Faith #1 - Faith at Different Levels

1) Exploring different variations of faith

The Skeptics

What is faith? Skeptics believe they know. They experienced religious faith and then discovered it doesn’t work for them. Religious faith left them feeling unhappy, used, and certain never to be made a fool of again. Fully persuaded that religious faith is only for weaklings and idiots, we will not find religious faith operating in their world. Skeptics will swear that religious faith has nothing to do with their decision-making or risk-taking. They believe that their actions determined the results. And there’s nothing wrong with what they believe because that is their faith.

Spirit-filled Christians

For Spirit-filled Christians, faith is an experience that has proven itself. When they heard the message of salvation in Jesus Christ, the word of faith brought them a born-again experience. When they were baptized with fire, they experienced the reality of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts. One such gift is called the gift of faith. The gift of faith brings the certainty of fullness where there is lack, the certainty of overcoming where there are obstacles, the certainty that God will perform what he has promised, etc. All spiritual gifts remain with the receiver for life because God’s gifts and callings are irrevocable.

Fruit-bearing Christians

There is a point, however, when another experience begins to beckon the Spirit-filled Christian, called bringing forth fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22, 23 NIV). It is at this crossroads where Spirit-filled Christians are reluctant to let go of the “moving of the Holy Spirit” in order to bring forth the “fruit of the Spirit”. They perceive the “moving” with its power as more desirable than the “fruiting” with its godly characteristics—which they mistakenly equate with weakness. Yet, the fruiting is more important to Jesus, especially in the “last days” when lots of power will be displayed, and the fruiting, especially love, has all but disappeared (Matt. 24:11, 12, 24). He will look for fruit in the power-wielding Christian, and finding none, he will reject them (Matt. 7:16-20, 22, 23).

Full-bloomed, the fruit of the Spirit marks us differently from the world. Our character has been fashioned after the character of Jesus, the Son of God. As such—whether in season or out of season, whether in need or in plenty—the full-fruited Christian will not fail to represent the One in whose image we are made.

The nine fruit of the Spirit is the end-product—and our testimony—of the condition of the tree upon which fruit is found. Fruit guides our behavior. The fruit of faith, like all fruits, grow through trials and testing, stays the course, overcomes adversities, and prevails. Thus, while people everywhere are shaken by wars or rumors of wars, pestilence, famines, or earthquakes, etc., why not align with a full-fruited Christian, whose spiritual fruit consists of the assurance of peace, and the fruit of faith?  

Scripture quotations from the King James Version (KJV) of the bible unless otherwise noted.

Faith #0 - Exploring Faith

We admit. It’s not easy to have faith for life and incorruption. So in this next part of our blog we will explore faith, either through the Scriptures, or by sharing our discoveries about faith. Since there are many types of faith, we will try to bring clarity to a few of them.

One of those types of faith is connected with salvation. We understand that we can do nothing of works to make salvation happen for us. Salvation was Jesus’ work. Ours is to receive his work by “the word faith” (Romans 10:8-10).

On the other hand, James writes that there is a faith that is never alone. This faith keeps company with works. Otherwise, he says, our faith is dead (James 2:17). This type of faith is connected to the growth, or outworking, of our salvation. The apostles wrote that there are things we have to discard, put off, put on, grow up into, conform to, transform into, etc.—and they all take works of faith to accomplish.

Thus, our aim on this part of our blog is to 1) explore different variations of faith, 2) help others do the works of faith and 3) show how to recognize God’s answer when it arrives. Yes, it still takes faith to recognize God’s answer in whatever form he packages it.

Together, let’s find faith’s reality and faith’s proof—of the things we hope for yet do not see (Heb. 12:1).

=========================================================

Scripture quotations from the New King James Version (NKJV) of the bible unless otherwise noted.

 

 

Life #37- Perfect Hearts and Zōē-Life



taro leaves

The heart is regarded as the sphere of divine influence. When God activates his divine prerogative, the heart becomes an instrument through which he directs humanity to will and to do according to his good purpose (Proverbs 3:5, 6; 2 Thessalonians 3:5; Philippians 2:13). Thus, God may choose to influence the hearts of believers and non-believers alike (1 Kings 10:24; Exodus 4:21).

Proverbs 4:23 informs us that life exits from the heart. Though some of the kings of Israel and Judah had perfect hearts (1 Kings 15:14; 2 Kings 20:3), God looked toward his own people, hoping they would pursue and obtain perfect hearts (1 Kings 8:61). Yet, when he spoke to Moses, he grieved over their slow willingness to do so: 

“Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” (Deuteronomy 5:29 NKJV).

When God sets out to find a perfect heart (1 Samuel 13:14)—whether it beats in the body of a shepherd boy, or in the chest of a humble Son, or in Christians filled up with Christ’s fullness—he finds one. Besides, anyone who accomplishes all of God’s will is known as people “after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22).

Unencumbered by sin’s corruptions and the heart’s deceptive workings, the perfect heart allows zōē-life to freely and abundantly flow.

May God find perfect hearts among his people today—a remnant reserved for this time!

Scripture quotations from the King James Version (KJV) unless otherwise noted; excerpts are taken from our book to be released next year.

