03 - ONE: UNDERSTANDING CHRISTIANITY
And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. Acts 11:26
INTRODUCTION
Someone has said, "Christianity is Jesus Christ." That embryonic answer is an adequate description, but the problem is that many people do not understand who Jesus Christ is. The popular conception of Christ is not always correct. Even in the Scriptures, individuals did not always properly understand Christ. To illustrate, observe the two disciples on the road to Emmaus on the first Easter Sunday afternoon. They thought they knew Christ and were even discussing the events of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. But they were wrong in their understanding of him. When Jesus joined them and spoke to them, they did not recognize him because their eyes were blinded with unbelief (Luke 24:16, Luke 24:31).
These were his disciples who now were perplexed at the events of the morning. They had heard reports that someone had stolen his body or that he had disappeared. Obviously, these two disciples had apparent spiritual needs, just as many in today’s world have needs. How Jesus met their needs, then, is an indication of how he meets needs today.
Jesus began teaching these two disciples at the first books of the Bible (the Law) and surveyed Old Testament history to the last books (the Prophets). Some might think Jesus would have comforted them with a psalm or a devotional challenge. Instead, he met their needs by laying the foundation of biblical teaching. "He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:27). The basis of his ministry to them was doctrine. The verb for "teaching" is the same root from which we get the word "doctrine." The church has the same mandate today; our lives and ministry must be based on sound doctrine. But most people are afraid of the word "doctrine." The world thinks that doctrine is dusty and irrelevant, or hidden in old theology books. But biblical doctrine is as spiritually alive as a new born-again Christian. It is as practical as a growing Sunday school and as enjoyable as reading a favorite text.
Christian doctrine is similar to the wrench in a plumber’s toolbox-it is there to fix something. Those who just keep the wrench shiny are similar to the theologian who is always perfecting his doctrine but does not apply it to his life or ministry. Others deny the "doctrinewrench" illustration by saying, "That sermon is good in theory [doctrine] but it will never work in life." They are wrong. When true doctrine touches life, it is always practical. The Bible and doctrine walk hand in hand with practical Christianity. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Therefore, the purpose of Bible doctrine is the communication of the gospel to people at a point of need. The first section of this chapter will deal with the topic: What is man’s point of need? The second topic in this section is, What is communication? The third section is, What is the Gospel? The answer to these questions formulate the necessity and function of doctrine.
CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE SPEAKS TO THE POINT OF NEED
All doctrine begins with God and has its eternal existence in God, but there was no need of doctrine until God created man. As soon as man was created, a need existed. Man was made in the image of God, which means among other things that he had the ability to reason. His intellectual ability reflects the thought processes of God. Man also had emotions, as expressed in the feelings of love and hate, to mention just two. Finally, man was a volitional being who could decide his own fate. So, when Satan came and tempted, "Ye shall be as gods," man, who had the ability to make a moral choice, fell into sin. Sin produced the greatest need in man and doctrine is the channel through which God told how he would meet that need.
Man is cut off from God. Not only Adam and Eve, but everyone from that time forth was excluded from God’s presence. The Scriptures teach, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). This included every child who was born in the line of Adam and Eve, since "as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; ... so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned" (Romans 5:12).
Man’s sin is classified into three aspects. First, anything less than God’s perfect holiness is sin. Sin is similar to an arrow falling short of the target. It did not attain to the perfect standard. So every person born into the world does not measure up to God’s perfect standard.
Rebellion is the second aspect of sin, usually translated "transgression." Sin is the breaking of God’s law, either volitionally or ignorantly. God prohibits the worship of idols, but man sins when he falls upon his face and worships a wooden statue. He has transgressed God’s commandment. The third aspect of sin is inherent wickedness or moral impurity. This is described as filth or uncleanness and is abhorred by God, who is pure and holy. The result of sin is that it blinds the sinner (2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Ephesians 4:17). Usually man does not recognize that he is a sinner and that he is cut off from God. Therefore a sinner needs the gospel communicated to him at his point of need, to reveal to him that he is a sinner.
Man becomes his own point of reference. When Satan promised Eve, "Ye shall be as gods" (Genesis 3:5), he fulfilled that promise. As a result, each man today is his own standard of measurement. Each has become the focus of the circle in which he lives. A wise man once observed, "There is some divinity in us all." By that he meant that each man justifies his own actions and thinks that everything he does is perfect, or at least almost perfect. The Fall of man has created an upside-down condition. Instead of man’s placing God on the throne, man sits there in supreme ignorance that he has usurped the place of God. Doctrine teaches man that God must be placed on the throne and only when man understands God’s nature and program can man begin to get his problem solved.
Man suffers alienation and isolation. Too often it has been said that sin is punished after death. That is only part of the picture. People also suffer the consequences of sin in this life. Sin results in isolation or alienation from God. Spiritual death is the ultimate form of isolation from God. As a result of man’s sin, he needs eternal salvation to bring him into fellowship with God. But there is a second problem. Modern education speaks of "felt needs," those problems we are aware of, and "ultimate needs," usually the problems that are real but unexperienced. The "ultimate need" is salvation for man to be rejoined to God from whom he was cut off. But let us not forget the "felt need," the deliverance from the affliction in this life that also springs from our sin.
Isolation from God may not be a felt need, but severe depression is an experience that needs immediate help. To this person, the doctrinal message of fellowship with God may not be enough, but it is the foundation of all ministry to that person. Since man is a social creature, his problem of isolation may be the root of many of his other mental or psychological problems. The answer to isolation is that God took the initiative with man. "When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son" (Galatians 4:4). And again we read "God ... hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son" (Hebrews 1:1-2).
Man is filled with anxiety. Any life that is separated from ultimate authority is like a boat without an anchor; it is drifting. A person may be anxious because he does not have all the answers to the questions raised by others, or even the questions asked in his heart.
Every person has within his heart a need, something missing that only God can fill. He knows that something is missing but he usually refuses to identify it as God. He looks for answers elsewhere and does not find any. He becomes his own point of reference, but he makes mistakes and is aware of his own stupidity.
People are anxious because they have a problem keeping their emotional lives together. God should function in man’s immaterial nature, but the vacuum created by his absence produces anxiety. "Anxiety" is another word for fear, depression, jealousy, or any other condition that keeps man in an emotional disequilibrium.
Man searches for meaning. Because man is isolated and affected by sin in every part of his life, the lack of meaning in life becomes a felt need. Those who are slaves to drugs know that narcotics do not lead to happiness or meaning. The same can be said for wealth, fame, or even success.
Some people do not know where to go or how to get where they want to go. But they want to go somewhere. They are like a fine-tuned car that has a full tank of fuel but is without direction or purpose. Others are bewitched or have dropped out of the human race. They have no drive or no desire. They are like a car without fuel, without a battery, and with a rusting engine. Both have problems with meaning-they have not found the secret in life. They need the revelation of God that gives his purpose for which men should live.
Man marches inevitably toward death. We are frightened when we see a young friend struck down with cancer, and yet thousands die annually of some form of cancer. We experience the same fear when a child is killed or we hear of a young son who is missing in war. The threat of death is all about us. Then we look within our decaying bodies and realize death is our enemy. We are spirits that want to rise above the limitations of the body. Yet we see dimly because our eyes are wearing out. Our arms ache because of arthritis. Even the thirty- year-old feels the inevitable rising tide of age when a younger man takes his place on the team. The Bible teaches that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), and the ultimate need of man is an explanation for death. A little boy was standing next to his father on the front seat of their Mercedes Benz. The father had given his son everything. Then the little boy asked, "Does everyone have to die?" The father thought a moment then answered, "Yes." The young son pondered that answer, then blurted out, "Even if they are lucky?" THE PURPOSE OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE IS COMMUNICATION The word "communicate" actually means "to have in common." When we communicate with a friend, the two of us have something in common. Language is the usual means of communication. Though much of human communication is nonverbal, language difficulty is the most significant cause of communication failures.
God communicated to man in many ways but the greatest was Jesus Christ. Christianity is a relationship between God and man, based on the life, death, and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ. Now, every person who is saved has a living relationship to God. Those Christians who allow their relationship to God to affect their whole personality prosper.
