PUTTING OUR FAITH TO WORK

Proclamation:

“For The Son of Man is going to come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what they have done.” Matthew 16:27 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were spoken by Jesus, The Christ, to His disciples as recorded by the Apostle Matthew under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Jesus will come to earth again to execute judgement of mankind.  He will reward all believers according to their works and put to death all non-believers.

Application:

Having faith in Jesus Christ and believing in Him is a very good thing.  Our salvation is based upon our faith in Him.  Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)  However, we must act upon our faith.  We must exercise our faith and do something with it.  We know that as Christians, we walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7) and we know that we live by faith (Romans 1:17) but faith alone is not enough.  The Bible says, "... faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." (James 2:17)  This is so important that it is stated twice, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James 2:26)  Just having faith alone is not enough.  We are justified by our works (James 2:24) and in the end we will be judged based upon our works, "... and they were judged every man according to their works." (Revelation 20:13)  As believers we are all responsible for kingdom building here on earth.  It is important for us to do something for the glory of God.  Let's put our faith to work!  Spread the good news, talk the talk and walk the walk.  Our good work will soon be rewarded.  "For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works." (Matthew 16:27)

We Have Faith

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  This is what the ancients were commended for."  Hebrews 11:1-2 (NIV)

The unknown author of the Book of Hebrews describes what faith is.  He states that it was because of their faith that the men of God, that were mentioned earlier in The Bible and listed later on, (Hebrews 11:5-32 by name and Hebrews 11:32-39 by what they endured) were commended for.

Faith in The Lord God is essential to the believer.  Without faith, it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)  We are taught to hold on to our faith through trying times. (Hebrews 10:23)  In fact, we are taught that the just shall live by faith. (Hebrews 10:38)  It was because of their faith that the patriarchs pleased God and received a good report. (Hebrews 11:2)  Our faith is demonstrated by our actions, faith without action is useless. (James 2:18, 2:20, and 2:28)  We must exercise our faith and put it to work. (James 1:3 and 2:22)  This is clearly a case when actions speak louder than words.  We are justified by exercising our faith during trials and tribulations because that leads to patience and hope in The Lord God. (Romans 5:1-5)

We Hope And Wait For That Which We Do Not Yet Have

"For in this hope we were saved.  But hope that is seen is no hope at all.  Who hopes for what he already has?  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."  Romans 8:24-25 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul gives the believers in The Church in Rome a brief discourse on hope.  He states that hope is essentially faith in Christ and the things that will come to pass.  He told them that this hope is the bases of their salvation.  Hope is based upon that which they do not have, but they have no doubt that that they will receive.

One of the great principals of Christian belief is hope.  Paul's use of the word "hope" here makes it appear to be interchangeable with the word "faith".  Bible scholar Matthew Henry says that faith is the promise and hope is the thing that is promised.  He says faith is the evidence and hope is the expectation.  Either way, faith and hope are inexplicably linked.  Paul's statement about hope not being based upon that which is seen, is similar to the definition of faith which is presented by the unknown author in Hebrews.  "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1)  We know that without a believing faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)  Our hope and faith exist and are strong because we know that after we have done the will of God, we will receive our reward from Him. ( Hebrews 10:35-36)  Our hope is in The Lord (Psalms 39:7, Psalms 146:5, Jeremiah 17:7, and Lamentations 3:24), and in His mercy (Psalms 33:18), and in that which is to come. (1 Thessalonians 2:19)  Christ is coming back for His Church. (John 14:3, John 14:28, and 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18)  We are just doing our part in kingdom building now while we wait patiently for His return.

Faith And Works

"As the body without The Spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."  James 2:26 (NIV)

James, the half brother of Jesus, presented the people with an explanation and examples relating faith and works.  He said that if they claims to have faith in God, but none of their actions support that statement, then the statement is worthless.  Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action which supports it, is dead and useless. (James 2:14-26)

We know that faith is important, for without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)  We have heard the phase, talk is cheap.  We have also heard the phrase, action speaks louder than words.  In this verse, James is saying something very similar.  Our words must be backed up by our actions, deeds, and works.  For example, if someone tells you that they love you, and even repeatedly tells you that they love you, you would question their statements if they never do anything to show you that they love you.  The same applies to us, if we say that we love The Lord God, that we believe in Him, that we trust in Him, and that we have faith in Him, but we never do anything which demonstrates that love, belief, trust, or faith, then our statements are not believable and they are worthless.  Our works cannot earn us salvation, our salvation is based upon our belief and it is a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8-9)  But when we confess our belief (Romans 10:9-10), The Holy Spirit of God indwells us and we become a new creature. (2 Corinthians 5:17)  When this happens we are changed. (2 Corinthians 3:18)  We will begin to exhibit the fruit of The Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and the world will know that we have change by the fruit which we produce, our works. (Matthew 7:16-17)  We do not become perfect, or sinless, but our walk, our behavior, our actions will demonstrate our faith.








