Important Note... There are 5 studies catalogued
here: Please select one of the following links to read any one of them:
1. How
can I be sure of my faith? (THIS PAGE)
2. Who is
the Holy Spirit?
3. What does
the Holy Spirit do?
4. How can
I be filled with the Spirit?
5. How can
I resist evil?
HOW CAN I BE SURE OF MY FAITH?
Introduction.
As a child I loved Jesus, and God gave me some remarkable experiences,
but I had some "faith distress," because of a lack of knowledge of God's
Word. We read in Hos.4v6., "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."
And 1Pet.2v2. tells us, "Like new-born babies, crave for the pure milk
of the word, so that by it you may grow up thereby unto salvation." See
Heb.5v10-14. This study is an attempt to give knowledge of the way of
salvation, and reveal through a study of the Scriptures, how we can be
sure of our faith.
Faith in Jesus brings us into God's kingdom, and
it is known as saving faith. Acts.16v30-34.
Rom.10v5-21. N.B.v9.
God uses many ways to bring people to Jesus and saving faith. Jesus
revealed Himself to Paul by open vision; God opened Lydia's heart when
Paul preached, and the jailer's mind by an earthquake; God compelled
many to believe by mighty miracles. Acts.8v5-13. 9v1-18. 16v14,30-34,40.
Rom.15v18-21. Saving faith is personal faith in Jesus, it is miraculous
in its effect upon us, for it brings us forgiveness and peace with God.
Rom.5v1,2. In Lk.10v17-20., Jesus told the seventy evangelists to rejoice
more over their saving faith in Him, which had written their names in
Heaven, than over their miracle working faith that had produced miracles
in His name. All the other gifts and blessings that come to us, are
the result of this primary gift of salvation in Jesus. Eph.2v8,9. Rom.6v23.
8v32. 1Cor.8v9. 9v15.
1. WE MUST DISTINGUISH SAVING FAITH FROM OTHER KINDS
OF FAITH.
a. Saving faith is obviously not a demon's faith.
We read in James.2v19., that demons believe that there is a God and
tremble in apprehension of judgement, but they resist God's power, purposes
and ministries. They tell men to doubt what they know is true.
b. Saving faith is not the faith of a Heathen, or
an unbeliever.
The Scriptures tell us that the Heathen know there is a God and a judgement
day, but this is not Christian faith. Rom.1v18-32. 2Thes.3v2. Unbelievers
place their trust in worldly things, and they reject, and refuse to
seek saving faith in Jesus.
c. Saving faith is not the fruit of faith.
The fruit of faith is the natural growth of the seed of saving faith,
it is the extension of our faith in Christ's death, to faith in God
in all the other areas of our lives. 1Pet.1v23. Rom.1v17. The fruit
of faith mentioned in Gal.5v22., is speaking of both passive and active
Christian faith. The fruit of faith is an attitude of mind that trusts
God daily in every area of life, and this spiritual frame of mind is
essential for a powerful exercise of spiritual gifts. Certain manifestations
of the gift of faith can only take place through a prayerful, consecrated
Christian who is at the peak of spiritual power through prolonged prayer,
Bible study and abiding in Christ. Jn.15v7. 14v12-14. Mk.9v20-29. Paul
declares in 1Cor.13., that we cannot divorce character from spiritual
power without tragic consequences for ourselves and others; those who
do so, end up either with a shallow ministry, or even in total spiritual
shipwreck, as in the case of Judas and Demas. If our faith and love
are transfigured through beholding the glory, love and goodness of God,
we will never need to fear such a fate. 2Cor.3v18.
d. Saving faith is not the gift of faith.
The miraculous gift of faith is limited to the area of supernatural
miraculous power, it is a temporary faith given to produce a specific
miracle; whereas, saving faith is a continuous faith, and if we are
faithful, an eternal faith, which like God's kingdom, endures forever.
The gift of faith is speaking only of a special area of active faith,
it is an occasional and temporary impartation of the Holy Spirit's faith
and power to us, to fulfil a specific purpose of God. The gift of faith
deals with the spiritual realm and areas where faith is necessary to
see, it gives authority and power in the spiritual realm. The gift of
faith needs the foundation of saving faith. 1Cor.13v2. The gift of faith
also needs the basis of the fruit of faith, which is a quality of character.
Great spiritual power inevitably bring great stresses and spiritual
conflict into a Christian's life, and this demands some measure of Christian
fruit and maturity. The more of the fruit of faith you have, the easier
it is to manifest the gift of faith and the other gifts.
e. Saving faith is not the prayer of faith.
