Finding FaithSession 3 – Faith in Suffering

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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

For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation

That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

Draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having our body washed with pure water,

Hebrews

10:22-23

Romans

10:6-10

FaithLives in

The Heart Ephesians

3:14-19

Measuring Faith …

Jer 17:9-10 KJV The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (10) I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and

according to the fruit of his doings.

What is the Heart?

• Our minds

• Our emotions

• Our energy

• Our will

Saved by Faith AND Works?

Is this what James mean?Jam 2:17-26 KJV Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. (18) Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. (19) Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. (20) But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (21) Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? (22) Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? (23) And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: …(26) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Your Text

Your Text

Faith

Lives in the Heart

Develops into Love

Bear Fruits

Is living

Lives in the intellect

Stays as a Creed

Is Fruitless

Dead

Heart Faith vs Head Faith

Saves

Vain

Creedal or Intellectual “Faith”

Jam 2:19 WEB You believe that God is one. You do well. The

demons also believe, and shudder.

The Heart reveals Itself in Works

Mat 12:33-35 WEB Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit. (34)

You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of

the heart, the mouth speaks. (35) The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and

the evil man out of his evil treasure[4] brings out evil things.

The Order is Critical

•Good Tree -> Good Fruit•Good Man -> Good Things•Faith -> Works

There is no faith without worksThere is works without faith

Abraham is saved First by Faith and then this is demonstrated in his obedience to sacrifice Isaac

FAITH

VIRTUE

KNOWLEDGE

SELF-CONTROL

PATIENCE

GODLINESS

KINDNESS

LOVE

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. (2Pe 1:5-7 KJV)

Gal 5:6 WEB For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision amounts to anything, nor

uncircumcision, but faith working through love.

ThroughLoveFaith

Works

Works

Works

Works

Heb 11:6 KJV But without faith it is

impossible to please him: for he that

cometh to God must believe that he is

Your Text1Jo 4:7-8 WEB He who doesn't

love doesn't know God, for God is

love.

1Co 13:4-5 CEV Love is kind and patient, never

jealous, boastful, proud, or rude.

Faith AND Works?

•Salt AND Pepper•Summer AND Winter

Seed THEN Fruit

Body THEN Spirit

Faith THEN Works

The relationship is DEPENDENT and CAUSATIVE

To

Prove

And

Grow

Faith

Why me?

Sin?Time

And

Chance?

Flaw?

Why am I Suffering?

Why?

The Purpose of Personal Suffering

1 Pet 1:6-9 (NIV)(6)In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you

may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.(7) These have come so that your faith-- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.(8)Though you have not seen

him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,(9)for you are receiving the goal of your

faith, the salvation of your souls.

As Gold is Proved

• "... when He Has Tried me, I shall come forth as gold!" (Job 23:10)

• Who keeps us in life And does not allow our feet to slip. For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins. you made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water, Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance. (Psalms 66:9-12)

Eyes fixed on the Furnace

Mal 3:2-3 WEB “But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderer’s soap; (3) and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer to Yahweh offerings in righteousness.

Faith like Gold

Gold

Malleable Durable

Ductile

Its all about our Faith

• Tests reveal our Faith to us• In a test:

– Our Faith should increase– Our doubts should decrease

• We exercise our Faith in Suffering

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth

the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

(Heb 12:11 KJV)