FAITH
“The just shall live by faith.” - found four times in the Bible. Hab. 2:1-5, Roman. 1:17, Gal. 3:10-11, Heb. 10:38. The righteous shall live his whole life by faith. He is saved by faith. Acts 16:31 He is kept by faith I Peter 1:5 He lives by faith. Gal. 2:20 His faith shall be tried many times and in many ways. I Peter 1:7 Faith knows how to wait on the Lord. Isa. 40:31 Faith is always victorious I John 5:4
Faith defies reason: it moves mountains. Matt. 17:14-21 Faith says, “God is working out His perfect will in my life, and I can wait, endure and suffer.” Faith does not make anything easy, but it does make all things possible.
FAITH IS “counting so what is not so that it may be so because God said so!”
Hebrews 11:1 Your faith is your title deed to eternal life. II Cor. 4:18
1) Faith is taking God at His Word and asking no questions. Heb. 11:6
2)Faith is knowing that Romans 8:28 Faith does not believe that all things are good or that all things work well. It does believe that all things (that we may consider good or bad) work together for good to them that love God and are fitting into His purpose.
3) Faith has two sides - intellect. It is an intellectual conviction that Jesus Christ is God. The other side has to do with the will. It is a volitional surrender of the will to Jesus Christ as Master. “My Lord and my God.” John 20:28“My Lord” – this was volitional surrender. “My God” – this was intellectual conviction. Together you have saving faith. John 20:31 By faith, the mind trusts in God; the heart responds to the love of God; the will submits to the commands of God; and the life obeys in the service of God.
4) Faith is paradoxical. It goes beyond reason. It believes without understanding “why”. Acts 16:25 It chooses to suffer. Heb. 11:25 It accepts all things as a part of God’s will. Phil. 1:12
You are born with a measure of faith. Romans 12:3 Then faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Romans 10:17 YOU have the choice of where to place your “measure of faith”. You can continue to place it in own works, thinking, etc. OR place it in the Lord Jesus Christ! Romans 10:13-14
THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH:
The shield of faith is a vital part of the Christian’s armor. You are to put on the “whole armor of God”. Ephesians 6:10-18 because the Christian life is a warfare, a spiritual conflict. Eph. 6:16 Romans 8:37 The importance of faith is seen in that:
1) You cannot be saved without faith. John 3:36
2) You cannot live victoriously over the world without faith. I John 5:4
3) You cannot please God without faith. Hebrews 11:6
4) You cannot pray without faith. James 1:6
5) You cannot have peace with God without faith. Romans 5:1
6) You cannot have joy without faith. I Peter 1:8
7) You are justified by faith and not by works. Gal. 2:16
8) You are to live by faith. Gal. 2:20
9) You are made righteous by faith. Romans 10: 1-4
10)Christ dwells in your heart by faith. Ephesians 3:17
11)The Holy Spirit is received by faith. Gal. 3:2 ?]
12)But the man who has doubts (misgivings, an uneasy conscience) about eating, and then eats [perhaps because of you], stands condemned [before God], because he is not true to his convictions and he does not act from faith. For whatever does not originate and proceed from faith is sin [whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful]. Romans 14:23
LITTLE FAITH:
Matt. 14:28 Peter was yet a man of “little faith”. However, after Pentecost, he became a spiritual giant. Let us take a look at his “little faith” and profit from it. Jesus said, “Come”.
1) Peter did the IMPOSSIBLE thing: he walked on the water, by faith.
2) Peter did the CONCEIVABLE thing: he saw the storm, and had a second thought—he doubted.
3) Peter did the NATURAL thing: he feared destruction. Doubt always breeds fear.
4) Peter did the EXPECTED thing: he began to sink—he failed.
5) Peter did the RIGHT thing: he prayed, “Lord, save me.”
6) Peter did the IMPOSSIBLE thing: he walked on the water with Jesus to the boat.
Faith is bigger than the elements that would drag you down to defeat. You can have big faith by “prayer and fasting and feeding your faith on the Word of God.You can have: Matthew 17:20 Feed your faith on the Word of God. Romans 10:17
Kinds of Faith:
John 11:21
1) Martha’s faith was limited. Limited faith is controlled by circumstances, and motivated by fear of failure.
2) Martha’s faith was fundamental. Mark 10:27 Verse 35 Jesus wept.
3) UNlimited faith. Many say “seeing is believing”, but the Truth is ”you believe and then see!” Faith comes before sight. Don’t be satisfied with limited, fundamental faith only, when you can have unlimited faith that pleases God and reveals His glory!
THE HALL OF FAITH:
The chapter of Hebrews 11 is often called the “Hall of Faith”. Here is the history of Israel and the church. Acts 7:54-60.
By faith they were patient in suffering, courageous in battle, made strong out of weakness, and were victorious in defeat. They were more than conquerors by faith. It is only by faith in the all-powerful Christ that you can be superior to circumstances, and victorious over all the evil forces that would destroy you. The faith of these saints is inspiring and we should read about them and be encouraged by reading their history as examples for us. BUT we are to "Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2
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