Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am not the best editor.
The bible tells us without faith we cannot please God. The bible tells us things done without faith are a sin. So we need to ask ourselves do we truly have faith in God and trust Jesus as our king who is sitting on the throne in heaven. How can we be certain of our faith and how can we acquire faith. What is faith? The bible defines faith as assured expectation of what is hoped for, even though we cannot see those things we will believe them and expect them. Abraham believed the promises God had made him and lived his life according to God’s will even though he knew the promises would not be fulfilled in his life time he still believe and trusted God setting an example of faith. You can read about Noah’s faith also. Before the great flood the earth was watered with a mist, not rain showers. Since this had not occurred before Noah could have had doubts but he did not , he lived his life according to his faith and built the ark saving those that God found to be righteous.
(Romans 14:21-23) . . .. 22 The faith that you have, keep it to yourself before God. Happy is the man who does not judge himself by what he approves. 23 But if he has doubts, he is already condemned if he eats, because he does not eat based on faith. Indeed, everything that is not based on faith is sin.
(Hebrews 11:5-7) . . .. 6 Moreover, without faith it is impossible to please God well, for whoever approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him. 7 By faith Noah, after receiving divine warning of things not yet seen, showed godly fear and constructed an ark for the saving of his household; and through this faith he condemned the world, and he became an heir of the righteousness that results from faith.
(Hebrews 11:1-3) 11 Faith is the assured expectation of what is hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities that are not seen. 2 For by means of it, the men of ancient times had witness borne to them. 3 By faith we perceive that the systems of things were put in order by God’s word, so that what is seen has come into existence from things that are not visible.
For a person to develop faith they first must hear about God and Jesus. By writing God’s word on our hearts and then teach others we build up our faith. If we find our faith is not what it should be we need to ask God and believe he will answer our prayer. We also must remain in union with Christ so we have to put off fleshly things of the world and set our minds on the things above. When we pray to God we need to ask me for these things in Jesus name. I doing so we are showing we know he was our ransom sacrifice and he is now sitting on the heavenly throne. We must observe all the commandments Jesus has given us. We also must keep our eyes on the things unseen which is the heavenly kingdom, God , Jesus and the future promises. The things unseen are God, Jesus, the angels because they are spirit persons and we cannot see spirit people. The unseen things are the future promises God has given us that the heavenly kingdom with Jesus as the king will restore the earth to the original paradise and that death will be done away with. We are told the things seen will be done away with but the things unseen will be forever. So that means the promises will also be forever. We also know death will be done away with. Though we cannot see it by believing there will be a resurrection and death will be no more we are showing our faith. By obeying God and doing our best to imitate Jesus we are showing our faith. By putting our trust in God by taking in his word and letting it guide all we do instead of putting our trust in the world or ourselves we are showing God our faith.
(Romans 10:17) 17 So faith follows the thing heard. In turn, what is heard is through the word about Christ.
(Romans 10:8-10) 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your own mouth and in your own heart”; that is, “the word” of faith, which we are preaching. 9 For if you publicly declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and exercise faith in your heart that God raised him up from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one exercises faith for righteousness, but with the mouth one makes public declaration for salvation.
(1 Corinthians 9:16) 16 Now if I am declaring the good news, it is no reason for me to boast, for necessity is laid upon me. Really, woe to me if I do not declare the good news!
(John 15:7-10) 7 If you remain in union with me and my sayings remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will take place for you. 8 My Father is glorified in this, that you keep bearing much fruit and prove yourselves my disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; remain in my love. 10 If you observe my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have observed the commandments of the Father and remain in his love.
(2 Corinthians 4:17, 18) 17 For though the tribulation is momentary and light, it works out for us a glory that is of more and more surpassing greatness and is everlasting; 18 while we keep our eyes, not on the things seen, but on the things unseen. For the things seen are temporary, but the things unseen are everlasting.
(James 1:17) 17 Every good gift and every perfect present is from above, coming down from the Father of the celestial lights, who does not vary or change like the shifting shadows.
We can be sure that the future promises God has given us will be fulfilled because not a single promise of his has went unfulfilled. God does not change so when he makes a promise he keeps it. There is no one wiser then God and no one more powerful so what he promises he has the wisdom and power to bring it about. So we have no reason to live in fear of the things happening or of death. It gives a freedom that those who lack faith do not have. Soon all the wicked will be gone and all suffering will be done away with. If we keep our eyes on the things unseen the things happening in our lives or in the world will not cause us excess anxiety or stress because we will be certain that this is temporary and much better time are very near. This world will be gone soon and so will those who put faith themselves or the world instead of God. This is why Jesus warned many would claim to be following him but he would tell them get away from me you workers of lawlessness. So we must not only learn about God and believe in him but we have to let his word guide all we do. In doing so we are showing God our faith.
(Revelation 21:1-4) 21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more. 2 I also saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”
(1 Corinthians 15:24-28) 24 Next, the end, when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father, when he has brought to nothing all government and all authority and power. 25 For he must rule as king until God has put all enemies under his feet. 26 And the last enemy, death, is to be brought to nothing. 27 For God “subjected all things under his feet.” But when he says that ‘all things have been subjected,’ it is evident that this does not include the One who subjected all things to him. 28 But when all things will have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also subject himself to the One who subjected all things to him, that God may be all things to everyone.
