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.
·
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?
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?
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