Now Faith Is..

Hebrews 11:1-2 NIV

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”

This word “faith” means to be persuaded. It is always a gift from God, and never something that can be produced by people. It is not of our own doing, nor is it of the flesh nor of the will of man. It is God’s divine persuasion (see Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:13; John 6:44). So, it is God who births faith within the lives of yielded believers in Christ so that we can know what God prefers. So, this is the persuasion of his divine will for us.

So, when we are told that we must believe in Jesus Christ, this is not something we make up in our own minds with regard to what that faith should look like. For it is not just some emotional decision we make once in our lives, nor is it some intellectual assent to who Jesus was and is and to what he did for us on that cross. And it isn’t just accepting his grace and forgiveness into our lives, as though nothing is required of us at all.

For we are not the ones to define “faith.” The Scriptures define faith for us, and they make it quite clear that genuine God-given faith in Jesus Christ results in us being crucified with Christ in death to sin and us being raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. And the result of genuine faith is obedience to our Lord and walking in his holiness and righteousness.

So, if faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, this assurance and this conviction must be based in the truth of God’s word and not in our own way of thinking, and not in the way of the teachings of humans who are not teaching the truth. For true faith in Christ involves surrender to Christ as Lord, denying self, dying to sin daily, and walking in obedience to our Lord in holy living, in his power, strength, and wisdom.

Yet there are many people who are confident of their salvation from sin, that all their sins are forgiven, and that heaven is their eternal destiny, but their hope and their assurance is often based in lies and not in truth. And so they think if they make a once-in-their-lifetime decision to believe in Jesus that now heaven is guaranteed them when they die regardless of how they live, and regardless of whether or not they serve the Lord with their lives.

So, just because you have confidence, and hope, and assurance of heaven as your eternal destiny, it doesn’t necessarily mean at all that heaven is your eternal destiny, or that your faith in Jesus is genuine believing faith which saves. For many people are holding on to a false hope of heaven when they die while they are still walking in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord. But the Scriptures teach that we must die to sin and live to God and to his righteousness in order for us to have the hope of eternal life with God.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Hebrews 11:6 NIV

“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.”

And here again we must look at the true meaning of faith, which has to do with God’s divine persuasion, his persuasion of his will for our lives so that we know and live what God prefers for our lives, what is his perfect will for our lives. For this faith originates with God, and it is persuaded of God, and it is gifted to us by God, and this is not of our own doing, not of our own flesh nor of our own wills for our own lives.

And what does God prefer, and what does he insist upon? He prefers and he insists upon us dying with him to sin, us living to his righteousness, and us leaving our lives of sin behind us to now walk in righteousness and holiness according to God’s will and purpose for our lives, and in obedience to his commands. And he prefers and he insists upon all that is holy, godly, righteous, morally pure, upright, honest, and faithful, etc. 

And what does it mean to please God? And must we live to please him? Well, it involves us obeying his will and doing what he says to do, so this is about us giving our lives to the Lord in ways which are acceptable to God, and which are approved by God. We don’t please him by going our own way and by doing our own thing and by continuing in deliberate and habitual sin without regard for him and for his commandments (New Covenant).

Pleasing God: [Romans 8:8; 2 Corinthians 5:9; Galatians 6:8; Ephesians 5:10; Colossians 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 2:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:1; 2 Timothy 2:4; Hebrews 11:6; Hebrews 13:6; 1 John 3:22]

And who does God reward? Those who earnestly seek him. He rewards those who pursue him, who go after him, who follow him and his will for their lives. They are those who practice what they say they believe, so they are those who practice obedience to God and living righteous and holy lives, and who are no longer making sin their practice. They are those who do the works of God which God prepared for them to walk in, in his power.

And what did Jesus say was required of those who want to come after him? We must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we die with him to sin and live to his righteousness, then we have eternal life with God. For if we are ashamed of Christ and his Word in this life, when he returns he will be ashamed of us, i.e. he will deny us because we denied him.

[Matthew 10:32-33; Matthew 15:7-9; Luke 9:26; 2 Timothy 2:11-13; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Titus 1:15-16; 2 Peter 2:1-3; Jude 1:3-4]

I Will Lift My Eyes  

An Original Work / December 12, 2012

Based off Psalms 121-125

I will lift my eyes to my Lord Most High.

My help comes from Him, who saved me from sin.

He will not let your foot slip, and He who watches will not sleep.

Our Lord watches over you, and your life He will keep.

I will lift my eyes to my Lord Most High.

My help comes from Him, who saved me from sin.

I give thanks to Him.

I will lift my eyes to my God in heav’n.

I look to the Lord. My sins, He’s forgiv’n. 

Because of His great love for us, He made us alive with Christ.

Through the kindness of our Savior, He gave us new life.

I will lift my eyes to my God in heav’n.

I look to the Lord. My sins, He’s forgiv’n; 

My home, now in heav’n. 

Praise be to the Lord, who is on our side.

Our help found in Him. He gives peace within.

Those who trust will ne’er be shaken. God will supply all we need.

Our Lord has done great things for us. He’s our friend, indeed!

Praise be to the Lord, who is on our side.

Our help found in Him. He gives peace within.

I can count on Him.

https://vimeo.com/379508241