Faith Alone...
Hebrews 11:28a
"It was by faith that Moses..."
You can't make God love, or like you more, by any special means or works or traditions. Faith alone is the perfecting work that pleases God. God may bring trials to perfect that faith, to test your faithfulness, but your faith in Christ Jesus has already accomplished the work of salvation. It is finished. That race is finished. Now, sanctification is another matter, but that's for another day.
Faith alone will stand on the day of the coming of the Lord's salvation (justification); the faithless will not be rewarded with life, but the crown of life will be the reward of those who remain in Christ (sanctification).
This is the promise which is shadowed and remembered in the Passover and in the Lord's Supper. This is the root of our faith. It's purification by His blood. It's sanctuary from the wickedness of evil men. And to shrink back from that confession of Christ's redemption, by rejecting the truth of salvation in faith alone, is to court destruction. It is sin to mingle the gospel of faith alone with the manmade ordinances of dogmatic believers.
Faith that pleases God embraces the reality of our hope in God, and sees the Lord Jesus crowned with glory and honor. This faith confidently embraces the sabbath rest that we who are in Christ Jesus obey by the creative power of God's word. Our faith knows the powers of the coming kingdom age have been brought by Jesus Christ and that faith hears God speaking through the power of The Holy Spirit. This faith responds to God’s call, it is alive and energetic.
Hebrews 4:12
"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword..."
This faith is unshakable because it is founded upon the mercy seat of Jesus Christ. It is a faith that chooses the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. And the ultimate reward for these people of faith is citizenship in the heavenly city of God. And the way to His kingdom is opened by faith in Jesus Christ alone. With Christ as our High Priest, we have attained the kingdom of God. This was not and is not accomplished by any other priests, organizations, programs, social justice causes, or whatever virtue-signaling you might be involved in. This promised reward is reserved for those who persevere in the faith through all of life’s challenges.
Hebrews 10:35
"So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!..."
When the people loose courage and chase after the idols of men. When the world throws off obedience to God's word and replaces it with the orders and traditions of men. When the church runs towards popular belief and practices. It is then that the faithful must follow Jesus the High Priest and not shrink back into that idolatry.
Hebrews 12:2
"We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith..."
God has provided this way in Christ for the faithful of every age to enter into the sanctuary, the Way opened by Christ, our great High Priest. He is the better resurrection. The fullness of his reward awaits those of us who persevere and cast out the wickedness of idolatry.
This race of faith requires courage because the world hated our High Priest. Jesus walked the path of the perfection of faith through the sufferings of this life. And we who are in him follow that same path and endure the consequences. We are people of faith. We do not shrink back when the test comes. Our eyes remain fixed upon Jesus. And God perfects our faith in Christ. Transforming our hearts, our minds, and our strength.
Hebrews 6:2
"So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead..."
Let us grow in our faith and activate that spirit in all our ways.
Hebrews 4:16
"So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."
The purpose of religion is to provide an opening and instruction into communion with God. Our High Priest Jesus knows the challenges we face in running this race. He knows our limitations and our adverse circumstances. The purpose of our faithfulness is to be running that race regardless the adversity, trusting in the outcome that Jesus has secured.
We are meant to be living witnesses to that enduring faith. Our redemption work is done already in Christ, but now it is on us to endure patiently in our trust in that faith. If you can put your trust in Jesus you're going to come through. His is the better covenant. Before we needed continual blood sacrifices made on our behalf to cover our sins, but now we have the eternal sacrifice in Jesus Christ which is the foundation of our faith. All that we need now is living by that faith. Preserving and persevering in that faith.
Perfection comes by God’s grace in faithfulness to his covenant. Not by human institutions, interventions, traditions and rituals. It is by faith in God's grace.
Say it again...
Faith in God's grace.
"But if I do this..."
Faith in God's grace.
"But my faith is lifted up by this..."
Faith in God's grace.
"But it is the Church that..."
Faith in God's grace.
"But you need to..."
Faith in God's grace.
"But history proves that the Church..."
Faith in God's grace.
"But Catholicism..."
Faith in God's grace.
"But Protestant..."
Faith in God's grace.
"But St. Peter..."
Faith in God's grace.
"But Mother Mary..."
Faith in God's grace.
"But the Eucharist..."
Faith in God's grace.
"But but but..."
The race is “set before us”; we did not select the course, and we don't recreate the rules, for it is God who established it. And therefore, we do not lean on human beings and their institutions and ordinances, but on God's grace. We run the race that he has already won according to his word. No orders of men will win that race. Only enduring faith wins the race.
Feet get dirty, our bodies are unclean, out of our hearts and minds we sin again and again, but faith perfects our lives.
Galatians 5:6
"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love."
Faith alone, but "working" faith that shows the fruit of faithfulness.
James 2:24
"You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone."
The work is love. The fruit is love. The author of love is Jesus Christ. Our faith is perfected in his love. The Apostle Paul calls this the fruit or evidence of faith the “work of faith” (1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:11) and the “obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5; 16:26). Subject to the faith. Subject to the scriptures. Obedient to Christ's love which is active and alive.
God bless you and keep you now and forever, blessed by faith
#Love #Faith #Religion