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Increase Our Faith

"The apostles said to The LORD, 'Increase our faith!' "  Luke 17:5 (NIV) 

According to Luke, the physician and travelling companion of the Apostle Paul, after Jesus had spoken to His disciples about forgiveness and the number of times that they should forgive a transgressor, (Luke 17:3-4), they said to Him "Increase our faith."  The disciples recognized that they needed more faith and they asked The Lord to give them more of it. 

Some of the time God gives us what we ask Him for, and other times He puts in situations where we have an opportunity to demonstrate and develop that which we have asked Him for.  Those of us with very little faith, must exercise it and use it in order for it to grow and increase.  We can increase our faith by asking The Lord for it, and then believing and acting as if that which we asked for is already done. (Luke 17:5-10)  We need to ask in prayer, be obedient to His Word, praise The Lord, give Him glory, and give Him thanks for blessing us with that which we asked for. (Luke 17:12-19)  We need to be humble when we approach Him, knowing and believing that there is power in His Word. (Matthew 8:8)  We need to believe that His touch can change our life. (Matthew 9:20-22)  We need to demonstrate, practice, and exercise our faith when we are in trying circumstances and situations. (James 1:2-3)  We need to be obedient to The Word of God and do His will, for without faith it is impossible to please God, (Hebrews 11:6), but  faith without works to back it up is meaningless. (James 2:17-20 and  2:26)

Those Who Have Faith Are Blessed

"The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: 'All nations will be blessed through you.'  So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith."  Galatians 3:8-9 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul told the believers in Galatia that The Scriptures predicted that all nations, all of the people of the world, would be blessed through Abraham, the man known as the father of the faithful.  This was a reference to the coming of Christ, through the lineage of Abraham, and His death, burial, and resurrection for the salvation of man.  God also blessed Abraham and his seed.  The word "seed" is used in two different ways, at times it refers to Christ, and other times it refers to the descendants of Abraham. (Roman 9:7 and Galatians 3:16)  Paul said that those who have faith will be blessed.

Abraham was not righteous.  He believed God, and God imputed unto him righteousness. (James 2:23)  The same can be true for us today.  If we believe in God, our faith will result in our salvation, and we will be the children of God (Matthew 5:9), part of the seed of Abraham, and we will be blessed along with him.  Abraham's seed was to be more numerous that the stars. (Genesis 15:5)  Abraham believed God and had faith.  Having faith is important, because without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)  It is by the grace of God through our faith that we are saved. (Ephesians 2:8)   The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17), we live and walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7), and faith comes by hearing The Word of God. (Romans 10:17)

With God All Things Are Possible

"A man in the crowd answered, 'Teacher, I brought You my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.  Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground.  He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid.  I asked Your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.'  'O unbelieving generation,' Jesus replied ... Bring the boy to Me.'   So they brought him.  When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion.  He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.  Jesus asked the boy's father, 'How long has he been like this?'  'From childhood,' he answered.  'It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him.  But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us.'  ' 'If you can'?' said Jesus. 'Everything is possible for him who believes.'  Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, 'I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief !'  When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, He rebuked the evil spirit. You deaf and mute spirit,' He said, 'I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.'  The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out.  The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, 'He's dead.'  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.  After Jesus had gone indoors, His disciples asked Him privately, 'Why couldn't we drive it out?'  He replied, 'This kind can come out only by prayer.' "  Mark 9:17-29 (NIV)

Jesus made it clear that some things require prayer but all things are possible to those who believe.

We need to understand the same thing today.  There is power in prayer and all things are possible if we only believe.  Things which are impossible for man are easily done by God.  We just need to have faith and believe that what we pray for can be done and will be done.

We Will Be Tested

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith; of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire; may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV)

After the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Peter told the scattered Christians who were being persecuted by the Romans and the Jewish religious leaders, that for a little while they would have to suffer. However, the suffering, trials, and tribulations were part of a process that would test their faith and make them stronger, better Christians, just as gold is refined and purified by fire.

Today we can be assured that we will have troubles and that they will come in many forms, family, relationships, employment, finances, sickness, and the death of loved ones. We need to know that our troubles are temporary, they will only last for a season. We need to understand that our troubles, trials, and tribulations are only tests of our faith to see if we will persevere or give up. Finally, we need to remember that we will triumph over our troubles if we keep the faith. Jesus has already overcome the world and if we believe we will also overcome. (1 John 5:4) If we keep the faith, we are on our way to hearing, "Well done, good and faithful servant ..." (Matthew 25:23) "We've come this far by faith..." don't give up now.

