|
HIS
SERVANTS' MINISTRY, Inc.
www.hisservants.org
FAITH,
Defining it.
WHAT is
it? WHY do we need it?
Faith is:
believing, confidence, assurance, reliance, trust. The opposite
of faith is unbelief, doubt,
distrust. Faith simply persuades or convinces our mind that something is true.
The primary idea of faith is trust. If we can be sure a thing is true, we then know
it is worthy of our trust. We can be assured of faith, because
of the evidence on which it rests. Faith is the result of teaching (Rom.10:14-17). Agreeing to the
Truth is the basis of faith,
and our agreement to any revealed Truth rests on the truthfulness
of God. Saving faith is so called because it has eternal life connected with it.
It could be defined as faith in Christ Jesus where we receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation. This
is how He is offered to us in the Gospel. Saving
faith is revealed to us in the awesome Word
of God. Faith accepts and believes that the Bible is the absolute Truth.
Faith is a special act which unites us to Christ, and it has as
its object the Person and the Work of our Lord Jesus Christ
(John 7:38; Acts 16:31). This is the specific
act of faith by which we sinners, are justified
before God (Rom.3:22,25; Rom.5:1; Gal. 2:16; Phil. 3:9; John
3:16-36; Acts 10:43; 16:31). In this act
of faith, believers rest on Christ alone as
Mediator in all His offices. This trust and belief in the
Truth will always produce a deep sense of guilt for our sin,
a clear view of Christ, an approving will, and a loving heart
that trusts and rests in Christ alone. It is in this state
of mind which poor sinners, conscious of our sin, flees from
our guilty self to Christ our Saviour, and lays the burden
of all his our upon Him. It embraces with complete reliance
and trust the one and only Saviour whom God reveals. This
trust and reliance is the basic nature of our faith. By faith the believer directly and immediately claims Christ as his
own. This direct act of faith is what makes Christ ours. Faith is not a work which God graciously accepts instead of perfect
obedience, but faith is
the hand by which we eagerly take hold of the Person and Work
of our Redeemer, knowing He is the only ground of our salvation. Saving faith is a moral act, proceeding from a renewed will, and this renewed
will is necessary to agreeing to the Truth of God (1 Cor.
2:14; 2 Cor. 4:4). Because of this, faith has a place in the moral part
of our nature just as much as in our mind. But, our mind must
first be enlightened by divine teaching (John 6:44; Acts 13:48;
2 Cor. 4:6; Ephes. 1:17-18) before it can discern (know or
understand) the things of the Spirit. Faith is necessary for our salvation (Mark 16:16), not because there is any merit in it, but because
it is the sinner willingly taking the place given to him by
God. He/she agrees with the will of God, and what God has
in mind for us.
Faith is guaranteed by God’s divine testimony, the simple fact
that if He says something, it
shall come to pass. Faith rests on “Thus saith the Lord.”
But in order for our faith to endure, the honesty and truth
of God must be owned and appreciated, together with knowing He cannot change. (Ps.33:11; 102:27; Mal.3:6; Heb.1:12; 13:8; Jam.1:17).
God’s Word encourages and gives boldness to sinners
to personally accept Christ as God’s Gift, to embrace
Him, give himself to Christ, and take Christ as his own. It
is God, in His Word, who has revealed Himself in His works,
and especially in the cross. We must believe God for His Word’s
sake, but also for His Name’s sake, for He never
lies (Titus 1:2). Faith
in Christ secures much for the believer; freedom
from condemnation, or justification before God (Rom.3:24;
Rom.5:1,9); participation in the life that is in Christ, the divine
life (John 14:19; Romans 6:4-10; Ephes. 4:15-16); “peace
with God” (Rom.5:1); and sanctification (Acts 15:9;
Ac.26:18; Gal.5:6). Any and all who truly trust and believe in
Christ will certainly be saved (John 6:37,40; Jn.10:27-28; Rom.8:1). Faith = the Gospel (Acts 6:7; Rom.1:5; Gal.1:23; 1 Tim. 3:9; Jude 1:3).
Faith is a firm conviction that allows us to fully admit to God’s
Truth; it is a belief and hope in God and His Word in that
we gladly respond to the message of salvation (John 1:12). Faith is being
certain that what you hope for shall transpire, even though
you can’t see it or understand it (Hebrews 11:1-40).
