FAITH three
Fight the good fight of the Faith – 1 Timothy 6:12.
Note it’s not, fight the good fight against the devil, or your opposition. NO. You see when FAITH wins everything wins.
Fight: The Opportunity of succeeding by great effort.
Many Christians want to succeed by NO EFFORT or little effort.
“The devils’ number 1 tool is not an active sinner, but an inactive Christian.
English proverb:
“The devil tempts some, but an idle man tempts the devil.”
Matthew 12:43-45 (Amp) – 43But when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through dry [arid] places in search of rest, but it does not find any. 44Then it says, I will go back to my house from which I came out. And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, put in order and decorated. 45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked then itself.
“Be sure to keep busy doing what’s right, so that the devil may always find you occupied.”
We are weakest when we try to get something for nothing, taking shortcuts to success. Trying to live an overcoming life without faith.
Why are we at our weakest? Because there is no strength or growth in nothing or in shortcuts. We’re not in a motorboat; we’re in a rowing boat!! It takes a committed Faith that works.
Proverbs 28:19 (LB) – “Hard work brings prosperity; playing around brings poverty.”
There is no shortcut to a faith-filled life.
Here’s another aspect with extreme importance:
Prayer is very important – but hear me out now…!
My experience is, so many Christians think after praying,
ALL will be okay – now I have done my share – it’s over to you God.
Example – looking for work:
Send out a CV, get a newspaper and look at the job column.
After you’ve prayed,
Begin to speak faith WORDS over your situation, speak the promises speak life.
Prayer should never be an excuse for inaction. As God said to Moses as they came out of Egypt:
Exodus 14:15 (LB) – Then the Lord said to Moses, “Quit praying and get the people moving. Forward march!”
It’s time for faith in action!! “A faith that works” The fact is most prayers are only going to be answered when you attach action to them.
Israel with Joshua – around the walls of Jericho. God said not to speak. Why? They would have spoken faithless, negative words.
NB: Prayer is the fuel; Faith is the engine. Real faith – the Bible kind of strong faith we must fight for.
Hear me!! It takes more than good intentions. (People judge us by our actions not our intentions.)
It’s not what we say we want to accomplish for Jesus, BUT what we actually do.
James 2:17 – Faith without actions is dead. Your life will shrink or expand in proportion to your Faith.
We live by Faith, or;
We don’t live at all – our faith is NOT a WISHBONE, it’s a BACKBONE.
Our “Faith” cannot be hidden. It has to be obvious, open, effective and producing:
Change in us
Change in a lost world
And it will always be an encouragement to the church (ARE YOU a FAITH INSPIRING person?)
Here is a wonderful example
1 Thessalonians 1:3 (LB) – We never forget your loving deeds (ACTIONS) as we talk to our God and Father about you, and your strong “Faith” and steady looking forward to the return of our Lord Jesus.
Fruit of faith is: Determination, hard work, endurance, steadfastness, perseverance.
Real faith may get knocked down, but it’s never ever knocked out.
1 Thessalonians 1:8 (LB) – And now the word of the Lord has spread out from you to others everywhere, far beyond your boundaries, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your remarkable “Faith” in God.
Question: What do people say about your Faith
SO!!! Why all this talk about faith? Is it really all that important?
Just remember, you decide,
Hebrews 11:6 – Without FAITH it’s IMPOSSIBLE to please GOD
Listen to Jesus’ own Words:
Luke 18:8b – However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find (persistence*) in faith on the earth.
*Persistence: Continue firmly in one’s action despite persuasion.
Matthew 24:10 (NIV) – At that time many will turn away from the faith and betray and hate each other.
Our whole life is encapsulated (ingekapsuleer) in FAITH.
Habakkuk 2:4 is repeated in Romans 1:17 – The just shall live by faith.
We tend to look at the big outer signs of Jesus’ coming.
Aids, tsunamis, earthquakes, wars etc.
It’s about time we start looking at the signs closer to home – the man in the mirror. How is your faith? Is it just talk or is it alive and active, full of passion and enthusiasm?
1 Timothy 4:1a (Amp) – But the (Holy) Spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in latter times some will turn from the Faith, giving attention to deluding(Mislei) and seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach.
Christians are going to be challenged to turn away from the real faith to a counterfeit. This warning is for the church NOT the unsaved world.
Here’s the answer to stay in a good faith fighting spirit:
1 Corinthians 16:13a – Be alert and on your guard; stand firm in your faith.
2 Corinthians 13:5 (Amp) – “Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves [not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you-unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected.”
examine and 2.test and 3.evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your Faith and showing the proper fruits of it.
Here’s my heart’s desire for each of us:
Close:
Ephesians 3:16-18 (Amp) – “16May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].
17May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love.
18That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it].
Revelation 14:12 (Amp) – Here [comes in a call for] the steadfastness of the saints [the patience, the endurance of the people of God], those who [habitually] keep God’s commandments and [their] faith in Jesus.
