By Grace through Faith.
Ephesians 2:8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God
Grace is God's kindness and favour towards me even though I don't deserve it.
The book of Titus has a concise definition of Grace. Let's see.
Titus 3:4. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared.
According to Titus 3:4, what could we say Grace is? We could say it is the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man (that undeserving and sinful creature, deserving nothing but God's wrath!.
See how man is described in Titus 3:3. (For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.)
Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!.
God is able to be gracious and merciful to lost sinners because of what Christ did for us on the cross!, according to Romans.
Romans 3:24. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
So according to Romans 3:24, the believer is justified (declared righteous) freely. How? by his Grace (the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man). How did this happen? through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Faith is simply taking God at His Word and acting upon what HE HAS SAID. God said it! I believe it! That settles it!.
Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus!
Just to take Him at His Word!
Just to Rest upon His Promise!
Just to know, Thus saith the Lord!.
Faith is believing that what God says is true. Before we can believe and live God's Word, we must hear it (or read it). Thus we learn in Romans 1:17 about how faith comes. Let's see it.
Romans 10:17. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
According to this passage, how does Faith come? by hearing, and hearing, by the Word of God.
True faith must rest upon solid facts and our faith rests upon the written Word of God.
Abraham was a man of faith. Let's see what Scripture says concerning the faith of Abraham. Genesis 15:6 (And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness). Romans 4:3-5 (For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness). Galatians 3:6-9. ( Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham).
Abraham was strong in faith because he believed that whatever God had promised him would surely come to pass.
Romans 4:19-21. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
In this passage, we learn that Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that, what He (God) had promised, He (God) was able also to perform.
- Is God able to keep His promises? Yes.
- Is God able to Do what He says? Yes
- Will God do exactly what He says? Yes
- Will everything God says always come to pass? See Genesis 1:3 (And God said, Let there be light: and there was light). So we see that everything God says comes to pass.
- Has a promise of God ever failed? No.
- Are we able to say Yes and Amen after reading every one of God's promises? See 2 Corinthians 1:20 (For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us). So Yes, we are able to say Yes and Amen to all the promises of God.
Titus 1:2. In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began
Hebrews 6:18. That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
According to Titus 1:2, what is one thing that God cannot do? God cannot lie. We also know from Hebrews 6:18 that it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, whatever God says must be true and we should believe it, rest upon it, obey it and live it. When we do not believe the Word of God, what terrible sin are we guilty of? See 1 John 5:10 (He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son). A person who does not believe the Word of God accuses God of being a liar, because he has not believed in the evidence or the testimony that God bore regarding His Son.
Faith is responding properly, rightly and correctly to what God has said. The person of faith responds properly to the Word of God. When God gives a command, how does the person of faith respond? See Hebrews 11:8 (By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went). The person of faith responds by obeying.
When God gives a promise, the man of faith believes it, is persuaded of it, seeks it, looks for it, waits for it, rests upon it, clings to it, and embraces it.
Hebrews 11:11, 13. Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. ...These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth).
Member discussion: