Participants: Shelley Quinn
Series Code: GPL
Program Code: GPL000016S
|
00:01 Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
00:02 Have you ever wondered 00:04 why it is impossible to please God without faith? 00:06 How can we better define faith anyway? 00:09 Join us now on "The Grace Pipeline," 00:11 as we see what the Bible has to say about this. 00:32 Welcome to "The Grace Pipeline." 00:34 In our journey through scripture thus far, 00:36 we have spent considerable time 00:38 examining God's three greatest gifts of grace 00:41 and their effects on our life. 00:43 We have identified Jesus Christ 00:45 as God's greatest gift to humanity 00:48 along with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures. 00:52 And their effect on our life is salvation, 00:55 both justification and sanctification 00:58 as well as the empowerment to live the abundant life 01:03 that God wants to give us 01:04 as He recreates His image within us. 01:08 We know that every good and perfect gift 01:11 comes to us from our Heavenly Father 01:13 through His grace pipeline. It is the love of God 01:16 that is the compelling force behind the grace of God. 01:20 Today, we will learn 01:22 how to tap into His grace pipeline by faith. 01:26 Of course, first, we must define faith 01:29 and recognize it is faith itself 01:32 that defines a genuine Christian experience. 01:35 If you were following along in the series companion book 01:38 also titled "The Grace Pipeline," 01:40 we are beginning on Chapter 9 today. 01:43 Now let me share a personal story with you. 01:47 Long ago and far away, 01:49 I took a loved one's picture using for the first time 01:52 a Polaroid camera with self developing film. 01:56 The technology absolutely amazed me. 01:59 As I considered it, I recognized 02:02 an interesting parallel between the development process 02:06 of Polaroid film and the sanctification of our souls. 02:10 With the camera, I had simply focused 02:13 on my loved one and pressed a button. 02:16 The subject of my focus was instantly reproduced 02:20 on a single snapshot film 02:22 that had been previously treated with chemicals. 02:26 Now passing through the camera, 02:27 it was exposed to a polarizing light 02:30 which began the development process. 02:33 And when it first emerged, 02:34 I had to accept by faith 02:37 that the image had actually been captured 02:40 because all I had in my hand was a dark negative. 02:45 But as the polarizing light 02:47 continued to pass through the transparent film, 02:51 an image developed right before my eyes 02:54 and it bore a striking resemblance 02:57 to the subject of my focus. 02:59 Now let's make the spiritual application. 03:02 We need to consider our eyes as the camera of our soul 03:07 and our hearts as the film. 03:09 The word of God is the special chemical treatment 03:13 and the Holy Spirit is the polarizing light. 03:16 When our hearts have been treated 03:18 by the gospel of God's grace, 03:20 if we make Christ the subject of our focus 03:24 and take appropriate action, we're born again. 03:28 Instantly, His image is captured within our heart by faith 03:33 and the polarizing light of the Holy Spirit 03:35 penetrates the heart 03:37 and begins the process of sanctification by grace. 03:42 If we're unfamiliar with this development process, 03:46 we can experience initial disappointment. 03:49 The underdeveloped image 03:51 of our new spiritual nature appears to be 03:54 shrouded in the shadowy darkness of our old sin nature. 03:58 But if by the patience of faith 04:01 we remain focused on Christ and His word, 04:04 the Holy Spirit lights up our heart 04:07 and continues the development of the divine nature within us. 04:12 The result is an amazing family lightness 04:15 to the image of Christ. 04:17 Look at what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17. 04:22 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, 04:25 he is a new creation, old things have passed away, 04:30 behold, all things have become new." 04:35 The problem sinners have who are bound up 04:38 by the chains of sin is that someone is always 04:42 trying to reform their old nature. 04:45 The old nature can't be reformed. 04:47 Our only hope is to be born again with a new nature 04:51 that is united with Christ. 04:54 This brings not reformation 04:56 but regeneration and transformation 04:59 as the indwelling Holy Spirit creates divine life within us. 05:04 To save it, when we are a new creation, 05:08 all things have passed away, 05:10 that's a statement of faith 05:12 and it must be received by faith. 