A Love Letter to God’s Children
Blog – 5/27/22
“by grace through faith”
-“by grace”: solely by God’s power
-“through faith”: solely through trust in God (not self)
Blog – 5/27/22
Faith
Faith is confidence in God’s trustworthiness (“I can trust God at His word”). It provides conviction under impossible circumstances and that God will do just as He wills and pleases, to His own glory, just as He has promised.
Unknown Author Regarding Faith
Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees,
And looks to God alone;
Looks at impossibilities
And cries, “It shall be done.”
1 Co 16:13-14
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.
2 Co 5:7
for we walk by faith, not by sight
“Faith begins where possibilities end. If it’s possible, then there’s no glory for God in it.”
The Benefits of Faith
A faithful person is a content person because they don’t make demands on God’s Word to provide them with answers that He hasn’t ordained them to know.
1 Ti 6:6
Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment
God’s Sovereignty & Man’s Will
The following are equally true Biblical doctrines:
- God sovereignly elects some sinners for salvation while passing over others.
- Man is held responsible for his belief or unbelief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
***FAITH***
Man’s WillThere’s no way to reconcile everything in the Bible unless it’s all true.
FAITH
The Root Cause of a False Gospel
Man has a terrible, though predictable, habit of stealing God’s glory for himself - STARTING with the Gospel!
To God Be the Glory
To slight God’s glory is to slight one’s own sanctification, for you cannot be sanctified in the absence of respect for His glory. (Ps 24:7-10; 1Co 2:8; 1Pe 4:14; 2Pe 1:17)
We cannot lay claim to a single act of goodness from a state of total depravity.
“weak”
from asthenes [“a” = without + “sthenos” = strength] – literally means “without strength”; in context, it means we were incapable of contributing to our salvation
2Ti 1:9
Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.
Saving Faith is a Grace Gift
If, in any way whatsoever, a person misunderstands Jesus’ statement, “What is impossible with man is possible with God” (Lk 18:27), it’s very possible they misunderstand His Gospel!
Php 1:26
For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.
Your life on Earth is meant to bring glory to God, not yourself.
Caution
Systematic Theology is not a “one size fits all” solution to interpreting Holy Scripture. In fact, since all such theologies are manmade, they are inherently flawed. As such, all theologies have strengths and weaknesses (why do you think there’s been so much contention between staunch theologians throughout history?).
Caution
I want YOU to have your OWN convictions, your OWN wisdom, and therefore your OWN abilities, so YOU can live in the CONTEXT of your OWN life and bring glory to God!
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
We are all born depraved. Salvation is a gracious gift from God. It is the result of the Gospel calling, which is: Jesus Christ, who is God incarnate, humbled Himself to die on our behalf. Thus He became the sinless sacrifice to pay the penalty of our guilt. He rose from the dead to declare with power that He is Lord over all, and He offers eternal life freely to sinners who will surrender to Him in humble, repentant faith.
Proper Perspective When Studying Salvation
We must heed Solomon’s wisdom (Ecc 12:13-14). We are slaves given duties by our Master. We don’t always know the Master’s plans. He gives us faith instead.
So-Called “Free Will”
Since a slave cannot understand their master’s plan, they often “fill in the blanks” because they lack faith. For example, how do we reconcile God’s decree with man’s “free will”? The better question is, are we supposed to fully understand, outside of faith?
If Not “Free Will”, Then What?
Man has a free will in the sense that he can make choices; however, those choices are always a function of his nature (e.g., he will always choose what his nature desires). If unregenerate, he will follow Satan. If regenerate, he will follow God. Man is always a slave (Ro 6:16-18).
Instead of Seeking Theology…
Seek:
- Context (e.g., we are born spiritually dead)
- Truth (e.g., only God can save us)
- Understanding (e.g., God chooses to save some and passes over others)
Faith
Faith is confidence in God’s trustworthiness (“I can trust God at His word”). It provides conviction under impossible circumstances and that God will do just as He wills and pleases, to His own glory, just as He has promised.
“Faith begins where possibilities end. If it’s possible, then there’s no glory for God in it.”
The Benefits of Faith
A faithful person is a content person because they don’t make demands on God’s Word to provide them with answers that He hasn’t ordained them to know.
God’s Sovereign Will
Man’s Will
There’s no way to reconcile everything in the Bible unless it’s all true.
FAITH
