Faith that Lasts Hope that Disappoints NOT Love that Endures Part 2 The A.L.E. of Faith A—Acts L—Lasts E—Effective I have so wanted to allow this faith we have in Christ to permeate into all my being. If we have taken our “vow of faith” to trust Christ’s sacrifice and His grace to save us from eternal hell, ought we not invest this faith into ALL our human life now? I think so! So, another play on words, … this vow of faith, with the “El” (another name for the Almighty), let’s look at the VOW-ELs of faith for this part of our study. A- Acts. Faith, when we take it from hypothesis, then theory into understanding it now as the LAW of faith (for a theory that is proven by experimentation and found to be true may be considered a law, right?!) – it translates into new ACTION, new life, a whole new paradigm! E –Effective. It creates a positive effect in us, toward God, and toward the world around us. I—Inspires. Faith that acts inspires others. (seed of faith, mustard seed, Fruit of Spirit characteristic #7) O –Obeys. If we TRULY trust Him, really know that He is the ONLY One on whom we can depend, whop offers to direct our paths , we will follow Him in obedience to His call to live by faith, walk by faith and NOT by sight. U – Unites. One Lord, one FAITH, one baptism, the Word says. Our Heavenly Father, quicken [make come alive] Thy truth from Thy Word as we read it below, for we ask it in Jesus’ name, believing we will receive what each of us need to understand right now, amen. James 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith WORKETH patience. 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, … ; and it shall be given him. 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. …. 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. …. 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith BY my works. [The level, type, degree, and effectiveness/strength of our faith translates into action or trembles in INACTION!] 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. …. 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 3:25 … to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past…; 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the LAW of FAITH. 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. [Paul and James aren’t arguing, they are revealing the God-view of faith, and the said/view of faith that WE and those who WITNESS us see in our lives!] … 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. …. 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. …. 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Look at Galatians, now. 3:5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? [Miracles are done by FAITH in God, through our access in Christ Jesus – by hearing and TRULY believing His Word applying to US] 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. …. 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. …. 3:13 … for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. [The promise of the Spirit living in us becomes ours when we believe by faith in His promise]. …. 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. …. 5:5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but FAITH which worketh [FAITH WORKS in us] by love. Faith acts, faith works by God’s love, and works to change us in our thinking, our feeling, and our actions. Faith pleases God, and makes available His promises to the “faithful” because Christ was fully faithful and obedient to the Father for us. Faith is meant to be witnessed about, and witnessed BY others … faith in the Word of God. See the parable of the sower and the seed in the synoptic Gospels (Matthew Mark and Luke). The mustard seed faith is spoken of by Jesus, also. A mustard seed is a teeny, tiny seed (and Jesus talked about faith as a GRAIN/speck of the mustard seed) … and the mustard TREE is one the biggest trees they had around! The fruit bears seed after its kind, since the Creation of the World. The trees and vegetation were created BEFORE humankind was, too! The Word, the will of God, was preceding the Creation even of energy and matter! The Fruit of the Holy Spirit, in Galatians 5, is described as “love, joy, peace ….” And the 7th characteristic ( 7 --the perfect/complete number in Biblical numbers study) is … guess what … FAITH! The obedience of faith There was an old song we used to sing, “Trust and Obey.” James alludes to this. We look at ourselves in the law of liberty (the freedom from sin and the punishment of the law) and if we pay attention, we make the changes that show up “ugly,” or unacceptable in the “glass” ( a KJV-language term for “looking glass,” or mirror). Paul, the great proponent of “grace through faith” (as in Ephesians 2:8-10) talks about our being saved by His grace through our faith (which, too, was a gift of God we received by hearing His Word) … UNTO our working that which is “good” in God’s sight, that good plan He had in mind when He fashioned us with that 1 in 300 trillion possibilities that just the sperm and egg from our OWN unique mom and dad COULD have combined to make … and that unique new creature in Christ spoken of in II Corinthians 5:17. Look at the expression of obedience in conjunction with faith in these verses: Romans 1:5 By Whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for hhis name: Ro 16:26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: Finally, the FAITH in our being born of the Spirit, born again (John chapter 3), born from above … it is a single faith that unites us, as spiritual children of God. Ephesians 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, Philippians 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: … [that] I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; Here is the ONE way to be born again, to be adopted into the family of God the Father in Heaven, we read in John 14:6. 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. …. 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. Lord, bless Thy Word to our hearts, and let us allow it to do the work in us and through us for which Thou hast created it and given it to us this day.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 04:55:25 +0000
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