“8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” -Ephesians 2:8-10
Genesis - Abraham, look at the stars… God whispers to Abram and encourages him to look at the stars, to what has been made, those things God has created to declare and express His own divine and invisible qualities - seen by what has been made. So that, by what is seen, God may begin the act of persuasion, the first seeds of belief, to strike fear in the heart of mankind - reverent awe of His glory and majesty, that we might be persuaded that there is a God, that we might believe. (Romans 1:20; Proverbs )
Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
Where our faith began…
God meets Abraham, goes to him, calls to him, speaks to him, reveals Himself to him, and called by God, he was persuaded by God, to believe, and believe, he did, and it was credited to him and his righteousness...
Romans 4:3, 9, 13,16, 18-24
Genesis 12:1-4
Genesis 13:14-18
Genesis 15:1-6
Genesis 22:1-19
So, it is not by works or anything else we might do, but faith, a gift from God, His divine persuasion
21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ...everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. “ - Matthew 7:21, 24
“‘...do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.’ then they asked him, ‘what must we do to do the works required?’ Jesus answered, ‘the work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.’ so they asked him, ‘what sign will you give that we might see it and believe you?’ -John 6:26-59
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he sent… that whoever believes…”
So what is this faith?
Hebrews 11:11
Romans 4 (Abraham)
Faith, pistis, where does this faith come from? As God reveals himself to us we, our hearts, are persuaded more and more of His reality, His love for us, His glory… as we receive what He offers us in Jesus, we are changed, now able and wanting more - to see more, to hear more, to experience more - of Him. that wanting of more, even when frustrated in our continued longing and delayed satisfaction, is a proof of the reality of God in our lives and our heart’s longing for more - that will not be fully realized until we see Him face-to-face in glory. In the meantime, we ache, we long, we groan - waiting, anticipating,
Persuaded, come to trust, have faith; that this, He, is true, and this by a divine persuasion
His preference becomes my preference - I prefer what God prefers, having been loved this way, i prefer to love this way - God, self, others AS self
Faith is always a gift from God, and never something that can be produced by people. In short, ("faith") for the believer is "God's divine persuasion" – and therefore distinct from human belief (confidence), yet involving it. The Lord continuously births faith in the yielded believer so they can know what He prefers, i.e. the persuasion of His will (1 Jn 5:4).
Faith is always received from God, and never generated by us.
Hebrews 11:
God originated
God authored
God pioneered
Philippians 2: “...it is God who works in you…” God-accomplished
Work - Energeo - I work, am operative, am at work, am made to work, accomplish; mid: I work, display activity. engaged in," which intensifies "work") – properly, energize, working in a situation which brings it from one stage (point) to the next, like an electrical current energizing a wire, bringing it to a shining light bulb. To effect
To will - desire, to wish (for) - Lord extending His "best-offer" to the believer – wanting (desiring) to birth His persuasion (faith) in them which also empowers, manifests His presence - to be determined to act according the God’s purposes
Faith is a gift of God (Eph 2:8-10)
God-given
God-kept
God-finished - as He has promised: “...that whoever believes has eternal life…”
God’s desire for us to know that our faith is real and trustworthy…
1Peter 1: “these have been given so that your faith… might be proved genuine”
God proved genuine - our faiths’ persevering through trials and temptations
This surety is the seat of our joy, our strength, as we see and can be confident in, the goal of this faith
The salvation of our souls
Forgiveness of sin (and sins)
The exchange of sin for righteousness (of Jesus)
Our being justified by God - declared innocent of all charges against
“who will (now) bring any charges against us?” (Isa 50:7-10)
“If God is for us who can be against us?”
Sanctified, set apart to by His will, to accomplish His will.
Endowed with hope - the great and confident expectation of being glorified with Him. (Romans 5;8)
How valuable is this faith?
1Peter 1 “your faith...more valuable, of greater worth, than gold, even though refined…”
1Peter 1:18-19 “18For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19but with the precious blood of Christ”
How durable, how reliable is this faith? How trustworthy is it? More importantly, how trustworthy is, He?
Romans 8:18-39 “nothing can separate us from the love of God...
Philippians 1:6 “He who began a good work in
He has placed His seal of approval on us (Eph 1:13-14; 2Cor 5:4-5)
Eph 1: 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
2Cor 5: 4For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Little difference from the seal of approval placed on Jesus - as THE sacrificial lamb - holy and unblemished, certified by God Himself and declared worthy (Rev “worthy is the Lamb who was slain”)
What does this faith do? As much as it saves, it enables us to live joyfully in its hope - the certain
1Peter 1:8-9 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
And now that I see Jesus… I no longer look at anything from a worldly point of view - as I begin to see everything as the handiwork of God - I see Him, His his hand, in everything
