1) Faith That Is Pleasing to God (Kyle Pope)
2) Sword Tips #14 (Joe R. Price)
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Faith That Is Pleasing to God<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kyle Pope And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him\u2014the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day<\/strong> (John 12:47-48).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Believing \u201con\u201d<\/strong> Jesus means that one believes and trusts His word.\u00a0 If I should say to myself, \u201cI want salvation\u2014so I will believe in Jesus, but I don\u2019t have to accept and follow everything He taught!\u201d\u2014I don\u2019t really believe \u201con\u201d<\/strong> Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That tells us that part of having a faith that pleases God means that I must \u201cdiligently seek Him\u201d<\/strong> as we noted above. This is not something distinct from faith but how the kind of faith pleasing to God is actualized. Remember, the Hebrew writer said, \u201cwithout faith it is impossible to please Him,\u201d<\/strong> then explains the kind of faith that pleases God\u2014\u201cfor he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him\u201d<\/strong> (Heb. 11:6-7). If I don\u2019t believe \u201cthat He is\u201d<\/strong> I don\u2019t have a faith that pleases God. If I don\u2019t believe He rewards \u201cthose who diligently seek Him\u201d<\/strong> I don\u2019t have a faith that pleases God. Through seeking to know and understand God\u2019s revealed word in the Bible, one is \u201cdiligently\u201d <\/strong>seeking Him. Through striving to carefully and obediently follow what is found within Scripture, one is \u201cdiligently\u201d<\/strong> seeking Him. Sadly, many misunderstand this and say, \u201cthat\u2019s legalism!\u201d\u00a0 But we aren\u2019t talking about trusting in ourselves.\u00a0 Instead, the way that we demonstrate love for and faith in Jesus is by a diligence to understand and follow all of His will. But will he not rather say to him, \u201cPrepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink\u201d? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not <\/strong>(17:8-9).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n How will this increase their faith? He is talking about work and service. Finally, He explains, \u201cSo likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, \u2018We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do\u2019\u201d <\/strong>(17:10). Jesus never uses the word \u201cfaith,\u201d but He describes the attitude, the mindset, the service, and obedience that a pleasing faith will demonstrate. Obedience is \u201cour duty to do.\u201d<\/strong> It doesn\u2019t merit anything\u2014obedient servants are still \u201cunprofitable servants\u201d<\/strong> but servants who don\u2019t strive to do \u201call those things\u201d <\/strong>which they \u201care commanded\u201d<\/strong> don\u2019t have a faith that pleases God. What kind of faith do you have? What kind of faith do I have? -2- Joe R. Price 1) Hear\u00a0<\/strong>the gospel — for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31). Tebeau Street Sunday: 9 a.m. <\/strong>Bible Classes and 10 a.m. <\/strong>Worship Service.\u00a0\u00a0 Congregational Song Service<\/strong>: 5 p.m. for every first Sunday of the month.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Wednesday: 7 p.m. <\/strong>Bible Classes<\/p>\n\n\n\n evangelist\/editor:\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong>Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).——————– Contents: 1) Faith That Is Pleasing to God (Kyle Pope)2) Sword Tips #14 (Joe R. Price)——————– -1- Faith That Is Pleasing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","post-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2408"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2411,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2408\/revisions\/2411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Faith is at the heart of man\u2019s relationship with God. The Hebrew writer taught, \u201cwithout faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him\u201d<\/strong> (Heb. 11:6-7 NKJV). With the coming of Jesus, the character of the type of faith that pleases God became much more focused. This side of the cross, faith means more than just believing there is a God\u2014Jesus said, \u201cno man comes to the Father except through Me\u201d<\/strong> (John 14:6). That means now in order to please God one must believe in Jesus.
Does that just mean believing that Jesus was a real person? No, the kind of faith one has in Jesus must also be focused. 1 John 5:5 asks and then answers the question, \u201cwho is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0 That tells us that the type of faith that is pleasing to God, doesn\u2019t just believe Jesus was a good man, or a wise philosopher, or a prophet\u2014but \u201cthe Son of God.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0 Sadly, many people in our world believe in a Jesus who is not Divine.\u00a0 That is not the Jesus of the New Testament, nor the character of the faith that pleases God.
Scripture, however, focuses this even further. Peter and Paul both quote Isaiah 28:16, \u201cwhoever believes on Him will not be put to shame\u201d<\/strong> (Rom. 9:33; 1 Pet. 2:6).\u00a0 How does one believe \u201con\u201d <\/strong>Jesus? The Bible teaches that, \u201cthe way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps\u201d <\/strong>(Jer. 10:23).\u00a0 Human beings do not have an innate guidance system within us, nor are we capable of erasing our own offenses that are committed against God. The preacher in Ecclesiastes asked, \u201cconsider the work of God; for who can make straight what He has made crooked?\u201d<\/strong> (Eccl. 7:13). When God defines behavior that we have committed as \u201ccrooked\u201d<\/strong> we cannot make it \u201cstraight.\u201d <\/strong>This is the problem of sin.\u00a0 All morally capable and accountable souls at some point in life sin\u2014\u201call have sinned and fall short of the glory of God\u201d <\/strong>(Rom. 3:23). How then can one be made \u201cstraight\u201d<\/strong> in his relationship with God?\u00a0 He must believe \u201con\u201d<\/strong> Jesus as the source of atonement, redemption, and reconciliation.
