Continuing Pastor Kyle’s message, Romans 10:8-10 asks, But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
This is biblical faith. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. There is an order and operation of the world that God made, and a specific way that the Creator of the Cosmos set things up to work harmoniously in unity. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Heart Belief is an essential requirement in getting into Heaven. In addition to “saving faith”, there is also “daily faith” in Christ, and that is where Christians live. That moment by moment place where God move in us and through us with power, where we really see the Holy Spirit working in our lives.
2 Corinthians 5:7 explains, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
There are things that God wants to bring into your life today that you cannot see, that are activated by faith through obedience. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” This is through the powder of “daily faith”. When we lean on our own understand, we can miss the things that God wanting to activate by moment by moment faith. On this side of eternity, a life of faith is not free of all doubts. In Mark 9:23-24, Jesus said to the father whose son had a mute spirit, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
In a perfect world, every Believer would live doubt-free in absolute faith. Yet, fallen and finite humans that are prone to feat and doubt. So, we are to take the faith that we have and build upon it daily to develop, improve, strengthen and mature in the process of sanctification, growing into the likeness of Christ. In that process, when we struggle, we are to go to the Lord for guidance and help. Lean heavily on the biblical and practical wisdom side as the Lord leads you by faith. Faithfully dig into the Word of God and see how is applies practically daily for peace in your heart. The Holy Scriptures help us to make healthy choices in the short term and the long term, because it is God’s wisdom communicated for our good.
Proverbs 9:10-11 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by Me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.”
The principles in the Proverbs are so profound, instructing in the Christian life. The Bible wants us to know that “the fear of the Lord” (never desiring to let our Creator Father God in Heaven down in any way, shape or form) is the foundation of wisdom. In Scripture, fear is used to express a filial or a slavish passion. In good men and women, the fear of God is a holy awe or reverence of God and His laws, which springs from a just view and real love of the divine character, leading the subjects of it to hate and shun everything that can offend such a holy being, and inclining them to aim at perfect obedience. This is filial fear; a display of affection due from a son or daughter; a healthy respect of God.
The other kind of fear is what we are more familiar with, a painful emotion or passion excited by an expectation of evil, or the apprehension of impending danger. Fear expresses less apprehension than dread, and dread less than terror and fright. The force of this passion, beginning with the most moderate degree, may be thus expressed, fear, dread, terror, fright. Fear is accompanied with a desire to avoid or ward off the expected evil or harm. Fear is an uneasiness of mind, upon the thought of future evil or harm likely to befall us. This fear is the passion of our nature which excites us to provide for our security, on the approach of evil produces anxiety; apprehension, worry, concern and solicitude. This kind of fear is definitely not something that God wants in a Christian’s life.
Let's continue Pastor Kyle's message on Christian faith and wisdom in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
No comments:
Post a Comment