The prayer of faith is a manifestation of the fruit of faith, and the
prayer of faith often precedes the operation of the gift of faith, and
the other gifts of power. Saving faith, the fruit of faith, the prayer
of faith, and the gifts of power, are all vital partners in Christian
experience. Elijah's earnest prayers of faith brought into operation
the power gifts of the Holy Spirit. We read that Elijah prayed "seven
times," before the rain came in answer to his prayers. 1King.18v41-46.
Elders should pray through for the sick like Elijah prayed for rain.
James.5v14-18.
f. Saving faith is simple and uncomplicated personal
faith in Jesus and His atonement.
Rom.5v1,2. “Therefore, having been justified
by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, v2.
through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we
stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (NKJ) “Access” is “prosagoge,”
a word used for entrance into the presence of a king. Paul gloried in,
and preached, a crucified Saviour. 1Cor.1v23. 2v2. Gal.6v14.
1Pet.1v17-19. “And if you call on the
Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work,
conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; v18.
knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like
silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from
your fathers, v19. but with the precious blood of Christ, as
of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
Mt.1v21.“And she will bring forth a Son,
and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from
their sins.” (NKJ)
g. Salvation is a gift, and is of faith and not of
works.
“By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it
is the gift of God: Not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Rom.6v23. “For the wages of sin is death,
but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Paul’s testimony in 1Tim.1v12-17.
“I constantly thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me,
because He considered me trustworthy, putting me into service; v13.
even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and an insolent
violent aggressor. But I was shown mercy, because I acted ignorantly
in unbelief; v14. and the grace of our Lord super-abounded, with the
faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. v15. It is a trustworthy statement,
deserving unqualified full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost. v16. Moreover, for
this reason I found mercy, in order that in me as the foremost, Jesus
Christ might demonstrate all His perfect patience, as an example for
those who would believe in Him for eternal life. v17. Now to the King
of the ages, the incorruptible, invisible, the only God, be honour and
glory forever and ever. Amen.”
2. HOW YOU CAN BE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A GENUINE FAITH.
We will now show the foundations of faith, and how we can test, know,
and be sure of our faith. You can be sure of your faith:-
a. When your faith is built on the foundation of
genuine repentance. Mt.9v13. Acts.3v19.
Repentance precedes saving faith. Heb.6v1. “Therefore
leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto
perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead
works, and of faith toward God.” (KJV)
Holman Hunt’s picture of Jesus as the light of the
World. One of these has been hanging in St Paul’s Cathedral
since June 1908. A door overgrown with ivy and weeds. The catch that
opens the door is on the inside, it is opened by repentance. The foundation
of true faith is repentance, which involves a change of mind and life,
“metanoia.” We become Christians, when we repent of our sins, and ask
God to forgive us, and invite Jesus into our lives
John Baptist preached repentance. Mark.1:4,5.
“John did baptise in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance
for the remission of sins. v5. And there went out unto him all the land
of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptised of him in the
river of Jordan, confessing their sins.”
Jesus preached repentance. Matt.4v17.
“Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand.” Mk.1v14,15. “Now after that John
was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of
the kingdom of God, v15. And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (KJV)
Peter preached repentance. Acts.2v38.
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptised every one of you
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (KJV)
Paul preached repentance. Acts.26v20.
“But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout
all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should
repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.” (KJV)
God longs that all should repent. 2Pet.3v9.
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;
but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance.” (KJV)
b. When you base your faith on the foundation of
the Holy Scriptures.
True faith is founded on the Word and promises of God, not on our feelings.
John Wesley learned the valuable lesson that our feelings can vary,
but faith in the captain of our salvation, the Lord Jesus, can, and
should, remain steadfast.
2Peter.1v3,4. “His divine power has generously
bestowed upon us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through
the full experiential personal knowledge (the noun “epignoseos”) of
Him who called us by means of His own glory and virtue (“arete”). v4.
Whereby there are generously given to us exceeding great and precious
promises: that through these you might become sharers of the divine
nature, having escaped by flight the moral decay and corruption that
is in the world through lust, covetousness, and greed (“epithumia”).
True faith in God’s Word results in a relationship
with God, not just a theory about God.
Knowing Jesus and the Father is the start of a transforming relationship.
We read in John.17v3., “And this is eternal life, namely, that they
might be having an experiential knowledge of you, the only genuine God,
and of Him whom you sent on a mission, Jesus Christ.” This is a correct
translation, for the A.V. “should know,” is “ginoskosin,” the present
active subjunctive of “ginosko,” “should keep on knowing,” a present
continuous relationship and experiential knowledge of God. Knowledge
of God the Father comes through Jesus. Jn.14v6-9.
c. When your faith is inaugurated, inspired and witnessed
to by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, righteousness and judgement. John.16v7-11.
