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Putting on the breastplate of faith and love
Luke 18:1-8 "1 And he spake a parable unto them, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;2 Saying,
There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came
unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though
I fear not God, nor regard man;5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she
weary me.6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and
night unto him, though he bear long with them?8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of
man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"
Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith
is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"
Romans 3:23-28 "23 For all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God;24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus:25 Whom God hath set forth a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission
of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;26 To declare, at this time his righteousness: that he be just, and
the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.27 Where [is] boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but
by the law of faith.28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law"
Romans 4:3 "For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted
unto him for righteousness"
Genesis 15:1-6 "1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram
in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I [am] thy shield, [and] thy exceeding great reward.2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what
wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house [is] this Eliezer of Damascus?3 And Abram said, Behold,
to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.4 And, behold, the word of the LORD unto him, saying,
This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.5 And he brought him
forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him,
So shall thy seed be.6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness"
Faith = (Hebrew)
1) faithfulness, trusting a) faithful, trusty.
Faith = (Greek) 1) a)
relating to God 1) the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider
and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ. b) relating to Christ. 1) a strong and
welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom his people obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of
God.
Today's meaning = n. 1) Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.
2) Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. 3) The theological virtue defined as secure belief in
God and a trusting acceptance of God's will. 4) Its primary idea is trust. A thing is true, and therefore worthy of trust.
Isaiah 12:2 "Behold, God my salvation; I will trust,
and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH my strength and song; he also is become my salvation"
Ephesians 2:8-9 "8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: the gift of God:9 Not
of works, lest any man boast"
Example of lacking faith: Psalm 78:18-22 "18 And they
tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.19 Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table
in the wilderness?20 Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread
also? can he provide flesh for his people?21 Therefore the LORD heard and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob,
and anger also came up against Israel;22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation"
Today, many congregations are like old testament Israel; they teach that if someone of their members is poor, it is because
he/she is not tithing faithfully or if someone is sick in the congregation and does not heal, it is because that person has
no faith. Many more false teachings they bring; so these people need to see material and physical blessings to believe and
trust in God. Salvation is not about material and physical blessings, but the healing of the soul in Christ.
Romans
1:16-17 "16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that
believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith:
as it is written, The just shall live by faith"
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 "1 And I, brethren, when I came to
you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.2 For I determined not to know
any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.4
And my speech and my preaching not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:5
That your faith stand not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God"
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 "20 Now
then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech by us: we pray in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.21
For he hath made him sin for us, who knew no sin; that we be made the righteousness of God in Him" Remember
the "us" is God's elect/chosen people.
2 Corinthians 13:5-6 "5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be
in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?6
But I trust that ye know that we are not reprobates"
Galatians 2:16-20 "16 Knowing that a man is not
justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we be justified
by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.17 But if,
while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, [is] therefore Christ the minister of sin? God
forbid.18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.19 For I through the law am dead
to the law, that I live unto God.20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and
the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.21 I do
not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness by the law, then Christ is dead in vain"
Galatians 3:1-14
"1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye obey not the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been
evidently set forth, crucified among you?2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law,
or by the hearing of faith?3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?4 Have ye
suffered so many things in vain? if yet in vain.5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among
you: By the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.7
Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.8 And the scripture, foreseeing that
God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, "In thee shall all nations be blessed"
9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under
the curse: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the
law to do them.11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, evident: for, The just shall live by faith.12
And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of
the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a tree:14 That the blessing of
Abraham come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we receive the promise of the Spirit through faith"
Phillippians 3:7-9 "7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.8 Yea doubtless, and I count
all things loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,
and do count them dung, that I win Christ,9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but
that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith" Isaiah
54:17 "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue [that] shall
rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This [is] the heritage of the servants of
the LORD, and their righteousness [is] of me, saith the LORD"
Do you trust God is in control of your Salvation
and everything around? I have been trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ with the Salvation of my soul and whatever
happens in my life daily, for many days.
Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to purpose"
Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith impossible to please: for he that cometh to
God must believe that he is, and he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him"
Faith
= Christ
Do you have FAITH?
PRAISE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!
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