20 15 How Faith Grows Exceedingly
15 How Faith Grows Exceedingly
15. How Faith Grows Exceedingly
INTRODUCTION
Turning to2 Thessalonians 1:3-4, we have these words:"We are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, even as it is meet, for that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all toward one another aboundeth; so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience [steadfastness] and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which ye endure."
Is there any difference between arealChristian and that one out there who has no dealings with God? Answer the question now: Does not every bit of the reason about us say there must be a difference? The soul being worth more than all the wealth of the earth, worth so much that God gave his only begotten Son to give his life to save that soul, would God be just and leave us to grope about here in darkness, never knowing whether our soul is saved or unsaved? Is there anything about the religion of our Lord that lifts us out of ourselves and places our feet on a rock that sustains and comforts?
Some remarkable statements we just here consider. ( 1) Did not Job say, "For I know that my redeemer liveth”? (Job 19:25). (2) Did not Paul declare, "For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day"? (2 Timothy 1:12). Are we to get nothing from Paul’s libation—viz., his pouring out his blood upon his life of sacrifice and service to the cause Christ died to establish? Listen to his words: "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:6; 2 Timothy 4:8). Was not Paul looking forward to such an end of his glorious life when he said to the Philippians, "Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all"? (Php 2:17). And this brings to mind the words of this great witness of the resurrection of our Lord, when he was besought by Luke and the brethren at Caesarean not to go to Jerusalem because Agabus, the prophet, declared that trial and persecution awaited him there. Here are his words: "Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." (Acts 21:13).
Is there not a "joy unspeakable and full of glory”? (1 Peter 1:8). Is there not ”the peace of God, which passeth all understanding”? (Php 4:4-7). Do you have this joy, this peace? If so, will not the world see it, and will not this cause them to come to desire that which you have that they know they have not? Did not the persecutors of the apostles take "knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus ”? Was there not something about the boldness of the apostles, their perfect self-control and calmness under fire, that made even the enemy know that they had contact with something that was above man?
And, finally, in these introductory remarks, may I now ask: Is your faith today any stronger than it was when you were baptized into Christ, ten, fifteen, or thirty years ago? Have you heard men preach thirty years ago whom you have been observing all of these years, and is there anything that indicates they have more faith now than when you first heard them? Think of your own soul from this point of view! Has your faith been growing, and not merely growing, but growing exceedingly? Can those with whom you have been living see that it has grown? Have you any more self-control now than you had when you were baptized? Have you no more patience and forbearance? And note this: Does your love toward the brethren abound? Along with this growing faith comes brotherly love abounding. Please study this lesson for your own soul’s sake and for what it will enable you to come to be to others.
GODS DEFINITION OF FAITH
Taking God’s own definition of his terms and getting the meaning from the context is the only infallible way of studying the Bible. In Hebrews 11:1 we have faith defined in these words:
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidenceof things not seen." By reading the different translations you will find faith defined as the substance, ground, or assurance of things hoped for, and the evidence, demonstration, test, or strict proof of things not seen. It is my judgment. that substance, ground, and assurance of things hoped for defines faith to us in the beginning of our life of service to our Lord. Faith as evidence, demonstration, test, or strict proof of things not seen, comes in the course of our life of service. The first part of this definition I think we have given to the church quite fully in our teaching, but we have sadly neglected the second part. The faith that saves is progressive in its nature. When we turn our backs on Satan and sin, and take God’s word as a lamp to our feet and a light to our pathway (Psalms 119:105 it leads us into ’’faith-producing channels or experiences. ” If this is not true, what could our Lord have meant when he said to his own disciples, to those who were at the time he was talking to them, believers, "And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe"? (John 14:29). What does he mean by their believing after certain things he had told them came to pass? He simply meant that they would come to believe in a larger way, that faith would become the evidence, the demonstration, the test, the strict proof that the God whom they had never seen undoubtedly is, that our Lord undoubtedly came from God and was returning to him. It would be well for you to read this whole chapter.
EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES The gospel of Christ, or the good news of God’s provisions for our salvation, consists of facts, commands, and PROMISES The facts are the birth, life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and coronation of our Lord. A study of 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 10:6-10; Acts 2:36 will prove this to you. Then faith, repentance, and baptism are commandments aliens must obey in order to be saved. Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:37-38; Acts 2:41, with other Scriptures, just as clearly teach. Then all of his commandments to us as Christians are to be obeyed. They teach us how to live at home, in whatever business we may be following, and how to meet on the first day of the week for worship, and to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. But now to these exceeding great and precious promises. Do you know that these are the things that make us grow exceedingly. It declares that through these promises we are made partakers of the divine nature. By virtue of these we grow into Christ’s likeness and allow his nature to become ours through daily putting to death our own carnal nature.
This is how we accomplish what we are commanded to do in Colossians 3:1-11.
Think of this: Here we are; we have never seen God, but he tells us in his word that if we will live a certain life here on earth that he will do certain things for us. We step out into this life of service, and as we travel along the way. we find the route he has commanded us to take is strewn with exceeding great and precious PROMISES We see these promises fulfilled almost daily, and thus faith is confirmed and strengthened. There can be no such thing as faith growing exceedingly without our hearts being fixed on these promises. Here is where we have neglected, to a very large degree, to preach and teach the gospel of Christ in all of its fullness.
