July.20.04: Light for the Day - "By Faith" -- Hebrew 12:2 "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." ------------------ A twelve-year-old boy accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and Lord during a weekend revival meeting. The next week his school friends questioned him about the experience. "Did you hear God talk?" One asked. "No," the boy said. "Did you have a vision?" Another asked. "No," the boy replied. "Well, how did you know it was God?" A third friend asked. The boy thought for a moment and then said, "It's like when you catch a fish. You can't see the fish. You can't see the fish or hear the fish; you just feel him tugging on your line. I felt God tugging on my heart." So often we try to figure our life by what we can see, hear, or experience with our other senses. We make calculated and judgments based on empirical evidence. There's a level or truth, however, that cannot be perceived by the senses or measured objectively. It's at that level where faith abounds. It is our faith that compels us to believe, even when we cannot explain to others why or how or to what specific earthly end. By our faith we only know in Whom we trust. And that is sufficient. -- G's LDB --------------------------- -- 2 Corinthians 5:7 We live by faith, not by sight. -- 2 Corinthians 1:24 But that does not mean we want to tell you exactly how to put your faith into practice. {Greek: want to lord it over your faith.} We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy as you stand firm in your faith. -- Galatians 2:16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. -- Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." -- Galatians 3:11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." (Hab. 2:4) -- Hebrew 11 1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4 By faith Abel ... 5 By faith Enoch ... 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. 8 By faith Abraham .... 20 By faith Isaac .... 21 By faith Jacob .... 24 By faith Moses .... 29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea .... 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell .... -- James 2:24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. -- Ephesians 2:8-10 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.