the Father that man enjoyed before the fall - but to do so God had to become man.
Abraham was a man who believed God and his faith was credited to him as righteousness - such that all men and women who share 'like-faith' with Abraham are also credited with righteousness and become his descendants.
He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to men who live by faith - and their faith is credited to them as righteousness.
The disciples had just seen the Lord Jesus feed 5000 men with a few small loaves and fishes, walk right to the middle of the Sea of Galilee on the surface of the water to join the disciples on their fishing boat, give Peter the authority and power to walk on water himself - and then witness him being rescued from drowning by the strong arm of the Lord Jesus when his faith failed!
The desire of his heart is that those who have come to faith through his ministry might not sin but would strive to live lives that are holy and acceptable to God: My little children, he says, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin...
As part of God's family, through faith in Christ, we are all called to be holy because our Heavenly Father is holy.
John knows that we are fallen men and fallen women with a sinful nature who have been saved by grace, redeemed by the blood of Christ, identified with His righteousness, and forgiven of our sin through faith in Him.
And because of our faith in Christ Jesus, God will graciously open His arms of love wide and show us the nail prints in His hands which paid the price for your sin and mine.You see, little children, our sins are all forgiven, forever, to those that believe.
It was once said that trials are the food for faith to feed upon, and this is a truth voiced elsewhere in Scripture.
In James, we read that a man who endures trials is blessed because it produces endurance, while Peter tells us that difficult trials come to sharpen our faith.
He learned that despite the difficulties and problems life throws at each of us, a heart that praises God translates into a soul whose faith is fortified.
Whether his enemy is a group or an individual person, the intense pressure the psalmist is under, caused him to reaffirm his faith and testify that the Lord is His strength and stay, while momentarily mourning because of his oppression and asking why God had abandoned and rejected him.
We read in Hebrews that it is a terrible and terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God, but from start to finish, the Bible informs us of the singular way to avoid this horrible and horrifying happening - and it is by faith: He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus, for they have received forgiveness of sin, by faith, and been declared righteous by God.
Christ has made known to us the Father... and the Father has unveiled to us the Son in the person of Jesus Christ - for in Him dwells all the might, majesty, dominion, power, and fullness of the Godhead bodily... and by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord we have been saved and made one - with Him.
There is also one faith with a settled body of doctrine that is clearly laid out in Scriptures, one baptism into the Body of Christ at the moment of salvation, one God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one Holy Spirit Who gives spiritual gifts to all who are positioned in Christ.
Most importantly, they were the ones who were to lay the doctrinal foundations of the Christian Church upon which our faith rests, for they were to author the Holy Scriptures.
And so it was that by grace through faith, all who looked on the brass serpent of judgement, lived.
It was not the killing of the fiery serpents that would save the souls of the stricken Israelites in the wilderness nor pretending that the snake-bite did not exist, but looking by grace through faith at the substitute that God had placed in the midst of their camp.
It is only by looking at God's perfect Sacrifice for sin, Jesus Christ, our sin-Substitute Who was lifted up on the Cross so that all who would look on Him by grace through faith would live.
Let us exult His name together, and let us lift up the beautiful name of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world that has been bitten by sin so that they too may look and live, by grace through faith in Him.
The prayers and praises of the aged believer who has walked with the Lord throughout his days and trusts in the Lord with childlike faith, is a source of encouragement and hope for all who are blessed to be in their company and for generations to come.
Promises were made when Abraham set out from Haran by faith to go to the Promised Land, and again, by the oaks of Mamre, when the birth of Isaac was reaffirmed.
Because Abraham is the father of faith and all believers are his 'spiritual seed', God's pledge and guarantee to Abraham encompasses every man, woman, boy, and girl who has believed in Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.
The assurance we have in our great salvation, by faith in Christ, is rooted in this oath the Lord made to His servant.
It is a pledge and a guarantee to all the spiritual seed of Abraham; not only to those who are of the Law, but also to Gentiles of faith; not only to the Israel of God (believing Jews pre and post Cross), but also to believing Gentiles.
May we who have trusted Him for salvation take refuge in the strong encouragement we gain from this passage and take hold of the salvation that is ours by faith in Christ.
And as the Rock on which we stand, He is the firm foundation upon which our faith is built and the top-most cornerstone that completes all that we are in Christ.
Paul knew the importance of relational closeness with the Lord Jesus, for by faith in His sacrificial death on our account, we were positioned in Him, and eternally united with Him.
As a result of our new birth, we are united in Him by faith, and all who are truly united together with Christ have been baptised into His Body.
Paul knew the importance of having a close relationship with His Saviour, which caused him to rejoice and say, The life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.
It is by faith that we are placed in union with Christ.
May we who have been saved by grace through faith put on the new man and abide in Christ, day by day, for we have been made a new creation in Him: Created according to God's likeness - in righteousness and purity of the truth.
The song Zachariah sang when his newborn babe was about to be circumcised, is a most beautiful expression of faith in practice.
The words of faith he spoke were factual words that would be realised at the Cross and yet will be fully executed in future time.
May we be those whose faith is established and anchored to the facts of Scripture, for when faith is founded on God's unchangeable Word, we know ALL that He has promised WILL be completed, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Throughout the book of Hebrews, faith in the Word of God and the superiority of Christ have been the author's focal point, together with a series of warnings against unfaithfulness, immaturity, falling short of God's perfect plan, or making the same mistakes that Israel made throughout their chequered history i.e.
Having been saved by grace through faith in Christ, obtaining eternal redemption through the one and only means of salvation (by trusting in the Cross of Christ, for the forgiveness of sins) we are warned not to become legalistic, by reverting back to the Levitical system.
We are encouraged to continue to walk in spirit and truth and to live by faith, not by works of the Law: For we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, (legalists or carnal believers) but are those who have faith to the saving of the soul, (spiritual believers).
We are those who have faith to the saving of the soul.
We are not the sort of Christians that revert back to the former, legal system that believers followed before the Cross... we are not those who shrink back to perdition. There may be times when a believer does shrink back through fear, lack of faith, leaving our first love, or falling into some fleshly lust but we must never forget that ALL truly born again believers are held securely in the hands of God - and cannot shrink back unto perdition.
We have God's assurance that nothing can pluck us out or His hands and nothing can separate us from the love of God which is eternally ours - by faith in Christ Jesus.
'We' in this verse, distinguishes the saved from 'those' that are unsaved. 'We' separates genuine believers from 'those' that are false converts or apostates. 'We' are those that overcome - and John tells us that whoever is born of God overcomes the world - and this is the victory that has overcome the world - even our faith.
