The Faith – By Pastor Pablo Florian

Introduction

We want to share in this brief message, what faith is for every believer in Christ, faith. It’s only a few letters, but how valuable is its meaning, for us who have reached the end of the ages. Jesus said: “when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8. How important is to understand, how valuable is faith for believers, at a time when so many false doctrines abound, all contribute to break down what genuine faith wants to build in the hearts of believers in Christ.

The apostle Paul also said the “he had finished the race and kept the faith”. We can see that faith is the foundation of the Christian; Paul said he “kept the faith”. When you save something is because it has value and because you will need it, in the case of Paul and the believers, faith led him to the end of his career. All who run this race need this faith. Grace is the hand that gives and the faith the hand that receives all that the Lord has for us.

Many think that having “faith” is to live knowing that the Lord will supply all the material things that we need, thinking this would not be complete faith; belief goes far beyond anything than the materials need.

Genuine faith is one that leads us to believe and seize everything the Lord says of us. The Lord says in his word, that he redeemed us, sanctified, and justified, therefore said that you are holy, righteous, because he sanctified and justified. This shows a change of position, from sinner to just, which was condemned before now is justified by faith.

Do you believe this? Do you have faith to believe that HE shall supply all material and labor, health, a house or a car, etc.? It’s true that the Lord can supply all this according to the necessity, if we ask in faith. But his word teaches that you are a son if you have received Him, also teaches that He justify and sanctify you, it’s also by believing this we can see a true and simple faith as the faith of Abraham, who believed God and it was counted for righteousness (Romans 4:3).

Making use of a true faith, bring conviction to our hearts of the finished work of Christ on the cross, and what is more, it will bring the full assurance of eternal salvation to our souls, it shows who we are, (just) and where we are going (to glory). Hallelujah!

“Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed” (Acts 16:22-26).

Whenever I read this passage, I’m amazed of the complete confidence in God that these two men expressed visibly before all these spectators. Do the contemporary believers have this faith? What is really faith or from where does a word so short come from? But how much actually expresses.

1) Definition: The texts of the Bible as we know it’s written in Greek and then translated into different languages. The original word is PISTIS: “Total trust and dependence on God and what God says in His Word.” In English, translators chose to express its meaning, in the word faith. So, we see that the definition puts us in a broader way to understand its meaning. One thing is to believe, other is to trust, and something different is total confidence. Why do we need faith? First: Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God. Second: Pleasing God by faith is the output of man, because by works no one can please God. Third: Faith leads the believer to a tremendous achievement to be triggered as a reaction progressively. From the good to the best and the best to the perfection.

2) Stages: The faith that believers experience different stages. It begins in a simple way, what we call the faith of Abraham; God spoke and he believed, (Romans 4:3) The Lord spoke, and that word generated faith in Abraham, he could not have believed it without faith.

Thereafter faith grows when it’s nurturing by knowledge, since it cannot grow based on ignorance of the knowledge of God. Ex: Philemon 1:5 says: “I hear the love and faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints.” Philemon came to have faith for him and others. What a beautiful step in faith!

3) PARTIES: The End of Faith we said is the confidence. How to trust in whom we have not believed? (See Rom. 10:14, 17) How to believe in whom we do not know? We can build a mathematical equation:

Knowing + Belief + Trust = Faith

Every building has foundation. The foundation of the gospel of Jesus is faith, the foundation of faith is knowledge. (1 Cor. 2:5) What is to know? The apostle here speaks of a knowledge that the princes and wise of this world does not know, for if they had known they would never have crucified the Lord of glory.

Knowledge as Peter, or Stephen received, when they manifested, religious were amazed knowing they were the vulgar and UNLEARNED. Knowledge that comes by revelation and not by the study of the letter. Knowledge that God has reserved for those who love him (1 Cor. 2:9).

The revelation and knowledge are the raw material for the faith.

How the revelations come? Simple. John 20:11, 16 shows that the person of the risen Christ rebelled to Mary, when she was looking with tears and despair for the Lord, have you ever done this? let me tell you that He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

BELIEVE: The original text is the word PISTEU. The definition is: to allow yourselves to be persuaded. Jesus said to the Jews: “My word has no place in you” here the responsibility falls on us an individual responsibility if I let myself be persuaded by what others say or keep my reason. One thing is that to be persuaded by a man and another is that to be persuaded by God. It does not matter much if I am not persuaded by a man, but to not let myself to be persuaded by God? The apostle Paul says: “… Being confident …” This is key, leads man to the restoration of communion with God, for his word prevails in me, it will lead me to genuine repentance.

TRUST: Is the result. It is the end of faith. It is able to achieve what many need today. To put to rests the consciousness of guilt, to rest in his promises, etc. Without trust, faith is dead; is like a man without his blood, he dies.

4) Description: Hebrews 11 does not give a definition of faith, but a description of it. Paraphrasing the passage, we can say: I can trust (His word is absolute and sufficient) for accuracy. This trust has the power of sight, so it is presented before me as something that is done without seeing. Ex: God said let there be light and there was light. So, by faith we understand that the universe was formed, so that what we see was made of things not seen (Hebrews 11:3).

Jesus said to the tree “no one ever eat fruit from you” The result? Dried up from the roots. Jesus said, “Have faith in God.” Is not a power to make our caprices but a power to be use according to the purpose of God’s will!

5) A LAW: The Apostle Paul in Romans 3:27, reveals something very important about faith. He says it’s a law. Meditating on this is great when we say I have great faith! prior we pray to God to take us to an improvement of it. If faith is a law, the law must also have a justice.

That is a form of administration. Every law has justice. To ask for justice is to enforce the law. If faith is a law, how is it justice? Ex. I cannot stop someone and take him to the judge and tell the judge, he stole from me! Tuck prisoner. The judge would say no. That is not the way! In order to implement the mechanism that ultimately will give justice, first I have to make a police report and present witnesses or evidence.

Then begins the complex criminal process involving in which the prosecutor defender and the judge, also, the victim and the accused. For God to establishes my justice (to be done to me according to his word), there is a way, a way, which He established and is believing what his word says, much so that is set into motion the system that is going to give justice, that is to say the Lord looks at my heart, if I really believe then He does justice, what I believe is fulfilled, Ex: Romans 10:10 “with the heart man believeth for righteousness” and in another place says, “for righteousness to everyone who BELIEVES”. Thus, we are able to say that God does not do justice to unbelievers, because the process is canceled that leads me to the righteousness of God. One who has been persuaded to “believe” has had a change of heart as to his word. God cannot override what He says: “For justice to all who believe”, but not everyone believes! Blessed is those who believe it, because dethroning his I, to stop being self-centered and become Christocentric.

I EMBRACE YOU IN THE LOVE OF JESUS

Pastor Pablo Florian