The Bible Teaches and Encourages Faith

[Leah]

After all that God, through the His Spirit, is teaching me, guess what I've realized now? The bible teaches and encourages living by faith in Christ.

Even in the Old Testament, there was the Law, yet people STILL believed God for the promises He made to them and did what He told them to do.

You know how Abraham is mentioned so much in the New Testment? Well, he's not commended for what he did. He's commended for his faith in God alone, for it is written of him: And Abraham BELIEVED God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. And lets not forget Noah, Rahab, David, Joshua, and a whole bunch of of others who're commended for their faith in God.

And you know what religion is? Man's self-effort to please God. Why? Cuz nothing we could ever do could even come close to perfection when it comes to Christ and the cross! Why else do we supposed God gave us His Son (which, btw, is the whole reason for the season of Christmas. Its about giving, not receiving. And God set the example on that, sure enough!). No matter how well-intended or good religion is and no matter how much we try to defend and explain the significance of them, it won't save you. And rightfully so. No one has perfectly satisfied God, nor died on the cross, rose three days later and totally made him who had power over death powerless, sat down at the right hand of God in heaven or always living to make intercession for every single human being on this planet. The only one who did all that is Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God!

So now I pay more attention to what I read in the bible since it teaches living by faith in Christ for righteousness.














Note: I know I'm being repetative about faith. I'm just glad about it all cuz I'm no longer bound down and walking in defeat because of works. That alone is enough to start shouting about! And you know what, aint this what grace is?

 

[the.Sheepdog]

I celebrate with you sister. But are you only now free from the bondage of works?

 

[Optimax]

Living by faith is so exciting and brings continuing experiences with God.

Heb 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
KJV

 

[Elijah2]

Well these days, my faith is what keeping me going. If I hadn't faith I would have thrown the towel in a long time ago.

 

[Faulty]

Note: I know I'm being repetative about faith. I'm just glad about it all cuz I'm no longer bound down and walking in defeat because of works. That alone is enough to start shouting about! And you know what, aint this what grace is?

I appreciate you sharing. This kind of thing gets me excited.

 

[MaxP]

I have faith.
I'm gonna go rob a bank now, I'm free from works.

 

[Faulty]

I have faith.
I'm gonna go rob a bank now, I'm free from works.

You'd also probably be freed from the responsibility of supporting yourself for 10 or so years, depending on the outcome of your parole hearings of course.

 

[map4]

Amen! The freedom that comes from knowing the Truth!

Jesus did IT ALL for us!! Nothing we can do can make us righteous or not righteous because it's not our righteousness...it's His righteousness that God sees! What grace! What freedom to know that we don't have to 'do' anything. He makes us the righteousness of God in Christ. IN HIM we have all we ever need!

We obey and do good works because we love our Father and want to please Him and bring glory to Him. NOT to get something in return. And, we don't go and live any way we want, doing things we know not to do 'just because we can'.

But the pressure is off of us to 'perform' or be 'good enough' for God. Because we are not good enough...that is why we need Jesus and His rightousness!

Abraham believed and it was accounted to him as righteousness. We believe and are made the righteous of God in Christ. We have a better covenant than Abraham because of Jesus. Glory to God!

 

[New_Wineskin]

You know how Abraham is mentioned so much in the New Testment? Well, he's not commended for what he did. He's commended for his faith in God alone, for it is written of him: And Abraham BELIEVED God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. And lets not forget Noah, Rahab, David, Joshua, and a whole bunch of of others who're commended for their faith in God.

I love that stuff . The Scriptures prove that the Sriptures are not necessary for faith .

 

[enoch son]

Man has it wrong! It's not faith in Christ it the faith of Christ. Big different. We are of Heb. 12 not Heb 11. Heb. 11 has nothing to do with our faith. one lives by faith because christ gave us His faith. He is Author and perfector of it. It's a done deal.

 

[Svt4Him]

I always find it interesting that when the disciples came asking for more faith, Jesus taught them how to pray. Something to that?

 

[Elijah2]

I have faith.
I'm gonna go rob a bank now, I'm free from works.

Well remember to wear your balaclava, and take your cross off your neck so that you won't be recongised.

 

[nephilimiyr]

You know how Abraham is mentioned so much in the New Testment? Well, he's not commended for what he did. He's commended for his faith in God alone, for it is written of him: And Abraham BELIEVED God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

Actually this isn't quite right, yes Abraham was credited righteousness because of his faith but each and everytime in the Genesis stories where Abraham had faith in God he exhibited his faith with action.

When God told him in the city of Ur to pack up and move to a land He would give him, did Abraham just sit there and wait for God to wisk him away? No, He packed his belongings and left. First he believed, then he took action.

All of the times where Abraham didn't act on his faith it caused problems for him. Like when he went down to Egypt with Sarah, or when he didn't wait for God to give him a son through Sarah so he did it through Hagar.

The way the Hebrews always looked at faith was that faith and action were always tied together because this is the example Abraham taught them. This is also taught by James in the NT, that faith and action is inseperable.