John 3:18 He
that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth
not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in
the name of the only begotten Son of God. (KJV)
Many Christians who know what faith is, have a hard time trying to define or explain it. Even
though faith is a simple thing, it is quite difficult to define, explain,
preach, teach or write about. Faith is extremely important in the life
of a Christian. Faith decides where
we will spend eternity. Our soul should tremble before our
living God. Our soul should praise and thank God for making
salvation available to "whosoever" by faith.
I will attempt (with the Lord’s help) to define faith in this
article. I will simply say what it means to me.
To what
does faith look?
What is the object of my faith? There is only one answer! And that Answer is Christ Jesus. Jesus is the Object
of my hope, my belief and my confidence. The Bible tells me
I am to believe. Millions today make the mistake and think
they are to believe on God the Father. We, as sinners, cannot
come to the Father EXCEPT by His only begotten Son. John
14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I
am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the
Father, but by me. (KJV)
We, as sinners, are
enemies of God. Romans 5:10 For if, when
we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of
his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by
his life. (KJV) Col. 1:21 And you, that were
sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works,
yet now hath he reconciled: (KJV)
Only faith in the precious
Blood of Jesus can justify us in God the Father’s sight. Romans
5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (KJV) Only
faith in Jesus can make us God’s
friend.
1 Peter 1:18-19 Forasmuch
as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things,
as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by
tradition from your fathers; [19] But with the precious blood
of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (KJV)
Believing on God the
Father will NOT save you. You must believe (have faith) in
His precious Son. 1 John 5:10-12 He that
believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he
that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth
not the record that God gave of his Son. [11] And this is
the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this
life is in his Son. [12] He that hath the Son hath life; and
he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (KJV)
Too, many people make the mistake of placing
too much emphasis on the Holy Spirit. Many think you must
have a certain ‘feeling’ before you can be saved. They think
if they have feelings, their faith is strong, but if that
feeling leaves them, their faith is weak. All three Persons
of the Godhead have a part in salvation, YES! God the Father
planned our salvation (Eph.1:4-6). God the Son paid for our
salvation (Eph.1:7-12). And God the Holy Spirit seals us and
applies salvation to us (Eph.1:13-14). But,
it is God the Son, Jesus, in whom we must believe and have
faith initially. For
God’s mercy of justification and complete pardon, faith in Christ Jesus is a sinner’s only hope. One job of the Holy
Spirit is to lead us to Christ, NOT to Himself or the Father.
We should look to Christ as God, seeing Him as "very
God of peace" (1 Thes.5:23). We must humble ourselves
before Him and accept Him into our heart and life. If we refuse
to do this, we have no part with
Him (John 13:8).
When we believe that Jesus is God, then we must
believe He is Man. We must believe what the Bible tells us
of His incarnation (Isa.7:14; Isa.9:6; Mat.1:20-23; John 1:14;
2 Cor. 8:9; Phil. 2:5-7). We must believe in faith the mystery of the divine, eternal God (John 1:1-3) being
concealed in this awesome, amazing Man. This God who was King
of Heaven became a humble Servant and Son of Man. As Man,
Jesus kept the entire Law perfectly and obeyed His Father
completely. There is NO way any of us could ever keep the
Law. We must believe in faith that His obedience and righteousness stands in the place of
our obedience and righteousness.
