Life #28 - Toward Life and Incorruption: Levels of Faith (3 of 3)

007 Lemon tree

We progress in our salvation from faith to faith: from “born again”, “born of God”, to “born of the Spirit”—free as wind to come and go as we wish (John 3:8).

Christians display two levels of faith:

• One faith believes we have sin; but if we confess our sin, Jesus forgives us and cleanses us of it (1 John l: 8); another faith believes we are born of God and therefore cannot go on sinning because it is Christ in us who no longer sins (1 John 3:5, 6, 9 NIV).

• One faith confesses if we believe in him we will live, even though we die (John 11:25 NIV); another faith confesses if we live and believe in him, we will never die (John 11:26 NIV).

• One faith walks on the broad way that leads to destruction (Matt. 7:13); another faith walks on the difficult way which leads to life (Matt. 7:14).

• One faith follows Jesus (Matt. 8:22); the other faith denies their soul-life, takes up their cross, and follows Jesus (Matt. 16:24-26).

The two and a half tribes of Israel took faith for their inheritance this side of the Jordan, but helped their brothers, who took faith for the inheritance that lay beyond it (Joshua 1:12-16).

At this point why not give esteem and honor to all God’s people, who display operative faith at both levels? After all, operative faith pleases God (Heb. 11:6 NKJV) while faith without works is just dead (James 2:26).

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Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted; excerpts from our book to be released next year.