Followers Of Christ
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I want to start this morning by saying I'm going to try to get out of the habit of saying believers When Talking about the Chosen Men and Women Of God. Why you Say. Because I think Followers of Christ is more Accurate than Believers or disciples of Christ but I don't think that belief equals salvation Because Belief is a part of Faith but not Faith in its entirety You must first believe in order to have faith but just because you believe does not mean you have faith
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
Do you see that even the demons believe but have no faith
Faith is a Gift given by God
We See Thin in Ephesians it is not something you do it is not something you choose but of God Alone
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Notice But God
While you were Dead and enemies of God dead to your sin God Chose you and gave the Gift of Life through that of faith
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
Faith is more than belief its trust a perfect kind of Trust the Kind that even when all things seem to be going wrong you trust in what you can not see not understand knowing God is in Control and that everything that happens is for your good
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Story of young irl raised in church ovarian cancer what faith looks like vs belief
And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
Many times believers will quickly fade away from their faith when adversity rocks their world because though they belief they have no saving Faith
Goes back to the parable of the soils
And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.
What Kind of Soil Has the Seed Fallen upon in your heart has is been thrown away to the wayside snatched up by the bird disregarded as foolishness
Has the seed fallen amoungst the Rocks where no the Truth gains no real depth , Not caring to know more not desiring to engage in the affairs of the Kingdom just going about your marry way and when adversity strikes you get angry at God Saying How could you allow this in my life.
Or maybe it has fallen in with the thorns chocking the desire to serve the kingdom out all in the name of business there always seems to be more important things to do that to serve God You would say well a mans got to make a living right. maybe believing but not trusting in God to provide,
Or has it fallen on Good Soil and you are passionate and serving God in all areas of your life striving to be a great witness for Christ in His kingdom praying seeking His guidance is council forever thankful for all thing in your life
Have you believed or have you got Faith?
What Soil is where you are
Know this only the final soil will inherit the kingdom of God
Wont you trust in Him today Wont you surrender to His sovereign divine plan and purpose for your life even when you dont understand even when you cant understand
This is why the bible say lean not on your own understanding
Maybe you have been a believer for along time but have not had the saving faith wont you cry out today wont you cry out right now that God would grant you faith Wont you say Lord My God increase My Faith that I can trust in you that it will be you who is in control no Longer do I desire to fight my way through this wicked world Lord i need you to take my hand and take my heart and lead me through the water through the fires even if they hurt enven when it feels all is lost I know for you have said I shall not drown and I shall not be consumed for you are my God my Lord My savior and i know that you will never leave nor forsake me.
Wont you cry out right now he desire to hear you let it out he wants to wipe the tears from your eyes let them run he wants to take the burdens from your shoulders let them go
Surrender now right now
Have Faith and watch your new life blossom