The gospel is so simple that it can be believed by anyone from anywhere in any walk of life. So this week we take a simple approach on some Bible ABC's (About Believing in Christ). This week our discussion leads us to look at how even the ability to believe (trust) in Jesus Christ is a gift. Faith isn't about trying harder to believe more. Faith is not about "how much" we believe but rather in "what" we believe. Understanding that God has offered and provided all of us with these gifts out of His love will allow people to simply respond with an open heart apart from fear. He did this freely, expecting nothing in return. All He wants is you.
The Gift of Believing (14 Min, 9.6 MB)
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This was another great podcast. I do have a few quetsions that I hope you can answer.
ReplyDeleteOkay I know that we are saved by grace through faith and it is not our ourselves.
I know the Bible talks about how faith comes by hearing of the Word of God.
Howver, is there a such thing as growing in faith? Jesus the perfecter of our faith, so would it be inaccurate to say that you have little faith? In the gospels, Jesus told his disciples that they had little faith to not calm the sea.
Also in the epistles, faith is one of the fruits of the spirit. Does those passages mean that you have faith in Christ and not your own faith.
Also what does it mean that everyone has a measure of faith,does that mean that each has the faith to believe?
I know it is a lot of questions, I apologize but I really want to know what exactly is the authenticy of faith in a nutshell.
Faith is no more than a car with a clutch that engages the engine to move when one releases the clutch when in gear
DeleteTherefore when one believes and acts on that belief the power of God is engaged. This is what Jesus did showed us to depend on God his Father, showed us this is how we are to live in trust of his Father as he did all the way to the cross to bring you and I and anyone else salvation through him. So engage your faith trusting God and learn to listen to the inward man of your heart the Holy Ghost that you were sealed with the day you first believed Ephesians 1:13
Sorry for taking so long to respond. Little things keep coming up, leaving me with little time to do some of the things I want to do! LOL
DeleteI do think there's such a thing as growing in faith, but just as we had talked about on a past podcast about growing in grace, I don't think it's so much that our faith increases, but rather that we grow in our acknowledgement of what (or really, Who) we already have faith in. Now, some would call that an increase in faith, and I wouldn't argue with them (and they may indeed be correct and I could be wrong), but I think the point is that "God has given to each one a measure of faith," but each of us has the choice to "release the clutch," so to speak, as Howard was saying above.
We've all been given a measure of faith, but we don't all respond to it in the same measure. :) Paul exhorted the people in the book of Romans that God had given them all a measure of faith, and they were to use their gifts in proportion to their faith. It's not that their faith would "increase," but rather they were exhorted to walk as the people God had created them to be in proportion to the faith He'd already given them. To me, this implies that they were also able to not use their gifts in proportion to their faith.
In another place, Paul talked about those who were "weak" in faith. They all believed in the same Jesus (all of them had faith in Christ), and yet some of them were going back and adding rules and rituals, and observing certain days and food laws, etc. Again, they all believed in Jesus, but the "weak" ones were also trusting in other things as "insurance" (so to speak). I would say that for those people, to "grow in faith" wouldn't so much mean that their faith increased, but rather they would see more and more that the ONE person who they had faith in was enough. Again, some might call that "increasing their faith" in Jesus. To me, the bottom line is that we already have enough faith, and it's an issue of getting our thinking off of trying to have "more" faith and turning our thinking more and more to the one in whom we have faith.
I really don't know how well I explained what I was trying to say. If it doesn't make sense, it's because I was struggling with how to put my thoughts into words. :)
DeleteHey guys... thanks for the questions/comments. I haven't had much time to be on here lately, but I'll try to respond as soon as possible.
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