Faith Is More Than Just Believing 2
Faith Is More Than Just Believing 2
GOD’S WORD ON FAITH
Faith is more than just believing; it is trusting our very lives to what we believe.
For example, we can believe that someone can walk across a deep gorge on a tightrope. But are we willing to trust that person to carry us across? Faith says yes.
Faith in God says that we are willing to trust God with our very lives.
We are willing to follow his guidelines for living as outlined in the Bible because we have the conviction that this will be best for us.
We are even willing to endure ridicule and persecution for our faith because we are so sure that what we believe is true and that the Christian life is what is best for us eternally.
Matthew 6:25 “So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing?
26 Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are.
27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not.
28 “And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,
29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.
WHY SHOULD I HAVE FAITH IN GOD?
Isaiah 25:9 . . . This is the Lord in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!
John 5:24 . . . I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. Faith is the only way to get to heaven. It is the only doorway to eternal life. If God created eternity, then only through God can we get there.
Hebrews 11:1 . . . What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. Faith gives us hope.
HOW DOES FAITH IN GOD AFFECT MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD? HOW DOES IT CHANGE THE WAY I LIVE?
Genesis 15:6 . . . Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord declared him righteous because of his faith.
Romans 3:24-25 . . . God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty . . . We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. Sin breaks our relationship with God because it is rebellion against God. A holy God cannot live with unholy people. But when we accept Jesus as Savior and ask him to forgive our sins, this simple act of faith makes us righteous in God’s sight.
Isaiah 26:3 . . . You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you. Faith in God brings peace of mind and heart because we know that we belong to him, and we know that one day all pain and suffering will end.
Romans 8:5 . . . Those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:1 . . . I will write about the special abilities the Holy Spirit gives to each of us.
Galatians 5:22 . . . When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Faith is inviting God’s Holy Spirit to live within us. It is not just an act of the mind, but it taps us into the very resources of God so that we have the power to live in an entirely new way. If God himself is living within us, our lives should be dramatically changed.
WHEN I’M STRUGGLING IN MY CHRISTIAN LIFE AND HAVE DOUBTS, DOES IT MEAN I HAVE LESS FAITH?
2 Peter 1:1-9 . . . He has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises . . . So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life.
Genesis 15:8 . . . Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I be sure that you will give it to me?”
Matthew 11:2-3 . . . John the Baptist . . . sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you really the Messiah we’ve been waiting for . . . ?” Many people in the Bible whom we consider to be “pillars of faith” had moments of doubt. The key is to never give up on our faith and to always ask if, over time, our lives have been moving closer to or further away from God. Even during moments of doubt, you must invest the effort and discipline to allow your faith to grow.
HOW CAN WE PASS FAITH ON FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION, OR IS FAITH MINE ALONE?
Judges 2:10-11 . . . After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel. One generation’s devotion to God does not secure the next generation’s devotion to God. But one generation can leave a legacy of godliness. To secure the next generation, we must involve ourselves for a lifetime with that generation, sharing God’s goodness.
PROMISES FROM GOD: Acts 16:31 . . . They replied, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with your entire household.”
2 Thessalonians 1:10 . . . You will be among those praising him on that day, for you believed what we testified about him.
1 Peter 1:7 . . . If your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
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