Sola Fide: Our Identity

2 Corinthians 5:6-10

Intro

v7 - we ARE a people of (who walk by) faith; this IS our identity

v8&10 - There is a foundation laid for our faith; namely the judgment of God & the Gospel of Jesus

v7&9 - There is a prescribed path to follow

v6&8 - There are consequences (what flows out of) and an experiential aspect of being a people of faith

Habakkuk 2:4 “... the righteous shall live by his faith.”

(The Lord speaking in answer to Habakkuk’s inability to grasp what God was doing by raising up the Babylonians to conquer Judah)

Look around at the circumstance of this world… do you clearly understand what God is doing?

Can you make sense of it all?

Do you sometimes sense impending doom , destruction, social disruption, calamity, coming persecution even?

Perhaps then it is most appropriate to ask the sovereign God of the Universe what it means to be a people of faith… to aspire that it be true of us that Sola Fide is Our Identity.

What Kind of Faith?

Specifically Christian Faith

(not self or any other faith)

Isaiah 41 - the trial of the false gods

1 Kings 18 - Elijah calls out false gods

A Gift

Eph 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

We can’t muster it

It is the conduit; not the active force

it is lasting, imperfect, and progressive

Substantive

Hebrews 11:1 “1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

a reality; a foundation; a possession

Evidentiary

1 John 5:1 “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.”

A rational Faith (based on or in accordance with reason or logic)

Exodus 20:1-3 “And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me.”

Romans 1:20 “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

What does it mean to be a people of faith?

3 Aspects of Biblical or Christian Faith:

Notitia - Knowledge

Romans 10:2 “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.”

Mat 22:29 “But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.”

Romans 10:14-15 “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!””

Mark 12:30-31 “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.””

When Paul says we walk by faith, it is a faith of KNOWING, even if imperfectly!

Assensus - Agreement / Approval / Mental Ascent

Thomas Jefferson removed acounts of the miraculous or the Divinity of Jesus

Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

Confession of sin is merely agreeing with God about our failures

We should make every effort to make sure we understand the Word of God, but also realize that we can never sit in judgment about it

Fiducia - Trust

James 2:19 “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”

“Who knows whether this is true?.” - Martin Luther after climbing the Sancta Scala

Matthew 16:16 “Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.””

John 9:25 “He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.””

When we read of faith in the scriptures, when we identify as people of faith, it must be about a reliance & dependance on Christ.

So, being a people of faith means:

Being a people who know, and seek to know God.

Being a people who agree with God

Being a people who trust God

What are the consequences of Faith?

Faithfulness

John 5:46 “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.”

John 14:15 ““If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

James 2:18 “But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

THE FLOOR IS LAVA

2 Cor 5:9 “So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.”

Assurance - of God, and our standing in Christ

Calvin believed that assurance is the essence of faith

v6 - so we ARE of good courage

v8 - Yes, we ARE of good courage

courage = boldness, stemming from a strong assurance in who God is, and who we are in Christ

2 peter 1:10 “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.”

2 peter 1:5 “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,”

Vindication

Revelation 19:16-17 “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. 17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God,”

Luke 18:28-30 “And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.””

2 cor 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

Summary

Be of good courage Antioch Church, we are not the first generation to live in unsettling, troubled, and divisive times. What’s more, none of the affairs of mankind are a surprise to, or outside the Sovereign control of God. My prayer for you is the same today as for myself, my family, and my church family in Mount Juliet: May God grant it to be so that we are a people of faith.

Sola Fide: Our Identity by grace.