Keep The Faith Fan The Flame

"I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:5-7 (NIV)

To encourage his young co-laborer, the Apostle Paul told Timothy that the true and sincere faith that was in his grandmother and in his mother, was also in him. Paul encouraged him to exercise his faith, to fan the flame, so that his gift from God would grow stronger. God did not mean for him to be weak, loving and full of self control, yes, but not weak.

Most of us received our early religious training from our mother and or grandmother. They were our example of faith, strength, and love. It was usually their strong faith in God that kept the family going. That capacity, which is a gift from God, was cultivated by them in each of us and it has been enhanced by life's lessons as we grew. Most of us have a little faith, but it is weak because we do not exercise it. We need to "fan the flame" so that our God given gift can grow stronger. With great faith comes the ability to do great things. We could move mountains if our faith was stronger. Jesus said, "... if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20 NIV) Thank God, and your mother, and your grandmother, for what they gave you, but you must decide to use your gift.

Beware We Are In The Last Days

"But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, 'In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.' These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have The Spirit. But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in The Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh." Jude 1:17-23 (NIV)

Jude, the half brother of Jesus, warns the people that just before the second coming of Christ, men would mock The Word of God, try to turn you away from God, and tell you to follow them and their ungodly lustful desires. Christians are encouraged to stay faithful and pray, help those who have doubts by sharing God's Word with them so that they might be saved.

Don't be led astray by listening to and following the ungodly. We need to not only avoid that which is sinful and wrong, but we need to cling to that which is Godly and right. We are to share the gospel with those who are lost. Our goal is to pull them from the fire, not to fall into the fire with them. Through Bible reading, Bible study, and prayer, we have God's help to be a help to others. Don't hate the sinner, have mercy on him, but hate the sin.

Be Strong And Be Of Good Courage

"Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak ... I have become like broken pottery... But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, "You are my God." My times are in Your hands ... Let Your face shine on Your servant; save me in Your unfailing love. Let me not be put to shame, O Lord, for I have cried out to You ... Praise be to the Lord, for He showed His wonderful love to me ... Love The Lord, all His saints! The Lord preserves the faithful ... Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in The Lord." Psalms 31:9-24 (NIV)

No matter what it is that we encounter, or whatever storms life brings our way, we need to be strong, and be of good courage. The Good Lord preserves the faithful and He will bring us through it, whatever it is. He never promised us that the road would be easy. He promised that He would be with us and that He would never leave us.

Overflowing With Faith And Hope

"May The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of The Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 (NIV)

This is my prayer for you, and it may well be a good prayer for you to pray for your family, friends, and all who are suffering and worried. God is in control and He is the source of all hope. Every believer's hope comes by way of The Holy Spirit. Believers can be positive and overflow with hope by the grace of God, for hope is a gift from God.

No matter what the circumstance, believers can be at peace and count it all joy because their faith and hope is in God, and our God is bigger than our problems.

All Things Are Possible If You Only Believe

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:22 (NIV)

If you have faith and do not doubt, it will be done, whatever it is that you pray for. That is, if it will give God glory and if it is not for selfish gain or pleasure.

God can do what to us is seemingly impossible, but we have to have faith and believe in Him.

Are You Built On Solid Rock Or Shifting Sand?

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV)

Our house, our religious life, will be tested and judged. Only those whose house is on the foundation of belief in and obedience to The Word of God will stand through the tests of life and the judgement. Just going to church once in a while or once a week is not enough. We need to believe, read, and live The Word of God.

The rock is The Word of God. The shifting sand is human opinion and the doctrines of man. Is your foundation built upon the solid rock or on shifting sand?

I Will Lift Up My Eyes

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills; where does my help come from? My help comes from The Lord, The Maker of heaven and earth." Psalms 121:1-2

In this sin sick world that we live in, we need to recognize and acknowledge that God is our helper, our keeper, our protector, and our preserver. We need to keep our eyes lifted up and focused upon Him.

As we journey through the uncertain circumstances of life, we need the help of The Lord. We must trust in The Lord in times of trouble (health, financial, relationship, or whatever) and when we think that all is fine. From day to day, from minute to minute, from moment to moment, we need The Lord. We can't make it on this journey without Him.

Don't Give Up, Hang In There

"Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in The Lord." Psalms 31:24

When things get rough and the going gets tough, hang on in there, don't give up. The Good Lord has not forgotten us, our faith is just being tested. He just wants us to know that it is He that gives us the strength to carry on. When we need His strength, we just need to ask for it. "Be of good courage ..." He will help us make it through the storms of life.