“And Jesus answered…”  (The Gospels)

 

In our last article we argued that Christ and His Gospel is the One and Only Answer to this world’s problems and to life’s problems. That article was roughly (16??) sixteen hunded and something words. We will summarize that article here with far fewer words and then move along to the power of faith.

Summary of part (1) one: If everyone, if every person on this earth was saved by Christ all problems would be answered…all problems would be solved. No one would want to kill, no one would want to war, no one would want to harm anyone in anyway. Love would be the rule of the world. Persons would think of others before self and all would love God. The last (3) three sentences explain how Christ and His Gospel is the Answer to this world’s problems. That is also how we know this world’s problems will never be solved. Further more, those who are trying to bring peace, true and lasting peace, to this world will always fail. Why is this? How do I know this? Our text in part (1) one of these articles calls Christ, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). How can we have peace when the Prince of Peace is absent? This world can know peace only when Christ is terrestial, ruling, and reigning as King of kings and Lord of lords in Jerusalem and even then not all hearts and minds will be at peace for this world will not willingly receive Him as King.

On to the Power of Faith: Why does Paul look upon the shield of faith as being the most important piece of the Whole Armour of God? Paul sees the shield of faith as being the most prominent and important piece of armour because without faith, one has nothing. Truth is known through faith, Christ’s imputed righteousness is taken hold of by faith, The Christ-ian appropriates the Gospel of Christ only by faith, Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, the Holy Spirit inhabits only those who are God-gifted with faith, and only those with faith can pray. (Ephesians 6)

Faith is to the Christ-ian what Glory is to God or to make it simpler,
Faith is to the Christ-ian what money is to BatMan, what a radioactive spider bite is to Peter Parker, what the Red sun is to Superman. God’s gift of faith is that which gives us everything. To be sure, faith is a gift from God (1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 2:8-9). No human of himself or herself can muster up the smallest amount of faith, it is impossible. But, what is impossible to man is Possible to God for God is the God of the impossible, so says Christ.

In Ephesians 2:1, Paul, under the control of the Holy Spirit writes, “And you hath [H]e quickened (made alive, regenerated), who were (spiritually) dead in trespasses and sins…”  How do I know Paul is talking of the spiritually dead?  Because physically dead persons do not read. Therefore, a spiritually dead person cannot put faith in Christ, as faith is spiritual. Another way we know this is Adam and Eve did not physically die after partaking of the fruit as God had promised. If Adam and Eve did not die physically, how else could they die, but spiritually? There is no other interpretation or alternative to Paul’s meaning lest one twist, turns, or wrests Paul’s meaning.

After learning or knowing that faith is a gift from God, everything one may have thought they knew about their faith must be re-evaluated as well as to what length one might go to keep what they have mis-learned in tact.

Since faith is a gift and faith is necessary for salvation, you did not have anything to do with your salvation, except needing to be saved from sin, from sin’s pleasure, from the habitual practice of sin, from sin’s power, and from sin’s penalty, and someday from sin’s very presence. Let us use a syllogism to clarify our meaning.
Syllogism:
*Faith is necessary for a person to be saved. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
*Man is spiritually dead and has no faith of his own. (Ephesians 2:1)
*Therefore, if man is to be saved by faith, this faith must come from Someone else. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

There is no way of getting around this except, like I already said, one would have to twist Scripture to fit one’s rathers.

There is another truth that must be acknowledged after one understands faith to be a gift from God. God does not give every person, every man the gift of faith. We see in Scripture and in life, once God grants a person faith, said person repents and believes. Therefore, if that be true, then we must acknowledge God does NOT grant everyone that gift or else every person would be saved. And once that truth is taken in then one must acknowledge that Christ’s death and resurrection were accomplished only for those that would be given the gift of faith.

Then, with my bent of mind, I would ask the question, “Does God then love everyone?” The answer, without twisting Scripture and logic would be in the negative.

What should we do with all this information?  We should be greatly humbled knowing that God’s love is precious and peculiar to the elect only. We should greatly love, greatly praise, greatly honour our God. We should worship Him with all we have in us.

Praise God, everything that hath breathe.

As I said above, faith is our super power. Because of faith we can do what God expects of us. We can do what other Chist-ians should expect of us, and we can do what the world expects of us. Faith allows us to love our enemies and our neighbors. Faith allows us to be longsuffering. Faith allows us a Christ-ian composure when composure makes no sense. Faith allows us to live the life of faith and to walk by faith even when our senses tell us otherwise. Faith allows us the life that passes all understanding. Faith allows us the greatest of all gifts next to itself and that gift is prayer, fellowship, and communion with God. Faith allows us to dwell in, practice, abide in, reside in, remain in God’s Presence. Faith allows us to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. Faith allows us to forgive one another. Faith allows us and instructs us to pray for others. Faith allows us to believe when no one else believes. Faith allows us to believe what no one else believes. Faith allows us to look for Christ, to long for Christ, to love the thought and promise of His return. Faith is that grace that makes you who you are and who you will become.

Godspeed.