“I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if
I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I go, I
will send him unto you. v8. And when he is come, he will reprove and
convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement: v9.
Of sin, because they believe not on me; v10. Of righteousness, because
I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; v11. Of judgement, because
the prince of this world is judged.”
The Holy Spirit is the agent of regeneration and
the rebirth of our spirits which were dead through sin. Eph.2v1-3.
James.1v13,14.
Nicodemus and Jesus. John.3v3-7. “Jesus
answered and said to him, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." v4.
Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can
he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" v5.
Jesus answered, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless
one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of
God. v6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is
born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You
must be born again.”
Titus.3v3-5. “For we also once were foolish
ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures,
spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. v4.
But when the kindness of God our Saviour and {His} love for mankind
appeared, v5. He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness
that we had done, but because of His pity and mercy, by the cleansing
bath of regeneration and the renewing by the Holy Spirit, v6. whom He
bestowed upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, v7.
that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to
{the} hope of eternal life.” (NAS)
N.B. The Holy Spirit gives us the inner witness to
our salvation and the certainty of knowing.
In. Eph.1v14., the Holy Spirit is said to be the “guarantee” of our
inheritance. “Guarantee,” is “arrhabon,” a pledge, deposit,
or down-payment, part of the purchase-money or property given in advance
as security for the rest, and which certifies that the full amount will
subsequently be paid. The baptism in the Spirit is a foretaste of
Heaven, and a living experience of God. We read in 1John.4v13.,
that the gift of the Holy Spirit makes a Christian conscious that God
dwells in him, and is proof of our fellowship with God. “Given” is “dedoken,”
perfect active indicative here, though in 1John.3v24., the aorist “edoken”
is used.
IJohn.5v9-15. “If we receive the witness
of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God
which he hath testified of his Son. v10. He who believes in the Son
of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe
God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that
God has given of His Son. v11. And this is the testimony: that God has
given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. v12. He who has
the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have
life. v13. These things I have written to you who believe in the name
of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life,
and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
v14. Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that
if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. v15. And if
we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know
that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
Rom.8v16. “The Spirit itself beareth witness
with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” (KJV)
The Holy Spirit is “The Comforter,” or better “The
Encourager” and Guide of believers in Jesus.
John.14v16,17 “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give
you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; v17. Even
the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth
him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with
you, and shall be in you.” (KJV)
John.16v12. “I have yet many things to
say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. v13. Howbeit when he, the
Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for
he shall not speak from himself; but what things so ever he shall hear,
that shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are
to come. v14. He shall glorify me: for he shall take of mine, and shall
declare it unto you.”
Rom.8v28. “And we know that
God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God,
to those who are called according to {His} purpose.” (NAS)
The Holy Spirit gives us the desire to seek and thirst
for God.
1. Our blest Redeemer, ere
He breathed His tender, last farewell, A Guide, a Comforter, bequeathed
with us to dwell.
2. He came in tongues of living
flame, To teach, convince subdue; All-powerful as the wind He came,
As viewless too.
3. He came sweet influence
to impart, A gracious, willing Guest; Where He can find one humble heart
Wherein to rest.
4. And His that gentle voice
we hear, Soft as the breath of even, That checks each thought, and calms
each fear, And speaks of heaven.
5. And every virtue we possess,
And every conquest won, And every thought of holiness Are His alone.
6. Spirit of purity and grace,
Our weakness pitying see; O make our hearts Thy dwelling-place, And
worthier Thee.
d. When your faith is proved by a pure and holy life
Jn.17v17. 1Pet.1v15,16. Crucified flesh. Gal.5v14-26.
N.B. v24.Luke.3v8. “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance,
and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father:
for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children
unto Abraham.” (KJV)
Rom.8v13. “For if ye live after the flesh,
ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the
body, ye shall live.”
In 1Cor.6v9-11., Paul remarks on the change
of life of the Corinthians, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will
not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators,
nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, v10.
nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners
will inherit the kingdom of God. v11. And such were some of you. But
you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in
the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” (NKJ)
2Cor.5v17,18. “Therefore, if anyone is
in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold,
all things have become new. v18. Now all things are of God, who has
reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the
ministry of reconciliation.”
Col.3v5-11. “Therefore put to death your
members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil
desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. v6. Because of these things
the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, v7. in which
you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. v8. But now you yourselves
are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language
out of your mouth. v9. Do not lie to one another, since you have put
off the old man with his deeds, v10. and have put on the new man who
is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
v11. where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised,
barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.”
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