Christians are expected to reach out in relationships to other people-to the unsaved in soul-winning and to other Christians in fellowship. Every man is potentially a loner, but he can reach out of his shell for meaningful relationships when he has a full understanding of the relationship between God and himself. It takes strength to reach to another person. The ultimate strength is in Jesus Christ who forgives our sins, gives us meaning in life, and gives us strength to rise above our circumstances. The record of God’s communication to man is the Word of God. But it is more than a history of how God has reached out to man. It is the basis of man’s communication with God today. Since the Bible is the communication of the gospel to people at their point of need, then it must be rational and logical. God reveals himself as rational and logical. Since the BibIe teaches that man is made in the image and likeness of God, we may conclude that human beings are rational and logical, and that the channel of communication between God and man proceeds in a logical and rational manner. When God speaks to man (revelation) it will follow rational and logical means. We can conclude that God is not illogical nor does he do foolish things. When man seeks God he cannot forsake his God-given intellect, nor can he find God by seeking the Lord in foolish ways. The channel of communication between God and man runs in both directions, and Christianity must always be rational. That does not mean we will understand all the Bible nor does it mean God *ill reveal everything to us. But it does mean that God will never ask us to violate our minds to be Christians. When the gospel is presented to us, it must be communicated to us so that we understand it. (That does not mean the content is changed but that the method of expressing it is revised.) Since we are rational and logical beings, the gospel must be communicated to us in a rational manner. This means that the gospel must be systematic in content and presentation. From this we get the term "systematic theology." However, this book uses the biblical term "doctrine" instead of the word "theology."
Several steps are taken in making doctrine systematic and logical. First, we must look at all of the facts on every topic of doctrine. We begin by looking at biblical content, but we also include truth from any and every source: biology, history, sociology, and philosophy. As an illustration, when we are studying the nature of God we must consider all the facts of God that are taught in the Bible concerning the nature of God. But we also include all information concerning him that we learn from nature.
Second, we must classify the facts into a consistent whole. This means that the verses which deal with the holiness of God must be correlated with those that teach the justice of God. Then we write the results of our study into statements that give a total picture of the person of God.
Finally, we must analyze all of our statements, making sure they are consistent, so that we do not contradict ourselves. But also, we analyze them to make sure our statements correspond to the reality of the world and the people who live here. The final result is doctrine. Now we must express it as simply and clearly as possible, so that others will be able to understand the total revelation of God on each subject. The final step in communication between God and man is worship. Since man is spiritual he has an innate desire to worship someone. The problem is that man, the worshiper, has invented his own ways to worship God or has created his own gods to worship. God recognized this weakness and commanded that we should have no other gods before him (Exodus 20:3). But the obvious question remains: "Which worship is correct?" Actually, this book is not an apologetic answer to the philosophical questions of man. The answer to true worship is found in what Jesus told the woman at the well. "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). God must be worshiped according to truth, which is biblical doctrine. But to worship God by correct doctrine is only part of worship. The worship of God must also be an expression of the deepest feelings in the heart of man, which is what is meant by worshiping him in spirit. THE CONTENT OF CHRISTLAN DOCTRINE IS GOD’S GOOD NEWS
We have talked of man’s need and God’s method of communication to him. Now we come to the content of the gospel, or what must be believed to solve man’s problem. This is the basis on which God meets the need of man. The word "gospel" means "good news" and is usually applied to mean the good news of salvation. The gospel is the first message of good news that God gave to sinful man. After Adam and Eve sinned, the Lord came walking in the cool of the Garden looking for man. Even though man had hidden, God, who knows all things, knew where Adam was hiding. God took the initiative. God wanted to save Adam-that is the good news. And the good news (gospel), which is doctrine, grows out of the first encounter of God and man after man had sinned. The gospel has two aspects, a proposition and a Person. The average church member thinks of only one concept, that the gospel is a propositional statement of faith. Many people miss Christianity because they think it is belief in a historical statement. The gospel-a proposition. The basis of good news is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This message is best expressed in these words of Paul: "I declare unto you that gospel which I preached unto you, . . . that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). The gospel message is simply the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our sins. Those who deny the reality of these truths deny the foundation of Christianity. This gospel must be affirmed in our doctrinal statements. For a person to be saved, mere mental agreement to a propositional statement is not enough. The gospel-a Person. The gospel is more than a proposition; it is a Person-Jesus Christ. A person’s becoming a Christian involves more than giving mental assent to the fact of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. The gospel enters our lives when Jesus Christ enters our hearts. "But as many as received him [Christ] to them gave he power to become the sons of God" (John 1:12). By definition we have said that the purpose of doctrine is the communication of the gospel to people at their point of need. We communicate doctrine not only by writing and speaking it in words. The gospel is a Person-Jesus Christ. Therefore to be doctrinally correct, we must know the content of Christianity and be in right relationship to Jesus Christ. A few years ago when the street people were converted, they were called "Jesus people." They claimed to have a deep relationship to Jesus Christ, but many of them ignored doctrine. On the other extreme are some orthodox churches that correctly teach the Word of God, but their legalistic approach to Christianity has squeezed an emotional or spiritual relationship to Jesus Christ out of the church. Both extremes are unbiblical. A person must be correct in his relationship to the person of Jesus Christ. And correct words are the vehicle that expresses a man’s doctrine. One cannot have Christianity without Christ; and the revelation of Christ is the substance and content of doctrine.
CONCLUSION This doctrine book is written to communicate doctrine for the modern-day Christian. It is written to the head and to the heart. Sound doctrine proves itself sound if it can be related to the needs of man.
DAILY READINGS Monday: Romans 3:10-26 Tuesday: John 3:1-18 Wednesday: Romans 5:1-21 Thursday: Hebrews 11:1-6, Hebrews 11:32-40 Friday: Matthew 28:1-20 Saturday: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18 Sunday: Revelation 19:1-5.25 - UNDERSTANDING FAITH And Jesus, answering, saith unto them, Have faith in God. Mark 11:22
INTRODUCTION
Several years ago a group of high school students from America spent three weeks in Osaka, Japan, at the world’s fair. The students decided to take the subway into the downtown area to purchase some souvenirs. After spending several hours taking pictures and buying souvenirs, the students decided to return to their local residence. Arriving at the station, they saw.the subway train pull up. They quickly paid the fare and jumped on board. As the train doors closed, the students learned they had gotten on the wrong train. Instantly their confidence was shattered. Though they had sincerely believed they were right just moments earlier, they now knew they were sincerely wrong. The object of our faith is more important than the sincerity of our belief. The man who thinks he is right but is not sure may be far better off than the one who is "sure" but is absolutely wrong. The credibility of our faith begins with objective truth and ends with internal trust. This chapter analyzes the six types of faith that describe the believer’s relationship to God.
DOCTRINAL FAITH
Some may ask, “How can I get more faith?" Paul wrote, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). The source and foundation of all faith is the Bible.
If we want faith, we must begin with a correct understanding of the Word of God. The more we know of the Bible, the more faith we can have, and the more correctly we know the Bible, the more effective our faith. This book, What the Faith Is All About, covers all the major aspects of the Bible so that our faith may have a broad foundation. Throughout the New Testament the phrase "the faith" and "doctrine" are used interchangeably. When faith has an article preceding it as in "the faith," it means "the statement of faith." Therefore, to have correct faith, we must have an accurate statement of doctrinal faith. The apostle Paul certainly recognized the importance of correct doctrine. He constantly opposed those who sought to change the faith. Perhaps he was concerned about accurate doctrine because of his own experience. When Saul of Tarsus was persecuting the church, he thought his doctrine was accurate and that he was serving God. But when he met Christ on the Damascus road, he gained a living faith which changed what he believed and how he lived. Paul talked about those who had "departed from the faith" (1 Timothy 4:1) and "denied the faith" (1 Timothy 5:8). At the end of his life, the apostle was able to say, "I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:8). Jude challenged his readers to "earnestly contend for the faith" (Jude 1:3).
If we want to have a growing biblical faith, we need to ground it upon a correct knowledge of God. A certain woman once heard someone compliment her great faith. "I have not a great faith," she responded, "I have a little faith in a great God."
Doctrinal faith is both the beginning and the test of our Christianity. If our statement of faith is wrong, then our personal faith is misplaced. We must begin with a correct statement of faith, and build saving faith thereupon. Then we are meeting some of the important conditions to correctly experience a life of faith and continue to learn about doctrinal faith.
SAVING FAITH A person becomes a Christian by faith. "For by grace are ye saved through faith" (Ephesians 2:8). When the Philippian jailor was troubled about his salvation, he was exhorted to exercise belief, the verb expression of faith. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house" (Acts 16:31). When Nicodemus failed to understand how he could enter into a relationship with God, Jesus said, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Apart from faith, personal salvation is impossible.
Personal salvation is experienced by the inner person. Since humans are composed of intellect, emotion, and will, faith comes through a proper exercise of these three aspects of personality. Our faith must be grounded on correct knowledge. A person cannot put his trust in something he does not know about, nor can he honestly trust something that is proven false to him. A person must first know the gospel, which means he has an intellectual knowledge of salvation. But knowledge alone will not save him. The Bible seems to make a distinction between "believe that" and "believe in." In the first place, one can believe that his team will win or believe that a job is superior. This belief is opinion, but is not deep conviction, i.e., based on the object of his faith-Jesus Christ. When a person "believes in," the belief is based on a careful weighing of the evidence. When we say "believe in" we are speaking of a moral expression or a moral experience. The Gospel of John uses the word "believe" ninety-eight times and ties faith to the object of belief. We are exhorted to ’believe in Jesus Christ." As a result, the important aspect of belief is what you believe, not just the measure of your belief. Therefore, to have saving faith, a person must believe that God exists. He must believe that he himself is a sinner (Romans 3:23). He must believe that God will punish sin (Romans 6:23), and that Christ has made a provision for his salvation (Romans 5:8). A person must believe these truths, which means he accepts them intellectually, but mere intellectual assent to biblical truth is not enough to save. Our faith will have an emotional expression. Knowledge about God is the foundation of saving faith, but such faith will extend to the individual’s emotional responses as well. Solomon wrote, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5). Jesus repeated this truth, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:37). This means that intellectual belief is not enough. A person cannot trust his own understanding about God. Although emotions are involved in faith, faith is more than emotional feeling. Our emotional response to the gospel must be founded upon an intellectual understanding of the Scripture. Your faith must be a volitional response. A third aspect of saving faith is an expression of volitional faith. A person is saved as a result of an act of his will whereby he relies on Christ as proclaimed in the gospel. Paul told the Roman Christians, "Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you" (Romans 6:17). When a person accepts Jesus Christ as his Savior (John 1:12), it is a conscious act whereby he invites him into his heart (Ephesians 3:16).
JUSTIFYING FAITH
Whereas saving faith is an experimental encounter with Jesus Christ, the next expression, justifying faith, is nonexperiential. Justifying faith is belief that we have been justified or declared righteous. Justification is not something that we feel with our senses. It is something that happens to our record in heaven. God is the One who performs the act of justification (Romans 8:34). Man is the one who receives the action and is justified (Romans 5:1). Justification is the judicial act of God whereby he justly declares righteous all those who believe in Jesus Christ.
Abraham is the first person in the Bible described as having been justified by faith. This is not to say that he was the first person to be a child of God. "He [Abraham] believed in the Lord; and he [God] counted it to him [Abraham] for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6). God made a promise to Abraham which he accepted as possible, and God rewarded him for his faith.
Justification is an act whereby our legal position in heaven is changed. Being justified is similar to the act whereby the U.S. government declares that an alien has become an American citizen. The moment the person is pronounced a citizen, nothing happens to him internally. His thought processes remain the same as does his personality and his pattern of speech. The only actual change is his legal standing. But as he becomes aware of the benefits of being an American, he may shout, cry, or break out into a grin. It is simply an emotional reaction to a legal action. In the same way, justification changes our legal standing in heaven. We become children of God. In response to this new relationship the new Christian may respond emotionally. The basis of justifying faith is a double transference that happens at salvation. Our sin was transferred to Jesus Christ; he became our sin. The preposition "for" is the key word, indicating Christ died for us (Galatians 2:20), he gave his life for the church (Ephesians 5:25), and he gave himself for the sins of the world (John 1:29). The second transference is that, the perfection of Jesus Christ was credited to our account. When God looks at us in judgment, he sees the righteousness of his Son. "For [God] hath made him to be sin for us [the first step of transference]... that we might be made the righteousness of God in him [second step of transference]" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
INDWELLING FAITH The Bible teaches that a person cannot overcome sin and sinful habits by himself. Faith is the secret of the victorious Christian life. "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4).
