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 | | From: | Allan Svensson | | Subject: | What is Living Faith? | | Date: | Wed, 12 Jan 2005 08:09:29 GMT |
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What is Living Faith?
"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man
may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew my thy faith without
thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest
that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and
tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is
dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had
offered Isaac his son upon the altar?" James 2:17-21.
There was no law that said to Abraham. You shall offer your son
Isaac on the altar. And what Abraham did was no law-deed. Here
is not question about deeds of the law, but about deeds of faith.
Abraham did according to his faith and it was accounted to him
for righteousness. Gal. 3:6.
"Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was
faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith,
Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for
righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then
how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. For as
the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead
also." James 2:22-24, 26
The first deed of faith we can do, is that confess to Jesus that we
are sinners and receive him as our personal Saviour. 1 John 1:9.
1 Tim. 2:5-6. This is the first step on the way of faith and obedience,
but a person who not even will take the first step on the way of faith,
shall neither say that he believes in God.
Some preach the truth of salvation without law-deeds, but forget
that we do not reach the heaven without faith-deeds. We who believe
in Jesus are not under the Law, but under grace. Rom. 6:14. Yet, it
is written in Rom. 2:13, "For not the hearers of the law are just
before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." And in
Gal. 5:6, "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any
thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love".
When we serve Jesus in the new way of the Spirit, (Rom. 7:6),
then we fulfil the Law, though we are not under the Law, but under
the grace. We do what the Law demands, yet, the deeds we then
do are not "law-deeds", but "faith-deeds", such deeds that we do
by faith. Without such deeds the faith is dead. James 2:14, 26.
Many people who are not born anew, say that they believe in God.
They mean that they believe that God exists and that he has created
heaven and earth, but this they can believe and yet not believe in
God. People can believe a great deal about God and yet not believe
in him. Believing in God is that believe in God's own record about
his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he
that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 1 John 5:10-13.
This has the apostle John written to us for we shall know that
we have eternal life, we who have a living faith in the name of
God's Son.
Jesus says in Matt. 7:21, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord,
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth
the will of my Father which is in heaven." On what way have
you done Father's will? The first you can do to show your faith
in an act, is that you receive Jesus as your personal Saviour and
profess that he is your Lord. If you have not done that, your faith
in God is only a dead faith. And a dead faith is to no use. You
live in an imagined and false safety and think you have a good
condition before God. If you die in this condition you will perish
forever, - self-deceived! It does not help if you have friends or
relatives that are Christians. They cannot help you if you do not
receive Jesus.
It is only in power of Jesus' propitiatory sacrifice on the cross that
God forgives sins. Only through to receive Jesus that can we share
the peace of God. As long as you do not receive Jesus as your
Saviour, you are left in your sins. You have not done God's will
and you have not made any benefit for God's kingdom. When
you read the Bible, you understand almost nothing. For none can
come to God or understand God's word other than through Jesus.
A man who is unspiritual refuses what belongs to the Spirit of
God, it is folly to him, he cannot grasp it. 1 Cor. 2:14.
Do pray to Jesus and say to him, "Now I will receive you as my
Lord and Saviour, and pray that you purify me from all sin in
power of your precious blood." Do praise him for he has heard
your prayer and for he gave his life for you on the cross.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life." John 3:16.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name
under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Acts 4:12.
Allan Svensson
If you have any questions after reading of this article
Please, visit my Web Site
http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/CONTENTS.HTM
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