| What
Does It Mean to Lead a Life of Faith? (1)Introduction:A. God has delivered
“the ” (Jude
3) once for all.B. Those who have obeyed the gospel have been “ to the
Lord” (Acts 16:14-15).C. Collectively, “believers” (Acts 2:44) comprise “the
household of
” (Gal 6:10).D. What, then, does it mean to live a life of faith? (1
Thes 1:2-10)I. The Meaning and Foundation of FaithA. Faith can be used in a
variety of contexts—to trust, to confide, fidelity.1. To trust ( ) — Acts
8:12.2. To confide ( ) —
James 1:6; 1 Pet 2:6.3. Fidelity (
) — Rev 2:10; 2 Tim 2:2.B. These three components of faith are
progressive.1. Belief (intellectual credence) is the beginning point (Heb
11:1,6).2. Belief which is nurtured grows into confidence (self-surrendering
reliance, Phil 4:10-13).3. Mature confidence ultimately bears the fruit of
fidelity (unswerving loyalty, 2 Tim 4:7-8).C. Each component of faith is
built upon the solid evidence of the character of God himself.1. He has
demonstrated
, which is worthy of our trust (Tit 1:1-2; 2 Tim 2:13).2. He has
demonstrated
, which is worthy of our confidence (Rom 8:31-32).3. He has
demonstrated and , which are worthy of our
fidelity (2 Tim 1:8-12).D. BOTTOM LINE: We can have faith in God and be
faithful to God because he is a faithful God (1 Cor 1:9; 10:13; 2 Thes 3:3). |