Our Faith must see
Jesus as the Lamb of God, dumb before His shearers. Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so
he openeth not his mouth. [KJV] John 1:29 The
next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold
the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
[KJV] John 1:36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked,
he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! [KJV]
Our faith must see
Him as He knelt praying in agony in Gethsemane. Luke
22:44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly:
and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling
down to the ground. (KJV)
Our faith must see
Jesus rising from the dead and ascending up to Heaven. Our
faith must see Him sitting at the right Hand of God, as our
Advocate, pleading our case. Mark
16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them,
he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand
of God. [KJV] Acts 2:33 Therefore being by the
right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father
the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which
ye now see and hear. [KJV] Acts 7:55-56 But
he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into
heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the
right hand of God, [56] And said, Behold, I see the heavens
opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
[KJV] Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It
is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who
is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession
for us. [KJV] Col. 3:1 If ye then be risen with
Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth
on the right hand of God. [KJV]
Hebrews 10:12 But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand
of God; [KJV] 1 Peter 3:22 Who is gone into
heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities
and powers being made subject unto him. [KJV]
1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write
I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
[KJV]
Jesus, the Son of God,
is God and Man. He lived, He died on the cross,
He rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven where now He
sits at the Father’s throne. He
and He alone is the Object of our faith. He alone can give
us access to God the Father. He alone can give us His Spirit
to abide with us forever. He alone can justify us in the sight
of God the Father. Jesus is the Object of our faith. John 14:16 And I will pray the
Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may
abide with you for ever; [KJV] 2 John 1:2 For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall
be with us for ever. [KJV]
Our faith must not
trust in anything else other than Jesus, and Jesus alone. He is the Cornerstone of our hope and confidence. To believe
and place trust in anything additional is absolute rebellion
against the absolute sovereignty of the Lord Jesus. Do NOT
listen to false teachers who say you must "do" something! Jesus paid it all. We
do NOT need to do any works and we do NOT have to participate
in any sacraments. Your faith in
Jesus, that alone saves you!
Our faith must see
Jesus as our Substitute. The word "substitute"
is not in the Bible. But the Bible clearly teaches the doctrine
of substitution. God is righteous and holy and just. He must
punish sin. And we all are sinners. We all deserve punishment
for willing disobedience to God. But, God is also merciful.
He will pardon all those who believe (have
faith) in His Son, Jesus. Romans 3:10 As
it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: [KJV] Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short
of the glory of God; [KJV] 1 John 1:10 If we
say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word
is not in us. [KJV]
How can a Holy God
receive sinners without violating His righteousness and justice? The answer comes from the Book of Exodus. Exodus 12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses
where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you,
and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when
I smite the land of Egypt. (KJV) Very clear! When I see the blood, I will pass over you. When we
are washed in the Blood of Jesus, we are cleansed of our sin. 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is
in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the
blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
[KJV] When the Father looks down and sees the Blood of His
precious Son, He will NOT turn His back on us! When Jesus
was on the cross, the sins of the world were placed on Him.
Our sins were imputed to Him. He took our punishment! When
we believe on Him in faith, God declares us not guilty in
the courts of Heaven. Justified (just as if we’d
never sinned) by the Blood of Jesus. Romans 5:1 Therefore
being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ: [KJV]
When our faith sees
Jesus as our Substitute, and we trust Him completely, we are
delivered from the curse of the Law. Galatians
3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are
under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that
continueth not in all things which are written in the book
of the law to do them. [KJV] Galatians 3:13 Christ
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse
for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth
on a tree: [KJV]
Some still may have doubts . . . "I would
be saved if . . ." IF what? IF you had done this, or that?? Or
not done that. IF you had a certain feeling?? You are guilty in the sight of God
without Jesus. You are God’s enemy without Jesus. You
cannot have trust or confidence in anything other than Jesus!
Confidence in yourself will get you only to an eternal Hell!
When God’s Law condemns you, when sin masters you, you then
must admit you are a sinner and need help to save you. As
a sinner, trusting Christ is a daring feat indeed. But
consider this: faith knocked down the walls of Jericho, faith raised the dead, faith shut the lion’s mouths, faith kept alive the three young men in the fiery furnace, etc.
Faith in Jesus alone
can save your soul. The work of Jesus on the cross must be
your only hope, your only confidence. Faith in Jesus, and
Jesus alone, can save your soul.
Faith in Him as your
Substitute, your Saviour, your Redeemer, your Advocate, and
your Lord is the answer to all sinners.
Why
do we believe?
Where does
faith come from?
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (KJV) Faith comes
by hearing the Word of God. But, there are thousands upon
thousands who go to church and "hear" God’s Word.
WHY is it that so many refuse to believe it, and keep rejecting
the atoning work of Jesus? They hear, the same as the person
sitting next to them. Yet, they don’t believe, but the one
next to them believes in faith and accepts Christ.
Anyone who believes
in faith senses a deep need in themselves
that they can’t seem to fill. I believe that every person
has a God-shaped hole (or void) within them, that can only
be filled with Jesus! They sense they are sinners, and they
feel they need a Saviour. Because they cannot save themselves,
they turn to Jesus in faith. They have this sense of doom within that unless they accept
Jesus, they will perish. Where
does this deep need come from? Why do they feel they are sinners
and have a desperate need for a Saviour? This is the work
of the Holy Spirit.
