Introduction: Last week, we began to look at the relationship between faith and refreshing by first looking at what faith is, how it comes and how it works. Today, we shall be looking at two of these elements that enable faith to produce and five ways that they can bring us rest and consequently refreshing.
To begin with, we must understand that faith operates by principles or laws and for that reason, faith is made up of some elements. An element for our purpose is one of the simplest or essential parts or principles of which anything consists or upon which the constitution or fundamental powers of anything are based. In other words, there are certain vital principles upon which the strength of faith is built and we shall be looking at some of them today and five ways they can bring us the rest and refreshing God has promised us.
Love: In Gal.5:6, we are told that nothing counts for anyone more than faith that works by love. This is because love is the life wire of faith. Also, without love, it is impossible to really mix faith with the word of God we hear. When faith is not mixed with the word of God we hear, we would not be profited by it and therefore would be eluded of rest and consequently, refreshing because faith only works by love. See Hebrews 4:2.
Tenacity: Tenacity is the quality of holding your own. For instance holding on to the word God has spoken to you in spite of every adversity you are confronted with. This is why the word of God tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. It is the tenacity of your faith that God finds attractive in you. See Hebrew 11:6. In verse 12 of Hebrews 6, we are told to be followers of those who through faith and patience obtain the promise. This goes to show that God has set the faithful as the standard for our pursuit of Him. The elders were said to have obtained the promise by faith and believe me, the quality that made this happen for them was their tenacity because many of them knew that the promise was not to be fulfilled in their lifetime. See Heb.11:2, 13-16. For instance Job said all the days of his appointed time would he wait until his change came. The man was tenacious. See Job 14:14.
Five products of faith that generate rest and refreshing are:
It is life giving: The entire walk with God from the bible is faith based that is why it is referred to as the faith. The bible say that the just shall live by is faith. Consequently, our entire living and quality of life we live is faith determined. The quality of life we really get to live as believers in Jesus Christ is determined by the quality of our faith. For instance we are saved through faith – Ephesians 2:8-10, we walk by faith – 2Cor.5:7, we live by faith – Hab.2:4, Rom.1:17, Heb.10:38 etc.
It produces love because faith compels us to walk in love so as to produce. In Gal.5:6 we are told that faith works by love. As a result, we make conscious effort to walk in love so that our faith can produce because in 1Cor.13:1-3 we see that the absence of love in all our activities would result in vanity. See Ps.127:1.
It produces victory as it enables us to activate all the fruit of the spirit which added together grants us victory over the affairs of life. This is why we are told in 1John 5:4 that the means by which we overcome the world is our faith.
It brings light: It takes faith to generate light from the Spirit and the scripture. Without that quality of loving tenacity in following God, we cannot persist on the word until it hatches understanding and enough faith to empower us. The understanding we glean from the word is what we refer to as light. See Ps.119:130. This is why the Psalmist cried out for God to give him understanding that he might live. Life will really only answer to us to the extent of understanding we glean from the Lord. See Ps.119:144.
It brings freedom from captivity by helping us to renew our minds with the word of God. The result is that we are able to walk in true allegiance to God and actualize our prosperity. This is the way it works. Your desire to embrace, build and grow your faith would help you to continue in the word of God. When you continue in it, by actually studying, meditating on and obeying it, you become a disciple of Christ indeed. As a result, God will bless you with revelation knowledge that would help dispel every darkness of ignorance that had kept you captive up till now. When this happens, you are said to have mixed the word with enough faith to enter into rest in that area you were previously ignorant of the grace of God. The result would be your refreshing. See John 8:30-32, John1:4-5, Ps.119:130, Rm.12:2, 1Tim.4:13-16.
No comments:
Post a Comment