The saving the soul and our eternal victory in Christ is diametrically opposite of shrinking back to perdition and eternal destruction. Because we have been eternally redeemed by the blood of Christ, let us live by faith - to the saving of the soul so that we may reap a reward and not suffer loss of reward.
For an unbeliever, the saving of the soul is salvation by grace through faith, BUT when we are already born again, the saving of our soul occurs when a believer lives their life for Christ and dies to self.
Now faith is a well-grounded and sure assurance of that for which we hope for, in Christ.
May we live by faith - in spirit and in truth, and not by sight, to the glory of God - for the saving of our soul.
The first thing that Paul wrote, after his characteristic greeting of grace be to you and peace, was a grateful word of thanksgiving to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, for the faith which was being proclaimed throughout the whole world by these dearly beloved saints in Rome.
However, his earnest desire to visit these believers, share their common faith, and give one another spiritual encouragement, was evidenced in the historical record of the book of Acts, and elsewhere.
Paul's heartfelt desire to visit the believers in Rome was to further establish them in the faith which is reflected in this verse of Scripture: always in my prayers I make request, if perhaps now at last, by the will of God, I may succeed in coming to you - For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established..
that is, that I may be encouraged together with you, while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.
We do not know who initially shared the good news of the gospel of grace with the people of Rome, but we do know that the epistle to the Romans that Paul wrote to the saints there, was the most comprehensive and structured exposition of every aspect of our Christian faith which we would all do well to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest - to be established in the faith and grounded in the truth of the glorious gospel of God.
But every attack on Christianity has its roots in Satan's demonic agenda which is designed to blaspheme the God of heaven and earth, to discredit His holy Word, to belittle the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus on the Cross, to blind the eyes of the unsaved who are perishing, and to shipwreck the lives of those that have been saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
The Christians at Galatia had started their Christian life so well... by trusting in the Lord Jesus for salvation by faith.
Earlier in his letter, Paul had already challenged them with the question, Did You receive the Spirit by works of the Law or by the hearing of faith?
But having begun in the Spirit... having begun by the hearing of faith, these believers were now trying to perfect themselves by the flesh.
Let us be earnest in our search for truth... and in His strength seek to remain steadfast in our faith and true to the gospel of God.
Let us run the race that is set before us, looking away from the world and looking steadfastly to Jesus - the Author and Finisher of our faith.
Let us never forget that in the same way that we were justified by faith when we first believed, we are to spend the rest of our lives being sanctified by faith in the power of the Spirit, as we abide in Christ and submit to the leading and guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
As Christians, we have a been brought into a family relationship with God through our union with Christ, by faith.
But we are expected to take responsibility for walking in spirit and truth, living as unto the Lord, trusting in the Word of God, depending on our Heavenly Father, submitting to the Holy Spirit, abiding in Christ, and appropriating all that is ours in Him, by faith.
We are presented with a feast of all the privileges that are ours in Christ Jesus Who has delivered us out of the power of darkness and translated us into His kingdom, by grace through faith.
Salvation is indeed by grace alone - through faith alone - in Christ alone, but never let us ignore that tremendous price that God Himself had to pay so that you and I could be given this free gift of salvation.
He won’t leave you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the Lord’s house is finished. These and other examples demonstrate that courage and faith are closely linked in the life of a believer.
Faith in God's promises fuels our courage, while courage is the result of trusting God's Word.
Christ was giving His disciples an important lesson in courageous faith - for He has promised never to leave us or forsake us, even to the end of the age.
He has purposed to bring the work that God has determined to do through us to completion if we have courage - if we have faith, for He has promised to supply ALL we need.
The Lord could have prevented the storm and kept the disciples safe in peaceful waters, but He could not have called out His reassuring word to have courage so as to demonstrate that He is an ever-present help in need.He could have left them to rely on their own skill or encourage a self-generated, self-reliance that is independent of God, but He wanted to reinforce their faith in Him.
But we have to develop that courageous faith that knows that the Lord is near and His ear is open to our every cry - for He cares for us all.He knows the difficulties and fears that we are facing and He is well-able to prevent every one of them, for He is the master of the creation and upholds the world in the palm of His hand.
But He sometimes allows the storms to batter our lives, for He wants us to trust Him in all situations and to cast all our cares upon Him so that as we increase in faith, we depend on Him more and more - trusting in His never-failing faithfulness.
Having set the scene of our present privileged position and glorious future destiny in the first three chapters, Paul opens a section which calls Christians to stand fast in the evil day, to press on despite the difficulties we face, and to live by faith and not by sight: We do not lose heart, are his inspiring words: We don't give up or faint from fear, for although our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
The new life we received at salvation is being transformed into the image and likeness of Christ, as we mature in the faith, grow in grace, and gain a more intimate knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
And it is all by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, our only God and Saviour.
The woman's reply greatly blessed the Lord Jesus, for it demonstrated a faith that was rare, even among His own Jewish nation: O woman, he replied, Great is your faith.
Salvation must come through faith in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father and prophesied Messiah of Israel.
This Gentile woman may have addressed Jesus incorrectly at the beginning, when she appealed to Him by His Messianic title 'Son of David', but she acknowledged Him as her LORD, and so her faith was credited as righteousness.
And because of her faith, her demon-possessed daughter was also made whole.
The lesson we all have to learn is that it is only by faith in Christ that we are redeemed by God and declared righteous, for salvation is by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord and Israel's Messiah.
This verse is a simple, yet timely reminder, that we are to live by faith in the Word of Truth, and to trust God's judgement in all things, for He sends blessings on the just and unjust alike, and He takes the foolish schemes and rebellious actions of men and turns them to His greater glory, in order to fulfil His ultimate plan and purpose, which is that Christ is all in all.
However, salvation was not automatically credited to Israelites simply because of their earthly parentage, but by their faith in God.
They were not redeemed by being born an Israelite, but by faith in God.
Both before and after the Cross, salvation is by grace through faith and righteousness is credited to ALL who believe God's Word... but before the Cross, there was a distinct difference between Jew and Gentile, the circumcised and the uncircumcised.
Not only have we been declared righteous by faith but also we have been given the indwelling Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, which has set us free from enslavement to the old sin nature and freed us from the power of sin in our daily lives.
We have been renewed by faith and not by adopting a religious system.
We are clothed with a new spiritual life by faith and not by works, and begin a process whereby we are being transformed into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ, Himself.
We have been clothed with a new self, simply by faith which is being remoulded and remade into an increasingly fuller knowledge of Christ so that we become like Him Who created us.
