12: Go to Jesus for an Abiding Faith Go to Jesus and learn from him! Scripture says: Come unto me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30). Are there times when you feel that your faith has begun to weaken and doubts arise in your heart? This is a problem common to us all. There is something we can do, however, to recharge our spiritual batteries and regain a strong faith. Let’s examine carefully this remarkable gift from God. Doing so will help us continue to fight the good fight of faith. We turn first to the Bible for God’s definition of faith. Now faith is the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1). Paul adds: We live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith is a matter of the heart and not something we sinful humans can see with our eyes. Where does faith come from? We are told: Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of God (preached) (Romans 10:17). The “Word of Christ” refers, of course, to the Holy Scriptures. Jesus, speaking to some unbelieving Jews, defines the Scriptures in this way: You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life (John 5:39). Jesus is the very heart of Scripture and the only one in whom we can place saving faith. Why is faith so important to us? The Bible tells us: It is by grace that you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8,9). Salvation by faith is the fundamental teaching of Christianity. This is attested to in the Old Testament: See, he is puffed up (refers to the ungodly), his desires are not upright, but the righteous will live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4). God confirms this when we read: For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written, “The righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:17). If we turn to the Bible, God’s Word, and daily hear him speak to us, he will keep our faith strong and sweep away all doubts! Lord, preserve us in our faith through your Word of truth. Amen. Bible Readings for Examples of Faith: Matthew 15:21-28; Luke 7:1-10; 2 Timothy 4:7; Hebrews 11. Without faith no man can please God.
Posted on: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 21:05:12 +0000
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