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Faith and the End 1 Pet. 1:3-9 (KJV) “Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, {4} To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, {5} Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. {6} Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: {7} That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: {8} Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him] not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: {9} Receiving the end of your faith, [even] the salvation of [your] souls.” If we have obtained this living hope through faith in Jesus Christ, we need now to walk in the newness of that life. For instance, you could have received a new car for free, but that does not mean that you are driving in it 24/7. Yes, we know that we know when we have received something from God because our spirit is filled with such a strong witness, but the reality is that we still must operate in that which we have received. According to the passages above, faith is displayed by those who rejoice exceedingly during the times when heaviness and hardships are trying to counteract their faith. “Faith, is the assent of the mind to the truth of divine revelation, on the authority of God's testimony, accompanied with a cordial assent of the will or approbation of the heart; an entire confidence or trust in God's character and declarations, and in the character and doctrines of Christ, with an unreserved surrender of the will to his guidance, and dependence on his merits for salvation.” (Noah Webster) The end result of our faith in action is that we will be totally dependant upon the direction of the Lord for guiding us through every facet of life. That kind of trust, hope, and dependency, is the foundation for a true love relationship. All who have received a loving touch from the Lord do have a love for Him, but that love must grow, and it does grow through every trial and temptation we endure with victory and rejoicing. We do not just rejoice in the fact that we are in the midst of trying times; we rejoice in the actuality that God is with us, and that our relationship with Him is increasing as we live and move and have our being in Him. Luke 18:8 (KJV) “… Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” We must realize that when the Lord comes later, He does not expect to find something that we don’t already have now. What I am saying is, “If we can’t rejoice in the fact that we are taking confidence in Him even until the end, we should not kid ourselves by thinking that we are going to stand rejoicing on the day that He does return.” The question is, will He return to find a people rejoicing in their victorious walks of undying trust in Him? Our inheritance is incorruptible, and our God is incorruptible; but our faith is being purified until the day of His return. So we must take joy and comfort in what the Lord says is more precious than gold that perishes. I encourage those who are not yet operating in this not to lose heart, but to let the seed of the Word hit their fertile soil, to nourish it, water it, WALK IN IT until the fullness of its fruit comes forth. -Kurt Thurston July Newsletter 2003 | Powerful Prayers | Christian Education | Pastor's Journal July 2002 A Harlot's Torment | Faith and the End | Meekness and Mercy part 1 of 3 |
Biblical Counseling for Leaders
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