The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"Faith and Life"
"The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17).
"The just" - those accounted as justified and righteous in the sight of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ - live by faith because they were spiritually enlivened by God's grace received by faith.
"This is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life" (John 6:40).
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" (Colossians 2:6).
What in our lives nurtures, guards, and furthers confidence in God? If we received and experience true life by faith, we must consistently direct the question to Him:
"Heavenly Father, lead us along those paths that reveal who You are in character and nature, and how You work in our lives and in the world to fulfill 'the eternal purpose which You purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.' Thereby, we will grow in faith as we discover how faithful You are. Lead us also away from any paths that hinder our confidence and trust."
In a life lived by faith, we can offer no more vital plea to our Father on a regular basis. Far more importantly, no answer by God will more strengthen us to experience His presence, provision, and power to live in a manner that honors the Lord Jesus. We trust others to the degree we know them, a truth that most applies to our relationship with God. As He reveals the perfect fidelity of His heart by His Spirit, His Word, His children, and His personal working in our lives, our own hearts will be strengthened to better trust Him, and thus, to better live. "From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For Thou hast been a shelter for Me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Thy tabernacle forever. I will trust in the covert of Thy wings" (Psalm 61:2-4).
God can be trusted. As believers, we know this. We do not know it well enough, however. His faithfulness far transcends our awareness and understanding. Moreover, none of us have responded to Him as well as we could have in discovering His perfect trustworthiness. Thus, we make our plea, that our Lord will make Himself and His faithfulness more known, and that our faith may arise to meet Him. Only thereby is life truly and genuinely life, namely, the presence and working of the One through whom we live by faith…
"He is thy life… Christ is our life."
(Deuteronomy 30:20; Colossians 3:4)
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
(Romans 5:1-2)
Weekly Memory Verse
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
(I Corinthians 2:12)
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