Such men and women have rejected God's free gift of salvation by faith and have lives that are characterised by conflict with God, discord with God, disobedience towards God, and the disputing the truth of of God's Word.
There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus (which is accessed by faith) for God's wrath was poured out upon Him in our stead and we have been forgiven and have received the gift of eternal life by God's grace and through faith in Christ.
The Lord knows His people, but His people must know their Lord and trust in the power of His might, by faith – so they can say in full assurance, The Lord is my strength I will not trust in my own abilities; the Lord is my strength and I will trust in Him.The Lord not only gives us His strength in time of need, but He also blesses His people with peace.
Having defended his divinely appointed apostleship, clearly expounded the gospel of grace, and insisted that justification is by faith alone through faith in Christ, and not by works of the Law, he turns his attention on how to put his teachings into practice; how to live by faith.
In this section, Paul wants his readers to apply the truth of God's Word and appropriate what is already ours by faith in Christ, for we have ALL we need for life and godliness, as a gift of God's grace.
We are to stand firm in the faith by looking to Jesus.
We are to refuse to find 'favour' with God through practices like circumcision, rather than by faith in Christ alone.
There is only one way to please God and gain His approval and that is by faith in Christ (believing His Word and fulfilling His will).
We are to walk worthy of our position in Christ by faith.
Not by trying to carry out a list of 'conditions' but by believing His Word, for without faith it is impossible to please God.
We are to live by faith and to walk in spirit and truth.
But as a good steward of the manifold grace of God, through faith in Christ, Peter urges us to live a God-honouring life, reminding us that as a soldier of Christ we should not be surprised when we suffer for His sake, but consider it both a privilege and an honour.
It is designed to test your faith to the degree with which you share in the sufferings of Christ.
Our time of earth is very fleeting in comparison with the eternal state that awaits all who are saved by grace through faith.
We, who are been born again by grace through faith, can see an astonishing parallel between Esther's story of deliverance for her people, and God's redemptive plan of salvation for the whole of mankind.
But the day is coming when their eyes will be opened and they will cry out in faith, Blessed is He - JESUS - Who comes in the name of the Lord.
It was his love for Christ that compelled Paul to share relentlessly the ministry of reconciliation through the glorious gospel of grace - whereby Christ died for all so that by faith in Him we should not live for ourselves any longer..
The Father gives to the Son all those who have demonstrated faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of Christ.
The whole company of believers who trust in Christ for salvation becomes a sovereign love-gift from God the Father to God the Son, through time and into eternity We are also given God's supreme assurance that all who come by grace through faith in Christ, will be given to Him by the Father and none shall pluck them out of His hands, and this is God's sovereign will.
Everyone who comes to Christ is given the assurance that: The one who comes to Me (by grace though faith) I will certainly not cast out.
Those who are saved are simply those who have chosen to believe God's Word and by faith have trusted Christ as Saviour, while those who perish are simply those who have chosen to reject God's free gift of grace.
This beautiful truth nestles in the midst of the section in Romans where Paul expresses his deep desire that all his fellow Israelites, who had not accepted Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah, would come to saving faith in Him as the Messiah of Israel and the Saviour of the world.
We do not have a righteousness of our own. Our spiritual nakedness is covered by Christ's righteousness which comes to us through faith in Him.
But being saved by grace through faith and clothed in Christ is not the end goal but the beginning of our new life in Him, and every day we should strive to know Him more, to love Him better, to listen to His voice, to obey His Word, and to develop an ever-closer relationship with Him. This demands a singleness of purpose, a sole objective – one determined aim.
The single-minded fervour we see in the lives of Paul, James, David, and even the Lord Jesus points to the fact that a man with a single aim is a man God can use and that single aim is to carry out the will of the Father, in all His ways.The complacent Christian does not have an urgency to be about his Father’s business and the proud believer has an alternative agenda, while those that are lukewarm in their faith seem indifferent to their spiritual growth.
And although the northern kingdom of Israel was never brought back to Jerusalem like the southern kingdom of Judah, there has always been a faithful remnant who believed God, and their faith is credited as righteousness.
They responded to the good news Paul taught, by placing their faith in the Lord Jesus.
The fact that these believers displayed the work of faith, labour of love, steadfast hope in the Lord, and joy in the Holy Spirit, despite the many tribulations they underwent, is something we should seek to emulate.
While the title and content of Hebrews suggests that its initial audience were immature converts from Judaism who were in danger of leaving their Christian faith and returning to the Law of Moses, the subject matter, instructions, and warnings offered in Hebrews are equally pertinent to Christians of today who have legalistic teachers, or trust in a works-based salvation message.
Rather, we are exhorted to be steadfast in our faith and press on towards spiritual maturity.
They are commissioned by God to be of service to those that are His children by faith in Christ.
Paul's letter was to encourage them to stand strong in the faith - even in the midst of great trouble and strife.
He explained that instead of silencing the gospel, his incarceration in a Roman prison had the opposite effect - even members of the prison guard understood that Paul was in chains for Christ's sake, and many were coming to faith in the Lord Jesus through Paul's ministry... despite his unjust imprisonment.
Let us read the Bible with the eye of faith, with an understanding heart, with godly discernment, and in its correct historical context, and let us apply it in our lives in spirit and in truth.
This healing was highly significant, not only because the leper was cleansed, but because of the man's demonstrable faith and Christ's compassionate actions.
The very words of this man showed the genuine, depth of faith this leper had in Christ's power to heal, for he acknowledged Jesus as 'Lord'.
May we never lose track of the incredible privilege God's gift of salvation is to each of us who are saved by grace through faith.
Blessed are the poor in spirit for it is only the heart that is broken before the Lord and truly humbled under a deep conviction of one's own unworthiness before a holy and righteous God, that a man or woman of faith can offer to the Lord the sacrifice of a broken heart - a living sacrifice, worthy of His acceptance.
Such lowliness of spirit proceeds from a heart of faith, which is looking to Christ as Advocate.
They, however, had to spend those same 10 days exercising faith in Christ and believing His word would come true.
The precious promises and many assurances of His never-failing presence would not fail for His Word is true, but they were to exhibit FAITH in His Word.
John's ministry was well known, for people throughout Judea were flocking to the river Jordan to come back, in faith, to the God of their fathers, confessing their sins, and undergoing his baptism of repentance.
God is the source of all love, and herein is love: Not that we loved Him but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. And we who have become part of His family by faith, are obligated to love as Christ loved us and to give our lives in sacrificial service for the benefit of others and to the glory of God.
