The true meaning of faith is deeper than expectation or believing in a return. Faith work to bring forth GOD'S purpose for us.
According to the book of Hebrew 11 vs 1 faith is defined as the assurance of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].”
At the end of this lesson we be able to know What is faith? How do we get faith? How does faith grow?.
Without faith we can't please God (Hebrews 11:6)
If we don't believe in Him and believe Him, we won't really be trying to please Him! To develop faith in Jesus Christ, we must know who He really is. We cannot have faith in Him if we know nothing about Him. We cannot have faith in Him unless what we know about Him is true.
Types of Faith: There are four types of faith
~Dead Faith:
James informs us that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). In other words, if your faith is real, you will produce fruit. That is, good works are evidence that your faith is genuine. I’ve observed that you don’t have to motivate sincere Christians to do what the Holy Spirit is already urging them to do. If your faith is dead, it will be obvious by a lack of good fruit and an abundance of selfish thoughts, cruel words, and immoral deeds.
~Demonic Faith:-
James also teaches that even demons believe and shudder at the name of Jesus (James 2:19). Their “faith” is intellectual. That is, the demons have no doubt that Jesus is the Son of the living God, but they rebelliously choose to serve a different master. And their master, Satan, is crystal clear on the fact that Jesus died and rose from the dead. As a matter of fact, Satan’s theology is probably better than yours or mine. But knowing all the answers and possessing the right theology doesn’t save you.
~Vain Faith:-
Not everyone who says that Jesus is Lord of their lives will enter the kingdom of heaven on the day of His return. Only those who actually do the will of God will be permitted entry. Responding to an altar call, saying the sinner’s prayer, or religiously and generously tithing—these alone will not save you. Please don’t be the person who completes all kinds of religious milestones and cries out on the final day “Lord! Lord!” only to hear the dreadful words “I never knew you; depart from me” (Matthew 7:21–23).
~Saving Faith:-
The message of John 3:16 is so clear: God loves every one of us, He sent His only begotten Son to live among us, and whoever believes on Jesus will have eternal life. Ephesians 2:8–10 provides us with some additional details: You are saved by grace through faith. Salvation is a gift. You are not saved because of any good works you ever did. But you were made to do good works and point people to Christ. God prepared many good things for you to do. As you live by saving faith, you will supernaturally produce good fruit, works, and evidence that you are no longer a slave to sin.
Conclusion
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test Yourselves.(2 Corinthians 13:5)
It is important for us to nourish our faith through fasting and prayer, obedience to the commandments of God, scripture reading, attendance at our church meetings, and doing what we are asked by our church leaders. When we do so, we will have the strength to pass through trials in our lives.
Writer, Author & Teacher: Pastor Daniel Olatuyi
Date: Feb 8, 2023
Time: 12:00 pm
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