Our primary call in life (as Christians) is to believe. BELIEVE, not perform, Believe. Many people have been duped into thinking that our call in life depends on our performance. That’s an old covenant mindset. The new covenant is all about believing.
“And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.”
1 John 3:23
Interestingly love is described in this manner:
“Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, DOES NOT KEEP AN ACCOUNT OF A WRONG SUFFERED, it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; it keeps every confidence, it BELIEVES ALL THINGS, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…”
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
If we love one another we would believe in Christ which is in each other. We would not keep an account, measuring each other up to see if we fit the mold of a child of God. Love believes in a person before the person’s exterior looks like a child of God. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7) and “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh” (2 Cor. 5:17).
Surround yourself with people who believe, and try to limit your time with those who do not. Performance-based Christians will only make you feel heavily burdened (see Luke 11:46), but those who believe will lighten the load by pointing to Jesus. Surround yourself with people who believe in Jesus in you, not those measuring you by your performance.
“…which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”
Colossians 1:27
It was while we were yet sinners that God gave his son (see Rom. 5:8). He wasn’t waiting for you to measure up to a standard. He believed in you (that is Christ in you) before you even knew a standard. Remember he is the one that justifies the ungodly (see Rom. 4:5), and the same one who calls those things that be not as though they were (see Rom. 4:17). He calls and he qualifies (justifies). Surround yourself with those who believe in the God who is at work in you, not those who are more concerned about your performance than your trust in the Creator.
Trust in Him, Jesus is the salvation of your soul. God bless you all! Our Father loves you!
Jesus said, “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you” (NASB, Mat. 7:1-2).
Sometimes we can be very critical of others but what if God was to use our own standard of judgment against us? Would we be able to withstand his judgment?
We desire to walk in faith, but sometimes we do not even know what faith is. We do not even know how to measure it. I used to think very rigidly when it came to the definition of faith because what was written in Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1
I thought, Well if we had faith then the things that we hoped for would manifest in our lives because the substance of our hope is faith. Substance being the material in which a thing is made of.
Substance: 1. In a general sense, being; something existing by itself; that which really is or exists; equally applicable to matter or spirit. 3. The essential part; the main or material part.
Webster’s Dictionary 1828
To a degree, this is true just look at the people in this world. New agers manifest things for themselves by their own belief. Secular people get the things they hoped for by believing in themselves (actors, athletes, business owners, etc…). It’s all based on their belief because Jesus’ words remain true.
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.”
Matthew 7:7-8
This is a spiritual law. It cannot be broken. Jesus is the Word of God and what He speaks is. The children of this world have been able to receive things because of faith, and they don’t even acknowledge the Creator they pay homage to the universe or their hard work. Why? “…[God] makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (from Mat. 5:45). AND they had asked, sought, and knocked…
Some of them have great stories of personal trials that they overcame to get to where they are at. And most people honor them for their diligence and grit to not quit even when times got tough. They aren’t even paying respect to God and yet they attained what they sought after… Let that sink in.
Jesus Demonstrating Faith To Teach Us.
I was asking the Lord today if He knew Lazarus was going to die or if He was just walking in faith? I believe He has shown me it was both. He both knew Lazarus would die and He was walking in faith. Let’s dive into it.
Jesus receives a message from Mary and Martha, "Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick."
When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified by this."
Then a couple days later Lazarus dies. After Lazarus died Jesus knew it in the spirit and told His disciples.
Then said Jesus unto them plainly, "Lazarus is dead."
From John chapter 11.
Messengers were not sent in that day unless the person was on their death bed. So when Mary and Martha sent Him that message it was to notify Jesus that His friend that He loved was about to die. But what does He do when He hears the message? He spoke!
Faith speaks. “…I believed, and therefore I have spoken…” (from 2 Cor. 4:13). He spoke the word concerning this man. He refuted the message of these women and said, “this sickness does not lead to death…” He confessed! “…with the MOUTH confession is made unto salvation” (from Rom. 10:10).
The reason why I was asking the Lord if He knew if Lazarus would die or not is because I know how the devil operates when a person moves in faith. He tries to go against the very word or thing they were believing for. So when Jesus said the sickness is not unto death the devil was like, we’ll see about that… and then went and killed him.
I believe what God has revealed to me is that Jesus was goading satan into it. Because He knew His enemy too and knew that the devil wouldn’t be able to help himself except try and make an attempt to say that he has the power. That usurper…
“Faith subdues the facts to the truth”
Then when Jesus knew about Lazarus’ death He tells His disciples plainly, “Lazarus is dead.” Notice here Jesus didn’t refute the fact that Lazarus was dead. Faith does not ignore the facts. Faith subdues the facts to the truth. And what was the truth? “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified by this” (John 11:4). Then He goes and resurrects the guy.
What was Jesus’ hope? That God would receive glory by the Son being glorified in this. Was His hope fulfilled? Yes. How did His hope get fulfilled? By faith. His faith manifested the hope which He had.
So faith is definitely what our hopes are made of! But God showed me that faith is more than this for the one who believes in Jesus. It is believing in who God is.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that HE IS, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”
Hebrews 11:6
God showed me that for the follower of Jesus faith is believing in the revealed nature of God. Not just the Jehovahistic names (which is good), but in who Jesus has revealed Him to be.
“No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”
John 1:18
“Philip said unto Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and you have not known me, Philip? He that has seen me has seen the Father; and how is it that you say then, show us the Father?”
John 14:8-9
The Sad Truth of Religion
Not many people look for faith in the Christian religion. A lot of people have been duped into thinking that Christianity is about being a “good person”, but I am here to tell you it is about faith in Jesus! It is about Faith in the Word of God and manifesting His Word in and through our lives! Not about trying hard to be righteous through our own human effort, but through believing in Him!
While believing in Him we will endure hardships. But when we go through hardships our faith should not rest in our ability, but in who God is. As I said before many people have endured hardships in this world and received what they desired in this earth by believing in themselves and the world honors them for their endurance. But for us, our endurance is not a self-centered belief. It is a belief and trust in who God has revealed Himself to be through the face of Jesus. If we endure it is proof that our faith in God is genuine when we do not quit when times are tough. And our endurance actually brings praise and glory to God!
“Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 1:5-7
I love you guys and God bless you in the knowledge of Him through His Son Jesus!
A BRIEF TAKEAWAY FROM THIS POST:
Faith is what our hopes are made of.
Faith speaks.
Faith does not deny facts.
Faith brings facts in submission to the truth.
Faith endures.
Faith believes in the revealed nature of God through the face of Jesus Christ.
A desire for all the nations of the earth to be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. 