He had been saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus and set free from the curse of the Law.
Paul came to realise that if Jesus Himself Whom he had been persecuting in his murderous attempt to wipe out the Christian faith - and that in so doing he was fighting almighty God.
What a wake-up call to Paul, who in his religious fervour discovered that it was Jesus Who gave His life sacrificially, so that by faith in Him..
the troubles, trial, dangers, disappointments, discomforts and distresses that he faced were a result of his Christian faith.
While money can be an excellent servant of man and is able to do much good, the writer to the Hebrews identifies the love of money as a key hindrance to inner contentment. In his letter to Timothy, Paul also warns that the love of money is a root of all sorts of evils and that some believers have so hankered after money as to be led astray from the faith.
Well, godliness with contentment is great gain, while a discontented soul breeds murmuring against God, as was seen in Israel’s wilderness walk, and grumbling is a poisonous root of unbelief that demonstrates a lack of faith in the Lord our God.
Titus was a trusted minister of the gospel, and Paul's 'true son in the common faith'.
Titus was a prominent minister of the gospel, and Paul recognised that the out-working of his life could be offered as an exemplary model of the Christian faith for others to imitate, for his godly lifestyle was a practical demonstration of the doctrine he taught: In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, Paul urged, Conduct yourself with purity in doctrine and be dignified and sound in speech, which is beyond reproach.
When we are faced with difficult decisions or find our faith is being challenged, we should turn to God's Word and read through this series of Psalms which will bring our focus back to the Lord our God and the joy of our salvation.
The bruised reed in this verse is an illustration of a man or woman who has been battered and broken through life's circumstances and whose faith is failing or whose Christian resolve has worn thin.
We may face injustice in this world as the enemy of our soul seeks to discredit our testimony, discourage our hearts, and destroy our faith, but Jesus has promised never to leave us and to be with us whatever betides.
Though already justified by God through their faith in Him, Moses set before them a choice - life and prosperity OR death and adversity.
The first generation of Israelites demonstrated their faith in God by obeying His command - killing a Passover lamb and smearing its blood on the lintels of their houses, as instructed by the Lord.
This second generation of Israelites were also justified because of their faith.
Like Abraham who believed God's Word, this generation of Israelites were also justified because of their faith - not because of their parentage.
Jew and Gentile alike are only justified by grace through FAITH.
Like Abraham, and all the redeemed, we are justified by grace through faith.
We either grow in grace and mature in the faith, through submitting to Him OR remain in spiritual infancy and waste our opportunities to honour His name.
We either work the works of God by faith and enjoy sweet fellowship with our Heavenly Father, OR ignore the work that God has prepared for us, go our own way, and remain estranged from our God and out of fellowship with our Lord and Saviour.
This was the choice that lay before this second generation of Israelites as they prepared to cross into the Promised Land and that day, Moses set before them life and prosperity, victory and honour - through living a life of faith, OR death and adversity, defeat and dishonour - through living a life of disobedience.
Men's hearts were turned away from the Lord and they became obsessed with a man-centred faith rather than a God-focussed trust.
So God made a covenant with Israel... that they would be His people and He would be their God, but the covenant was conditional upon their obedience and faith and from the very beginning they turned their hearts away from the Lord.
Do we trust in the works of man or place our faith in the strength of fleshly achievements?
He talked of man's relationship with God as His children, which was something that these idolators related to, but he did not mention that we were dead in our trespasses and sin which has estranged us from the living God until by faith we are born again into His family.
Paul described the Man Whom God had appointed to judge the world, but he did not mention the name of Jesus Who died to pay the penalty for sin and Who would save them by grace through faith in His finished work at Calvary.
This verse was not only a blessing to the believers at Corinth but to all Christians; to all who have been saved by grace through faith.
Oh, we are certainly being sanctified in this life as we grow in grace and mature in the faith through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, but even this group, whom we discover to be the most carnal Christians in the New Testament, have been sanctified in Christ Jesus and set apart unto God.
David knew that God’s loving-kindness was ever before his eyes, for he was a man of faith who trusted God's Word.
Despite his faith in the Lord and in spite of being a man after God's own heart, David had to endure many difficulties and dangers, but he knew that God would not fail Him nor forsake him.
The Lord took his problems and pain so as to increase David's dependence and faith on Him.
Let us trust in His unfailing promises, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks, knowing that through the difficulties we face, our faith in Him will be increased and strengthened, and His holy name will be honoured.
The Messiah had to come through the Seed of Abraham, the father of faith.
Whosoever will, may have their spiritual eyes opened by grace through faith in Him.
Whosoever will, may come to Him freely and drink of the water of Life, eat of the living Bread, and be transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son, by faith.
Such people seem to go out of their way to provoke others to anger, rather than displaying a living faith through godly wisdom, understanding, a Christlike kindness, and graciousness of heart.
Paul used his own life as an example of how to live in spirit and in truth - how to live by faith and not by sight.
He demonstrated a life that had died to its own desires and lived for Christ alone, until he was enabled to say, The life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God... it is not I that live but Christ Who lives in me.
Not only are we to stay true to the never-changing written Word of God, which was inspired by the Spirit of truth, but this glorious gospel of God is to be delivered with faith and shared in love - and should remain our benchmark for truth.
Without faith it is impossible to please God and love, alone, comes through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Faith must never be compromised but the truth must always be delivered in love.
Similarly, the truth must never be compromised BUT the truth should always be shared by faith and in love.
We who by God's grace have been placed IN Christ by faith, are identified with Him and He with us.
Christ identified with our sin and took the punishment that we deserve, so that we might identify with His righteousness, by faith..
by faith.
so that by faith in His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection we might be made the righteousness of God, in Him.
But His resurrected, eternal life became our eternally resurrected life - for just as He identified with our sin and died on our account - so we by grace through faith are identified with His life. We died and were buried with Him through baptism into Him death..
Because we believe in Christ by faith we are identified with Him and made one with Him.
Christ, having been raised from the dead is never to die again - and we who are identified with His life by faith have the same relationship with death - for in Christ we have eternal life, never to die again.
Simeon was a righteous man who had been promised by God that he would not die before he had seen the promised Hope of Israel, and his faith in God's Word was not disappointed.
Paul's closing remarks in his epistle, start to challenge the more spiritually mature believer who may rejoice in the gracious liberty he has in Christ Jesus while harbouring his own ungodly attitudes towards the personal practice of those that are weaker in the faith, exposing an unchristian bias against those that are spiritually immature or weaker in certain doctrinal issues.