05:15 God knows the end 05:16 from the beginning and He declares it. 05:18 In Romans 4:17, it explained that "God gives life to the dead 05:24 and calls things that are not as though they already existed." 05:29 Currently, we must consider the contradiction 05:33 between the two polarized natures within us 05:36 pointed out by Paul in Galatians 5:16, 17. 05:42 He says, "I say then, walk in the Spirit, 05:46 and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 05:50 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, 05:53 and the Spirit against the flesh, 05:56 and these are contrary to one another, 05:59 so that you do not do the things that you wish." 06:04 The desires of our human nature are opposite 06:08 of the desires of our new spiritual nature. 06:11 And it cross purposes the one is diametrically 06:15 opposed to the other 06:17 and there is this ongoing struggle of strong desires 06:22 that are contrary to one another. 06:24 Nevertheless, if we make it our habit 06:27 to respond to the Holy Spirit 06:29 and so the word of God into our hearts, 06:33 the Godless human nature within us 06:36 will eventually be overpowered by Christ's righteousness. 06:41 This happens when we walk in the spirit 06:44 as Paul points out in Galatians 5:24, 25. 06:49 He says, "Those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh 06:54 with its passions and desires. 06:57 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." 07:04 Paul's expression of crucifying the flesh 07:07 is another way of saying snuffing out 07:10 selfishness in the old carnal nature. 07:13 Or in other words, dying to our natural unholy interest. 07:19 This takes a day-by-day surrender of our heart 07:23 and will to our Lord. 07:25 When Paul uses the expression, 07:27 "Live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit," 07:31 he is referring to the sanctifying work 07:33 of the Holy Spirit in our lives as believers in Christ. 07:38 Paul was God's ambassador of grace called by Christ 07:43 to preach the gospel of grace. 07:45 He wrote a lot about dying to self 07:48 by crucifying the old nature. 07:50 Let's look at Galatians 2:20. 07:53 He says, "I have been crucified with Christ. 07:58 It is no longer I who live, 08:00 but Christ lives in me, 08:03 and the life which I now live in the flesh 08:06 I live by faith in the Son of God, 08:09 who loved me and gave Himself for me." 08:12 As Paul picked up his cross 08:15 in a determined effort to die to self 08:18 daily sanctifying grace anchored 08:21 his union to the Savior. 08:23 Have faith, God will do the same for you 08:27 as you live and walk in the Spirit. 08:30 The life that you live in the flesh 08:34 will be lived by faith in Christ who lives in you. 08:38 Your flesh nature will be crucified 08:41 if you simply cooperate, cooperate with the Holy Spirit. 08:46 You know, Paul speaks of this cooperative effort 08:49 in Romans 8:13 where he says, 08:51 "If by the Spirit you put to death 08:55 the deeds of the body, you will live." 08:58 Notice there that it is the work of the Holy Spirit and of you. 09:03 It is only by the Spirit's power 09:06 that you can put to death your misdeeds 09:09 and crucify your old sin nature. 09:12 You will, of course, recall that death by crucifixion lingered. 09:17 It was not immediate. 09:19 Therefore, you must choose to pickup your cross daily 09:24 or the old nature will go unconquered 09:26 only to rear its ugly head and crawl down off its cross. 09:31 Paul warns us in Galatians 6:7, 8. 09:36 "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, 09:40 for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." 09:44 And he says if we sow to the flesh 09:47 will reap of the flesh, corruption. 09:51 But if we sow to the Spirit, we will reap everlasting life. 09:57 God promises to provide us with everything 10:01 that we need for godliness 10:03 but He leaves the choice to us to determine 10:06 if we will partake of His provision. 10:11 The spiritual conflict within our born again hearts 10:16 can be subdued by God's promised power of sanctifying grace. 10:21 We need to lay hold of His deliverance 10:24 by putting our faith into action. 10:28 Paul's summary of faith in action 10:30 was to put on and put off. 10:34 Let's read his message on this combined 10:36 from Romans 13, 14, Ephesians 4:22-24, 10:43 and Colossians 3:14. 10:45 Paul says, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, 10:49 and make no provision for the flesh, 10:52 to fulfill its lusts. 