Faith

Dear Brethren,

In this end time, genuine faith is so rare on the face of the earth that Jesus Christ was compelled to ask the question, “Will I find faith when I return.”  (Luke 18:8)  Most people have a duplicitous faith, which causes them to profess one thing and then live another way.  They do not know the kind of faith of which Jesus spoke.  Unfeigned faith is a genuine and sincere faith without any pretense or hypocrisy.  It is a gift of God that is given only to His spiritually begotten children through His Holy Spirit.  It is a belief system and conviction that is so real that it changes a person’s thoughts and actions.  Unfeigned faith is necessary and essential for salvation.

The faith that Jesus Christ brings to us is one, whereby, we believe so whole-heartedly in His perfect way that we yield our minds and desires to the will of God.  We fully embrace and implement His teachings in all our thoughts and actions.  We realize that we are unrighteous sinners, and as such, are totally incapable of ever saving ourselves from the fate of all sinners – eternal death.  We believe, too, that only Jesus can spare us from this death and bring us to eternal life.  With this faith, God the Father in His mercy attributes the righteousness of Jesus to us so that we might live.  “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23)  It is only by the grace of God that we accept Jesus Christ as our Personal Savior.

Is God’s Spirit with us, or is it in us?  When God begins calling us to salvation, His Spirit is working with us.  We respond in faith by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, and then we are baptized.  After that, with the laying on of hands, we receive the promise of the Father – which is God’s Holy Spirit in us (John 14:17, Acts 2:33-39).  Our guilty past is eradicated, our sins are forgiven by the faith of Jesus Christ, and thus being justified, we live in faith (Galatians 3:11).  “…We have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ.”  (Galatians 2:16, Philippians 3:9)

It is not our faith, but the faith of Christ in us that saves.  “We shall be saved by His life [in us].”  (Romans 5:10)  As children of God, true believers have the faith of Jesus Christ in them, because He abides and dwells in them through His Holy Spirit (John 14:17).  “Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit… you are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”  (1Corinthians 6:19, 2Corinthians 6:16)

Pure faith has to do with knowing and believing down to the core of our being, that the plan of God will be fulfilled, and that it is being worked out in us.  Our God is a loving Father who always does right for his children.  “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  (Romans 8:28)

True faith brings a complete change from our former beliefs and lifestyle.  Godly faith grows in us as we begin to live our Christianity.  “Faith without works is dead.”  (James 2:20)  “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)  Our works do not save us, but we are saved by the faith of Jesus in us, which enables us to live according to God’s righteous law.  Faith causes a Christian to leave behind a life of sinful conduct and pursue God’s higher calling according to His commandments.  We no longer walk after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”  (Romans 8:1-4)

Faith means believing on Jesus, but just what does that mean?  “This is the will of Him that sent me, that every one which acknowledges the Son, and believes on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."  (John 6:40)  Jesus is our ideal.  His life and teachings are the perfect example we strive to attain.  Far too many people have faith in, or believe in an historical Jesus, or a distant God who is to be called on only in times of trouble and need.  They are not able to envision a God in whom a close personal relationship is possible – a God that they would ardently want to please.  Our faith grows day by day as we interact with God by following His lead.  “The end result of keeping God’s commandments is Godly love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of unfeigned faith.”  (1Timothy 1:5)

Some people think that faith means trying to believe with all their might that something that they wish for will happen, and that if they do not have the slightest of doubts, then God is somehow obligated to perform what they want.  That is not faith.  That is a false faith that causes disillusionment.  Faith is knowing that God, in His perfect love, continuously intervenes in the lives of those whom He has called, to bring about His plan in accordance with what is good and right for us.  We do not stumble at the promise of God through unbelief; but are strong in faith, giving glory to God; being fully persuaded that what God has promised, He is able also to perform (Romans 4:20-21).

God produces “spiritual substance” in us when we live according to His ways and are obedient to His laws and commands.  That spiritual substance is the Godly faith that elevates our existence from a physical level to a God plane relationship with our Creator.  In other words, God becomes real to us, and we are able to trust and believe in His promises (1John 3:22).  “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  (Hebrews 11:1)  This world is totally void of Godly faith.

There is not a single evolutionist on the face of the earth who has one ounce of genuine faith.  Why?  If an evolutionist were to acknowledge the existence of a supreme being, he would also have to recognize God’s authority over his life.  Evolutionists teach that the universe and everything in it, including life itself, evolved from absolutely nothing.  Faith causes us to recognize the sovereignty of God over all creation.  “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”  (Hebrews 11:3)

The world thinks that saying, “I believe in Jesus,” meets the requirement of faith.  It is not that simple, in fact, it is impossible for us to generate the faith to believe in Jesus.  God the Father must give this faith to us.  “By grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”  (Ephesians 2:8, 1Corinthians 12:9)  Those words, “I believe in Jesus,” are hollow words unless they are accompanied by a total commitment to live our lives according to every word, principle and instruction of Jesus.

It is a false faith that claims to believe in Jesus, while breaking His commandments.  Jesus asked, “Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do the things which I say?  (Luke 6:46)  Simply believing that God actually exists is only one component of faith – even the demons believe that God exists (James 2:19).  In order to be in the Kingdom of God, we must also continually seek to live God’s perfect way of life.  A Godly faith is a belief in a benevolent God.  “Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that God really exists, and that He rewards them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

On the day of Pentecost the people asked Peter, “What shall we do?  (Acts 2:27)  He had just explained to them that they were responsible for the death of Jesus.  “Then Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”  (Acts 2:38-39)  It is only with God’s Holy Spirit in us that we have the faith of Jesus Christ.

Faith follows repentance, and makes it possible for us to obey every teaching of Jesus, and truly believe the good news that Jesus brought about His Father’s coming kingdom.  Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”  (Mark 1:15)

***

Sermon:  "Faith To Faith"      


image
image