John 6:44 No
man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw
him: and I will raise him up at the last day. (KJV)
The Father draws people by the Holy Spirit working in their
heart.
John 16:8-9 And
when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of
righteousness, and of judgment: [9] Of sin, because they believe
not on me; (KJV) It is the Holy Spirit’s job to
convince people of their sin, of God’s righteousness, and
of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is unbelief in Jesus.
Salvation only
by Christ is ridiculed by most people in the world today.
It does NOT agree with their worldly thoughts (carnal minds).
No one would ever take Christ to be their all in all (Eph.1:23) if the Holy Spirit didn’t convince us we are nothing
but vile sinners doomed for Hell, and empower us to trust
in Jesus.
But, WHY does the Holy Spirit succeed
in convincing some people and with others, He fails? WHY are
some driven to Jesus by this deep rooted need for Him, while
most stay on in their self-righteousness path and perish?
The only answer is God’s sovereignty.
Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus
answered and said, I
thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou
hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast
revealed them unto babes. (KJV)
John 10:26 But
ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said
unto you. (KJV)
John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall
come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast
out. (KJV)
If any person refuses to listen to the Holy
Spirit, refuses to come to Jesus in faith,
it is simply proof they were never given to Him (Eph.1:4-5). No person ever did or ever will
come to Jesus unless they feel this desperate need for Him.
The reason why we have faith in Christ is God’s electing love
working through the Spirit telling us we need Christ to save
us.
Faith,
the ground on which we stand.
I have already stated that NO
person will believe in Jesus unless the Holy Spirit urges
(convicts) him/her that they have this need for Him. It really
isn’t so much as ‘feeling’ a need for Him, but 'having' a
desperate, deep down need for Him. It is like you have not
eaten in several days, you have a need for food.
You must come to Christ as a
sinner, bringing nothing but your sin. When you humble yourself
at the foot of His cross, you are in effect saying to Him "Lord Jesus, I admit You are right
and I am wrong. I have sinned against You." You
do not come to Christ because you "feel" certain
things, you come to Him because you finally realize you are
a sinner.
Nothing
in my hands I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling,
I to Thy
fountain fly, Wash me Saviour, or I die.
1 Tim. 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (KJV)
Faith is
getting out of self and into Christ. It is not a soft heart that allows you to believe. Your heart
may be as hard as a stone until you come to Christ. It is
when you believe in faith that Christ will renew your hard heart. Ezekiel
36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit
will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart
out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
(KJV)
A sinner comes to Christ because
he/she is lost, black with sin, spiritually dead and knows
they are headed the wrong way. They have a need for Christ.
Please remember the following: John 6:37-B . . . him
that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (KJV)
There is only one place where we can go to be washed clean of our blackness, our filth.
1 Peter 1:18-19 Forasmuch
as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things,
as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by
tradition from your fathers; [19] But with the precious blood
of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (KJV)
Go to Jesus this day in faith,
with nothing in your hand. Go as the sinner you are.
Just as I am without one plea,
But that Thy Blood was shed for me.
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come.
Why
do we trust in Christ?
Is it unwise to trust Christ
to save us when we can offer Him nothing except our horrid
sins? Is it not an overconfident hope for us to trust Christ?
NO! It is actually pleasing to God for us to abandon our sins
and believe in the wondrous power of the Blood of Jesus. What
is the warrant of our belief in Christ? The Word of Christ
is our warrant. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou
shalt be saved (Acts 16:31).
1 John 5:13 These
things have I written unto you that believe on the name of
the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life,
and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
(KJV)
So, the Gospel tells us it is
a commanded duty as well as a privilege.
Mark 16:16-B . . . he that believeth not
shall be damned. (KJV)
Damned = condemned to Hell.
Because it is a commanded duty,
we all have a RIGHT to believe in Christ, no matter who we
are. The Gospel is for everyone! I cannot be wrong or take
things for granted if I am commanded to believe. John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they
might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom
thou hast sent. (KJV) We may believe on Christ
because Christ tells us to do so. That is sure ground on which
we can stand. We need not look to our feelings, nor to our
good works, nor to ritualistic sacraments that do no good
whatsoever. We need to look to Christ when we have the need
of Him, for He can and will wash us and make us clean. Isaiah
1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the
Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white
as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as
wool. (KJV) The stain of sin seems permanent, but God
can remove sin’s stain from our lives as He promised to do
for the Israelites. God’s Word tells us that if we have faith
in Christ, He will forgive and remove our sins.
