Faith

INTRODUCTION:

What is Faith?

Repentance and Faith are both required for conversion.

- “…Repent ye, and believe the Gospel.”

HOME TEXT: -

“…Repent ye, and believe the Gospel.”

“For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”

Faith is seen in verse Ten: They wait for Jesus to deliver them from the wrath to come.

They wait for Jesus to deliver them from the wrath to come.

REAL FAITH IS NOT:

1. An acceptance of facts - Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

2. Reciting a magical verbal formula

- That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. ()

- We have faulted in telling people to pray a certain phrase and they are saved. That is not biblical saving faith.

- Roman Catholics teach the right person saying the right words turns wine into blood, or the baptismal water to regenerate an infant.

- Muslims teach that if you say, “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammed is his prophet.” 3 times in Arabic you become a muslim.

- NO VERBAL FORMULA CAN CHANGE A HEART THAT WORSHIPS IDOLS INTO A HEART THAT WORSHIPS GOD.

REAL FAITH IS:

“Christian faith is wholehearted trust that God will keep His promises in the Gospel.” - Michael Lawrence

The Thessalonians waited on Jesus and it showed in their lives.

The Thessalonians waited on Jesus and it showed in their lives.

The Jews stopped depending on Moses and the Law for Justification.

The Greeks stopped depending on their idols.

They all stopped depending on their wealth.

They all started depending on the promises of God in the Gospel.

Everyone could see the new faith in the Thessalonians because true faith not only repeats God’s promises back to Him in prayer, it leans on His promises…. changes the way you live.

Everyone could see the new faith in the Thessalonians because true faith not only repeats God’s promises back to Him in prayer, it leans on His promises…. changes the way you live.

Illustration: Young sick boy who is delirious but knows he can trust on the promises of his father that he loves and can trust Him.

- “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”

- “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”

Real faith leans, depends, follows, and works

Real faith leans, depends, follows, and works

WHAT FAITH DO WE TEACH?

WE DON’T TEACH:

Moralism - Depending on your good deeds.

Sincerity - makes us depend on emotional experiences and a culture of rededication.

Decisionism - causes us to depend on that prayer we prayed.

Decisionism - causes us to depend on that prayer we prayed.

WE DO TEACH:

- “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.”

- “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.”

Paul doesn’t tell us to look at past decisions he tells us to observe our lives today. Saving faith clings to Christ and doesn’t let go.

Paul doesn’t tell us to look at past decisions he tells us to observe our lives today. Saving faith clings to Christ and doesn’t let go

QUOTE/ILLUSTRATION: “I don’t know I’m alive because I have a birth certificate, I know I’m alive because I am breathing.” - John Piper

SAVING FAITH, LIKE REPENTANCE, PRODUCES EVIDENCE IN THE PERSONS LIFE.

- Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

- 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance (DISAGREEMENT), emulations (PROVOKE TO JEALOUSY), wrath, strife, seditions (DIVISIONS, REBELLION), heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings (BINGE PARTIER), and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

We should help each other by pointing out these evidences to each other.

WHAT TYPE OF FAITH DO WE OFFER?

False Repentance = False convert.

False Faith = False convert.

Faith is not merely intellectual … Faith effects how we live.- 1 john 4:20 - If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

We must not treat conversion only as a decision.

2nd great awakening.

Charles G. Finney.

“Raise your hand, come forward, etc…

. “ the fruit of changing conversion into a decision is having a church that looks like the world, “divorce rates, rampant materialism, high pornography usage and church members who rarely even attend.”

“We can easily harvest, manipulate, and collect decisions. But Jesus told us to go and make disciples. Not decisions, not converts, but disciples—life-long followers who endure hardship, take up their cross, and follow Jesus.” - Michael Lawrence.

“We can easily harvest, manipulate, and collect decisions. But Jesus told us to go and make disciples. Not decisions, not converts, but disciples—life-long followers who endure hardship, take up their cross, and follow Jesus.” - Michael Lawrence.

- 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, tfornication, tuncleanness, vlasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, avariance, aemulations, wrath, bstrife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, klongsuffering, kgentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Christians have been predestined by God to be conformed into the image of Jesus Christ. Not simply given a key to do as they please and enter heaven.

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.