DU036 - The Spirit of Faith
To: DepartingUPC@YahooGroups.com
From: "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Subject: Bible Study DU036 - The Spirit of Faith
Family,
The following study is adapted from a similar study that I've placed on our Hebraic-Foundations forum. However, I wanted to make revisions and additions to the study for the benefit of our DepartingUPC members.
This is Bible Study DU036 - The Spirit of Faith.
The apostle Paul spoke of a walk of faith as a combined walk of the Spirit and of the Word. He said, ""But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, 'I believed, therefore I spoke, we also believe, therefore we also speak.." (2Co4:13 nasb)
When the apostle spoke of 'the spirit of faith' he may have reflected on something that David said in Psalm 27:13; "I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living."
David was basing what he believed on God's promises to Israel. He was saying, 'I believe what is written and I will not live in despair. I will see the goodness of the Lord!' In other words, David bases his faith on what had been written in God's Word.
It is important to understand that the walk of faith is essentially a walk of the Spirit. Jude brings this out by saying, "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit." And a walk that is governed by the Holy Spirit is a 'knowing' walk.
We can expand on this by saying that the essential work of the Holy Spirit is to take the things of the Lord and minister them to our hearts. After all, we are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. What the Holy Spirit places in our hearts, is what we are to learn to live from. This can thus be called 'the spirit of faith.'
I have learned a great secret over the years about living by faith. That secret has to do with how the Lord Himself governs our walk with Him. Once we begin to understand this working principle, we can then trust Him more fully to direct our paths in righteousness. And the working principle involves destroying the fears that try to overrule our lives.
And so the destroyer of fear is a major work of the Holy Spirit. Keep in mind that with each step of faith there is something we will always leave behind. What we leave behind is our fear! John said that there would be no fear in God's love, but that His love casts out all our fears.
Fear is a powerful emotion. It can be likened to a brooding thing that seeks to rule and intimidate us. There is a sense in which Satan uses fear to control or restrain people. But when you destroy the fear, you also destroy Satan's ability to control and intimidate.
For instance when Jesus spoke of endtime events He said, "Men hearts would be fainting from fear and the expectation of things coming upon the world." What then did He say believers were to do? "When these things begin to take place...lift up your heads...your redemption is drawing near."
Redemption is the story of God's love. What does God's love do? Once again John said, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears [punishment] is not perfected in love."
There is a single message of God that flows throughout the Bible. You find it in the statement, "Do not be afraid!" This one statement is used 46 times in the Scriptures. 'Do not fear' is used 57 times. 'Fear not' is seen 4 times. In fact the message of 'do not be afraid' is a common greeting from heaven to earth.
The point is that God works through faith and not fear. Every believer needs to learn this early. It doesn't matter what kind of fear it is, it is not of the Lord. (The fear of the Lord speaks of our love and respect for our heavenly Father. This is a godly attitude.)
Fear comes in many forms. There can be fear of old age, of rejection, of uselessness, not being married, poverty, of change, or of the loss of salvation. The Lord does not want His people to be dominated by any fear.
David said, "I sought the LORD, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears." (Psalm 34:4)
Some many years ago the Lord gave me a song based on Psalm 34. It is titled, 'Come Ye Children.' Perhaps you would care to listen to it. Go to:
http://christianchallenge.org/JubileeCD.html -- Click on #3 --
It is important to understand how God teaches us the faith walk. The Lord gives us a capacity for His Word. This is where fear & faith separate. Fear is an emotion. Faith is a spiritual reality produced by the Holy Spirit and God's Word.
Jesus said, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." (John 6:63)
The point is, where there is no Word of the Lord, there can be no true faith. Faith is not an emotion. Faith is not a feeling. Faith has a resting place. Faith's resting place is always something that God said.
Here is a Scripture concerning how the Holy Spirit will cause God's written Words come to life in the new covenant;
"On that day the deaf will hear words OF A BOOK, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the Lord, and the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel." (Isa 29:18,19. Caps for emphasis only.)
Then we have this from the apostle; "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." (Rom 10:17) --- The Greek for 'word of Christ' denotes Christ speaking to our hearts.
Once again --- Where there is no word, there can be no faith. Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (Jn10:27)
So when Paul said, "According to what is written, 'I believed, therefore I spoke'", this would include an instruction for believers to learn to hold to what has become real in their hearts.
Think about it. The study is open.
Blessings,
Buddy
......
Lawrence "Buddy" Martin
email: Bro.Buddy <at> ChristianChallenge.Org
Web: http://www.ChristianChallenge.org
Forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hebraic-Foundations/
Forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DepartingUPC/
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