This is where Jesus\u2019s teaching comes into play. Jesus taught:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
The Bible refers to personal faith, and to the system of faith revealed in the gospel. Jude wrote that Christians must \u201ccontend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints\u201d<\/strong> (Jude 3). To have a faith that pleases God one must not \u201cdepart from the faith\u201d<\/strong> (1 Tim. 4:1) as Paul foretold that some would do. To have a faith that pleases God one must have courage to confess this faith before others (Matt. 10:32). To have a faith that pleases God one must remain \u201csteadfast in the faith\u201d<\/strong> (1 Pet. 5:9). These things make it clear that saving faith (or pleasing faith) is more than just a condition purely within our minds. James declared that demons believe, but their faith is not pleasing to God (Jas. 2:19). Some of the Jewish leaders believed in Jesus, but out of fear refused to confess Him (John 12:42). Jesus taught, \u201cTherefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven\u201d<\/strong> (Matt. 10:32-33). So pleasing faith \u201con\u201d<\/strong> Jesus involves certain actions that demonstrate that faith.
Is that meritorious salvation? Is that salvation by works? No, but it is a type of faith which meets God\u2019s definition, not man\u2019s definition. When our world advocates \u201csalvation by faith only\u201d they are using a definition of faith that is never taught in Scripture. Many don\u2019t realize that the only passage in Scripture where we ever see the phrase \u201cfaith only\u201d does not teach that salvation is by \u201cfaith only.\u201d James 2:24 declares, \u201ca man is justified by works and not faith only.\u201d<\/strong> Only a few verses before this James explained it further by using the example of Abraham\u2014whose faith in God throughout Scripture is offered as an example that all true believers should follow. James taught that his, \u201cfaith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect\u201d<\/strong> (Jas. 2:22). The kind of faith that is pleasing to God is \u201cmade perfect\u201d <\/strong>(or made complete) by works of obedience.\u00a0 Obedience doesn\u2019t merit anything, it is simply the duty of those who serve God in Christ.\u00a0
In Luke 17, His apostles pled with Jesus to, \u201cincrease our faith\u201d<\/strong> (17:5). After describing the great power of faith (17:6), He asks, \u201cAnd which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, \u2018Come at once and sit down to eat\u2019?\u201d <\/strong>(17:7). What does this have to do with faith? He asks further,<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Via Faithful Sayings,<\/em> Volume 25, Issue 14 (April 2, 2023)
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\u201cAnd take…the sword of the Spirit, Which is the word of God\u201d<\/em> (Eph. 6:17).<\/p>\n\n\n\nSword Tips #14<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
And Jesus answered and said to him, \u201cGet behind Me, Satan! For it is written, \u2018YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND HIM ONLY YOU SHALL SERVE.\u2019\u201d<\/em> (Luke 4:8)
Satan tempts us to bow down and pay homage to other things than God. For example, some choose to worship material things (1 Tim. 6:10). The word of God says covetousness is idolatry (Col. 3:5). Any person or thing we put before the Lord God and serve rather than him is our object of worship.
Today is the first day of the week, the day of worship ordained by the Lord (Acts 20:7). Use your time today to worship God \u201cin spirit and truth.\u201d By doing so you will be numbered among those whose worship God accepts (Jno. 4:23-24). Fully give your heart to praising and honoring God. And, worship him according to his revealed will: with prayers and singing, with giving and eating the Lord\u2019s Supper, and by listening to the teaching of his word (Acts 2:42; Eph. 5:19; 1 Cor. 16:2; Acts 20:7).
Worshiping God is the Christian\u2019s first priority on the Lord\u2019s Day. Do not yield to Satan\u2019s temptation to forget God and fail to worship him. If you have, then repent and return to him with praise and adoration for his mercy and grace in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
——————–<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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2) Believe\u00a0<\/strong>in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent\u00a0<\/strong>of sins.\u00a0 For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).\u00a0 For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).
4) Confess faith\u00a0<\/strong>in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized\u00a0<\/strong>in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21).\u00a0 This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27).\u00a0 For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so \u201cthrough faith in the working of God\u201d (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to\u2026
6) Continue in the faith <\/strong>by <\/strong>living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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CHURCH OF CHRIST<\/strong><\/strong>
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong><\/strong>Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
<\/a>https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/go\/all.htm<\/a><\/strong><\/strong> (This is a link to the older version of the Gospel Observer website, but <\/strong><\/strong>with bulletins going back to March 4, 1990.)
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