Contrary to finding fault with those that are weak in the faith or deliberately entering into arguments with those that are disadvantaged in their spiritual maturity, such brothers and sisters should be welcomed into our fellowship and be received with Christian love and grace.
We are called to accept those who are weak in faith or whose spiritual maturity is somewhat lacking.
Instructions for the post-Cross Church are also written in the New Testament, by the Word of the Lord: FAITH in the shed blood of Christ, for there is salvation in none other than Christ, the crucified Lamb of God Who shed His own blood for the sin of the whole world.
Just as blood is required to maintain the life of mortal man so the Holy Spirit is required to maintain the life of the one who has been saved by grace through faith in Christ; for we have been given His life in us.
While the opening verses are a cry for help and the concluding ones confirm his future deliverance, this middle stanza is David's statement of faith: Behold, God is my Helper.
And God found in David a man after His own heart; a man whose faith was credited to him as righteousness, because he trusted in Him.
As we trace the life of this man from the hills of Bethlehem to the end of his life, we see his faith in God develop and grow.
From the time he faced Goliath as a lad, to the day he 'slept with his fathers and was buried in Jerusalem', we trace David's faith developing, growing, and maturing into a man who died knowing that God is faithful to keep His Word.
Without faith it is impossible to please God and this short, simple psalm is a beautiful example of a man who demonstrates a growing faith in God.
The trusting faith David expressed in this Psalm is an example of the secure faith we all desire to develop in our Christian walk.
But this is the faith that pleases God.
But how much more difficult it is to translate that secure faith into our own unsettled heart?
We have received a free and full salvation and have been quickened and made alive, by faith in Christ.
The outworking of the new life that we received by faith in Christ, is set out clearly in the Word of God.
Although this is a divine principle which is true in the lives of sinner and saint alike, this particular passage is speaking directly to those that are saved by grace through faith in Christ, and we would do well to pay heed to Paul's instructions on godly living.
Scripture however clearly teaches that there is no such thing as the 'universal Fatherhood of God' where all men are saved - for ye MUST be born again to be brought into eternal fellowship with God through faith in Christ.
It is only by faith in the sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ that we receive the right to be called children of God and to address God as Abba - Father.
It is only those that have been saved by grace through faith in the sacrificial work of the Lord Jesus Christ that have the right to approach the throne of grace for help in time of need.
How we praise God that we were not only born into the human race but that by faith in Christ we were born again into His heavenly family and have become part of the new creation in Christ.
He received cruel stripes, humiliation, and death so that we might be forgiven of our sin by faith in Him and be redeemed from eternal separation from our Creator.
When Christ was lifted up on the Cross, He was made sin for us, by receiving the full weight of God's wrath against sin on our behalf so that by faith in His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, we might be made the righteousness of God in Him, through time and into eternity.
But it procured our healing, by grace through faith.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and a knowledge of the holy One gives understanding – but godly wisdom is rooted in faith and faith always comes back to trusting the Lord at all times and for all things.
While the natural man seeks after the polluted waters of human wisdom and places his faith in the grand accumulation of worldly wealth, the believer in Christ is exhorted to reject such worldly philosophies and is warned not to become influenced by this pagan mindset. In this passage, Paul was warning that the accumulation of monetary wealth can cause someone to become conceited.
We should place neither trust in our own sufficiency nor fix our hope on that which is fading away, but maintain faith in the Word of the Lord which reminds us that our hope in today’s provision is from His gracious hand, and that our secure hope for the future comes from Jesus Christ alone.
When approached by those who desired healing, the Lord Jesus made sure he addressed the 'faith' issue, and the healing of the demon-possessed boy demonstrates this in a beautiful way.
Not only did they question God's power to heal in their own hesitant hearts, but undermined the faith of this anguished man causing him to doubt Christ's ability to heal.
It was from the glory of the transfiguration to the desperate situation of a failed healing and the faltering faith of His chosen disciples, that Christ came.
The very men that were to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and empowered to perform mighty miracles in Christ's name and preach the gospel of the kingdom, were powerless to cast out this dumb spirit, and so they received the strongest of rebukes for their lack of faith from their Master.
But Christ's compassionate heart quickly turned to the man and his mute son and Jesus gently picked-up on his faltering faith and hesitant entreaty: If You can?
It was the man's FAITH in Christ that had been severely impacted.
It was his faith that Jesus needed to restore.
But by God's grace, he was able to cry out, LORD I believe, help my unbelief, and he was rewarded with a son who was healed and a faith that was increased.
Faith sets no limit on God's ability, for the one who is ready and willing to trust Him in all things, submit to His will, and not permit mountainous problems or seemingly impossible situations to adversely influence their faith in God's ability, is the one who will witness great things in their life.
The letter to the church in Thyatira is no exception and despite being commended for their love, faith, service, and perseverance, church members are fiercely rebuked for permitting sexual immorality to infiltrate the Body of Christ, admonished for embracing other pagan practices, and challenged to change their ways.
The little remnant at Thyatira who refused to go the way of Jezebel, were instructed to do nothing more than to hold fast to what they had; to hold on to their faith until the return of Christ for His Church.
It was God Who searched for us, found us, and convicted us of our need of a Saviour, and it is the Spirit of God Who breathed the breath of life into our inner being by faith, when He found his sheep that was lost and we trusted Him as our God and Redeemer.
But God in His grace found us and saved us, by faith.
Those of us who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, are able to testify with David that we also sought the Lord for the forgiveness of sin and He graciously delivered us out of the hands of the enemy - triumphing over sin and death and redeeming our life from the pit.
He fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the Law in our place so that by faith, we are no longer under the curse of the Law but under the protection of His blood.
Jesus was not made like an angel, for the angels that sinned cannot be redeemed from their sins by faith.
Rather, Jesus had to be made in the likeness of human flesh in order to offer redemption to fallen man, by faith.
He was to be the one through Whom all the families of the earth would be blessed, by becoming the firstborn from the dead, the first of many who, by faith in Him, will rise into newness of life; body, soul, and spirit.
In God's divine plan, His eternal Son was to become a full member of the human race in order to make propitiation for the sins of the people who would believe in Him, by faith.
Timothy was entrusted, by Paul, to be pastor of the church at Ephesus, but being the leader of a Christian community in the first century under Roman rule was no easy task, and Paul's letter to this 'son in the faith' contained personal encouragement, many warnings, and a lot of wise instruction on how to deal with a myriad of theological and practical issues that Timothy was likely to meet as he shepherded the little flock of believers in their spiritual journey through life.