EXEMPLIFICATIONS
Noah. It would be well to study the sixth, seventh, and eighth chapters of Genesis. Noah certainly believed that God existed before the flood. He by faith moved with fear and prepared the ark to the saving of his house. (Hebrews 11:7). Suppose you had gone to him before the flood and asked him if he believed in the existence of God. Most certainly he would have said that he did. But go to him after all that God had said came to pass exactly as God said it would, and he steps forth from the ark into a world rid of the sinful generation from which the ark had borne him; Ask him now if he believes that God is. He most certainly would have used faith in the stronger term and answered with Job: "I know that my Redeemer liveth. ” Can’t you see that his faith has become the evidence of things unseen, the strict proof, the absolute demonstration that God is.
Joseph. There is no story more interesting to us than that of Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob, who was hated by his brothers because of his dreams, and was sold as a slave to the Ishmaelites, and finally was bought in the slave markets of Egypt by Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard. You can read the whole story in Genesis 37 and also chapters 40 to 47.
With the story before you, think of the faith Joseph had when he was sold as a lad into slavery and the faith he had after all these dreadful and joyful experiences he had passed through! He had been well taught as a child. Hence, if he had been asked if he believed God is, the answer would have been: "Most certainly I do." If asked just how he could prove it, he could have said enough to show that he had that faith which is the substance of things hoped for. But ask him after the happy reunion, when his aged father and other relatives were brought down into Egypt to live. Ask him now if he believes God is. He would have used the stronger term and exclaimed with Job: "I know that my Redeemer liveth, though I have never seen him. ” Faith has become the evidence, the demonstration, the absolute proof that God is! Do you see it?
3. The Three Hebrew Children, or, better expressed, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Read the story of their experience in Dan. Before they were cast into the "midst of a burning fiery furnace," suppose we talk to them a little. Ask them if they believe God is. You know well the answer you would get. They have faith as the substance of things hoped for. But after they are cast in and then come forth with not a "hair of their head singed," talk to them and see what they say. They would not have said, "We believe God is," but their answer would have been, ”We know that God is, ” and they knew it as certainly as I now know I am writing these words, though they had never seen God. And so on we could go giving example after example. This is the way faith grows.
4. Bring the Lesson Home to Your own Soul. Has our Lord made us any promises? Most certainly— exceeding great and precious promises. Let us study some of them:
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). Is this true? Has its truthfulness been verified in your life? Do all of your experiences bring a blessing to your soul? If you are, indeed, a Christian they have done this very thing. But are you seeing it as you go along? And how does it happen that such is the case? Or shall we think of it as a "happen so," or see it as it indeed is—viz., that the eternal God, with whom there is nothing impossible, superintends and so overrules all your experiences for your good! This is the way it is. But do you see it?
Let us remember here that this promise is to those who LOVE God, not to those who think they love him when they do not. Christ who knows says: "If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. ” (John 14:23). How could anything hurt or harm you when God and his Son are making their abode with you? But are you keeping his commandments? Is there just one commandment that you knowingly trample underfoot? If so, this promise is not yours.
"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end." (Ephesians 3:20-21).
Here it would be well to remind you that the promise in Romans 8:28 is not only to those who love God, but to "the called according to his purpose. ” You will note that our Lord blesses only those who are in his church "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask OR think, according to the power that worketh in us." The "called according to his purpose” constitute the church, if you please. Let us read it: "To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Ephesians 3:10). Suppose you read prayerfully all of the third chapter of Ephesians.
Now does God bless you exceeding abundantly above all you think or ask? If not, there is something wrong with you, not with the promise. Can you keep up with the great and eternal God in all the ways he blesses you? How sad that some believe no further than they can see. This is not believing at all. Faith really begins where our ability to see ends. But let it be remembered that this assurance here is to those who love God. But let us here note that: "If a man say, I love God. and hateth his brother. he is a liar." (1 John 4:20). So if you do not see all things working together for your good, and God blessing you exceeding abundantly above all you think or ask, give yourself a going over and see what is wrong with you, for there is nothing wrong with the promise.
"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." (Hebrews 13:5-6).
Is it not enough that he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee? Keep your heart steeled on hearing and doing anything and everything you know your Lord wants you to do. This is your part. Just know that God can and will do the rest. Let us fly to the bosom of Abraham now and listen to what God says of him: "lie staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness." It is the faith of Abraham that saves, that obtains the promises. Let us walk in his steps. (Romans 4:12; Romans 4:16; Romans 4:20-22).’
Watch the promises. See themdaily fulfilled in your own life,andknow most assuredlythat your Godlivethand your Lord isreigning.
SALT WITHIN
"Have salt in yourselves," admonished Jesus (Mark 9:50). But how often we make the fatal mistake of seeking it elsewhere or of expecting to experience the saving qualities of salt by having it applied merely to the outside!
Salt within is the idea of Jesus. So too must be everything that brings a blessing that is real and permanent. Whatever happiness we have must be from within. Yet we run helter-skelter at breakneck speed, trying to find it somewhere else, constantly chasing the "will-o’-the-wisp" which appears deceitfully before us but is never quite overtaken, phantom fires that glow in the distance leading those who follow into darkness, mirages in the desert that promise cooling waters but give only burning sands. The only fount of genuine joy is within, and happy is he who has discovered it. No one lives on the food eaten by another. No one can think with the intellectual powers of another. No one can understand with the heart of another. No one can perform his task with the strength of another. Whatever usefulness one possesses is due to his own pouters and abilities and not those of another. —Selected.