Our Faith Is Ultimately Not For Us
We have been set free from the law of sin and death by the atoning power of Christ's blood. This freedom is for a purpose. Not our purpose ultimately but for our good and God's glory.
We are prone to make life all about ourselves. We bend to our own will time and time again but God has called us and set us apart for the purpose of proclaiming the fame of His name.
This free gift of faith through God's grace gives us the boldness we need to proclaim Him. The church is a major player in His-story in that
Our faith in Him, provided by Him, is for Him!
The God of Creation, the Maker of all things decided to use the least likely people to proclaim His fame by providing us the grace even to believe and preach the unsearchable riches of Christ and to bring to light for EVERYONE what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God!
What?!?! That is radical!
He grants us the grace we need to believe and have faith in Him so that we can share that faith.
So in Galatians 5:22 we see the word faithfulness
This word faithfulness is the greek word pistis which means;
of a conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith. The conviction the God exists and is the Creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ.
This is the same faith that we hold fast for the hope of righteousness. This faith is Spirit given. It is a noun, a thing, a gift.... This is the Lord's doing!
This faith is effective in keeping us from evil for it is the same "thing" that; roots us in Christ, quenches the fiery darts of the wicked, gives us the ability to love Jesus and others and a myriad of other benefits are manifest in and through our lives because of this gift.
Faith gives us ample reason to trust God however, our faith fails when we rely on someone or something other than Christ.
We are prone to walk out our lives with fear and trepidation about what is to come or how to be an effective witnesses for Christ, losing sight of the fact that our faith, that fuels our confidence, is God given.
Like the Israelites, we too erect "things" in our lives, idols, that serve to give us confidence but this is confidence in the flesh and ultimately it is idolatry.
When we do not trust in the provision of faith that God has given us our minds become darkened and conformed to a worldly ideology that says that we have to be and do what God would have us be and do without having a revelation that He began faith in us and He will see it through.
When we live our lives for ourselves rather than for Christ's name and fame we choose death rather than life. Walking in the Spirit is the only way to live a fulfilling and fulfilled life. We try to maintain all the trappings of our own identity, not willing to lay aside our flesh and trust in the One who is faithful.
Father, we repent for making our lives about ourselves and not about YOU the author and finisher of our faith. We have walked in the flesh, trying to be in control of our "faith" when it is not ours to control.
Give us a revelation of Your grace and our faith that is rooted in that grace so that we are able to rest in and walk in Your Spirit.
We are incapable of any good thing but You have given us the most precious gift. Help us to understand our gift of faith and that ultimately it is not for our sake alone but for the fame of Your name.
It is our desire that You use our lives together so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places! We lay down our "things" and pick up the faith that You have given us, knowing that we cannot wield both simultaneously.
We are prone to make life all about ourselves. We bend to our own will time and time again but God has called us and set us apart for the purpose of proclaiming the fame of His name.
This free gift of faith through God's grace gives us the boldness we need to proclaim Him. The church is a major player in His-story in that
... through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. Ephesians 3:10-12
Our faith in Him, provided by Him, is for Him!
The God of Creation, the Maker of all things decided to use the least likely people to proclaim His fame by providing us the grace even to believe and preach the unsearchable riches of Christ and to bring to light for EVERYONE what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God!
What?!?! That is radical!
He grants us the grace we need to believe and have faith in Him so that we can share that faith.
So in Galatians 5:22 we see the word faithfulness
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
This word faithfulness is the greek word pistis which means;
of a conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith. The conviction the God exists and is the Creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ.
This is the same faith that we hold fast for the hope of righteousness. This faith is Spirit given. It is a noun, a thing, a gift.... This is the Lord's doing!
For by grace you have been saved through faith.
And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
for good works, which God prepared beforehand,
that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV
This faith is effective in keeping us from evil for it is the same "thing" that; roots us in Christ, quenches the fiery darts of the wicked, gives us the ability to love Jesus and others and a myriad of other benefits are manifest in and through our lives because of this gift.
Faith gives us ample reason to trust God however, our faith fails when we rely on someone or something other than Christ.
We are prone to walk out our lives with fear and trepidation about what is to come or how to be an effective witnesses for Christ, losing sight of the fact that our faith, that fuels our confidence, is God given.
Like the Israelites, we too erect "things" in our lives, idols, that serve to give us confidence but this is confidence in the flesh and ultimately it is idolatry.
When we do not trust in the provision of faith that God has given us our minds become darkened and conformed to a worldly ideology that says that we have to be and do what God would have us be and do without having a revelation that He began faith in us and He will see it through.
When we live our lives for ourselves rather than for Christ's name and fame we choose death rather than life. Walking in the Spirit is the only way to live a fulfilling and fulfilled life. We try to maintain all the trappings of our own identity, not willing to lay aside our flesh and trust in the One who is faithful.
Father, we repent for making our lives about ourselves and not about YOU the author and finisher of our faith. We have walked in the flesh, trying to be in control of our "faith" when it is not ours to control.
Give us a revelation of Your grace and our faith that is rooted in that grace so that we are able to rest in and walk in Your Spirit.
We are incapable of any good thing but You have given us the most precious gift. Help us to understand our gift of faith and that ultimately it is not for our sake alone but for the fame of Your name.
It is our desire that You use our lives together so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places! We lay down our "things" and pick up the faith that You have given us, knowing that we cannot wield both simultaneously.
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