He
that believeth not shall be damned.
Sinners CANNOT be lost or condemned to Hell by trusting Christ.
BUT, you SHALL be lost (damned) if you do not trust in Him.
Sinner, hear this warning: you may come to Christ, but please
do not defy God by refusing to come. Don’t allow your pride
to reject the Spirit’s gentle urging and then perish in your
sins. One day when you stand before the gates of Hell, do
not blame God or Christ, for it was your decision to refuse
to come to Christ. There is absolutely nothing in God’s Word
to keep you from coming to Christ; but there are multiple
threatenings from God to drive you to Christ.
1 John 1:7-B . . . the blood of Jesus Christ
his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (KJV)
Heb.7:25-A . . . Wherefore he is able also
to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him,
(KJV)
Rev. 22:17-B . . . And
let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him
take the water of life freely. (KJV)
No matter what you may have done
in the past; unbelief, drunkard, blasphemer, lasciviousness,
immorality, liar, profane, robbery, murder, etc. This just
proves you are a sinner. Trust Him today!
The bigger the sinner, the more
honor and glory to Christ. Though your sins be as scarlet,
Christ’s Blood is more scarlet and can overcome those sins!
Even though your sins abound, Christ’s grace abounds much
more. When God saves you, it is NOT because of anything in
you or anything you do or will do; it is because of something
in God . . . His
amazing grace! His abounding love for you is
the reason He pardons you when you have faith in His Son, Jesus. It is nothing
you do!
The
result of faith
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that
believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed
in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (KJV)
It does not matter how long you have been in
sin; 10, 30, 50, 70, 90 years . . . once you believe
on Him, your sins, which
are many are ALL forgiven! All the years of living in darkness
(sin) and being under the control of the devil, are behind
you. Will you sin in the future? Oh my yes! You certainly
will. You still have within you your old carnal nature. But
now when you sin, you hate it, you dread it terribly, where
before, you didn’t care at all. Now when you sin, you can
go to the Father in Jesus’ Name and ask forgiveness.
1 John 1:7-9 But
if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship
one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth
us from all sin. [8] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (KJV) When we have faith in Christ,
we become God’s child.
John 1:12 But as
many as received him, to them gave he power to become the
sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (KJV)
And if we are living in the light of God’s Presence, just
as Christ is, we have fellowship with each other, and the
Blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from every sin. When
we sin (and we will), we must confess our sins to Him, and
He will be faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse
us from every wrong, because of our faith in Christ.
If
our sins have been removed from us, they cannot still be with
us.
Psalm 103:12 As far as the
east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions
from us. (KJV)
Micah 7:19 He will turn
again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our
iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths
of the sea. (KJV)
Hebrews 8:12 For I will
be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their
iniquities will I remember no more. (KJV) Our sins are
forgotten in God’s memory because of our faith in His Son, Jesus.
1 John 2:12 I write unto
you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for
his name's sake.(KJV) Our sins are forgiven because we
have faith in
Christ’s Name.
Once we believe in faith,
we are no more a sinner in God’s sight. Oh! how wonderful
this is! God forgives us completely, totally! We are no more
as we once were. When we believe, we are "in
Christ" (Rom.3:24; 1 Cor.1:2, 30; 1 Cor.15:22).
2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore if
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new. (KJV)
When we believe, we are accepted by God the
Father, just as His eternal Son is accepted by Him. Do we
deserve this? NO! We do not. It is only by the grace of God
this happens. When we believe, we are transformed into a new
creature. We are washed in the precious Blood of Jesus.
We had been black, black as Hell . . . but when the first
drop of Jesus’ precious Blood was applied to us, we became
white as snow!
We are unworthy
and unclean on our own. Only the righteousness of Christ that
is applied to us by God the Father when we believe in faith,
makes us worthy and clean in God’s sight.
