I've been watching a dvd series from Creflo Dollar, a preacher out of Tennessee, that has just really inspired me. This particular series is about God's covenant with us, which started with Abraham, and is known as the Abrahamic covenant. God came to Abraham and promised him that He would be his "abundant compensation," (Genesis 16) his God, his everything. A covenant is more than a contract...God will NEVER go back on His word. Whatever He promises in His word, He WILL do. Because we are seeds of Abraham, if we are in Christ and born again, we are heirs to the same inheritance as promised to Abraham. WE are the other half of the covenant. Because of this, we have to understand that God will give us what we are heirs to, all the promises of the Bible...He has to, He promised. BUT we have to have the same faith that Abraham had...he was "fully persuaded" (Romans 4) that God would deliver. If we are not fully persuaded, if we do not have faith without doubting, (our half of the covenant) then God cannot work with us through the covenant. God is doing His part...it's you and I that aren't. This is why things don't happen in our lives the way we hope. We try to work things out on our own even if we say we believe...trying to "help God out."
I highly recommend this series and believe that it will change you, strengthen you. God is truly able to perform what He says.
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That we must have enough faith is a very difficult concept. In a recent lecture, Paul Young noted a family that had a loved one dying in the hospital. A young, fervant Christian was telling them that if their loved one died, it is because they didn't have enough faith. Angry, Paul Young went up to the young man and said in a blistering voice, "Do you mean that if only one of us has enough faith, our loved one will live?" The fervant witness said, "That's right."
ReplyDeleteThen Paul shot back, "Then you're the one. YOU have the faith. And if she dies, it's your fault!"
You know, I suppose that if I were to replace the concept of "faith," I would replace it with "trust." We do not "faith" God's power/blessings into our lives. We simply live in the trust of his love over and in us. Does this make sense?
ReplyDeleteWhy would you want to replace the concept of faith? We have faith in God's power and blessing in our lives. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see(Hebrews 11:1). It is so important that Ephesians 2:8 says "it by grace through faith that we are SAVED." I have faith that God has all the answers and we don't. In that, I trust Him. Completely.
ReplyDeleteIs not about replacing the word faith, rather growing up in the study of faith & our covenant given to us by our Father-God then muturing our faith with corresponding works. James2:17-26 Faith without works is dead,(inactive & ineffective & worthless).The story Paul Young (?) related had two interesting points. One a young fervant Christian believing in God's Word for healing and then you have a angry Paul Young who does not believe & does not want to hear the younger one reaching out to the Fathers love for healing. So many times the fight is harder with unbeliefing Christians than with the sickness or whatever is being prayed about. Why was this mature leader willing to tear down the faith of another & passing judgement and blame instead of joining with the same ones faith, trust in the Living Word Of God? Philippians 1:1-30 amplified covers most of this, 14-18 seems to help me understand love to help others motivates faith not doubt and put down. 2 Timothy 2:15 tell us to "study & be eager & do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing & accurately dividing [rightly handling & skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth". Ben45
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ben, for you wisdom and unshaken belief. Your understanding of the Bible, "the word breathed by the Holy Spirit" (2 Timothy 3:16) is comforting and strengthens my faith. Jennifer Walch
ReplyDeleteWhat I would like to respond (again) to is a statement in the initial blog:
ReplyDelete"If we are not fully persuaded, if we do not have faith without doubting, (our half of the covenant) then God cannot work with us through the covenant. God is doing His part...it's you and I that aren't. This is why things don't happen in our lives the way we hope."
Someone else once said, "There lives more faith in honest doubt, believe me, than in half the creeds." I believe that God can "work with us" even if our faith is small (mustard seed), or weak ("help thou my unbelief"). Again, and in other words, I TRUST that God loves me so much, that God wills to guide me, provide for me, forgive me, strengthen me, live through me, despite the fact that my faith is very, very weak. This says more to me about the love of God that it does about the necessity of faith. Perhaps it is sometmes a matter of semantics: trust, faith, etc. The bottom line is Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. ~Gregory
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please & be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists & that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly & diligently seek Him [out].
ReplyDeleteHabakkuk 2:4 Look at the proud; his soul is not straight or right within him, but the [rigidly] just & the [uncompromisingly] righteous man shall live by his faith & in his faithfulness.
Ephesians 6:16 Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one].
Psalms 118:8 It is better to trust & take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in man.
Proverbs 3:5 Lean on, trust in, & be confident in the Lord with all your heart & mind & do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
Isaiah 26:3,4 You will guard him & keep him in perfect & constnt peace whose mind [both its inclination & its character] is stayed on You, leans on You, & hopes confidently in You. So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].
Psalms 119:140 Your Word is very pure (tried & well refined); therefore Your servant loves it. ben45