The Purpose of Faith
From looking at the members of many British churches it would be easy to come to the conclusion that all God wants is for people to have faith in Christ. Many Church people seem to think that this is all God wants them to have, a saving faith that admits them into his eternal kingdom and they are content to praise God for their salvation!
The whole Bible, in contrast, stresses that faith is just the beginning. An act of faith must then become an activity of faith.
I was once asked to lead a mid week group on Christian Basics in a large Roman Catholic church. About thirty people came to the first evening, although by the sixth week there were over one hundred and twenty there. After the first evening a very kind Irish lady came up to thank me.
“That was lovely, thank you so much.”
I felt quite proud that something had got across.
“I don’t know why everybody doesn’t become a Christian,” she continued.
I felt very pleased with what had been communicated. But then she added,
“After all, God only requires one hour a week!”
On hearing this I felt utterly deflated. She had understood nothing of the consequence of faith!
This week I have been reading through the book of Nehemiah and came across the following verses that got me thinking,
“I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, ‘Let us start rebuilding.’ So they began this good work.” Nehemiah 2:18
When the returned exiles began to build the walls of Jerusalem, opposition increased from the local tribespeople from the north, south, east and west.
“They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.. but we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.” Nehemiah 4:9
The labourers became tired and disillusioned about the large task ahead of them and anxious as the threats of their enemies increased. Nehemiah stood up and said to all God’s people,
“Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your bothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” Nehemiah 4:14
Prayer was vital but was not considered enough. Of course, God could have worked independently but he seldom does. His spirit usually works through his people. He has commissioned us to do a job.
The victory is always the Lord’s but we, his people, have to take our stand and be willing to fight. We must never run from our enemies. On an earlier occasion three enemy armies were preparing to fight against a greatly outnumbered Israelite army. The king, Jehoshaphat, was alarmed,
“Jehoshaphat resolved to enquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Israel. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed they came from every town in Judah to seek him.” 2 Chronicles 20:3-4
What a wonderful first response, people saw a crisis looming and their first response was to turn to the Lord in corporate prayer. At the end of his prayer, Jehoshaphat prayed,
“We do not know what to do but our eyes are upon you.” 2 Chronicles 20:12
Then God said to his people, facing this horrendous onslaught,
“Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them . . .” 2 Chronicles 20:15-16
Praying was not all they did! They had to take a stand against the enemy.
“Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow and the LORD will be with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:17
God’s people, armed as best they could, but full of praise, took their stand, but then the invading armies started to fight each other and they destroyed each other.
On an even earlier occasion, the good King Asa led Israel to seek the Lord. During his reign the country was invaded by a massive Cushite army.
“Then Asa called on the LORD his God and said, ‘LORD, there is no-one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast enemy.’” 2 Chronicles 14:11
In the Authorised Version this reads,
“We rest on thee, and in thy name we go.”
These words became famous because of the hymn by Edith Cherry (1872-1897) that is sung to the great tune Finlandia. She was disabled from the age of 16 months by poliomyelitis and walked with crutches yet she was still active for her Saviour. She had two strokes in early life, and a 3rd, at age 25, took her life.
Churches today
An understanding of God’s grace is meant to have consequences. The first part of John’s gospel is written to persuade people to believe that Jesus is indeed God’s Chosen king, his Messiah and that to believe in him, to follow him is essential if we are to be eternally saved. Jesus was asked, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?” He replied,
“The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:29
A disciple is completely devoted to a teacher. The relationship goes beyond a student or an apprentice. They don’t simply master a trade or a subject, they learn to emulate their teacher’s life. As Christians, we become disciples, striving to live according to the teachings of Jesus. Jesus was clear that he was here for a purpose,
“For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” John 6:38
Similarly, we, his disciples must be utterly committed to do the will of him who has chosen each of us. A little later Jesus explains what God’s will is,
“He who speaks on his own does so to gain honour for himself, but he who works for the honour of the one who sent him is a man of truth.” John 7:18
We have been chosen to gain honour and worship for the Lord Jesus and nothing less. There should be an obvious change when we believe,
“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. By this he meant the Spirit . . .” John 7:38
At Pentecost the Spirit did come on all God’s people and immediately they passed on to people the news about Jesus, in words they could understand. If we do not obey the Lord Jesus and fulfil his wishes we must ask are we really his people?
“If you hold to my teaching you really are my disciples.” John 8:31
The second part of John’s gospel prepares the disciples so that they know how to live whilst still on earth. However throughout the book there are hints that belief in Jesus should result in completely different lives now. We should emulate our master and become his messengers, servants who are eager to pass on the good news about Jesus. Jesus said,
“I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” John 13:16-17
There can be no doubt, without a determination to obey the Word of God there is no discipleship, there is no salvation. Jesus stressed this three times to his disciples in order the emphasise the point,
“If you love me, you will obey what I command.” John 14:15
“Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.” John 14:21
“If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.” John 14:23
A major part of what Jesus wants of his followers is to tell people about him.
“ . . . the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.” John 15:26-27
This teaching of Jesus is radical. We cannot pick and choose which parts of Jesus’ teaching we will obey. He speaks the words of God.
When Paul wrote to the church at Rome he topped and tailed the letter with the same teaching that the gospel of grace is meant to result in obedience,
“ . . . we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.” Romans 1:5
“Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him . . .” Romans 16:25-26
These prophetic writings are what we call the New Testament.
The Activity of Faith
How many Bible teaching churches are getting older and smaller because their members have not grasped this essential lesson. Too many think that holding the faith is all that matters. They are relying on God alone to bring people in, butthen God doesn’t seem to do that much. As James, the brother of Jesus wrote,
“You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless.” James 2:20
James goes on to remind us that although Abraham was considered righteous by God, his faith resulted in utter obedience even to the point of being willing to sacrifice his own son, Isaac,
“You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” James 2:22
Christians are meant to prepare for battle. We must put on the whole armour of God for the conflicts all those who are faithful will face.
“Therefore put on the whole armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13
There is no passivity or ‘what will be, will be’ attitude here. The Christians is not just to believe and hope but to stand firm for Christ with our weapons finely sharpened,
“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17
Are we training Christians in our churches to use the Word of God to attack devilish ideas? Are we emphasising that faith is not an end in itself? Faith is the means by which we are saved and leads on to us becoming of use to God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in living for the honour and reputation of the Lord Jesus. Paul put this very clearly,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works so that no-one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:8-10
Paul, in his letter to Titus, makes the same distinction between our salvation, by trusting in the finished work of Jesus for our forgiveness on the cross, and the subsequent work we are to do with him and for him and his glory.
“But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and the renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified by grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.” Titus 3:5-8
How we live reflects our life of faith and what Jesus means to us.
In the Levitical law there were two types of sacrifice. The first type was the sin sacrifice where an animal died as a symbolic substitute for the people’s sin. The other types of sacrifices were what the redeemed people offered back to God in thanksgiving. In Paul’s letter to the Romans he also makes this distinction. He is insistent that we are saved by trusting in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, and his death as a substitute for sin,
“But God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
Real faith will lead on to the second type of sacrifice – all that we do, out of love for our Saviour,
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1
Should we not ask the Lord to show us if he regards us as being actively living for him in the world around us, or whether he sees us to be content in just believing? Is our faith leading us on to speaking about our Saviour as part of a demonstration that we are under new management? After all it was for us to be his servants that God chose us to have faith in his Son, the Lord Jesus.
BVP
June 2022
