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Faith And Faithfulness

Faith And Faithfulness

"The righteous will live by faith." Hab. 2:4

The following article was written by Jacob Prasch of Moriel Ministries. I have added the bits in square brackets.

In Hebrew, the word for "faith" is "emunah" from which we get the word "amen"; in Hebrew the word for "faithfulness" is "emunah". It is the same word, like from the book of Lamentations: "Great is thy faithfulness" (Lam. 3:23). The Hebrew language makes no distinction between "faith" and "faithfulness" and neither, technically, does the Greek - "pistis". There may be a difference in the case endings, but the word for "faith" and the word for "faithfulness" is the same. In other words, if somebody's faith is genuine, they are going to be faithful. "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" (John 3:36).

A saving faith is not a mere, intellectual faith; Satan has an intellectual faith; Satan knows it is true. If it is a saving faith, there will be faithfulness. The problem is that instead of following the Hebrew or Greek, our translations generally follow the Latin Vulgate of Jerome. "Faith" and "faithfulness" are different in Latin. Hence, in English, we get the wrong perspective. If it is a saving faith, we will be faithful.

Hab. 2:4 says,

"The righteous will live by faith." [It could be translated,]

"The righteous will live by faithfulness."

Eph. 2:8 says,

"We are saved by Grace through faith." [It could be translated,]

"We are saved by Grace through faithfulness."

(Commencing, of course, with the faithfulness of Jesus).

Heb. 11:6 says,

"Without faith it is impossible to please God." [It could be translated,]

"Without faithfulness it is impossible to please God."

We make a distinction between "faith" and "faithfulness" because of translational complications we should not be making.

… end of Jacob's article.

From what Jacob has shown us, we see that faith and faithfulness go hand in hand. Real faith is shown by faithfulness so if someone claims to have faith but is not faithful then they have a dead, worthless faith because James 2:26 tells us that "faith without deeds is dead." A tree is known by its fruit and "every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matt. 7:17-19).

This article can be downloaded as a PDF or an MP3 from -

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Mick Alexander

leeandmick@gmail.com

www.ChristianIssues.biz

761 54 years ago

The Two Wolves

The Two Wolves "I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life." (Deu. 30:19)   Whenever someone repents and accepts Jesus as Lord of their life, the Holy Spirit comes to live within them and, from that point on, a spiritual battle exists between their sinful nature and the Holy Spirit. Gal. 5:17 describes this battle: "For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." Our sinful nature is a powerful force which will continue to rule our lives unless we submit to the Spirit just as Gal. 5:16 tells us, "live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." The following parable describes the battle within us:   An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life... "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.   One wolf is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego.   The other wolf is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.   This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."   The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"   The old chief simply replied, "The one you feed." (Author Unknown)   This parable truly describes the spiritual battle every Christian faces. Which wolf are you feeding? Rom. 8:13 also tells us that there are two ways we can live: "if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." 1) You can feed the evil wolf and live according to your sinful nature and die or 2) You can feed the good wolf and through the Spirit put to death the misdeeds of the body and live.   You need to choose wisely as only "those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Rom. 8:14). Choose life and through the power of the Holy Spirit put to death the misdeeds of the body so that you may inherit eternal life.   This article can be downloaded as a PDF or an MP3 from - http://www.christianissues.biz/downloads.html   Mick Alexander Email: leeandmick@gmail.com Website: www.ChristianIssues.biz

672 54 years ago

God's Love

God's Love

"God is love." (1 John 4:16)

As we look at the evil in this sin-sick world it is easy to see why non-believers say that God cannot be a God of love. It's hard to find words to describe how low mankind has sunk and, despite all the empty talk, things are only going to get worse until Jesus returns. God is allowing the world to continue on its sinful free-fall into greater filth, violence and apostasy. However, there is a limit as "He has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed [that is, Jesus]" (Acts 17:31). But why is Jesus so slow in returning? Speaking about Jesus' return, 2 Pet. 3:9 gives the answer where it says, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." It is because of His great love for mankind that God is patiently waiting for sinners to repent and then He will return to judge the world with justice and great wrath. If He was not patient and loving then He would have returned to destroy all sinners long ago. So, lets look at the love of God.

The cross

God's love is not a dizzy-headed, fuzzy feeling that fades away after a honeymoon period. His love is an unchanging, solid and selfless commitment. For over three years Jesus walked towards the cross knowing the awful agony that He would soon endure. On the night before He was crucified, He was in such anguish that, while praying, "his sweat was like drops of blood" (Luke 22:44). This occurs with extreme trauma but despite the trauma Isa 50:7 tells that "He set His face like flint" in His determination to suffer on the cross to save you and I from hell. Now, THAT is love!

On the way to the cross, after being whipped and beaten, Jesus was more concerned about the women weeping for Him than for Himself (Luke 23:27-31).

On the cross, in awful agony, He selflessly continued to think of others.

In mortal agony -

He forgave a thief being crucified beside Him (Luke 23:39-43);

He asked God to forgive His executioners (Luke 23:33-34) and

He asked a disciple to care for His mother (John 19:26-27).

Through all of this, God watched Jesus' agony and Isa. 53:10 tells us that it pleased God to allow His Son to suffer for us. We sinned against God and Jesus paid the penalty of death for us. Now, THAT is love far beyond measure and understanding. In John 15:13, Jesus said,

"Greater love has no one that this,

that he lay down his life for his friends."

God's love since the cross

God's love did not end with the cross. He continues to lovingly draw the unsaved to Himself and sends the Holy Spirit to live within all who repent of their sins and put their trust in Jesus. The Holy Spirit lovingly and patiently disciplines and guides believers to be conformed to God's will. It is because of His love that He disciplines us, even severely if necessary. Heb. 12:5-6 tell us, "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." To discipline us, God manipulates our emotions and circumstances in order to get us to repent of our wicked ways so that we walk with Him in peace and inherit eternal life.

The Prodigal Son is a perfect example of God's patient love and discipline. This young man arrogantly asked for his inheritance while his father was alive and then went off to waste the money in wild living. When his money was gone, he ended up feeding pigs that were eating better than he was. These conditions caused him come to his senses and repent so he went back home hoping to work for his father as a slave. To his surprise, his father saw him in the distance and ran to welcome him home as his son, not as a slave. This parable is given to tell us how our heavenly Father controls our circumstances and emotions to bring us to repentance whenever we go off the path of holiness. God is extremely patient and loving toward us. Psa. 100:5 says,

"For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations."

Finally

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us." (1 John 3:16). We should not have the slightest doubt about the love God has for each one of us because His love and faithfulness are ever present in our lives. Nor should we doubt the love He has for the unsaved as He continues to patiently draw them to Himself in the hope that they will repent. If anyone says that God is not loving and asks why He does not put an end to evil then we can safely tell them that He plans to do that soon enough but in the meantime He is waiting for them to come to repentance. As sure as night follows day, the present time of Love and Grace will end and God's fierce wrath will be poured out on the earth. Amen.

This article can be downloaded as a PDF or an MP3 from -

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Mick Alexander

Email: leeandmick@gmail.com

Website: <a href="http://www.ChristianIssues.biz" target="_blank">www.ChristianIssues.biz</a>

770 54 years ago

Returning God's Love

Returning God's Love

Jesus said, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching."

(John 14:23)

Rom 5:8 tells us, "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Through the cross, our heavenly Father clearly demonstrated His love for us. What does He require from us to return that love?

First, let's look at not loving God

In 1 John 3:1 we are told, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" As believers, we are sons of God and the Progidal Son (Luke 15:11-32) is a good example of what a child of God should not do. This young man demanded his inheritance while his father was alive and then went off into a life of sin, showing no respect for God, the law of the land nor for his father and family. By taking what was not yet due to him, and living an ungodly life, he abused God's laws and showed a total lack of love for those close to him. In Jewish society, these actions were extremely shameful and punishable by death (Deu. 21:18-21). Fortunately, like our heavenly Father, his father was full of love and accepted him back when he repented. This young man is a good example of what we should not do.

What must we do to show God our love?

Jesus has not left us with any doubt about what it means to love God. In John 14:23, He said, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." Jesus has made it very clear that to love Him is to obey Him and, in John 15:10, He tells us, "If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love." So, Jesus' love for us is not unconditional as many think; we will only remain in His love if we are obedient to His commands. If we fail to obey these commands then we will not remain in His love and will not inherit eternal life because, in John 15:6, He said, "If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned."

So, exactly what is commanded of us?

Jesus said the greatest commandments were to love God and to love our neighbour (Matt. 22:37-40).

We show God our love when we put aside all idols and focus on Him and His kingdom. We express that love when we seek His presence and guidance, perform our duties to the best of our ability, attend church, evangelise, give, pray, study the Bible and generally try to honour Him in all we think, say and do.

Regarding loving our neighbour, James 2:8 tells us, "If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right." So, by loving our neighbour we keep the Royal Law of Love and are doing what is good and pleasing in God's sight. Rom. 13:8-10 explain what it means to love our neighbour: "… he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not covet,' and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." So, in simple terms, to love our neighbour means to stop sinning against him because:

When we lie we are not loving our neighbour.

When we steal we are not loving our neighbour.

When we hate we are not loving our neighbour.

When we lust we are not loving our neighbour.

When we covet we are not loving our neighbour and

When we ignore the needy we are not loving our neighbour.

Loving is the greatest thing we can do as it is the fulfilment of the law. In John 13:34-35, Jesus said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." So, we can see that obeying Jesus' commands is loving God and loving our neighbour by not sinning against them.

Finally

Obedience is more than just something we 'should' do; it is essential for salvation. Jesus has shown His love towards us by dying FOR our sins and in return we show Him our love by dying TO our sins. 1 Pet. 1:2 tells us that we "have been chosen … for obedience to Jesus Christ" and 1 John 2:3-4 reveal the seriousness of obedience. These verses say, "We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, 'I know him', but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him." This is a very clear warning that if anyone claims to know Jesus but is not doing what He commands then he doesn't have the truth, and is in fact a liar. Make no mistake, these verses are speaking to Christians as John the apostle includes himself by saying "we". These are very fearful words because we know that all liars will end up in the lake of fire, just as it says in Rev. 21:8.

So, I want to encourage you. If, for any reason, you are not being obedient to the Lord then please show Him your love by turning to Him in repentance and calling on Him to cleanse you of all unrighteousness, just as it says in 1 John 1:9. By doing this you will come to know the peace and joy of walking with the Lord and be sure of receiving a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of heaven.

[Some comments on Rom. 8:35-39: From this article it can be seen that, if we want to remain in His love, we must remain obedient to Jesus' commands and keep from sin. Rom. 8:35-39 appear to be saying that sin will not separate us from God's love but this apparent contradiction disappears when we note that these verses have nothing to do with the separation caused by sin. What these verses are saying is that there is nothing in Creation that can separate us from God. That is, there is nothing that man, nature, demons or otherwise can do to us to separate us from God's love. Sin will always separate us from God but He will not allow any of Creation's hardships to cause us to fall away and be separated from His love. Paul suffered many, many hardships but nothing was able to separate him from God's love because God kept him through all his trials. Over the centuries, many martyrs have kept the faith despite unspeakable suffering – God kept them because they loved and obeyed Him!] Amen.

This article can be downloaded as a PDF or an MP3 from -

http://www.christianissues.biz/downloads.html

It can be read online at -

http://www.christianissues.biz/blog/wordpress/2013/01/24/returning-gods-love/

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Mick Alexander

Email: leeandmick@gmail.com

Website: www.ChristianIssues.biz

783 54 years ago

You Don't Have To Take It Any More

You Don't Have To Take It Any More

"Sin shall not be your master." (Rom. 6:14)

I don't think that there can be greater heartache than knowing Jesus and yet still be a slave to sin. It's common knowledge that there are many churchgoers secretly addicted to pornography, alcohol, drugs and other sins. They don't want to be that way but don't know how to overcome their slavery to unrighteousness and their hearts ache because of the darkness that is hidden within them. They feel great shame but put on happy faces. Only they, and God, know the awful shame that is deep within their souls. They want to change but remain as they are because no one has ever told them that they don't have to take it any more, that is, they don't have to take sin any more. Jesus came to set the captives free so that no one has to remain a slave to sin. In John 8:34, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin," BUT He continued on to say, "if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36). So, if you are battling with the likes of pornography, alcohol or drugs, then you too can be freed and enter into the wonderful peace of God which comes when inner darkness is replaced with light. How is this done?

Firstly, Let's Look At Our Sinful Nature

There is no question that we will be influenced by our sinful nature until we see Jesus but this does not mean that we have to give in to it. Many people say that we are only human and can't be free from slavery to sin despite the fact that Jesus says we can be. I once heard the following: "We have a body which gets hungry so we eat, a body which gets thirsty so we drink and a sinful nature so we will always sin." This is a terrible lie which leaves many souls burdened with the guilt of their sin. Jesus clearly says that He can free us. In Rom. 7:24-25, Paul openly admitted to the wickedness of his flesh when he said, "What a wretched man I am!" BUT he went on to say, "Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Plainly, Paul tells us that through Jesus he was changed and rescued from his fleshy body of death. In Rom. 6:14, he said, "sin shall not be your master" and this is made possible through the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit Empowers Us To Overcome Sin

God knows very well how weak we are so when we repent and accept Jesus He sends the Holy Spirit to live within us to guide us and to empower us to overcome our lusts. Through the Spirit we can be freed from our sinful nature as Gal. 5:16 so clearly states: "live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." This is not a fairy tale, it's God's Word and millions of Christians, past and present, can testify to being rescued from the worst of sins. The Bible says that God has no favourites so if you have not been rescued from your body of death then you can be sure that God is waiting to deliver you also. God has given us the ability and responsibility to live a holy life.

Ability And Responsibility

Firstly, regarding our ability, the reason God sends the Holy Spirit to live within us is to transform our lives so that we are able live a life which pleases Him. Speaking about the Spirit, 2 Pet. 1:3-4 says, "His divine power [the Holy Spirit] has given us everything we need for life and godliness [so that] you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." From these verses we can see that the divine power of the Spirit gives us the ability to escape the corruption of sin and live a godly life (see Ezek. 36:25-27 also).

Next, regarding our responsibility, we are commanded to "live by the Spirit." We do this by repenting with all our heart, soul, mind and strength whenever the Spirit convicts us of sin. If, for example, pornography is a problem to you then the next time you desire it, fight it with all your might and call upon God to strengthen you to resist. You can be sure that God loves you as much as He loves any other person and will strengthen you to overcome when you are truly repentant. If your repentance is half-hearted then God will not deliver you because He sees that you love your sin more than His righteousness. You have to come to the point where you hate your sin as much as He does. When you reach that point, and call out to Him in repentance, He will rescue you and change your heart attitude toward that sin so that you can resist it when tempted in the future. When temptation comes again, and it will, you have to stand firm and not give in to it in the least otherwise you will be hooked again and have to start over. James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." God does not lie so believe this with all your heart, resist sin with all your strength, and you will be freed.

Pornography, alcohol and drugs are not the only addictive sins. In a sense, all sins are addictive. Many churchgoers are addicted to gossip, hate, jealousy, etc. and these sins need to be repented of in the same way as pornography, alcohol and drugs. Gal. 5:19:21 lists many other sins which will exclude people from the kingdom of God.

Finally

You don't have to take it any more. Jesus offers you freedom from the burden of sin. Don't believe the lie that has many thinking, "That's just me. I'm only human." If you are caught up in sin then I urge you to accept Jesus' loving invitation: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30).

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Mick Alexander

Email: leeandmick@gmail.com

Website: <a href="http://www.ChristianIssues.biz" target="_blank">www.ChristianIssues.biz</a>

5810 54 years ago

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Faith And Faithfulness

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