Ephesians 2:4 ¶ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
What are the two things that prompted God to reach down to save a filthy, unholy, unrighteous, and lost sinner like me?
- His Love.
- And His Mercy.
Because of His great Love and His Mercy, we are saved by Grace.
By grace ye are saved.
-We are save by His Divine influence upon the heart!
-God’s Grace is what enables us to live in harmony with Him.
-The Grace of God enables us to live free from the bondage of sin, because we are not capable of doing so of ourselves.
-Grace liberates us.
God has not poured out His Grace upon us so that we can continue living in sin, but so that we can be free from the power of sin!
Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
What are the exceeding riches of His Grace?
-the abundant wealth of His divine influence upon the heart.
The Grace of God is without limit….it is poured out on all that seek God with a pure heart.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
We will not find salvation in and of ourselves!
It does not matter how good we think we are….Salvation will only be granted to us by His Grace and through Faith.
Salvation is a gift!
Four essentials to Salvation:
- His Love
- His Mercy
- His Enabling Grace
- Faith
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith;…
If Faith is essential to our salvation, then we better understand what Faith is!
-Is faith an illusion?
-Does Faith have substance?
-Can a person have a misguided faith?
What is Faith?
-Faith is reliance on God and following His will.
The Greek word for faith is pistis.
-moral conviction of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God
-reliance upon Christ for salvation;
-truth itself:–assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.
It comes from the root word peitho, which means:
-to be persuaded
-to convince by reason
-to agree with evidence
-to rely with inward certainty
-to be confident
Having faith does not mean that I am naive or blind to reality but rather that I act upon and embrace the truth of the Word of God
Our Faith must be founded on God‘s Word!
Faith and Obedience are so closely intertwined that you cannot have one without the other.
-He that obeys God trusts God; and he that trusts God obeys God.
Hebrews 11:1 ¶ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
What does this verse mean?
–the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is when we believe what we cannot see and it becomes as real to us as if we saw it or handled it.
If faith has substance and if there is evidence for faith, then it is not blind Faith!
Hebrews 11:2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Their lives demonstrated the secret of their success.
Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
Faith brings understanding.
Without faith we are only left with human logic and reasoning.
When we build our life on human logic and reasoning without faith, we exalt ourselves above God himself by limiting Him to our own understanding or intellect.
How important is Faith to God?
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Why is Faith so important?
- We are justified by faith
Romans 5:1 ¶ Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
- We are saved from our sins by grace through faith.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
- We have access by faith into God’s grace.
Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Faith is the way to understanding God.
-it is the way of access.
Where does faith come from?
I believe there is a measure of Faith given to all men to believe in God.
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Faith comes by hearing and reading the word of God.
When we exercise our Faith, it empowers God to move.
Matthew 17:14 ¶ And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
Who lives by faith?
Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
How strong is your Faith?
The Faith of Abraham.
Romans 4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Has your faith been tested?
1Peter 1:6 ¶Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
How great is your faith?
Matthew 8:8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
O ye of little faith.
Matthew 8:23 ¶ And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
Is your faith growing?
2Thessalonians 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
Faith without works is dead.
James 2:14 ¶What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 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: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Faith is only complete when put into practice.
Jesus is the Author and Finisher of or faith!
Hebrews 12:1 ¶ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.