10:54 Put off, concerning your former conduct, 10:57 the old man. 10:58 Be renewed in the spirit of your mind. 11:02 Put on the new man 11:03 which was created according to God, 11:06 in true righteousness and holiness. 11:09 Christ is all and in all. Put on love, 11:14 which is the bond of perfection." 11:17 Now let's unpack those verses. 11:21 By faith we must persevere 11:24 in the process of sanctification 11:27 knowing that it is a progressive work 11:30 that God accomplishes in us. But we must make an effort 11:35 to put on the characteristics of Lord, 11:39 our Lord Jesus Christ. 11:41 This is a spirit empowered effort that transforms us 11:46 one step at a time. In our day-to-day experience, 11:50 this would include prayer and Bible study 11:54 to renew our mind so that we may grow in grace 11:58 and in the knowledge of our Lord, 12:01 daily we must put on Christ. 12:04 And the only way to put off our former conduct 12:08 is to make no provision for unholy fleshly desires. 12:13 What do I mean? 12:14 Any alcoholic that is in recovery knows 12:16 that he can't stock his shelves with alcohol 12:20 or spend time at the bars with old drinking buddies. 12:23 Now maybe alcohol is not your temptation, 12:27 maybe its gossip and backbiting 12:29 especially when you're on the phone with your best friend. 12:32 Make a mutual pact with your friend not to gossip. 12:36 And if that doesn't work, 12:37 quit talking on the phone with the one 12:40 whose attitude snares you. 12:43 Make no provision for the flesh. 12:48 We must make a daily effort 12:52 to live a life of obedience and purity 12:55 so that we don't fall back into our former way of life. 12:59 We put on love by asking God to fill us with His love 13:05 by the power of the Holy Spirit. 13:08 And we must recognize by faith 13:12 that we can be strong in the Lord 13:14 as Ephesians 6:10-12 tells us, 13:18 "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 13:22 Put on the whole armor of God, 13:25 that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 13:29 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, 13:32 but against principalities, against powers, 13:36 against the rulers of the darkness of this age, 13:39 against spiritual hosts of wickedness 13:43 in the heavenly places." 13:45 Let me share a promise 13:47 with you that you need to hold on 13:49 to found in Deuteronomy 33:27, it's one of my favorites. 13:54 And it says, "The eternal God is your refuge, 13:57 and underneath are the everlasting arms. 14:00 He will thrust out the enemy from before you, 14:03 and he will say, destroy." 14:06 We're not the first generation to wage war 14:09 in this spiritual battle. 14:11 Every descendent of Adam has been through it. 14:15 Those who recognize that the battle belongs to the Lord 14:19 have stood fast in active faith 14:22 and have seen the enemy vanquished by God's power. 14:27 Spiritual victory is ours by grace. 14:31 Oh, thanks be to God who gives us 14:34 the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 14:37 Now let's turn our attention to defining faith. 14:42 It's important that we develop our understanding 14:45 because faith is the faucet. It is the instrument 14:49 by which we tap into God's grace pipeline. 14:52 Our faith regulates the release of blessings 14:56 from His great reservoir of grace. 14:59 Through Christ, we have access by faith 15:03 into the marvelous grace of God 15:05 as Paul affirms in Romans 5:1, 2. 15:10 "Therefore, having been justified by faith, 15:14 we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 15:18 through whom also we have access by faith 15:23 into this grace in which we stand." 15:28 Faith is another systematic and practical truth 15:31 that is often under defined and therefore under appreciated. 15:36 And because of this lack of understanding, 15:38 well-meaning Bible scholars frequently misapply this truth. 15:42 Faith is critical to our Christian walk 15:45 and worthy of our study. 15:47 So let's examine the depth of its meaning. 15:51 How is the word faith defined in Bible dictionaries? 15:55 It's another one of those elastic words 15:58 and it stretches over a special scope of meaning. 16:02 Faith means to be firmly persuaded, 16:04 to be convicted, and convinced of God's truth. 16:09 To walk in reliance on God's promises 16:12 and His works of salvation and to continue in assurance 16:16 of our beliefs obeying the word of God. 16:20 Now from my study on the topic, 16:22 here's the definition that I have to write. 