How’s Jesus been trying to get your attention today? What’s he been showing you? What’s he been stirring in your mind as you attempt to build that relationship with him that makes you uncomfortable within this Faith vs. Ideology access contradiction in this world of terms (Prosperity Gospel);which for me is why a religion turned ideologyis a misrepresentation of itself.Ideology is a formation, a system covering up and closing one off from reality while giving the false impression of having an explanation for everything; it blurs my perception because of the clarifying stuff of external action being put before the inner heart, the voice of “change”.
Faith, however, is based on truth as revealed by God and is also accessible to reason. You see in contrast, any kind of belief is called an “ideology” these days, the underlying idea being that truth cannot be known anyway, this makes me go “hum”. My question, “Isn’t faith a gift from God, an infusion of the Holy Spirit, one of the three theological virtues, based on the revelation of the highest which therefore cannot be false?
At the center of my thought today is the word, “Freedom” this word for a Christian means what? Is it a dead giveaway when it comes to…a guess, is it an obedient calling, is it the same voice(vocabulary) or a problem in having the “same mind” using a different dictionary? Clearly the world uses an array of different definitions. How about Your word for “Freedom”?
The Bible tells us that, spiritually speaking, no one is free. In Romans 6, Paul explains that we are all slaves. We are either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness. Those who are slaves to sin cannot free themselves from it, but once we are freed from the penalty and power of sin through the cross, we become a different kind of slave, and in that slavery, we find complete peace and true freedom.
As believers, we too have a vested interest protecting ourselves from Satan’s ballistic attacks. One unguarded moment can ruin our testimonies, damage our relationships, diminish our influence, steal our joy, and reverse our spiritual progress. In 1 Corinthians Paul tell us to keep watch for spiritual danger to hold our convictions and stand fast in faith to be brave and to draw energy from God for our daily battles with the world, the flesh, and the devil. Young man/women be strong!
How does Faith come into an individual’s life? To answer this question, I give your eight relevant areas in progressive order, with scripture.
1. The calling of God. 1 Timothy 2:4,” Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 2 Peter 3:9, The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” Which indicate that God wish’s that all individuals of his creation yearn to be a part of the family of Go, Ephesians 2:19. God is knocking on the door of every individuals heart for entry and communion.
2. Hope is an optimistic attitude that God created in every human, “individual’s” mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes related to events and circumstances in one’s life. Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
3. Our Human Heart. Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?”
4. The Heart that heeds the calling. Revelation 3:20,” Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me. From the beginning of an individual’s life, God is Knocking on the door of one’s Heart.
5. Transformation, “born again “John 3:1-8 “How can a grown man be born again?” Nicodemus asked. “He certainly cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time!” I am telling you the truth, “replied Jesus, that no none can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the spirit.”
6. Our New Life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
7. What is Faith. Hebrews 11:1,” TO have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see.” Faith insures us that what we hope for will manifest itself. And it insures us that even being confronted with “all obstacles,” we can rest in the truths of the bible and have the assurance and conviction that Faith will manifest itself.
8. Establishment and fulfillment of faith in the believer & conclusion. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God”.
If you are like me I have to be often reminded, often that we have been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20) and that we have been reborn as completely new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17).The Christian life is one of death to self and rising to “walk in the newness of life” (Romans 6:4), and that new life is characterized by thoughts about Him who saved us, not thoughts about the dead flesh consisting of Ideology butthat which has been crucified with Christ.
When we are continually thinking about ourselves and indulging the flesh in sins we have been freed from, we are essentially carrying around a corpse, full of rottenness and death. The only way to bury it fully is by the power of the Spirit who is the only source of strength. We strengthen the new nature by continually feeding on the Word of God, and through prayer we obtain the power we need to escape the desire to return to the old life of sin. Then we will realize that our new status as slaves to Christ is the only true freedom, and we will call upon His power to “not let sin reign and “Manipulate”in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires” (Romans 6:12).
Faith is a new creation “New Hope” and the Will and Purposing of the Holy Spirit working together. My Greatest Joy, is to obey my Lord!
God Bless You and This Ministry!
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