Life #36 - Love is the Heart's Guard



glories behind trellis

Existing within the heart are two great extremes, love and hate. We’ve just learned in Blog #35 how love can strengthen us in the face of prolonged difficulties; how love, if maintained, neither diminishes with passing time, nor collapses under escalating challenges and stresses. Yet, if left unguarded, the heart, which is a source of power, also has the capacity to hurt!

For practicing Christians, love can be a guard that prevents the heart from deliberately hurting anyone. Still, it will require a lot of effort on our part to continue to love and remain loving. Isn’t it difficult to love someone we don’t like? To try to replace hate with love not only irritates us, it confuses our mind. It even agitates our sin-nature, which treats love as a foreign object, to be thrown far away. However, until we get rid of our hate, we will always fail at love. If we fail at love, then we will also fail at life. That’s why, after we clean the heart, Scripture advises us:

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23 NIV).

Proverbs state that those who keep words of wisdom and understanding within their hearts will find life and health for their bodies. Furthermore, and most important for those who want to remain alive until the Lord’s return, Christians who guard, protect, and maintain their hearts in an environment of love, will enjoy an unending flow of life (Proverbs 4:22, 23 NIV)!

Scripture quotations from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted; excerpts are taken from our book to be released next year.

Life #35 - Power of the New Heart

007 (34) hibiscus

The Gospel of Mark (9:14-30 NKJV) is preached with the focus on faith. While that is true, we are given an inside look at the heart of a deeply committed father. He did everything to get his son delivered of a mute spirit, which his son had since infancy. Is something deeper being revealed to us concerning the heart's power?

The father’s actions show us the measure of love the heart contains:

Love believed there was a miracle with his son’s name on it. Love helped the father be patient for results. Love kept him humble, being never too proud to ask for help from anybody. Love persevered throughout time, overcame the hardships, and did not count the number of failures. Love protected, trusted, and hoped for his son. Even when Jesus’ own disciples failed to deliver his son, anger had no place in his heart because love never failed him (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 13 NIV).

Though love motivated his actions, it remained the father’s responsibility to see that the love for his son never grew cold (Matthew 24:12). He could have given up; thrown a pity-party for himself; become frustrated and abuse his son; or put his son aside and not deal with the problem.

Instead, the father reaped love’s reward when Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and the young man was healed (Mark 9:25, 27 NKJV).

Love, from the power of a new heart, makes an extraordinary difference in ordinary lives. Love always produces a life-giving impact! Always.

Scripture quotations from the King James Version (KJV) unless otherwise noted; excerpts are taken from our book to be released next year.

Life #34 - A New Heart with Washing and Cleansing



007 (30) 2011-11-27

Is there any hope for a depraved heart? Jeremiah, the disillusioned prophet, thought so. He said the heart could be washed of its wickedness (Jeremiah 4:14). Accordingly, Jesus washed us from our sins (Revelation 1:5 NKJV) and continues to wash the church by his word for our perfection.

• “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word…that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:26, 27).

We are not by-standers in our cleansing. For the sake of God’s promises the Scripture urges us to wash ourselves. This washing is from all “filthiness of the flesh and spirit” that we might perfect holiness out of reverence for God (2 Corinthians 7:1 NKJV).

After the heart is cleansed, or made new, it becomes a container for good treasure. The heart is honest, rejoices, and believes. It is steadfast, pure, true, and unblameable. The heart knows God, just as God knows the heart. God’s laws are contained in it, as well as the love of God, the earnest of the Spirit, and the Spirit of his Son. Finally, the peace of God rules there*. More importantly, Jesus dwells in our hearts by faith (Ephesians 3: 17; Galatians 2:20 and 1 John 3:24; Colossians 1:27).

We are to have “hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints” (1 Thessalonians 3:13). Are we washed? Are we holy? The Lord is returning for unblameable hearts.

Scripture quotations from the King James Version (KJV) unless otherwise noted; excerpts are taken from our book to be released next year. *(Matthew 12:35; Luke 8:15; John 16:22; Acts 8:37; 1 Corinthians 7:37; 2 Timothy 2:22; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; Jeremiah 24:7 and Luke 16:15; Hebrews 10:16; Romans 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Galatians 4:6; Colossians 3:15; respectively).

Life #33 - The Corrupt Heart, an Obstacle to Life

018/2011-07-30

The prophet Jeremiah wrote a lot about the workings of the heart and it was pretty grim. He said the “heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). He questioned if anyone could even know such a heart because of its evil nature. He called the heart revolting and rebellious, filled with pride and haughtiness (Jeremiah 3:17; 5:23; 48:29 KJV).

The apostles in the early church agreed. They wrote that the heart is ineffectual when it doubts, is slow to believe, and is troubled and afraid (Mark 11:23; Luke 24:25; John 14:27 KJV). The heart is full of lusts, is foolish and darkened (Romans 1:24, 21 KJV). Even Jesus revealed the place where adultery is committed—and it was not in the bed—“But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28 NIV).

What’s more, the heart is depraved because sin resides there and defiles the whole circuit of our actions. Jesus said, “…those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies; These are the things which defile a man…” (Matthew 15: 18-20 KJV).

Yet, worst of all, when Christians harden our hearts (Hebrews 3:15), the resulting unbelief prevents us from entering into any of God’s promises (Hebrews 3:19 KJV)—even the promise of life (John 11: 26 NIV)!

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