The Christian life is a difficult struggle that contains many problematic pitfalls, which Paul describes as a good fight: Fight the good fight of faith, were his reassuring words to Timothy, take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Fighting the good fight of faith is not so much hostile combat against a physical enemy, but rising to the challenges of our Christian life or confidently taking hold of the eternal life that is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord.Each enemy is harmful to the soul and detrimental to our spiritual growth and so each must be earnestly resisted with fortitude and determination.
Praise God that this is not an evil fight but a good fight, for the battle has already been won by Christ’s victory on the Cross and we are to face all the challenges of life by maintaining an unfaltering faith in Him - trusting in His sufficiency to bring us through victoriously.We are to fight the good fight of faith by seizing hold of every opportunity, trusting His all-sufficient grace to bring us through by faith, rather than wilting at the enormity of a problem or caving in to the temptation that faces us.When we fight the fight of faith, we are trusting Him in all things and in so doing we are taking hold of eternal life.
This verse tells us that Timothy was called by the Lord and chosen to carry out this important ministry, and it concludes with a reminder of Timothy's personal confession of his faith - in the presence of many witnesses.
While Timothy appears to have been a quiet, unassuming young man, he was nonetheless a stalwart in the faith for he gave a bold and beautiful testimony before many witnesses.
And like Him, our life is to be a testimony to His faithfulness – for it is as we run the race that is set before us, with patient endurance and a determination to do all to the glory of God, that we will also fight the good fight of faith and take hold of the eternal life to which we are all called – so that with Timothy and a great cloud of saints, we too may ensure a good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Having been redeemed by grace through their faith, they started to doubt God's Word and disobey Him.
Lack of faith caused them to become apostate.
Some use this passage as a 'proof text' to teach that salvation can be lost through an unbelieving heart, but this contradicts the clear, biblical teaching on soteriology, which dictates that salvation is by grace through faith.
Israel were saved out of Egypt by God's grace because of their faith, but were not returned to Egypt because of unbelief.
Similarly, Christians who are genuinely saved by God's grace through faith will not lose their salvation, but will suffer loss of a promised reward.
Having been saved, we have been given power to live by faith and gain victory over our enemies.
True humility is a fruit of the Spirit that buds and blossoms in the heart of someone who is submitted to God, walking in spirit and truth, growing in grace, and maturing in the Christian faith.
I wonder if he ever discovered Who it was Who told him, My kingdom is not of this world's system. I wonder if Pilate, who boasted I have power to crucify You, and the power to release You, ever came to a saving knowledge of Jesus and discovered that He is the great Creator-King of the universe, and the One Who loves us so much that He died so that we might live - that Pilate might live - by faith in Him?
He came to earth at God's appointed time to bring Israel to repentance and return them back to true faith in God.
Christ's ministry was popular with the people because they were fascinated by His wisdom, His words, His miracles, and His healings, but they were deaf and disinterested in the truth that sinful man needs a Saviour and that only faith in His death and Resurrection as payment for our sin, is acceptable to God the Father.
Let us be careful not to emulate the prideful Jewish leaders whose lust for power, love of money, and craving for control, blinded their eyes by blocking their ears to the truth of the gospel: For faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Although these instructions from Paul to Titus may appear to be predictable, and list behaviours that are appropriate for every man or woman of God and expedient for sound doctrine... nevertheless, there are greater numbers of people who reject God's offer of salvation by grace through faith in Christ... and remain enslaved to this satanic world system.
And so we, who are saved by grace through faith, need to be careful that we do not become entrapped in the wiles of the evil one.
The book of Hebrews is written to enable growing Christians to mature in the faith.
The verse in question, which immediately follows an important warning against spiritual immaturity and some elementary instructions on reaching full maturity, gives some great encouragement to believers who are seeking to stand firm in the faith, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.
The hallmark of true faith is active, Christian love which is carried out in the power of the Holy Spirit.
And the faith of these dear saints was manifested in the ongoing work they performed to the glory of God, together with their selfless labour of Christian love, in ministering to their brothers and sisters in Christ.
The Bible lists over 200 things that are true of all believers who have been saved by grace through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Father' As His children we have received the authority to boldly approach His throne of grace in Christ's name - for we are accepted in the Beloved by faith.
We are no longer part of the satanic kingdom of darkness but a member of Christ's body, having been transferred into the kingdom of His dear Son - and having become children of the light, by faith.
We are to be covered in His truth, covered in His righteousness, and rest in His peace and His salvation which is ours by grace alone through faith alone in His finished work alone.
But sadly today, as in the days of the apostle Paul, there are many that consider that we should still be under the Law and in bondage to the Law, not recognising the glorious truth that after faith has come, we are no longer under the restrictions of a guardian.
We need to realise that after faith has come, we are placed IN-Christ and are set free from the curse of the Law and its eternal consequences.
Before faith in Christ the nation of Israel (and humanity as a whole) was incarcerated by the demands of the Law and imprisoned by its devastating curse - a curse that could only be lifted by the ONE Who was made a curse on our account: But since that faith had come, we are no longer under the guardianship of the Law.
Let us also rejoice that even on those days when our faith wears thin and we lose heart, HE always remains faithful, His right hand always supports us, and the satisfaction that comes from Him fulfils us completely.
Israel holds a special place in God's redemptive plan for it was through the nation of Israel that JESUS, the Redeemer of the world was born, and we who have been saved by grace through faith in Him are beneficiaries of this blessing, in this unique age of grace.
Judah will celebrate the Rock of Ages and the Lord Himself will rejoice over His redeemed people, with singing. It is in the middle of chapter 26 that a remnant of the house of Judah are seen celebrating a future event, when a repentant, redeemed, and restored Israel will have been reinstated as God's righteous nation, and set apart unto Him. They rejoice in their restored faith in the God of their salvation, on Whom they depend and through Whom comes the perfect peace of God which confounds all human understanding.
Their song of praise reminds us that when God acts in judgement, it causes the people of the earth to know that He is God and to learn that the way of righteousness is by faith in Him.
When Paul was converted to the Christian faith, he suddenly discovered the shocking consequences of his own unbelief because he recognised that his religious legalism had kept him estranged from God and excluded him from fellowship with the One he claimed to follow.
He wanted them to share in the hope we have in Christ and experience the great freedoms we enjoy by faith in Him.
He felt constrained to teach and preach the good news that Christ died for our sin, was buried, and rose again on the third day so that by faith in Him, we could be forgiven of our sin and receive eternal life as a free gift of God's amazing grace.
