The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"Faith To Faith"
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:16-17).
The verb tenses of the original Greek in the Apostle Paul's declaration of the Gospel and faith all indicate an ongoing power administered, and an ongoing reception thereof. That which began in the new birth through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ initiates a perpetual process of God's revelation of faithfulness and our responsive confidence in Him. Indeed, we became spiritually alive by His grace received by faith. We then seek to walk accordingly.
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" (Colossians 2:6).
We exist in a fellowship with God that involves perfect faithfulness - His - and what should and must be an ever growing faithful response - ours. The former is certain; the latter is not. Our Heavenly Father will always be who He is and do what He does for us and within us. Conversely, we do not always engage in our "faith to faith" calling to consistently respond to His provision of "grace for grace" (John 1:16).
"Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).
"If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself" (II Timothy 2:13).
The contrast of His perfection and our need for growth leads to an inevitable conclusion: we must look to our Lord for light and insight in what it means to be faithful. Moreover, we look to Him for ongoing provision of grace that we might trust Him through increasing responses of faith. He alone can teach us about trustworthiness. He alone exemplifies perfect faithfulness. He alone dwells within us through the Holy Spirit to empower our growing consistency of steadfast loyalty to our bond with Him. Thus, we must live for Him by living from Him.
"We shall live with Him by the power of God" (II Corinthians 13:4).
The Apostle Paul powerfully and succinctly proclaimed this blessed truth of grace that reveals our growing faithfulness proceeds from the realization of God's perfect faithfulness. We close in the joyous light of His trustworthiness as the fount of our own …
"Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord we are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
(II Corinthians 3:18)
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."(Hebrews 12:2-3).
Weekly Memory Verse
"Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6)
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