All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
Faith.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Colby on
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My faith is not on a continual upward trajectory, but I can say it is growing nonetheless. Even so, there are days when my faith is strong, and other days when it’s not. Among and between Christians, you can tell that there’s a wide spectrum of faith experience. We're all at different places in our faith journey - our walk with Christ.
I wonder from time to time how does faith in God happen? How does a relationship with Jesus deepen or wane? What makes our faith grow?
This I know about faith from experience and Scripture. God intends for us to show it, grow it, and share it. Faith multiplies and becomes more robust when we use it. That means, simply, being an witness to Christ’s love in the world: sharing the saving Gospel with others; loving and forgiving our neighbors; and loving and praying to God.
Growing in faith is just as important as growing in any other part of life.
1. Read, study and reflect on the Bible, which is the Word of God, and apply its principles and teachings in your life.
2. Fellowship and gather for study, prayer, praise and worship with other Christians.
3. Spend time each day in prayer. Ask for God's forgiveness and blessing. Seek his counsel and guidance.
4. Ministry. Be a blessing to others. Do good to others; help those in need and those who are hurting with love, charity and compassion. Share the Gospel - the good news of Jesus Christ - with others.
Faith is a gift, a mystery, and a calling. We have been called to this faith by Christ, and while there is much we may never understand about it, we know that it's good and true. We know by faith that God loves us; that he gives our lives meaning and purpose.
Finally, I implore you to use your faith to the utmost. Don't let it become inactive. Be an active Christian through whom others can see the love of Jesus. Be a blessing to the world. And remember that Jesus is with you, always.
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Permalink Reply by JB on
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First you must settle it in your heart what faith is. But it will only come by HEARING the Word, "emphasis on hearing the Word."
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Permalink Reply by Mary O on
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Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. (Romans 10:17 NIV)
The word works in our hearts. It takes root. Maybe we don't know all that we want to know from the Bible, but we study to know more and are resolved in our belief. If we ask God, He will teach us more and help strengthen our faith. God will also prove Himself to you. He knows who we are and our shortcomings. He can help us improve if we ask, but on the other hand, you have to be willing to listen. God doesn't want to be flapping his gums so to speak. Taking time out to be thankful is important (Colossians).
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2: 6,7 NIV)
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)
God's love,
Mary
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Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. (Romans 10:17 NIV)
That is what is meant by HEARING the Word. The message can be taught to many people, but they don't really hear what the message is saying. It must "has" to be spoken by the Holy Spirit, when it says hearing they hear not, and seeing they see not. So you can hear the message "the word" audibly, but not spiritually. So hearing with the physical ears is not hearing the Word. You are just hearing words, but they are unfruitful, as far as the spirit is concerned. In other words it's by God's grace that is speaking to you, through the Word. Peter experienced it in Matt.16:13....flesh and blood did not reveal to him that this was the Christ, but the Father that was in heaven. So it is that Peter was not the rock that Christ was going to build His church on, but the revelation, by grace.
JB
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So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2: 6,7 NIV)
This is one of the problems I have with various translations, the preceding reference “Col:2,6,7 NIV.” To me, takes away, somewhat from the meaning I have been led to believe. I’m not trying to be politically correct, some study the NIV, I have even heard from some preachers that it was the best, and most accurate translation, I have read it and studied out of it, however, I find several passages that lead a person in a more passive understanding than the KJV. Not to say that it is the only and true translation, many do not like it because of the use of Elizabethan wording, granted it is sometimes harder to understand, however it is to me, more accurate and understandable in light of the whole theme of the Word of God. So I say if a person is studying the Word of God, regardless of the translation, (emphasis on the “Word of God”) and are receiving revelation by the grace of God, then please keep studying.
However back to the subject, Col.2:6,7, KJV. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
So then I would ask; how did we receive Christ Jesus our Lord? “By grace through faith isn’t it?”
And this is how we receive everything from, or “of” Him, by grace through faith. Faith can never obtain; what grace hasn’t provided. And though grace has been provided, it can’t be received without faith.
I understand it is all in the syntax, and to some means the same thing, it is just that I can understand it more clearly reading it from/in the KJV.
Not trying to be argumentative.
Lord bless,
JB
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Permalink Reply by Carla on
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Hi Jashayla,
Admittedly, it is a bit of a mystery as to how we keep our faith. A few things come to mind as to how it works. First of all,
faith is a gift. It's not of ourselves, because it is not something we can think up on our own, we can't even explain or convince someone to have it. When we repent of our sins and believe the gospel, we receive it.
Ephesians 2:8 says
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;"
Faith is something that is under attack the most...we're instructed in Ephesians 6 to 'take up the shield of faith to distinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one'.
If we start to dissect it to understand it in a physical sense, I think it would only confuse us. Faith is a spiritual word, and God is looking for worshippers in spirit and in truth. We're to come to Jesus as little children to enter God's Kingdom. To me that means to trust in, rest in, abide in.... God the Father is a good parent and He cares for us, as His children.
The book of Hebrews speaks directly to the importance of faith, and how, by faith, we are counted as 'righteous' in God's sight.
Finally, Jesus will never let us go.
John 10
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[c]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
Romans 8
If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was [l]raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of [m]Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written,
“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Blessings, Carla
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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on
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faith is a gift. It's not of ourselves, because it is not something we can think up on our own, we can't even explain or convince someone to have it. When we repent of our sins and believe the gospel, we receive it.
WELL SAID!
I will add here,
Then, because of this new life imparted into us that is from Christ by grace through faith, we begin to live this faith out day by day seeking to please our Lord because we love Him.
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