Daily Archives: May 22, 2015

Weekly Devotional 5-25-15 The Christian’s Response to God’s Gift of Faith

Weekly Devotional 5-25-15
The Christian’s Response To God’s Gift of Faith

The writer of Hebrews said that saving faith and experiential faith originates with Jesus Christ, God the Son (Hebrews 12: 2). Last week we considered how God matured the man Abraham in his faith. God had called him out of idolatry and matured his faith to the point where he was able to trust God in His demand that he give up his beloved son; the son that he and Sarai (Sarah) his wife had prayed for, for decades. God had promised them that He would give them a son, a son that would be Abraham’s heir (Genesis 17:15-19). By the time Isaac, the promised son, was conceived by Sarah God had already grown Abraham’s faith by various tests (providential allowances) and when the ultimate test faced him, he was able to trust that God would somehow make a provision.

The writer also alluded to the faith of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses’ parents, Moses himself, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, also of David, Samuel , the prophets, and many others (Hebrews 11:4-39), saying of them, “13These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” We are not told what had occurred in their lives to bring each person to such faith, but certainly their faith was originated and matured by God (the testimony of Hebrews 12:2).

There is however another side of faith and that is human response. Faith is not impersonal and is not passive. For faith to be faith it must be acted upon. It demands action on the part of the recipient. This was true of Abraham. It was true of those mentioned above, and it is true of any and all born again persons. When we involve God in our experiences of life we grow toward faith’s maturity. We must give God the opportunity to prove Himself to us. If we attempt to solve the experiences of life aside from Him our faith will be, and remain stagnate.

May we each come to maturity in faith.

stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man

www.gbchurch.us

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