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Mar.14.05: Light for the Day -
"FAITH, the Christian"
-- 2 Corinthians 5:7
We
live by Faith, not by sight.
-- Romans 1:17
This Good News (Gospel) tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This
is accomplished from start to finish by Faith. As the Scriptures say,
"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.
(1 What is FAITH?
It is the confident
assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the
evidence of things we cannot yet see.)
-- Romans
10:17
So then Faith comes by hearing,
and hearing by the Word of God.
-- Galatians 3:26
So you
are all children of God through Faith in Christ Jesus.
-- Hebrews
12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfecter of our Faith, who for the joy set before Him endured
the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the
throne of God.
-- Hebrews
11:6 *************
So, you see,
it is impossible to please God without Faith. Anyone who wants to come to
Him must believe that there is a God and that He rewards those who
sincerely seek Him.
***********************
--- L.A.B. ---
Believing that God exists is only the beginning; even
the demons believe that much (James 2:19, 20).
God will not settle for mere acknowledgment of His existence. He wants a
personal, dynamic relationship with you that will transform your life.
Those who seek God will find that they are rewarded with His intimate
presence.
Sometimes we wonder about the fate of
those who haven’t heard of Christ and have not even had a Bible to read
(see Hebrews 11).
God assures us that all who honestly seek Him—who act in faith on the
knowledge of God that they possess—will be rewarded. When you tell others the Good News, encourage them to be
honest and diligent in their search for Truth.
John 8:31,32,36 - 31
Jesus said to the people
who believed in Him
"If you hold to my teaching, you are really
My disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will
set you free. ... 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free
indeed."
Those who hear the Good News
are responsible for what they have heard
(see Matthew 22:29;
2 Corinthians 6:1,2; John 7:17; 16:13; 17:17; Psalm 25:5; 119:11; 1Peter
2:16).
Matthew 22:29 - Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know
the Scriptures or the power of God.
-----------------------
Christian's Faith:
1. Objective body of truth in the Bible, the creeds, the
definitions of the universal councils, and/or the teachings of the
church.
2. Positive, subjective, and
personal allegiance to and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Faith exists in
constant tension with three other elements: works, reason, and knowledge.
In Protestant
scholastic theology, faith is viewed as a
threefold process:
(1) Notitia (knowledge
of what is to be believed),
(2) Assensus (intellectual acceptance of the truth of what is
believed),
(3) and Fiducia (personal
commitment to that truth).
(1) The first involves reception
of the message of the gospel.
(2) The second involves
objective acceptance of certain theological concepts and historical
events. Theologians call this "the faith that
is believed", comprising recognition and assent. Assensus includes
confidence in God’s promises and trust in the events recorded in the
Scripture. Assensus alone is incomplete
faith.
(3) Authentic faith must
include a second aspect -- a personal commitment to
Jesus Christ. Theologians variously call this "faith
by which one believes", "faith formed by love", "acknowledgment", and "trust in what is
believed." Fiducia also involves obedience to God’s Word,
perseverance in God’s will, and love for God’s people (John 3:36; Rom. 5:1–5; 1 Cor. 13:2; 1 John 3:10).
Thus Christians not only live because of faith
but they also live according to the faith
(Rom. 1:16–17). Faith is in one sense a human act, but it is also at
the same time a divine gift.
-- Romans 1:16,17
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who
believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by
faith from first to last, just as it is written:
"The righteous will live by faith." {Hab. 2:4}
-----------------------------
-- 1 Corinthians 2:5
4 My message and my
preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a
demonstration of the Spirit’s power,
5 so that your Faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on
God’s power.
-- 1 Corinthians
15:14,17
14 And if Christ has not been
raised, our preaching is useless and so is your Faith.
17 And if Christ
has not been raised, then your Faith is useless, and you are still under
condemnation for your sins.
--
Philippians 1:25,27
25 I am convinced of this, so I will
continue with you so that you will grow and experience the joy of your
Faith.
27 But whatever happens to me, you
must live in a manner worthy of the Good News (Gospel) about Christ, as
citizens of heaven. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear
about you, I will know that you are standing side by side, fighting together for the Faith of the Good News
(Gospel).
-- Romans
3:28
So we are made right with God
through faith and not by obeying the law.
--
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.
-- Ephesians 4:1-7
1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord,
beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by
God.
2 Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making
allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
3 Always keep
yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with
peace.
4 We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all
been called to the same glorious future.
5
There is only one LORD, one Faith, one Baptism,
6 and there is only one
God and Father, Who is over us all and in us all and living through us
all.
7 However, He has given each one of us
a special gift according to the generosity of Christ.
-- Luke 5:20
When Jesus saw their faith, He said, "Friend, your sins are
forgiven."
-- Luke 17:6
"Even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed,"
the Lord answered, "you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May God uproot
you and throw you into the sea,’ and it would obey you!
-- Luke 7:50
Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
-- Mark 5:34
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be
freed from your suffering."
-- Matthew
13:58
And He did not do many miracles
there* because of their lack of faith.
(*Nazareth, Jesus' hometown)
--
Matthew 6:30-34
30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the
field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he
not much more clothe you, O you of little
faith?
31 So do not worry, saying,
‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we
wear?’
32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly
Father knows that you need them.
33 But seek first
his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to
you as well.
34 Therefore do not worry about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough
trouble of its own.
-- John
15:4,5
4 Remain in Me, and I will remain in
you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.
5 "I am the vine;
you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear
much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.
-- James 2:18,20,26
18 Now someone may argue,
"Some people have faith; others have good deeds." I say, "I can’t see your faith if you
don’t have good deeds, but I will show you my
faith through my good
deeds."
20 Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is
useless?
26 Just as the body is dead without
a spirit,
so also faith is dead without good
deeds.
-- Jude 1:20,21
20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most
HOLY FAITH and pray in the Holy Spirit.
21 Keep yourselves in God’s
love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to
eternal life.
-- 1 Corinthians
16:13
13 Be on your guard; stand
firm in the Faith;
be men of courage; be strong.
14 Do
everything in
love.
**************************
The Apostles' Creed
The basic creed of Reformed churches, as most familiarly known, is called the Apostles' Creed. It has received this title because of its great antiquity; it dates from very early times in the Church, a half century or so from the last writings of the New Testament.
Earliest version found is A.D. 215. The
current version is circa 542 A.D.
---------------------------
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell. (Acts
2:24; 1 Peter 3:18,19)
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy *catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.
*The word "catholic" refers not to the Roman Catholic Church, but to the
universal church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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