Even beyond living a triumphant life, a person can walk in moment-by-moment communion with God. A medieval monk described this victory as "practicing the presence of God." This life of victory and fellowship is made available by the indwelling of Jesus Christ. When a person becomes a Christian, Christ comes into his life. The believer has union and communion with Christ (John 15:5). Not only does Christ dwell within the believer, the power of Christ is available to him. Paul testified, "Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God" (Galatians 2:20). The secret of victorious living is allowing the life of Jesus Christ to flow through us. The believer must surrender his fears and rebellion to Christ. In so doing, he finds new faith to overcome his problems. Paul described this sinew faith" that comes from Christ, "the promise by faith of Jesus Christ [that] might be given to them that believe" (Galatians 3:22).
Every Christian has access to the "faith of Jesus Christ." Yet many Christians are defeated and discouraged because they have not allowed Christ’s power to flow out of their lives. To get this victory a Christian must first recognize that faith comes from Christ and is described as "Christ’s faith" (Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 3:12; Php 3:9). Second, a person must yield (the nature of faith is trusting) and allow Christ to work through him. And third, the Christian must constantly obey the direction of the Word of God so that he can continually have power for victory. The agent of faith. An agent is one who acts on behalf of another. The Holy Spirit, the agent of faith, acts on behalf of Jesus Christ to plant faith in a person’s heart. The Holy Spirit is one who initiates the faith process by convicting or causing a sinner to see his sin (John 16:8-9). By the work of conviction, the Holy Spirit is working in a sinner’s heart to make him aware that he is a sinner, that Jesus is God’s standard of righteousness, and that Christ’s death on the cross paid the debt for sin. The ability to believe comes from the Holy Spirit. Paul declared that "your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God" (1 Corinthians 2:5). The instrument of faith. Indwelling faith is placed in our hearts as we read the Scriptures. When Paul says, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17), he is saying that the Bible is the tool in the hand of the Holy Spirit to place faith in the human heart. just as a carpenter uses a hammer to build things, so God uses the Bible as an instrument of faith. When a minister is quoting the Bible, God may be using the Scriptures in a negative way to break up unbelief (Jeremiah 23:29) or to cut out prejudice or ignorance (Acts 5:33). But the Scriptures received in the heart also have the positive force of implanting a new nature in the convert (2 Peter 1:4), to give him faith to believe (Romans 10:8).
DAILY FAITH When we live by faith we are being set apart to God, which. is the meaning of "sanctification." The Bible teaches that "positional sanctification" is a past action on Calvary. Progressive sanctification is being carried out daily, and future sanctification will take place when we arrive in the presence of God. Daily sanctification requires an exercise of faith, "for we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). As we live by faith, God is able to use us and cause us to grow in grace. Sometimes daily growth seems minute or even nonexistent to a casual observer. We may sometimes become frustrated with the apparent lack of progress, not able to see the forest for the trees. It is good from time to time to look back and see how God has been working in our lives. As a bricklayer places one brick upon the other, building a large tower, he may feel his progress is insignificant. Yet, the tower will be built one brick at a time. It is the same in our Christian lives. God makes the big changes through a series of little ones. We must learn to trust God for the little things so we can enjoy great growth. We must trust God daily so we can enjoy yearly gain. Like any other growing experience, living by faith is taking one step at a time.
We grow in faith through the Word of God. As we make the Word of God a part of our lives by reading, studying, and memorizing, we begin to grow in faith (1 Peter 2:2). Every Christian needs to hear the Word of God taught and pre- ached regularly (Psalms 1:1-3).
