Faith Alone (11)

The Five Evidences of Faith

1. Faith is working with God to get things Done

Faith is not moving God to act- Faith is partnering with God to accomplish things

Every man or woman of God that has done anything Great for the kingdom or even preached a great message only accomplished it by their partnering iwth God

Paul Writes of His own ministry 2 Cor 3:1-6

2 Corinthians 3:1–6 ESV

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

“Not that we are Sufficent”- The KNJV “Not hat we are compitent”

What is Paul saying Here?

WE lack the ability and the Power to God it

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words Ability, Able

hikanos (ἱκανός, 2425), translated “able,” is to be distinguished from dunatos While dunatos means “possessing power,”

The Beautiful thing about faith is that is make you a partner with God to accomplish what you couldn’t accomplish on your own

The Five Evidences of Faith

1. Obedience to God’s Word

True faith produces obedience.

Hebrews 11:8

Hebrews 11:8 ESV

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

Faith isn’t just believing in your mind—it moves you to act on God’s Word.

2. Trust in God’s Character

Faith shows itself in confident trust, even when circumstances don’t make sense.

“Hebrews 11:1

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

The evidence is that you keep relying on God, not your feelings or what you can see.

3. Good Works and Fruit

Genuine faith produces fruit in your life.

James 2:17

James 2:17 ESV

So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

The “evidence” is love, good works, and the fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Faith Always produce fruit- The thing that Jesus hates the most is no fruit

John 15:8 ESV

By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

Why Did Jesus Curse the Fig tree?

Mark 11:12–17 NLT

The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard him say it. When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”

The Point of the Fig tree was to show that anything that didn’t produce fruit was lie and a system that was keep people from real life!

Jesus hates points system that go by the guise of being life giving yet only keep people starving!

John 15:1–8 NLT

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

Faith Produce fruit!

4. Perseverance in Trials

Faith is proven when you continue to hold on to God in hard times.

1 Peter 1:7 ESV

so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Evidence of faith is that trials don’t destroy you—they refine you.

Think of Acts 4:23-31

Acts 4:23–31 NLT

As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying, ‘Why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah.’ “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

Their prayer in Faith was more boldness and more signs and wonders

The signs were the reason they were persecuted in the first place- they healed a man in the name of Jesus

they were ok with the persecution but they ask for more boldness to continue in the face of it

5. Inner Witness of Peace and Assurance

Faith brings a heart-level confidence in God’s promises.

Romans 8:16 ESV

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

There is an assurance, a peace, that comes from knowing you belong to Him.

Romans 15:13 ESV

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.