(Daniel 7:13, 14) 13 “I kept watching in the visions of the night, and look! with the clouds of the heavens, someone like a son of man was coming; and he gained access to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him up close before that One. 14 And to him there were given rulership, honor, and a kingdom, that the peoples, nations, and language groups should all serve him. His rulership is an everlasting rulership that will not pass away, and his kingdom will not be destroyed.
Another way we show God our faith is by being no part of the world and avoiding associating with those who do not believe in God. A yoke is put between two oxen so they can share the work. If one of the oxen is weak then it puts more of a burden on the stronger oxen. If we associate with those who are of the world or who do not believe in God we are becoming unevenly yoked and will add more burden spiritually on ourselves. This in turn can wear on us and rob us of our faith. The bible says those who practice sin are workers of lawlessness. Those who are lawless will not enter the kingdom of heaven. So it is very important to do all God requires of us if we want to continue to have hope in the future promises and to have God here our prayers. When we obey all God’s word and see the positive effects it has on us as a person and the strength and endurance we are given it helps to build our faith in God. Those who have faith in God can endure much much more then those who are part of the world. The bible warns if we are friends with the world we make ourselves an enemy of God. So we cannot be complete in our faith if we are friends with the world. If we show more love for the world then the things of the world the bible tells us the love of God is not in us. So we cannot have faith if we are living by flesh and not by spirit. Our faith is what will save us because it imparts endurance.
We need the endurance to do the will of God because of the way the world is it can be difficult to keep our eyes on the things unseen. This takes endurance that we receive because of our faith and hope in God. Those who endure to the end will be saved. As we see things rapidly winding down our faith will protect us and keep us from shrinking back in fear. The bible warns those who shrink back in fear will be destroyed. If we lack faith then we will see it as a minor infraction of God’s commands and we are telling God we do not trust his word to guide and protect us. All things we do must be guided by faith. As I mentioned earlier if it is not then it is a sin. I once was offered a job that would pay very well. I knew it would interfere with my worship of God because it would make it very difficult for me to have the time to take God’s word in daily and to apply it in my life. Though it would have been nice to have less struggles, I knew if I took the job it could erode away at my faith. By me turning down the job I showed God that he was first in my life and not the world or things in the world. In doing so I demonstrated my faith in him. It is by faith that were are declared righteous.
Things are rapidly winding down. If we see areas where we need to strengthen our faith whether it bad avoiding being a part of the world, learning to persist in prayer, learning to read Gods word daily and meditate on it and apply it in our lives. We should do our best to work on building our faith because the end of this system of things is very very near. If we fear the things that are coming then we need to work on our faith because we should be seeing them as signs things are going to be much better very soon. That is why Jesus told us when we see these things occur to raise ourselves up.
(2 Corinthians 6:14-18) 14 Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? 15 Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Beʹli·al? Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols? For we are a temple of a living God; just as God said: “I will reside among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 17 “‘Therefore, get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing’”; “‘and I will take you in.’” 18 “‘And I will become a father to you, and you will become sons and daughters to me,’ says Jehovah, the Almighty.”
(1 John 3:4-6) 4 Everyone who practices sin is also practicing lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5 You know, too, that he was made manifest to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. 6 Everyone remaining in union with him does not practice sin; no one who practices sin has either seen him or come to know him.
(Matthew 7:21-27) 21 “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of the heavens, but only the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. 22 Many will say to me in that day: ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them: ‘I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!’ 24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does them will be like a discreet man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and lashed against that house, but it did not cave in, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 Furthermore, everyone hearing these sayings of mine and not doing them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and struck against that house, and it caved in, and its collapse was great.”
(James 4:4-6) 4 Adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is making himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that for no reason the scripture says: “The spirit that has taken up residence within us keeps enviously longing”? 6 However, the undeserved kindness that He gives is greater. So it says: “God opposes the haughty ones, but he gives undeserved kindness to the humble ones.”
(1 John 2:15-17) 15 Do not love either the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; 16 because everything in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life—does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world. 17 Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.
(Matthew 24:13, 14) 13 But the one who has endured to the end will be saved. 14 And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
(Hebrews 10:35-39) 35 Therefore, do not throw away your boldness, which will be richly rewarded. 36 For you need endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the fulfillment of the promise. 37 For yet “a very little while,” and “the one who is coming will arrive and will not delay.” 38 “But my righteous one will live by reason of faith,” and “if he shrinks back, I have no pleasure in him.” 39 Now we are not the sort who shrink back to destruction, but the sort who have faith for the preserving of our lives.
(Revelation 21:7, 8) . . .. 8 But as for the cowards and those without faith and those who are disgusting in their filth and murderers and the sexually immoral and those practicing spiritism and idolaters and all the liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This means the second death.”
(Luke 21:25-28) 25 “Also, there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of nations not knowing the way out because of the roaring of the sea and its agitation. 26 People will become faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But as these things start to occur, stand up straight and lift up your heads, because your deliverance is getting near.”
(Romans 5:1-5) 5 Therefore, now that we have been declared righteous as a result of faith, let us enjoy peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we also have obtained access by faith into this undeserved kindness in which we now stand; and let us rejoice, based on hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but let us rejoice while in tribulations, since we know that tribulation produces endurance; 4 endurance, in turn, an approved condition; the approved condition, in turn, hope, 5 and the hope does not lead to disappointment; because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy spirit, which was given to us.
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