Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
He said, "Have faith."
I said, "But, I just can't see how it can be done."
He said, "You have faith in God, you have faith to believe in Him, have faith in me, in this thing."
I stopped a long moment in thought, he was right. I have faith in God and that is believing without seeing. I needed to have faith in him right now who is asking me to. I need to believe without seeing, without comprehending, without knowing how this thing would be done.
"Okay," I replied. And then he did what he said he would do, it took a long while, but it was done. What I thought couldn't be done, was done. I said okay, I gave him that benefit of doubt, that belief, allowing him an opportunity to do as he said he could do.
Do we give God the opportunity to do as He says He will do? Do we believe?
We hope, and our hope has substance, our substance is God and all His promises. God is the evidence of things we cannot see.
God help us believe, help our unbelief, we believe.
We believe.
*******
The Obedience of Faith.
Paul said that through Christ he had received grace and apostleship for the obedience of faith among all nations. True faith is obedience. "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom He hath sent." John 6:29.
Christ said, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Luke 6:46.
That is, a profession of faith in Christ which is not accompanied by obedience, is worthless.
"Faith, if it hath not works, is dead." James 2:17.
"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." Vs. 26.
A man does not breathe in order to show that he lives, but because he is alive. He lives by breathing. His breath is his life.
So a man can not do good works in order to demonstrate that he has faith, but he does good works because the works are the necessary result of faith.
Even Abraham was justified by works, because "faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect. And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness."
He said, "Have faith."
I said, "But, I just can't see how it can be done."
He said, "You have faith in God, you have faith to believe in Him, have faith in me, in this thing."
I stopped a long moment in thought, he was right. I have faith in God and that is believing without seeing. I needed to have faith in him right now who is asking me to. I need to believe without seeing, without comprehending, without knowing how this thing would be done.
"Okay," I replied. And then he did what he said he would do, it took a long while, but it was done. What I thought couldn't be done, was done. I said okay, I gave him that benefit of doubt, that belief, allowing him an opportunity to do as he said he could do.
Do we give God the opportunity to do as He says He will do? Do we believe?
We hope, and our hope has substance, our substance is God and all His promises. God is the evidence of things we cannot see.
God help us believe, help our unbelief, we believe.
We believe.
*******
The Obedience of Faith.
Paul said that through Christ he had received grace and apostleship for the obedience of faith among all nations. True faith is obedience. "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom He hath sent." John 6:29.
Christ said, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Luke 6:46.
That is, a profession of faith in Christ which is not accompanied by obedience, is worthless.
"Faith, if it hath not works, is dead." James 2:17.
"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." Vs. 26.
A man does not breathe in order to show that he lives, but because he is alive. He lives by breathing. His breath is his life.
So a man can not do good works in order to demonstrate that he has faith, but he does good works because the works are the necessary result of faith.
Even Abraham was justified by works, because "faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect. And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness."