Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
The Bible tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Having faith in God means we trust Him for His character, the promises of His Word that He has given to us, and the fulfilment of His covenant obligations to us.
The Christian lifestyle is one of faith—from now to eternity. Faith in God is a personal matter because it is between God and us. Therefore, nobody can take this walk of faith for us, and we must develop our faith in God ourselves. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. What gives substance to our faith is the Word of God, specifically the Word of promise given to us personally. That is what we anchor our faith on even though we have not yet seen the fulfilment of the promise in the natural realm.
However, many people find it unnerving to walk by faith because they are used to “seeing is believing”. For example, they may have faith in their business developments and investments because they are supported by certain indicators, projections, and simulations. However, walking by faith means taking God for His Word, rather than having faith in the evidence.
People are generally uncomfortable or anxious when they cannot see, feel, or lack sufficient information on certain matters. They want all the evidence presented before their eyes. Unfortunately, this is contrary to how the Kingdom of God works. In the Kingdom of God, everything must be done by faith in God and His Word. Because it can be challenging for us to have faith in something unseen, we must develop our “faith muscle” by exercising faith in the little things so we can believe God for great things. Faith is found in the heart, or “spirit man”, and not in the mind. However, renewing the mind with the Word of God is crucial because an unrenewed mind is a hindrance to faith.
Faith believes that God is whatever the Word of God says He is, and faith believes that He is a rewarder and giver of all things to those who diligently seek Him, but the key is to “diligently seek Him”.When we have sought the Lord and He has spoken to us, it gives substance to our faith, and we can be certain that we have received what He has promised us. Once faith is received from the Word, patience is required, but the grace of God will be present in our hearts to enable us to hold on until the promise comes to pass. Sermon Series: Faith Is Anchored in God’s Word
Sermon Series: Faith Is Anchored in God’s Word
寻求祂的人
希伯来书 11:6 人非有信,就不能得神的喜悦;因为到神面前来的人,必须信有神,且信他赏赐那寻求他的人。
圣经告诉我们,人非有信,就不能得神的喜悦。对神有信心意味着我们相信神的品格,相信祂赐予我们的话语中所带的应许,并祂必履行与我们的盟约。
从现在直到永远,基督徒的生活方式是一种信心的生活方式。对神的信心是非常个人的事情,因为它是神和我们之间的关系。所以,没有人能代替我们走这条信心之路。我们必须建立自己对神的信心。信是所望之事的实底,是未见之事的确据。赋予我们信心的实底是神的话语,特别是祂给我们的个人应许。这是我们信心的锚定之处,即使我们在现实中还没有看到这些应许被应验。
然而,许多人觉得凭信心行事是令人不安的,因为我们太习惯了“眼见为实”。例如,他们对自己的业务发展和投资充满信心,因为有某些指标、预测和模拟的支撑。然而,凭信心行事是相信主的话,而不是相信证据。
人们通常在无法看到、感觉到或对某些事情缺乏足够的信息时会感到不舒服或焦虑。他们希望各种的证据都能呈现在他们的眼前。不幸的是,这与上帝国度的运作方式背道而驰。在上帝的国度里,做任何事情都必须凭信靠上帝和祂的话才能完成。因为对我们来说,对一些看不见的东西抱有信心是一项挑战,我们必需从小事上开始操炼信心来锻炼我们的“信心肌肉”,这样我们才能相信神能够成就大事。信心是在心里或”灵人”里,而不是在头脑中。然而,用神的话来更新心意是非常重要的,因为没有被更新的心意会拦阻信心。
信心是相信神与祂话语里所说的是一致的,信心是相信祂赏赐和赐予万物给那寻求祂的人,但关键是要”寻求祂”。当我们寻求主并且祂对我们说话时,我们的信心就有了实底,也确信我们已经领受了祂所应许的。一旦从神的话语中获得信心,就需要有耐心,但神的恩典会放在我们的心中使我们能坚持到应许被应验。
讲章系列:信心植根于神的话语中
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