He was instructed to teach that by faith we may receive forgiveness of sins and receive a share among those who are sanctified by faith in Him.
Like the apostle Paul, we have received our salvation by faith in Christ, and like him we have nothing to boast about, for our salvation does not depend on what we do but on what Christ has already done on our account.
May we, like Paul, rejoice in the privileges that are ours by faith and consider the accompanying responsibilities as blessings to share rather than a burden to carry.
But when you consider the plan of salvation that God has designed, we can only wonder at His goodness and grace in sending Jesus, His only begotten Son, to pay the price for the sin of the world so that whoever will trust in His name is identified with HIM and declared righteous through faith in Him.
Faith in Him not only provides those who believe with the forgiveness of sin, but He gives us so much more.
Every aspect of God's amazing plan of redemption that is received by faith in Christ's sacrificial death and His glorious Resurrection, was in accordance with the eternal purpose and plan of God, which was hidden for ages and generations... but which God finally carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord.
together with the creation of the Church, which is His Body, were kept under wraps so that Jews and Gentiles alike could be saved by grace through faith in Him - and become part of His spiritual Body on earth.
This false gospel exchanged salvation, which can only come as a gracious gift of God through faith, into a striving type of salvation that can only be gained through man's legalistic works and depends on man's merit rather than God's grace.
Paul went on to point out that having been saved by grace through faith in Christ, they were to live by grace through faith in Christ, they were grow in grace by faith in Christ, they were to mature as Christians by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
They had not understood that Christ was the fulfilment of the Law on behalf of all who believe in Him for salvation - and that salvation (both our justification and sanctification, as well as our final glorification) is ours by faith in Christ alone and not by works - for salvation is not dependent on what we DO but on what Christ has already DONE.
Salvation is not dependent on any type of legalistic practices, but on grace alone by faith alone in Christ's finished work alone.
Let us hold fast to the truth which is plainly taught in the Bible - that salvation of the spirit, salvation of the soul, and salvation of the body, is dependent on grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone - with NO extra fleshly works.
How we praise and glorify God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for He has poured out every single blessing in the heavenly realms upon us, simply because we are united with Christ by faith and are One with Himself.
He has redeemed, sanctified, and sealed us with His Holy Spirit and by God’s grace, there is laid up for us an inheritance in Christ – and He is building us all up in the most holy faith.He has made us to be part of His new creation and we are members of the one new man in Christ.
While rejoicing in the truth of election - where God chose us before the foundation of the world, some reformed denominations sadly reject the need for unsaved men to use their free will to respond to the truth of the gospel through faith in Christ.
May we who are the elect of God use our free will wisely and for the glory of God.How we should praise and glorify our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, for He has poured out every single blessing in the heavenly realms upon us, simply because we are united, by faith, in Christ.
Praise Him that we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world and accepted in the Beloved by faith in Him.
Paul warns that such rites, rules, rituals, and regulations, are human commands, man-made doctrines, and deceptive arguments, designed by the enemy to neutralise our faith, entice us away from the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, destroy our testimony, and dishonour the Lord Jesus.
Paul had already made it clear in this passage, that such activities are worldly philosophies based on the elemental forces of the world and not founded on Christ Who is the Author and Finisher of our faith.
He explains the only way to attain spiritual maturity is through faith; firstly, being justified by grace through faith in Christ, and secondly, by living a sanctified life of faith in Christ, day by day, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Indeed, the Law of the Lord is perfect and was given by God to Moses, but any law, whether man-made or given by God to Israel, cannot bring us to perfection which comes by faith in Christ alone.
The Law was given as a means to identify man's sin, not as the way to forgive man's sin, which is through faith in Christ alone.
He gave thanks for the good news of their eternal salvation and rejoiced over their work of faith, their labour of love, and the steadfast hope they had in Christ.
Although Paul understood that faith comes by hearing and hearing from the Word of God, which is generally communicated through speech, verbal communication, or the direct teaching of a minister, he wanted to get across that the gospel he delivered is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes; to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
He was the one who boldly claimed by faith: You are the Christ the Son of the living God, and Peter was also the one..
Indeed everyone who has been saved by grace through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of their sins and life everlasting is part of that elect group - we are all a member of that special group that God in His omniscient foreknowledge knew.
Indeed He longs that all should come to repentance and faith in Christ..
He knew from before the beginning of the world who would be saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus as their sin-substitute and - and He called us His 'elect' -
All who are saved by grace through faith in Christ have a holy and noble calling, and as members of His Body we are living stones that are being built up into a spiritual house.
We are not only saved by grace through faith in Him, but we are to be continuously sanctified by grace through faith in Him and to live our earthly life by grace through faith and dependence and trust in our Saviour Jesus Christ.
And one day, we will be glorified by grace through faith in Christ Who brought salvation to whosoever will.
And in the future Christ will reward us by grace through faith, simply because Christ appeared bringing salvation to all who would trust in His name.
Speaking in tongues without love becomes a clamouring noise, and without love, prophesying or preaching, knowledge or faith, demeans the preacher, dishonours the Lord, and does not edify the saints.
Indeed, should one feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the destitute, tend to the sick, visit prisoners, educate the disadvantaged, or even become a martyr for one's faith - without love - we are told: We gain nothing.
He gave His only begotten Son to die for them, and those who believe (those who exercise faith) are not condemned.
Those who do not believe (those who do not exercise faith) are condemned because of their unbelief.
It is ONLY the believer who is instructed to cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear.
Those who have never trusted Christ as Saviour are unbelievers - they are faithless - they have no faith on which to cling.
As believers, we are instructed to cling to your faith, but we can choose to OBEY this instruction, or we can choose to DISOBEY God's Word.
As God's children we either trust in the Word of God and submit (yield) to the Holy Spirit, in which case we are clinging to our faith in Christ and keeping our consciences clear.
Or we do not trust God's Word and grieve or quench the Holy Spirit, in which case we will violate our consciences, which will result in the shipwreck of our faith.
Paul is reminding Timothy that he has been saved by grace through faith and now he ought to live his life by grace through faith.
Paul wants to impress on Timothy the truth that those who live by faith are pleasing to God, while those who try to live their Christian life in any other way will end up with a faith that has been shipwrecked. They will be living a carnal life that is not pleasing to the Lord and will actually have fallen from grace, like the Galatian believers, because they have tried to live their life by works of the law or by submitting to their fleshly desires rather than submitting to the Spirit of God.
