Posted on May 11, 2017 by Steven Richichi

Faith: Light And Power

Colossians 1:3-6 (NLT)  We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, 5 which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.  6 This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about GOD’S WONDERFUL GRACE. If you are a Christian you have a confident hope of heaven.

  1. Sola Gratia!  Romans 11:36 (ESV)  For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.  Everything is of grace!  Salvation, justification, healing, righteousness, holiness, sanctification, etc.  We are all “partakers of grace.”
  1. Sola Fide!  Romans 5:1-2 (ESV) Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained ACCESS BY FAITH INTO THIS GRACE in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.   Access to grace is BY FAITH!   IF FAITH IS BY GRACE, IT IS CLEAR IT IS NOT BY EFFORT OR WORKS.  As grace is a gift of God apart from human effort, SO IS THE FAITH THAT ACCESSES GRACE.  FAITH is the ability God freely gives to His people to carry out His purpose.  It is unmerited, unmitigated and is never withdrawn.  It is a DISPOSITION of God’s FAVOR toward His elect combined with an IMPARTATION of ABILITY AND CAPACITY to fulfill their God given purpose.  See Gal. 3:3
  1. Ephesians 2:4-9 (ESV)  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 FOR BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED THROUGH FAITH. AND THIS IS NOT YOUR OWN DOING; IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD, 9 NOT A RESULT OF WORKS, SO THAT NO ONE MAY BOAST.
  1. The Bible definition of faith.  Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  This Scripture is followed by many examples of real, God given faith, every one of them connected with God saying something.  Romans 10:17 (ESV) So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.  NEB “faith is activated by the message.”   God quickens some of the words to you.  God gives a word in season to him who is weary.  God gives you all the faith you will ever need in seed form (like a Chia Pet), it needs to be activated.
  1. Habakkuk 3:3-4 (ESV)  God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selar  His splendor covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.  4 His BRIGHTNESS was like the LIGHT; RAYS flashed from his hand; and THERE HE VEILED HIS POWER.  Light is the vehicle that God uses to transfer His power.  Like a laser it is FOCUSED on a particular target, affecting ONLY THAT PERSON.
  1. Faith originates when God speaks a living word to a person.  IT THEN CAUSES EVENTS TO HAPPEN!  Isaiah 55:10-13 (NLT) The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth.  They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.  11 It is the same with my word.  I send it out, and it always produces fruit.  It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.  12 You will live in joy and peace.  The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!  13 Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow.  Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up.  THESE EVENTS will bring GREAT HONOR TO THE LORD’S NAME; they will be AN EVERLASTING SIGN OF HIS POWER AND LOVE.”  Faith produces things and events.  Here He connects it with His word.  His word always accomplishes what it was sent for.  When God wants to do something, He sends faith to a man.  That faith he sends is always connected to His will.
  1. Light from God gave Jesus an answer to the devil’s temptation.  Matthew 4:1-4 (ESV) Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “IT IS WRITTEN,  “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT COMES FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.’”
  1. John 5:19-20 (ESV)  So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and SHOWS HIM all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he SHOW HIM, so that you may marvel.  John 5:30 (ESV) I can do nothing on my own. AS I HEAR, I JUDGE, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
  1. This event took place in Jesus’ ministry.  Luke 9:10-17 (ESV)  On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. 11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. 12 Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.” 13 But he said to them, “YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT.” They said, “WE HAVE NO MORE THAN FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISH—UNLESS WE ARE TO GO AND BUY FOOD FOR ALL THESE PEOPLE.” 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 And they did so, and had them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and SAID A BLESSING over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 AND THEY ALL ATE AND WERE SATISFIED. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
  1. Does this look like the previous event in Jesus’ ministry?  Was it quickened to Him just before Jesus did it in His time?  2 Kings 4:42-44 (ESV)  A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Elisha said, “GIVE TO THE MEN, THAT THEY MAY EAT.” 43 But his servant said, “HOW CAN I SET THIS BEFORE A HUNDRED MEN?” So he repeated, “GIVE THEM TO THE MEN, THAT THEY MAY EAT, FOR THUS SAYS THE LORD, ‘THEY SHALL EAT AND HAVE SOME LEFT.’” 44 So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left, ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF THE LORD.  You will have the answer the momen you need it.  Expect God to talk to you.
  1. Jesus healed many people.  He “performed” a miracle on them.  This is very different than praying for them.  He did to them what he saw.  He wasn’t wondering or hoping something would happen.  HE HAD ASSURANCE AND CONVICTION THAT IT WOULD!  Mark 1:32-34 (ESV)  That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.  It doesn’t say He “prayed” for them.  It says He “healed” them.  Let God put faith in your heart.

Psalms 50:23 (ESV)  The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will SHOW (REVEAL) the salvation of God!”  Words convey images (pictures) to the mind.  DO WHAT YOU SEE!