And you know what religion is? Man's self-effort to please God. Why? Cuz nothing we could ever do could even come close to perfection when it comes to Christ and the cross! Why else do we supposed God gave us His Son (which, btw, is the whole reason for the season of Christmas. Its about giving, not receiving. And God set the example on that, sure enough!). No matter how well-intended or good religion is and no matter how much we try to defend and explain the significance of them, it won't save you. And rightfully so. No one has perfectly satisfied God, nor died on the cross, rose three days later and totally made him who had power over death powerless, sat down at the right hand of God in heaven or always living to make intercession for every single human being on this planet. The only one who did all that is Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God!

So now I pay more attention to what I read in the bible since it teaches living by faith in Christ for righteousness.

I agree 100% with the rest of this. Well said too!

 

[nephilimiyr]

We obey and do good works because we love our Father and want to please Him and bring glory to Him. NOT to get something in return. And, we don't go and live any way we want, doing things we know not to do 'just because we can'.

But the pressure is off of us to 'perform' or be 'good enough' for God. Because we are not good enough...that is why we need Jesus and His rightousness!

It's the Spirit Of God in us that does the good works that produces fruit. If it was us doing the works then we get the glory but that is not how it works because all the glory belongs to him and him alone.

Ephesians 2:9-10, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Paul says in that passage that we are God's workmanship and that He has prepared in advance the good works that we will do. That means it is He who is the director, producer, and maker of those works, not us. Any good work directed, produced, or made by us is a cause for us to boast.

 

[map4]

It's the Spirit Of God in us that does the good works that produces fruit. If it was us doing the works then we get the glory but that is not how it works because all the glory belongs to him and him alone.

Ephesians 2:9-10, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Paul says in that passage that we are God's workmanship and that He has prepared in advance the good works that we will do. That means it is He who is the director, producer, and maker of those works, not us. Any good work directed, produced, or made by us is a cause for us to boast.

Yes, you said it better than I did because I didn't mean to imply that it is us doing the good works. It is all for His glory!

 

[pinetree]

I have met alot of works centered Christians in my time.

They did not seem to realize though that we are in no way justified by works,in fact the flesh can take glory in works!

Or they did not realize that grace is the means by which we do works

Galatians3:2-5
I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? 5Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

 

[enoch son]

I always find it interesting that when the disciples came asking for more faith, Jesus taught them how to pray. Something to that?

I have found if one pray's one will move away from the will of man and into the will of God. Then when one states the will of God it all over now. (to qoute a song writer)

 

[MaxP]

Well remember to wear your balaclava, and take your cross off your neck so that you won't be recongised.

Good idea...
Perhaps I should get a gun? Or do you think making a finger gun through the pocket of my coat will suffice?

 

[ewkenyon2]

praise god, my sister, shout, jump, dance, then do it again, for you are grabbing a hold of the revelation that the apostle paul received from the holy spirit,

romans 1:17(amplified trnsl.) for in the gospel a righteousness which god ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith & leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]. as it is written, the man who through faith is just & upright & shall live & shall live by faith.

romans 4:16(amplified trnsl.) therefore [inheriting] the promise is the outcome of faith & depends [entirely] on faith

"faith is not a human notion or dream as some take it to be; faith is a divine work in us. oh, it is a living, creative, active, mighty thing, this faith."
"the great reformer"
"martin luther"

"the power of christianity is faith. the ultimate purpose of god is activated by faith. faith is the link between the riches of god & our spiritual poverty. the spiritual lines are humming with power but we will remain defeated if we do not act in faith"
"discover the power of faith "
" elmer l. towns" copyright 1983pg#36

"practically all christians are aware that all salvation activity is precipitated over the faith channel, & it is our contention that the same can be said of all achievement that is in any way related to moral & spiritual conditions. hence we have coined teh expression that "all god's power is released over faith"
"achieving faith"
"j.g. morrison"copyright1926pg#43

"power of a supernatural kind always accompanies an exercise of genuine faith. faith penetrates the hidden resources around one, & gathers therefrom unheard of potency's for delivery, into the hands of the one who has thrust the faith channel through. when one puts faith in god, deity immediately responds. from the storehouse of divine power there is released over the channel of that believers faith, resources of an exact nature fitted to bring to pass the very thing for which he believed.
"achieving faith"
'elmer l. towns" 1926pg#7

"it is well understood that we must pray in faith. no petition to god, which is not attended with confidence in his character & his word, can be acceptable to him. but we must receive by faith, as well as pray by faith; that faith is as necessary in the reception of the thing petitioned for, as in the petition itself"
"the life of faith"
"thomas c. upham"copyright 1862pg#184

"faith is the true bond of union between god & man. faith, then, is the tie, which binds us to our maker"
"the life of faith"
"thomas c. upham"1862 pg#6

these men, to quote a few, though time does not permit for sayings from charles spurgeon, d.l. moody, a.t. pierson, a.j. gordon , a.b. simpson, being of sound mind, & recognized in the early church as powerful leaders & strong evangelical teachers, also taught that faith is indeed active, putting us in harmony with god, drawing from the vast resources of redemption in christ, & putting one over in this life.

thus i rejoice with you, my sister, for the power that is found in the life of faith

"in christ"
scott