Through Faith For Faith

-


Scripture:

Rom. 1:16   For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.”

Observation:

Paul’s strong affirmation of his belief is seen here in his letter to the church at Rome. At a time when many may have been scared to declare their faith, Paul will not shrink from his faith. He will declare that which he believes and live with the consequences. So earnestly does he believe in the transformational work of God that he will speak up so that all may find salvation. 

The gospel reveals to us the righteousness of God. The way in which this is reflected to the world is through those who are willing to embrace this faith, and then live by faith. Paul quotes from Habakkuk, bringing clarity to his statement “through faith for faith,” letting us know that it is in embracing faith that we then live by faith. The life of faith becomes the outward sign of the inward work begun by faith. Therefore we live through faith, that faith and trust that we put in Jesus Christ for salvation, for faith, the life lived in reflection of the one whom we have embraced for salvation. 

Application:

There are two sides to the coin of faith. We are blessed to come to Christ through faith, but that is just the beginning. It is the entry point into a new life which is then lived by faith for faith in Christ. 

If we believe that we can simply continue living the same way we have in the past once we step into a life of faith, we are wrong. Genuine faith in the gospel leads us into a healing relationship, where the corruption of the flesh is healed by the work of the Spirit. The result is new life, which is witnessed in our day to day behavior. 

We are living in what some are calling the “era of authenticity.” This is a place where we embrace that which is “authentic,” whether good or bad. The problem is that this leaves little room for the healing and transformative power of the Holy Spirit. If you believe you have no need of healing, then you will never go to the doctor. Instead you will continue to live with and affirm your infirmity, missing out on the incredible possibilities to be found through faith, for faith. 

The call of God is into a life of faith for faith and this is a life of continual growth in the Spirit. No longer am I who I was five years ago, but through ever-increasing participation in our holy God, I am led to new heights of relationship, being transformed from glory to glory. We are not supposed to become satisfied with where we are, but drawn ever upward we climb the spiritual ladder through the power of the Holy Spirit. This climb is made through faith for faith, for as we reach new heights, our faith is continually transformed through participation with the mind of Christ. 

Prayer:


Lord, please lead me on a this journey, day by day, of living through faith for faith. Amen. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a time when we try to carry
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her
Read more

On Grief and A Flute Player

-
Scripture: Matt. 9:23 When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, Matt. 9:24 he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Matt. 9:25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. Matt. 9:26 And the report of this spread throughout that district. Observation: This is a simple story which we have heard or read numerous times. Jesus heals the little girl and the people rejoice. But at the moment in which he arrives at the home he encounters the professional mourners. These are the flute players, the ones who have come to make a great noise about the child’s death. It is the flute player that testifies to the fact that she is truly dead. Also, flutes were generally employed when it came to the death of a child. The whole community would therefore understand that it is a child who has died in this home. The flute player is doing the job they have
Read more