Fruit - Faithfulness Pt 3…Understanding the purpose of something brings ownership.

A very famous “New Age” writer wrote this: "The only God who seems to me to be worth believing in is impossible for mortal man to understand, and therefore he teaches us through the impossible." She goes on to state that many Christians want …"to make God possible, to make him comprehensible to the naked intellect, domesticate him so that he's easy to believe in. Every century the church makes a fresh attempt to make Christianity acceptable. But an acceptable Christianity is not Christian; a comprehensible God is no more than an idol."

A person that admired Christ but had no personal relationship with Him; yet understood that the True God must be approached by faith, wrote this.

It is essential that before we look at the fruit of faithfulness we make sure we understand clearly our need for faith.

Why is Faith so important?

·      It is the only way to Please God!

Hebrews 11:6   And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 

·      It is the only way to be Justified.

Romans 3:28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

·      It is counted as Righteousness.

Romans 4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness,

Philippians 3:8–9 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

·      It is the Channel for salvation.

Romans 5:2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

Ephesians 2:8–9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

·      It is Key to our ability to understand spiritual things.

Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

·      It is the Scripture's prescribed way for us to live!

2 Cor. 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight--

Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and 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 delivered Himself up for me.

Ephes. 6:16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one.

1 Tim. 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

James 2:17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

1 Cor. 9:24-27 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.  And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.

·      Lastly, we need to ask ourselves how do we gain Faith?

Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

John 20:31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

2 Tim 3:15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

As we meditate on our own faith let’s ask ourselves these questions:

How does faith help us understand God?

What does it mean to walk by faith?

What makes faith different from believing?

Does Faith come easy?

Besides the Word of God how do we gain Faith?