Biblical Faith: a new dimension

 

Session 25

 

Read Hebrews 11 (message translation)

 

Heb 11:6 “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”

 

-         Living by faith is not just for missionaries or ‘super Christians’, but all believers.

 

So, what is faith? How do you get it? What militates against it? What are its benefits?

 

2 Books:

Pierce and Heidler ‘Restoring your shield of faith’ (Regal)

Yaconelli ‘Dangerous Wonder’ (Navpress)

 

4 forms of faith in the Bible:

 

1.      The Christian Faith (The faith, or the historical faith)

(1 Cor 15:3ff), Apostles creed. The basic tenets of historical faith that describe and define what Christians believe. A set of beliefs about God based on fact.

 

M.O.T 88  Have we truly discovered the truth of the Christian faith?

 

2.      Saving Faith

Rom 3:21-22, Eph 2:8, John 7:38

Saving faith is the appropriating of the historical faith. It is the difference between knowing about God and knowing God. It is the means by which we connect with the grace of God.

 

M.O.T 89.  Have we personalised ‘the faith’ and made it a saving faith?

 

3.      The Spiritual gift of Faith

1 Cor 12:9. A supernatural impartation for a specific reason. Read the healing and deliverance miracles of Jesus and see this gift in operation.

 

M.O.T 90.  Are we prepared to receive and use the gift of faith in the church at PBC?

 

4.      Childlike faith

Luke 10:17-21

Has our faith become to complicated…or cynical…or banal…or sanitised…or anesthetized…or adult.

Childlike faith is the (only) way of connecting with the living Jesus.

 

M.O.T 91  Childlike faith – are you too sensible to miss it?

 

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