Faith Stands Firm

Faith Stands Firm

1 Corinthians 15: And now I want to remind you, my friends, of the Good News which I preached to you, which you received, and on which your faith stands firm. ² That is the gospel, the message that I preached to you. You are saved by the gospel if you hold firmly to it—unless it was for nothing that you believed.

 

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Does GOD love me when I don’t get my way? This is the question I pondered many times. When I didn’t get healed a certain way at a certain time, I wondered if HE could hear me, then I wondered if what I believed was even true or not.

 

• I questioned GOD many times when I got scared during certain situations.
• I tried to fix people, situations and relationships using “my” own thinking.
• I wondered if the part of me that did not believe would some day overtake the part of me that does.

 

Paul switched over from addressing issues written to him to speaking of the main reason we all exist, namely the Good News about CHRIST. Paul makes this statement personal to everyone who reads the letter. He states “You are saved by the gospel” but he qualifies his statement with “if you hold firmly to it”. Wait. Can I lose something precious because of my fickle faith? No!

 

My Observations

• GOD wants me to know that HIS salvation of me is permanent.
• GOD wants me to understand that when HE placed the HOLY SPIRIT in me, it sealed my salvation with HIM eternally.
• GOD wants me to trust that no one can pluck me out of HIS hand once HE wrote my name in it.

 

Believing in JESUS’ death burial and resurrection is the foundation of faith. I mean, when I believe that all humans fell when Adam sinned it is the start of a good foundation. I can then understand it took a sinless human to save humanity. That human was JESUS who was / is also GOD.

 

HE was murdered by HIS creation and was raised from the dead. Anyone who believe in this will have everlasting life. But what about this life? HE sent the COMFORTER to live inside me to keep me from straying away from this belief. The HOLY SPIRIT makes my faith stand firm, not me. I am glad GOD gave me salvation that is permanent and to those who also believe it is permanent for them.

 

Challenge

• What do you really believe about salvation?
• Do you think salvation has nothing to do with your finances, relationships, health or happiness?
• Wil you relax and know it is alright to question GOD and your relationship with HIM?
• Will you also know the Good News can only be “Good News” if you can depend on the promises JESUS made?

Possibilities

Luke 24: ⁹ When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. ¹⁰ It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. ¹¹ But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. ¹² Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

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“I’ll never have a car” I said to myself disappointedly. I was not making enough money to buy another car and my old one was sold to me from a relative. Now the car was totaled and I had no means of getting around. “Here is one for sale that maybe you can afford” a friend said to me. I did not believe them.

• When I got low, I lost faith.
• When I got low, I lost hope.
• When I got low, I lost the desire to try.

The disciples did not believe the news of JESUS being raised from the dead. All was lost to them and even some great news would not pull them up into the realm of belief. They may have argued with the women who brought the great news in an attempt to douse their fire because misery loves company. BUT GOD had other plans.

• GOD says to me “Do not lose hope.”
• GOD says to me “Keep seeking ME and you will find MY kingdom.”
• GOD says to me “I AM the way the truth and the life.”

When things go wrong, it seems like GOD doesn’t care. I mean why did that loved one have to be hurt or even die? BUT GOD wants me to think differently. HE wants me to grow up and understand things happen in life but my relationship with HIM should not be based solely on good days.

GOD wants me to keep my faith in stormy days and know HE always keeps HIS promise. Unlike the others, Peter ran to the tomb to see if what the women said was possible. It was true and he now had a lot to think about. I am grateful GOD is loving me and giving me possibilities.

• Are you feeling low?
• Do you think all possibilities are gone?
• Will you stop thinking GOD is small and know HE can do the impossible, just as HE said?