Faith to Receive God's Gifts
To receive God's gifts, we must have faith, which comes from hearing and trusting in God's Word.
Zac Poonen emphasizes that God has abundant gifts of grace to offer us, but we must have faith to receive them. He explains that salvation is a gift received by faith, where God's grace extends to us, and our faith is our response to accept these blessings. Poonen highlights that failing to accept God's gifts is an insult to Him, as He is a loving Father who genuinely desires to bless us. He stresses that faith comes from hearing God's Word, which increases our trust in His promises, leading to forgiveness and freedom from sin. Ultimately, through the combination of Scripture and the Holy Spirit, we can be assured of our forgiveness and identity as God's children.
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God has many wonderful things to give us. All His gifts are gifts of grace. But we need faith to receive those gifts.
The Bible says we are saved "by grace through faith" (Eph. 2:8). Grace is God's Hand reaching down to us loaded with the blessings of heaven. Faith is our hand reaching up and taking those blessings from God's Hand.
God offers us the forgiveness of our sins first of all. If we have repented, then all we have to do now is reach out our hand and take what God offers us freely. We don't have to work for it or pay for it. It has already been paid for at Calvary. All we have to do now is to say, "Thank You, Father" and take it. That's faith.
When we don't take what God offers, we are actually insulting Him. We're despising His gifts. Perhaps we think that God is teasing us, the way some people tease children by stretching out their hands with gifts and then pulling their hand back just when the children reach out to take those gifts! But God isn't mean or evil, like such people. He is a loving Father. He really longs to give us good gifts.
That's why the Bible says that "without faith it is impossible to please God" - whatever else we may do (Heb. 11:6).
If we trust God, He will not only forgive our sins, He'll set us free from sin's power as well.
How do we get faith? There's only one way. The Bible says that "faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ" (Rom. 10:17). In other words, as we allow God to speak to us through His Word, we'll get faith. That's how our faith increases too.
Through God's Word, we know that Christ died for our sins and rose again; and that if we repent and trust in Him we can immediately receive a full and free forgiveness for our sins. The Holy Spirit then bears witness to our heart that this is true. Through this two-fold witness of God's Word and the Holy Spirit we can be absolutely sure that God has forgiven us and that we are indeed His children.
Sermon Outline
- I. Introduction to God's Gifts
- A. All gifts are gifts of grace
- B. We need faith to receive those gifts
- II. The Relationship Between Grace and Faith
- A. We are saved 'by grace through faith'
- B. Faith is our hand reaching up to take God's blessings
- III. The Gift of Forgiveness
- A. God offers us forgiveness of our sins
- B. We must reach out and take what God offers
- IV. The Importance of Faith
- A. Without faith, it is impossible to please God
- B. Faith comes from hearing God's Word
- V. How to Get Faith
- A. Faith comes from hearing God's Word
- B. God's Word bears witness to our heart
Key Quotes
“Grace is God's Hand reaching down to us loaded with the blessings of heaven.” — Zac Poonen
“Without faith it is impossible to please God - whatever else we may do.” — Zac Poonen
“Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ.” — Zac Poonen
Application Points
- We must reach out and take what God offers us freely, including forgiveness of our sins.
- Faith is necessary to please God, and it comes from hearing and trusting in God's Word.
- God's Word bears witness to our heart that we are forgiven and His children.