HF174 - Living in the Spirit of Faith
To: Hebraic-Foundations@YahooGroups.com
From: "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date: Monday, March 17, 2007
Subject: Bible Study HF174 - Living in the Spirit of Faith
Hebraics,
The apostle Paul spoke of a walk of faith as a 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 been drawing 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. This is what Paul is referring to when he speaks of 'the same spirit of faith.'
Let's talk about it.
This is Bible Study HF174 - Living in the Spirit of Faith.
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."
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 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.
A personal example of this in my life goes back to Friday morning, January 17, 1975. We were living in Lafayette. That morning I was deeply impressed Lord wanted us to go home. In looking back, it is almost like a dream.
Things happened so fast. Next thing you know, we are pastoring a small country church. Yet I had to struggle with my fears. But each time I struggled, it seemed the Holy Spirit was there to minister something from Jesus into my life. And fear would go out the window.
And so, the destroyer of fear is a work of the Holy Spirit. Keep in mind that with each step of faith there is something we will always behind. What we leave behind is our fear! John said that there was 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 or to motivate us. There is a sense in which Satan uses fear to control people. When you destroy the fear, you destroy Satan's ability to control.
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.) Cf. Gen15:1; 46:1-3; Deu20:1; Luke1:13,14; 1:30,31; Rev1:17,18.
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.
Fear comes in many forms. There can be fear of old age, of rejection, of uselessness, not being married, poverty, 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. The resting place is always the Word of God.
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)
Then we have this from the apostle; "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." (Rom 10:17)
Once again --- Where there is no word, there can be no faith.
When Paul said, "According to what is written, 'I believed, therefore I spoke'", this would be an instruction for believers to learn to hold to what has become real in the their hearts.
This is not a name it, claim it, frame it, principle. Paul is speaking of 'realness.' Real faith links itself to what the Lord places in one's heart.
Think about it. The study is open.
Blessings,
Buddy
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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/
"See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)