Finding Faith Session 3 Faith in Suffering 1

Finding Faith Session 3 – Faith in Suffering

1 The Basics of Faith – Faith Saves 2 The Mind of Faith – Faith Perfects 3 The Refining of Faith – Faith in Suffering 4 The Victory of Faith – Faith in Suffering 5 The Fathers of Faith – Faith in Action 6 The King of Faith – Faith by Example

Romans 10: 6 -10 Faith Lives in The Heart Ephesians 3: 14 -19 Hebrews 10: 22 -23 For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, Draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having our body washed with pure water,

Measuring Faith … Jer 17: 9 -10 KJV The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (10) I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

What is the Heart? • Our minds • Our emotions • Our energy • Our will

Saved by Faith AND Works? Is this what James mean? Jam 2: 17 -26 KJV Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. (18) Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. (19) Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. (20) But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (21) Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? (22) Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? (23) And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: …(26) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Heart Faith vs Head Faith Creedal or Intellectual “Faith” Your Text Lives in the Heart Develops into Love Bear Fruits Is living Saves Faith 2: 19 WEB You believe that Jam God is one. Your You do well. The Text Lives in the intellect Stays as a Creed demons also believe, Is Fruitless and shudder. Vain Dead

The Heart reveals Itself in Works Mat 12: 33 -35 WEB Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit. (34) You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. (35) The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure[4] brings out evil things.

The Order is Critical • Good Tree -> Good Fruit • Good Man -> Good Things • Faith -> Works There is no faith without works There is works without faith Abraham is saved First by Faith and then this is demonstrated in his obedience to sacrifice Isaac

LOVE KINDNESS GODLINESS PATIENCE SELF-CONTROL KNOWLEDGE VIRTUE FAITH And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. (2 Pe 1: 5 -7 KJV)

Gal 5: 6 WEB For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision amounts to anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love. Works Faith Through Love Works Heb 11: 6 KJV But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is Your 4: 7 -8 Text. WEB 1 Jo He who doesn't love doesn't know God, for God is love. 1 Co 13: 4 -5 CEV Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude.

Faith AND Works? • Salt AND Pepper • Summer AND Winter Seed THEN Fruit Body THEN Spirit Faith THEN Works The relationship is DEPENDENT and CAUSATIVE

Why am I Suffering? Time And Chance? Sin? To Prove And Grow Faith Why? Why me? Flaw?

The Purpose of Personal Suffering 1 Pet 1: 6 -9 (NIV) (6)In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. (7) These have come so that your faith-- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. (8)Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, (9)for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

As Gold is Proved • ". . . when He Has Tried me, I shall come forth as gold!" (Job 23: 10) • Who keeps us in life And does not allow our feet to slip. For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins. you made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water, Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance. (Psalms 66: 9 -12)

Eyes fixed on the Furnace Mal 3: 2 -3 WEB “But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderer’s soap; (3) and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer to Yahweh offerings in righteousness.

Faith like Gold Durable Malleable Ductile

Its all about our Faith • Tests reveal our Faith to us • In a test: – Our Faith should increase – Our doubts should decrease • We exercise our Faith in Suffering Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. (Heb 12: 11 KJV)