Faith / Part 2 of 2

Recap

Last week, we discussed a portion of what Faith actually is to the believer. We saw what the definition of Faith is, why we should not merely rely on knowledge, how Faith is effective in three distinct areas of the Christian Faith, and examples of Faith in the Old and New Testament.

The Christian Faith in Salvation, Works, and the Holy Spirit

As we stated last week, Faith is key in the Christian walk because it gives us confidence that we are not only truly saved, but know and trust God at His Word for what He promised us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast".

This passage is telling us that salvation which we receive through Jesus Christ, is a gift from God. By we receiving that gift from God, we receive it by Faith, not merely our own desires, wants, goals, or works. Why? It is because if we have Faith in Jesus, but we do not grow in our Faith in Jesus internally by praying, studying His word, going to church, are we truly growing? It is all a carnal act if we try on our own as believers and yet there is no evidence of personal growth within.

Works Based

Works based Faith, is where the Fruit of the Spirit are evident in the growing believer. James 2:17 says, "So too, Faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead". What does that mean? It means that without fruit producing within us in our daily personal relationship with Christ, we are only "works" based and no Faith. Your relationship will never grow if you only do it in your own strength, no matter how hard you try.

How Does Faith Factor In

Faith play s a crucial role in our walk, but we could not do that walk merely on our own without the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, God's mediator within our spirit, gives us nurturing and sustaining Faith. Why? It is because without the Holy Spirit, the fruit of what he gives us, we would not grow at all, even within our physical hands of the Gospel. Galatians 5:22-23 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law". By these listed above in Galatians, it indicates that the Holy Spirit empowers us as believers in Christ to remain steadfast in our Faith.

The Role Of Faith In The Believers Life

The Christian walk is founded on Faith in Jesus Christ. Every aspect of belief in Him is influencing the believer to continually follow Jesus. Why? It is because through Faith in Jesus Christ, we sacrifice ourselves from our flesh and join Him in growth in the Spirit. How can we be sure? Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by Faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

When I have met Christians from other countries, I see a fire in them that I've rarely seen in America. Does that mean there isn't a power of God on believers in America, no. However, it is very hard to find it here and see it manifest through the Holy Spirit. In other countries, they're on fire. Willing to take the cost of Faith in Jesus to eternity if necessary. Why? They are on FIRE for Christ, BOLD in the Faith, and they LOVE God with ALL of their HEART, MIND, SOUL, and BODY! We should desire that everyday in our own daily, personal walk with Jesus. No matter what the cost!

Jesus said in Matthew 16:24-26, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works".

Christ-like Thinking

When you only rely on your own understanding and knowledge, that road is a very difficult one to abide in. If you only abide in your own head, then you are on a very dangerous road and deceiving yourself. Now as a believer, with education, proper understanding of the Bible, and a daily personal relationship with Jesus, you using what you've learned to teach others is not only teaching them about Jesus and growing their Faith, but it is the Holy Spirit guiding in you what to say, when to say it, and how to speak without sounding religious, like a Pharisee, or just one who absorbs knowledge without any relationship with Christ.

Faith provides access to some truths in Scripture that our reasoning cannot fully understand. This is where Faith comes in. Faith says, "if I do not understanding all of the Scripture, the stories, or parables, it does not matter because. the Bible is the finite word of God and I choose to believe even if I cannot in my own knowledge obtain its understanding".

Faith of the believer is believing that God is Triune, Jesus Christ is God incarnate, Jesus died and was resurrected on. the third day, and that through Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, although we don't fully comprehend it, we have Faith in Jesus because He did all of this for our Salvation. Why? Because Faith is a willingness to accept God's testimony, through prior writers of the Old Testament and New Testament, the accounts from the Disciples and many more, we just believe it in Faith.

Knowledge Alone Is Danger

Why is knowledge dangerous? It is because only knowledge is material understanding. Faith, you cannot grasp it mentally, you can only believe it WHOLLY in your heart. Knowledge can help us grasp certain understandings. Example, one who drinks much wine is a drunkard. Society says, 'a drunkard is fun to be around,' but Biblical truth says otherwise. We can only grasp that partially with knowledge because of common sense. Biblically, we have to believe that in Faith it is true because society desires to TWIST God's Word.

Conclusion

When we fully rely on our own understanding, we will fail. When we rely on what we know rather than what God is, we will never grasp what truth Faith is. We will completely miss it.

Remember, you and I are fallible, finite, and fallen creatures. Remember what God told Adam in the Garden at Creation? Genesis 2:17-20, "And the LORD God commanded the man (Adam), saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the KNOWLEDGE of GOOD and EVIL you shall NOT eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely DIE".

Why did God tell Adam this? It is because God knew we would not be able to handle our own powers of self reliance because those would be our own undoing. Because of the Fall, we try to justify our reasoning as Faith, when it really is just distorting the bigger picture; that we lack Faith, we lack God, we lack Relationship.

Faith is a dynamic and essential element to our walk with Christ, to our belief in Christ, to our transformed life by Christ, because we are deeply rooted in Scripture which is our living waters. We don't grow, don't have community, don't have a relationship, only based on head knowledge alone. If you only rely on that, but have no relationship with Christ, you are on a very dangerous footing and risking missing Eternity. Faith is a gift from God that only He can help us understand within our spirit through the Holy Spirit our advocator and helper. Knowledge only, risks us to walk in a way that looks Christ-like, but where we are eternally separated from Him because of our foolish way of believing that WE have it altogether.

I pray Part 1 and Part 2 of Faith helped you realize how important a relationship with Christ is. How growth in Christ through His Word will give you more wisdom than anything earthly wisdom could ever give you.

Until we meet again.

~ Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!