16:25 "Faith is placing our total trust in God 16:29 and what is known to God but unseen by us, 16:33 believing in to be living in God 16:37 and His word with absolute assurance, 16:40 no doubt and eager expectation 16:44 that His unseen promises are ours 16:46 and will come to us relying on His love and His power 16:50 to keep us in the meantime 16:52 as we walk in obedience to His will." 16:56 Okay. Now can you repeat that to me, please? 16:59 I do admit that was a little bit long winded 17:02 but faith is difficult to reduce to a short definition. 17:06 Greek scholar and expositor Marvin Vincent 17:09 who lived in the 1800s did a little better 17:13 in providing a succinct definition. 17:15 He says, "Faith apprehends as a real fact 17:20 what is not revealed to the senses. 17:22 It rests on the fact, acts upon it, 17:25 and is upheld by it 17:27 in the face of all that seems to contradict it. 17:31 Faith is a real seam." 17:35 Well, I like this poetic description 17:38 but it still leaves me 17:40 with an incomplete understanding. 17:43 The importance of faith is evidenced 17:46 by the emphasis the New Testament 17:48 writers placed on this topic using the word nearly 250 times. 17:54 Only the writer of Hebrews 17:56 attempts to reduce the concept of faith to a definition. 18:02 And in the translation of Hebrews 11:1, 18:06 various Bible scholars have looked at this definition 18:09 and they have selected a variety of words. 18:12 So for ease of reading, 18:14 I've combined a number of these scholars' 18:16 word choices for you and let's look at what they say. 18:21 "Now faith is the substance and assurance, being sure of. 18:27 It is the foundation and trust 18:29 and title deed of things hoped for, things expected, 18:35 the evidence and conviction, being convinced of, 18:39 and proof of the reality of things not seen, 18:43 the things we do not see 18:46 and cannot see with our eyes." 18:50 Wow. 18:51 If faith is how we access the gifts of God 18:55 and it's the instrument we use to tap into God's grace, 18:58 we need to understand it. 19:01 Righteousness, justification, 19:03 and sanctification are available to all 19:07 who will reach out and seize them by faith. 19:09 Then as we are joined to and abide in Christ, 19:13 we gain God's approval 19:15 and He fulfils all of His promises 19:18 which are waiting to be released to us 19:21 when we tap into His grace pipeline by faith. 19:24 Now I want to make a distinction here 19:27 and I pray that I can articulate this in such a way 19:30 that it can be understood. 19:32 The reward of faith is God's approval. 19:36 His gifts of grace are not a reward for faith. 19:40 They are released by faith. 19:43 Faith is the assurance, the act of confidently 19:49 believing within our hearts 19:51 and the act of purposely reaching out 19:54 to lay hold of God's promises 19:57 which we rightfully possess in Christ. 20:01 Some Bible teachers imply 20:03 that if we can only work up on a faith 20:07 that God must reward us with His promises. 20:11 What these are doing is placing their trust in faith 20:15 making faith the object of their faith. 20:19 That's misleading and dangerous. 20:21 We must make God the object of our faith 20:25 understanding that He is ready, willing, 20:27 and able to release His promises 20:30 when we act by faith. 20:32 If we look at the earth as a universal theater 20:36 and our lives as being lived out on stage, 20:39 God's promises are waiting in the wings 20:43 ready to be ushered in by our faith. 20:47 Now Hebrews 11:6 demonstrates how important this faith is. 20:53 So let's read this together. 20:55 In Hebrews 11:6 it says, 20:57 "But without faith it is impossible to please God, 21:03 for he who comes to God must believe that He is, 21:08 and that He is a rewarder of those 21:10 who diligently seek Him." 21:13 Faith is the essential ingredient for spiritual life 21:19 and we are obliged to respond in faith 21:23 if we are to please God at all. 21:26 It is the necessary action to meet His requirements. 21:30 Faith honors God and God honors faith. 21:34 He is in the habit of rewarding 21:37 by His acceptance and His approval 21:40 anyone who pursues Him earnestly by faith, 21:43 even those who do not possess the full truth. 21:47 You know, we are only accountable 21:50 for what we know or for what we could have known 21:53 had we made a reasonable effort. 21:56 An apathetic attitude toward the study of 21:58 and the resources available to us 22:01 will not excuse us from being held accountable 22:04 for the knowledge we easily could've gained and understood. 