Oh, this does not mean that a believer whose faith is shipwrecked has lost his salvation, but it does mean that he has made a deliberate choice NOT to hold fast to his faith by ignoring God's will for his life (to live by grace through faith as outlined in Scripture).
Should not we who have been saved from the penalty and power of sin and death, cling more tightly to our faith in Christ?
Let us not be those who shipwreck our faith by deliberately refusing to do the things we know in our heart we ought to do.
But rather, let us run the race that is set before us and cling more tightly to our faith in Jesus Christ.
Such a work of the Spirit takes place in the ongoing refining process of sanctification as we die to self, live for Christ, rejoice in the Lord, pray without ceasing, grow in grace, and mature in the faith.
Apart from two solitary people, the Israelites did not trust His Word and stand fast in the faith, and so, apart from those two solitary people, they all died in the wilderness.
Although many of the matters he addressed were specific to the time and place in which they lived, during those formative years of Christianity when the foundations of our faith were being laid, the principles and practices Paul propounded are as relevant today as the day he picked up his pen to compose that first epistle to the Corinthians and instruct the saints there.
Enoch became a man of faith at 65 years of age, and for the next 300 years, he communed with God.
Yes, Enoch was a man of faith, for without faith it is impossible to please God.
It was because of his faith that Enoch was taken by the Lord, so that he did not experience death.
Hebrews tells us that, Enoch was not to be found because God took him away, for prior to his removal he was approved, since he had pleased God. Enoch was approved by God at the age of 65, because of his faith, and his faith was reckoned as righteousness.
Like Enoch, we are to walk with God all our days - from the day when we were saved by faith, to the day He takes us to be with Himself - at the Rapture of the church, which will be ushered in at the resurrection of the dead in Christ.
We are to be SAVED by faith, and then we are to WALK by faith for the rest of our earthly life.
Let us be faithful in prayer and let us be diligent to live a life of faith and to walk in spirit and truth with our heavenly Father.
Having been born-again, let us live by faith all the days of our life, despite the multiplied evils that flood our present age, and let us keep on walking with Him, and maintaining sweet fellowship with our heavenly Father, until we too are taken to be with Him, into heavenly glory.
However, as he started to write his letter his thoughts were interrupted, and he felt compelled, by the Spirit, to change his focus and talk about 'The Faith'.
He was deeply concerned about the apostate teachers and heretical doctrines that were increasingly infiltrating the Church, and his deep desire was to impress on his readers the importance of contending for the faith.
Jude wanted all true believers to fervently fight to maintain the purity of the whole counsel of Scripture, and to contend for the faith.
We are to contend earnestly for the faith that was given to us in the Holy Scriptures, and maintain unbroken fellowship with the Lord.
We need to realise that both heretical teachers (unbelievers who have an agenda to destroy the truth of the gospel) and apostate teachers (believers who have partially or wholly renounced their Christian faith) exist in Christendom today.
But God's wonderful plan for man's redemption was such that the price for sin is made by faith in Christ's shed blood.
By faith in Him, Christ's heavenly, spiritual, eternal righteousness became our own heavenly, spiritual, eternal righteousness.
By faith, we were made heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.
Although fallen, fleshly, sinful bodies could never enter the heavenly realm, it was through His glorious Resurrection that BY FAITH, we became identified with His clean, pure, immortal, imperishable, resurrected body with the certain promise that we too would receive a pure, immortal, imperishable, resurrected body, like unto His glorious body - a body of flesh and bone which would be animated by the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
By faith in Christ, we all face physical death... but have a sure knowledge that we will rise to life immortal in a resurrected body of flesh and bone like unto Christ's body... for flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable, but thanks be to God Who gives us the victory over Satan, sin, death, and hell through our risen Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Bible scholars debate whether this means a spiritual apostasy in the Church where there is a falling away from the faith – or the physical departure of the Church when it is removed in the Rapture.
Many believers like to focus on the love of Jesus because they think that this will cause unbelievers to get saved but they prefer to allow Christ's death, burial and resurrection to be side-lined in a blurry background, in case it offends or puts the unbeliever off the Christian faith!
But for a time, He chose to lay aside the heavenly position that he had enjoyed with the Father for all eternity, and enter into His own creation as a member of the human race so that as Man, He could redeem the human race from their sin, and restore them into a right relationship with God, by faith.
It was on our account that Christ willingly set aside His heavenly position and His eternal glory so that by faith, we could be redeemed from slavery to sin and the penalty of death.
Because He was willing to lay aside His glory for us, we have been returned into fellowship with God and positioned in HIM through time and into eternity - by faith.
Only believers can produce good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do, as only believers have the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. When we abide in Christ, trust His Word, and walk in spirit and truth, we are demonstrating faith – for without faith, it is impossible to please God.
A multiplicity of temporal blessings in the world and eternal blessings in the ages to come are already ours, by faith in Christ, and while our eternal security is assured and God graciously causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous... there are blessings today and rewards to come for the man who chooses not to walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
Paul not only took pains to explain that the Law could not save us, but identified it as a simple tool used by God to identify our need of a Saviour and thus bring fallen man to faith in Christ, our 'sin-substitute'.
James also reminds us that those that are saved by grace through faith in Christ, also fall into two, distinct groups; those that are spiritual and those that are fleshly; those that are walking in spirit and truth and those that are living a carnal life with a worldly perspective and an arrogant attitude.
In chapter 4, we find James warning that the pursuit of pleasure and relying on our own plans too often results in a compromised faith and lack of dependence on the Lord Who is the Giver of life and through Whom all good gifts come.
May we remember that none of us stands still in our Christian walk - we either grow in the grace of God and mature in the faith as we submit to God, humble ourselves before Him, seek His face and are led by the Spirit of truth - or we can regress into spiritual infancy through our arrogant behaviour and puffed up boastings.
All humanity had been infected with sin, but God's redemptive plan was designed to circumnavigate the wiles of the devil, through a people of faith.
All who believed God's plan of salvation would be reckoned as righteous - just as Abraham believed God and his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness.
However, as soon as this Gentile woman addressed Him as 'LORD' and asked Him to heal her daughter, she was saved by grace through faith in Jesus as the Saviour of the world - for Salvation is of the LORD.
Salvation is of the Lord - the Lord Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, and all who believe on Him, whether Jew or Gentiles are saved and declared righteous by faith.
And so, despite some good works, love, service, and faith... the gross participation in pagan practices that persisted in this church at Thyatira continues to this present day.
Praise God that in every area of Christendom, there are those that hold fast to biblical truth and reject the extra-biblical mysteries and philosophies, that too often captivate the minds of those that are not strong in the faith.<