Saturday, January 23, 2016

TRANSFORMING LOVE (MEASURE OF FAITH, PART 1)



CHAPTER 3
PART 1
GIVES YOU A “MEASURE OF FAITH”
“…..according as God hath dealt to each man a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).
HOLY GIFT
God has chosen you, God has drawn you, and now he gives you a “measure of faith”. Faith is a holy gift and does NOT originate from you. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”(EPHESIANS 2:8-9).
However, with this holy gift you are enabled to respond to God. God gives you a measure of faith to ensure or enable you to experience all that He has promised and to enjoy an abundant life (John 10:10)
Faith is the God-given provision, that enables believers, to receive, respond, and take in all the blessings, favors, and promises that are yes and amen in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).
 
2 Corinthians 1:20
In other words, your God-given “measure of faith” will enable you to fully experience the holy and supernatural inheritance you are now a part of and most importantly, to experience God’s love for you.
Your God-given faith response is a fixed provision and serves to powerfully support God's word to you during your lifelong spiritual growth and development.
Faith is a supernatural necessity, especially since you have undertaken such a drastic transformation to new life “in” Christ.
You now face the task of “…[walking]…by faith, not by sightas a born-again child of God in a completely new reality (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Thank God, he has provided you with a “measure of faith” to enable you to fully “...believe on him whom God has sent” and do “..the work of God..”(John 6:29).
Therefore, a “measure of faith” was given to help you participate, engage in, get involved, or join in the richness of the YADA relationship with the Living God.
“….God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory…” in Christ Jesus, but God wants you to use your “measure of faith,” in order to experience them (Philippians 4:19).
Faith is portioned out to each person by God and He alone determines the measure of that faith. “… God hath dealt to each man a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).
Romans 12:3
You can‘t conjure up faith, or increase faith, or decrease faith, but you can exercise it.
Faith is not about the amount anyway, you can have small mustard seed faith and do great things for God (Matthew 17:20).
Faith is not about human belief or human effort, but about exercising it through hearing God’s word alone.
You exercise your faith every time you hear the word of God. That’s why the bible tells you to “…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” (Colossians 3:16).
God says faith will come (appear) every time it hears the word, not any word, but the Word of God. Faith is not positive thinking either.  
Positive thinking is a product of self-effort, but godly faith is a product of God’s-effort only. Your “measure of faith” is a gift from God.
Human faith enables you to do or believe in what you want to do whereas God’s “measure of faith” enables you to do or believe in what God wants you to do. “….without [God-given] faith it is impossible to please God…” (Hebrews 11:6).
Therefore, God has taken care of everything regarding your “walk of faith” and some people take that to mean they do nothing.
It is true your needs are taken care of “in” Christ, but it is up to you to respond and cooperate with God’s provision.
You respond or cooperate by “…[walking]..in a manner worthy of [your]…calling” or by “…[offering]… your bodies as a living sacrifice…” (Philippians 1:27; Romans 12:1).
For example, if you are hungry and someone brings you a finished meal wrapped in gift paper with instructions on how to heat it up. YOU have to receive it, YOU have to read the instructions, and YOU have to eat the meal.
The meal is free, but your hands need to receive it, your eyes needs to read the instructions, and your mouth needs to eat the food. This is how you “..offer your body..” in service and cooperation with God’s provisions (Romans 12:1).
Receiving the free meal is met with presenting your body by cooperating through receiving it with your hands, reading it with your eyes, and eating it with your mouth.
Faith is a FREE gift, but you must use it, and cooperate with it. In the example above, once you are offered the FREE meal, if you don’t receive it, read the instructions, and eat it; you will remain hungry.
If God gives you a “measure of faith” it means you need to utilize it in the relationship with Him. “…Without [God-given] faith it is impossible to please God…” (Hebrews 11:6).
Before you became a new creation in Christ you acted in your own best interest based on your own personal values.
When you became a believer you continue to act in your own best interest based on your new Christian values, but discover you can’t do it on your own effort.
John 15:15
Apart from Jesus Christ, “…you can do nothing…” holy or righteous (John 15:5).
When you sin, you may experience guilt, shame, or anxiety as a result and your emotional well-being is heavily affected.
You can’t self-regulate your sinful behavior to achieve your new holy Christian values. What do you do?
This is the place you use your God-given faith to enable you to achieve your new desired behavior and live-out your Christian values. “[You]… can do all things through Christ who strengthens [you]…” (Philippians 4:13).
This is also where you can rest in the finished work of Christ and allow him to work in you to enable you to walk in your new Christian values (Philippians 2:13). “….[You]… can do all things through Christ…” (Philippians 4:13).
You enter God’s rest because you are no longer self-regulated or struggling to depend on self, but faith-regulated and peacefully depending on God. “......the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience…” (Hebrews 4:10-11).
Active faith rests in the finished work of Christ, which means your major work is simply to believe in him whom God has sent (John 6:29).
That’s why the James says, “…someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!  But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works,and not by faith only….” (James 2:18-24). 

 EXCERPT FROM THE CHAPTER 
"MEASURE OF FAITH" FROM THE
BOOK TRANSFORMING LOVE
BY PENSACOLA H JEFFERSON
BUY IT HERE!!

No comments:

Post a Comment