1 Cor. 1:30 But of him are
ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and
righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (KJV)
God alone made it possible for us to be in Christ Jesus (in union with Christ). Christ is the one who made us acceptable
to God. God applied the righteousness of Christ to all who
believe. He alone can make us pure and holy in God’s sight.
Jesus gave Himself on the cross to purchase our freedom.
God is the source of and the reason for our
personal and living relationship with Christ. When faith unites us with Jesus, this union
with Christ results in our having God’s wisdom and knowledge
(Col. 2:3), possessing right standing with God (righteousness,
2 Cor. 5:21), being holy (1 Thes. 4:3-7), and having the penalty
for our sins paid by Jesus (redemption, Mark 10:45). Thank You Jesus!
In
Him (Jesus) all fullness dwells.
Col. 1:19 For it pleased
the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; (KJV)
Christ is fully human; He is also fully divine. Christ has
always been God and always will be God. When we have Christ,
we have ALL of God in human form.
We are completely blameless by the grace of
God when we have faith in Jesus. Sin's
horrid curse and penalty are taken away from us, not because of anything we have done . .
. but because of what Christ has done for us. Let us find
rest and comfort in the fact that Jesus is our Substitute and Sacrifice in which God
the Father is well pleased. He suffered the penalty and wrath
of God for us. I pray you believe this and come to Him in faith.
Abundant
blessings await if you do; damnation
if you don’t.
FAITH
THAT WORKS
James, the brother of Jesus, offers a large
number of similarities to the Sermon on the Mount; more than
any other book in the New Testament. James relied greatly
on Jesus' teachings.
- When your
life is full of difficulties and persecutions, don’t get
uptight, be glad. James 1:2; Mt.5:11-12
- A reward awaits
you. Jam.1:12; Mt.5:11-12
- You are
to be perfect, mature, and complete, not lacking anything.
Jam. 1:4; Mt.5:48
- Ask God, and He will answer.
Jam. 1:5; Jam.5:15; Mt.7:7-12
- The humble (those who don’t
amount to much by the world’s standards) should rejoice in their
position because God loves them. Jam. 1:9; Mt.5:3
- Guard your anger...it can be
dangerous. Jam. 1:20; Mt.5:22
- Be merciful to others, for God
is merciful to you. Jam. 2:13; Mt.5:7; Mt.6:14
- Your faith must
reveal itself; help others. Jam. 2:14-16; Mt.7:21-23
- Blessed are the
peacemakers; they sow in peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.
Jam. 3:17-18; Mt.5:9
- You cannot serve God and money,
pleasures, or evil. Being friends with the world, is hating
God. Jam. 4:4; Mt.6:24
- When we humble ourselves and
realize we NEED God, He will lift us up. Jam. 4:10; Mt.5:3-4
- Don’t slander or speak evil
of others; it goes against God’s command to love one another. Jam. 4:11; Mt.7:1-2
- Treasures on earth will only
rot and fade away, we must store up eternal treasures in Heaven.
Jam. 5:2; Mt.6:19
- Be patient in suffering, as
God’s prophets were patient. Jam. 5:10; Mt.5:12
- Always be honest. Say a simple
"yes" or "no" and always be trusted. Jam.
5:12; Mt.5:33-37
What About Faith
And Works?
When a person truly comes to Jesus Christ, this relationship
will dramatically transform his or her life. If it doesn’t, there
is great doubt as to whether the person is saved. This transformation
happens differently; to some it can be seen immediately in the lives,
while others it is a slower process, BUT, there definitely is a
change! Those whose lives were characterized by obvious bad habits
and blatant immoral living, the change in lifestyle will show others
that something extreme has happened within that person’s life. For
others who may not be known for outright sinful living, the change
may not be as noticeable, but it is just as significant. Remember,
ALL of us (Romans 3:10,23), were separated from God by sin, which
was dealt with and atoned for at the cross of Jesus. Our conversion
will show itself, both in fruit and works. The idea of "bearing
fruit" is used often in Scripture to describe the results
of someone’s commitment to Christ Jesus. If we do NOT bear fruit,
it is evident we have NOT really come to know Christ Jesus as Lord
and Saviour. Bearing fruit is not an option. It is the natural result
of a person being united with God. Sometimes there is confusion
in this area of fruit bearing, or works. Only
our faith can save us.