We grow in faith by following biblical principles. A growing faith is an obedient faith. Usually, the exercise of faith will be rational, in keeping with what God wants done. We must put complete trust in the principles of the Bible and not trust our feelings. Faith is not a blind leap into the dark. Faith is following the light of God’s Word.
We grow in faith through seeking the Lord. The doctrine of "seeking" the Lord is not usually emphasized, but it is biblical to search for God. "When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek" (Psalms 27:8). Our faith will grow as we seek God. First, we will begin to recognize the issues that keep us from God. Then, as we search for a better relation with the Savior, we will come to know God experientially.
We grow in faith through confessing our sins. No Christian will live a sinless life, but God is constantly cleansing us through the blood of his Son. "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:17). When we as Christians do sin, God will forgive and cleanse us if we confess our sins to him (1 John 1:9). Every time we recognize sin in our lives and rid ourselves of its hindrance, we grow in faith.
We grow in faith by surrender. The Christian must constantly surrender to the lordship of Christ. We do this once when we are saved, but there are also subsequent times to surrender to Christ. As we yield our lives to the Lord, we are growing in grace (Galatians 3:3; Colossians 2:6). Paul challenged the Romans to “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1).
We grow in faith through constant communion. If we want a growing faith we must have a constant communion with Jesus Christ. As we spend time in prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with Christ, we will develop our faith more fully. Jesus recognized that we would become like those we spend time with (Matthew 10:25). As we spend time with the Lord, we will become more Christlike in our faith.
We grow in faith through the testing of difficult experiences. once we are saved, our faith is nurtured as we grow from victory to victory. Paul describes this "from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17). God wants us to have faith in himself because that pleases and glorifies him. But living faith is not something we receive as one takes a vitamin pill. With the opportunity of taking a step of faith there is the risk of success or failure. When we successfully trust God we should learn through the experience and grow thereby. Faith must come from man’s heart, which is governed by his free will. Therefore, to develop a person’s faith, God will sometimes maneuver a man into a corner so that the creature is forced to look to his Creator in faith. Through such experiences, man has an opportunity to grow in his faith. THE GIFT OF FAITH The gift of faith is one of the gifts that the Holy Spirit supernaturally gives men to serve God (Romans 12:7; 1 Corinthians 12:9). This is more than saving faith which is also called a gift. The gift of faith is considered to be a serving gift, or an ability whereby a person serves God by exercising faith. Not everyone has all of the gifts, so not everyone has the gift of faith. Paul explained that the gifts differ: "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us" (Romans 12:6). God has given some this special gift of faith to enable them to carry out their ministry in a more effective way.
If God has given us the gift of faith, we need to exercise it faithfully in keeping with well- balanced Christianity. Paul said. "Though I have the gift of ... faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:2). The Bible teaches that the proper use of our gifts increases the effectiveness and usefulness of those gifts (Matthew 25:14-34). It also teaches that we can desire and pray for more gifts (1 Corinthians 12:31). Therefore, it is possible for us to have more trust God for bigger things than we have now. If we are faithful to small things, God will give us more faith. Note that Abraham was weak in faith but grew spiritually so that Paul described him as "strong in faith" (Romans 4:19-20).
CONCLUSION The ultimate human expression of Christianity is an act of faith. To the casual observer, “faith" is simply defined as "reliance, trust, or dependence." Yet to the careful student of the Scripture, faith has at least six expressions. First, we must know correct doctrinal faith, which is called a statement of faith. Second, we become a Christian by experiencing saving faith in Jesus Christ. Third, we must have justifying faith. Fourth, we must let the faith of Christ flow through us; this is called indwelling faith. Fifth, we live the Christian life by daily faith. Finally, if we grow in our spiritual gifts, we can exercise the "serving gift" of the Holy Spirit, called faith, whereby some serve God and magnify him by the expression of great faith for accomplishments in their Christian service.
DAILY READINGS Monday: Romans 10:1-17 Tuesday: John 20:19-31 Wednesday: Genesis 15:1-21 Thursday: 1 John 5:1-21 Friday: Psalms 27:1-14 Saturday: Romans 12:1-16 Sunday: Mark 11:12-33