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FAITH COMES...
FAITH GROWS
"So faith comes by what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ" (Rom. 10:17).
This verse answers an oft-asked question: how do you get faith? The Bible teaches us in Ephesian 2:9 that faith is not from within - it is the gift of God. It is not standard equipment that comes with birth. It is the endowment of God that is granted by the new birth from heaven. Specifically, faith comes to us when we give our ears, our minds, and our hearts to listening - really listening - to God's Word which reveals the importance and significance of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Faith comes by the preaching of Christ.
This poses another question: have we in our culture today become "sermon-proof?" It is entirely possible to be present, physically listening, but internally checking the "no" box when it comes to receiving the truth being imparted. Is our heart shouting an emphatic "yes!" or is our mind shutting down and muttering "yeah, but"? The answer to that makes the difference between joining David in saying, "I was glad when they said to me, ‘let us go to the house of the Lord'" or agreeing with the outdoorsman who claims "you can worship God sitting on a stump in the woods"?
When we give God our attention, faith comes to us as His precious gift. We do not, however, want to stop with this primary stage in our spiritual life. Faith also grows. In Ephesians 4 Paul exhorts us not to remain as children in faith, but to "grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ" (v. 15). Growing in faith is a life-long pursuit. If we are growing into Christ, who is the "head" of the church, our aim is to grow "to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (v. 14).
Are you growing in your faith? Is it your most heart-felt desire to keep learning more and more about the ways God loves you and wants to use you to build His kingdom? Or, on the contrary, have you grown comfortable plateauing at a static level of growth?
Let us never settle for having an intellectual "head-nodding" faith that knows enough to get into heaven, but doesn't care enough to help others get there. Connect the dots! See that living every day with Jesus as the source of our joy, our strength, our peace, our purpose, and our faith is the path to spiritual maturity.
Let me share words from a song I recently became aware of that says what I am trying to convey. The song is "The Motions" by Matthew West.
This might hurt, it's not safe but I know that I've gotta make a change, I don't care if I break at least I'll be feeling something ‘cause just ok is not enough help me fight through the nothingness of life.
I don't wanna go through the motions I don't wanna go one more day without your all consuming passion inside of me I don't wanna spend my whole life asking what if I had given everything instead of going through the motions.
Open up your life to this kind of growth in faith. Let the Spirit of God lead you onward. Let faith come and let faith grow.
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