We can do NOTHING
to gain our salvation . . . but, AFTER we are saved, IF we do not
show some results of being saved (bearing fruit, good works, witnessing),
it is highly unlikely that we are saved. Just as trust and obedience
go together, so do faith and works.
Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude
that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
[KJV] Only our faith justifies
us (makes us right with God.
James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith,
and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will
shew thee my faith by my works. [KJV] Our works, our fruit,
prove we are justified. We never work for salvation. We work for
rewards at the judgment.
See: Judgment Seat
FAITH IN CHRIST: Isa.28:16; Mat.7:24-25; Mt.8:2,13; Mt.9:22,29; Mt.11:6,28-30; Mt.14:27; Mt.15:28;
Mt.17:7; Mark 5:36; Mk.9:23; Mk.16:16; Luke 6:46-49;Lu. 7:9,50; Lu.8:50; Lu.17:6;
Lu.18:42; John 1:12; Jn.3:14-16,18,36; Jn.5:24; Jn.6:20,29,35,45,47; Jn.7:38; Jn.9:35;
Jn.11:25-26,40; Jn.12:36,44,46; Jn.13:7; Jn.13:20; Jn.14:1,11-12; Jn.16:27,33; Jn.18:37;
Jn.20:27,29,31; Acts 3:16; Ac.10:43; Ac.15:9,11; Ac.16:31; Ac.20:21; Ac.26:18; Rom.3:22-28;
Rom.9:33; Rom.10:4,9; Gal.2:16; Ga.3:1-29; Ga.5:6; Eph.1:12-14; 3:12; . 3:17;
4:13; Phil. 3:9; Col. 2:7; 1 Tim. 1:16; 2 Tim. 1:13; 2:1; 3:15;
Heb.4:16; Heb.6:19; Heb.10:22; Heb.12:2; Heb.13:7; 1 Pet.1:8; 1 Pet.2:6-7; 2 Pet.1:1;
1 Jn.3:23; 1 Jn.5:4-5; 1 Jn.5:10; 1 Jn.5:13-14; Jude 1:21; Rev. 1:17; Rev.3:18; Rev.3:20.
Faith Illustrated.
Mat.8:2; Mt.8:5-10; Mt.9:18; Mt.9:21; Mt.9:28; Mt.14:33; Mt.15:26-28; Mt.16:16; Mark
5:28; Mk.7:27-30; Mk.9:24; Luke 5:5; Lu.7:3-9; Lu.8:48; Lu.23:42; John 4:29; Jn.4:42;
Jn.6:14; Jn.6:68-69; Jn.7:31; Jn.9:38; Jn.10:41-42; Jn.11:21-22; Jn.11:27; Jn.11:32; Jn.16:30;
Jn.20:28; Acts 8:37; Ac.11:17; Rom.7:24-25; Rom.8:35; Rom.8:37; 2 Cor. 12:9-10;
Gal.2:20; Phil. 4:13; 1 Tim. 1:14; 2 Tim. 1:12; 2 Tim.4:18.
FAITH IN THE TRUE GOD. The benefits. Ex.20:3-6;
De.5:7-10; De.6:4-15; Je.17:7-8; Mt.16:24-27; Mk.9:23; Lu.12:8; Jn.3:16,
36; Jn.5:24; Jn.12:46; Jn.14:1-4,12-14; Jn.17:3; Jn.0:24-31; Acts 10:43; Ac.16:31;
Rom.4:3-8; Rom.10:9-13; Gal.3:6-9,13-14; Heb.11:1-12:3; 1 Pet.1:3-9;
1 Jn.2:24-25; Rev.7:9,13-17; 21:1-7; 22:1-5,12-14.
FAITH, Trial of. 1 Chron. 29:17; Ps.26:2; Ps.81:7; Mat.13:19-22; Mt.24:21-25; Lu.8:13-14;
2 Thes. 1:3-5; Heb.6:13-15; Jam.1:3; 1:12; 1 Pet.1:7.
Click on desired
topic below:
THIS
LIFE
Abortion
Alternative
Lifestyles
Backsliding
Being
Humble
Doubt
Faith
Fear
Fear
of Falling
Forgiveness
Homosexual Same-Sex Marriage
Homosexual
Sin
Perils
of Departing
Riches,
Lusting After
Satan's
Work
Sin's
Consequences
Home
Page
|