Finding Faith

Righteousness

Faith

Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Romans 4:3

Unpacking Abraham’s Faith

And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Gen 15:6

Believed in unseen

God

He was absolutely sure that God would be able to do what he had promised.

Rom 4:21

Unassailable

Conviction

His faith did not leave him, and he did not doubt God's promise; his faith filled him with power, and he gave praise to God.

Rom 4:20Energizing

He was then almost one hundred years old; but his faith did not weaken when he thought of his body, which was already practically dead, or of the fact that Sarah could not have children.

Rom 4:19

Believed the impossible

As it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations." Abraham acted in faith when he stood in God's presence, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that don't even exist.

Rom 4:17

Resurrection &

Promises

Passage

Belief beyond Reason

•Brings life from death•Calls into existence things that do not exist

Romans 4:17

Who against hope

When there was no reason for hoping

The realm of the impossible

God does not expect us to submit our Faith to Him without reason, but the very limits of

our reason make Faith a necessity

Our Faith

1.Belief in the unseen God

2.Belief in Resurrection

3.Belief in impossible – We can be made right with God

4.Unassailable Conviction

5. It is Energizing – Results in Action

Finding FaithSession 2 – Faith Perfects

4

3

2

1The Basics of Faith – Faith Saves

The Mind of Faith – Faith Perfects

The Refining of Faith – Faith in Suffering

The Victory of Faith – Faith in Suffering

5The Fathers of Faith – Faith in Action

6The King of Faith – Faith by Example

The Mind of Faith Illustrated

The Story of the Rich Young Man

Matthew 19:16 KJVR And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I

may have eternal life?

Compliance leads to Compromise

Lowering the bar• To make 100% possible – laws were diluted

and made possible• Focus was on legal correctness – forget the

spirit of the law

Matthew 15:4-9 WEB For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.' 5 But you say, 'Whoever may tell his father or his mother, "Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God," 6 he shall not honor his father or mother.' You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 8 'These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 And in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine rules made by men.' "

And Pharisees actually believed that they could be good and acceptable before God because they complied with the “requirements” of God:

Philippians 3:4-6 KJVR Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Before we shake our heads at the Pharisees:

We must remember how easy it is for us to fall into the works/compliance mindset:

We see discipleship as a series of things we must do:

Be baptisedAttend the meetingHelp the needyVisit the sickPreach the Gospel

As if any of these alone can save us …

Only God is Good

There is no one Good but God• Why did Jesus challenge this first statement:

“Good Master”?• He was challenging the mindset that any

flesh can be good before God.

1 Peter 1:24 KJVR For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

What happened to the best person ever to live:

Galatians 3:13 KJVR Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Salvation comes to those who recognize the condition of human nature and seek God’s grace through faith.

Instead of focusing on mistakes and trying to bring God down to an achievable level (compliance) – they stretch for perfection relying on the grace of God (excellence)

Jesus was sinless but he was still flesh

In God’s eyes flesh can never be good – it needs to be transformed

Keep the Commandments

Do not BearFalse

witness

Do notSteal

Do notKill

Do not CommitAdultery

HonorYour

FatherAnd

Mother

What about the God-focused Commandments?Mat 19:20 WEB The young man said to him, All these things I have observed from my youth. What do I still lack?

I’ve watched and measured my performance on the compliance graph – Do I lack anything or am I OK?

12

3

1000

7525

5050

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Lacking WorksGood Works

GoodR

ules

, C

omm

andm

ents

,R

egul

atio

nsOn track for Eternal life

Lacking a little

Work to do

Graphical representation of Compliance-Based Salvation

My works

Is God Topping us up?

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Isa 64:6

Filthy Rags

KJV The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.

Jer 51:10

God’s

Righteousness

In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.

Jer 33:16

God’s

Righteousness

In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Jer 23:6

God’s Righteousness

And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.

Deut 6:25

Our Righteousness

Passage

In Search of Perfection…

Mat 19:21 WEB Jesus said to him, If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.

Mission Impossible

Mat 19:25-26 WEB When the disciples heard it, they were exceedingly astonished, saying, Who then can be saved? (26) Looking at them, Jesus said, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible

How does God make impossible possible?

Mat 17:20 KJV 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.

If only you had Faith and relied on GodAnd not Riches and relied on Yourself

GRACE(Eph 2:8)

GRACE(Eph 2:8)

RIGHTEOUS-NESS

(Gal 5:5)

RIGHTEOUS-NESS

(Gal 5:5)

FAITH(Gal 5:5)

FAITH(Gal 5:5)

LIFE(Eph 2:8)

LIFE(Eph 2:8)

WAGES(Rom 6:23)

WAGES(Rom 6:23)

SIN(Rom 3:20)

SIN(Rom 3:20)

WORKS(Rom 3:20)

WORKS(Rom 3:20)

DEATH(Rom 6:23)

DEATH(Rom 6:23)

Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin.(Rom 3:20 WEB)

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.(Rom 6:23 WEB)

For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.(Gal 5:5 KJVR)

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:(Eph 2:8 KJVR)

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ith

Man

Compliance vs Faith Mindset

Compliance Mindset Faith Mindset

Starts with Me Starts with God

Focus on Works Focus on Faith

Focus on Sins – Lacking Works

Focus on Perfection

Fears Failure Pushes for Growth

Reduce Requirements Strives for Perfection

Lives to comply Lives to delight

What can I do? What will God do?

Pushing for Perfection through Faith

Philippians 3:12-15 KJVR 12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Faith Perfects

Mat 5:48 WEB Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.