22:08 Anyone who suppresses the truth 22:11 in unrighteousness is without excuse. 22:15 So our search to know God 22:18 and to know His truths requires diligence. 22:22 We must ask and keep on asking, 22:25 seek and keep on seeking, knock and keep on knocking. 22:29 And as we continue to seek Him with all of our hearts, 22:33 we gain intimate knowledge of Him. 22:36 And He reveals His plan for our lives 22:39 which, let me tell you, 22:41 is a whole lot better than the one that we're living. 22:44 Why is it impossible to please God without faith? 22:48 If we do not accept His testimony and act upon it, 22:52 we're regarding Him as a liar. 22:55 Here's proof found in 1 John 5:10-12. 22:59 John writes, "He who believes in the Son of God 23:02 has the witness in himself. 23:04 He who does not believe God has made Him a liar, 23:09 because he has not believe the testimony 23:12 that God has given of His Son. 23:15 And this is the testimony that God has given us eternal life, 23:20 and this life is in His Son. 23:23 He who has the Son has life. 23:26 He who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 23:32 Do you realize that anyone 23:34 who hears the truth and rejects Jesus Christ 23:38 rejects God's testimony about his son 23:40 as if His words were untrue? 23:44 According to the Apostle John that person is doomed 23:48 to a judgment of condemnation 23:51 for God's wrath abides on the unbeliever 23:54 and he will die in his sins. 23:58 But even belief in God by itself is not sufficient for salvation. 24:04 In James 2:19, the Apostle says, 24:07 "You believe that there is one God, you do well. 24:11 Even the demons believe and tremble." 24:14 The devil and his fallen angels know of God's existence 24:19 and they shudder at the thought of their judgment to come. 24:23 James continues in verse 20 where he says, 24:27 "Faith without works is dead." 24:30 Mere mental assent, 24:32 just simply believing in our mind is not a saving faith. 24:38 A saving faith includes trust and obedience. 24:43 So how do we develop faith? 24:45 Paul tells us in Romans 10:17 24:49 "Faith comes by hearing, 24:52 and hearing by the word of God." 24:57 Hearing is the way that the seed of God's word 25:00 is broadcast into the soil of our hearts 25:04 and the Holy Spirit is the one who teaches us 25:07 and gives us understanding. 25:09 Divine faith is achieved by grace 25:13 and by definition it is belief put into action. 25:18 The Lord of love requires us to have active faith 25:23 that draws us into a right relationship with Him. 25:28 You know, if we were to take the thought 25:31 from 1 John 5:10-12, if we were to take 25:35 that just a little bit further about anyone 25:39 who disregards God's testimony is regarding Him as a liar. 25:46 Think about this for a minute. 25:48 If we refuse to believe His inspired scriptures 25:53 regarding His promises 25:55 and our needful compliance to them 25:58 and to His revealed will, 26:01 then we are in essence calling God a liar. 26:05 You know, some of His promises 26:07 sound just far too marvelous to accept 26:11 regarding who we become 26:13 now that we're new creations in Christ. 26:16 But remember God knows the end 26:19 from the beginning and He declares it. 26:22 So we have to accept by faith. 26:25 We are heirs of God. We are co-heirs with Christ. 26:31 And the Bible tells us that when we are in Christ, 26:35 all of God's promises are ours. 26:38 Christ won the inheritance for us. 26:42 Now we're gonna make this application of truth 26:46 more practical in our next program. 26:49 We have barely scratched the surface of this topic. 26:53 But I hope that you will join us on the next program 26:57 where we're going to take a stroll 27:00 down faith's hall of fame 27:02 as we continue to develop our understanding 27:05 of this crucial ingredient of Christian living. 27:10 You know, when we see, 27:12 sometimes it is the life of people 27:15 who better define faith than mere words. 27:20 Our language is so limited 27:23 and faith is such a huge concept 27:26 that it's faith in action that helps us to understand 27:31 what the real meaning of the word is. 27:35 So please join us next time 27:38 and we'll look at some of these people from the Bible 27:41 whose characters whose life have shown 27:46 to the world for generations 27:49 that faith in action is a saving faith. 27:54 Until then, grow in grace 27:56 and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. |
Revised 2024-09-04