HEAVENSREEF

In Luke 17: 6  the apostles said to the LORD:  “Increase our faith.”  And JESUS answered them like this:

“IF YOU HAD FAITH LIKE A GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED, YOU COULD SAY TO THIS MULBERRY TREE, ‘BE UPROOTED AND PLANTED IN THE SEA AND IT WOULD OBEY YOU.”

Jesus reminds us that we shouldn’t be so concerned over how much faith we have, but just that we have faith indeed!

Then there is this:

2 PETER 1: 5-7  “……..MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO SUPPLEMENT YOUR FAITH WITH GOODNESS, GOODNESS WITH KNOWLEDGE, KNOWLEDGE WITH SELF-CONTROL, SELF-CONTROL WITH ENDURANCE, ENDURANCE WITH GODLINESS, GODLINESS WITH BROTHERLY AFFECTION, AND BROTHERLY AFFECTION WITH LOVE.”

Make every effort…….we are not saved by any of our efforts, but the Holy Spirit helps us to be active with our faith.  The Spirit is active and alive in us, so we must earnestly work together with the Spirit.

Having faith is one thing, but being unfruitful is quite another.  Someone once said that a true Christian never truly retires!  How very true.  I myself don’t like to use that word at all.  We as Christians should become even more passionate for the LORD JESUS as we get older.  It may become harder to do some things, but GOD will guide you in what you can do to continue to live out your faith in a vibrant way.

CHARLES SPURGEON SAYS WHEN WE SUPPLEMENT OUR FAITH WITH ALL THE QUALITIES LISTED IN  2 PETER 1: 5-7, WE ARE ACTUALLY BUILDING A PALACE FOR THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WITH ONE BEAUTIFUL STONE OR BRICK PLACED UPON ANOTHER……..

SO……..take goodness and build knowledge upon it.  Take knowledge and learn self-control.  Take self-control and learn to endure in your life.  Take endurance and add godliness to it.  Take godliness and add brotherly affection for one another.  And most of all take brotherly affection and add all the love you can!

We can, with the Holy Spirit’s help, gradually build an inner house of grace using one virtue built upon another.

FAITH + GRACE +VIRTUES = ACTIVE FAITH

Our faith should be alive and active, growing and willing to share what we know, the true GOSPEL of JESUS CHRIST.  Faith is not something to be worn as a necklace that tarnishes over time because it is  not used.  Spend time and sacrifice it for others and watch your faith grow and your heart become softer for humanity.  Spend all your time on yourself and watch your faith slowly become useless.

JAMES 2: 20  “SENSELESS PERSON!  ARE YOU WILLING TO LEARN THAT FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS USELESS?”

Let your faith be active and supplement it with all good things……

JAMES 2: 22  “YOU SEE THAT FAITH WAS ACTIVE TOGETHER WITH HIS WORKS AND BY WORKS, FAITH WAS MADE COMPLETE.”

And there it is……..a faith made complete is what we should truly desire.  And GOD alone will complete us as HE sees fit.  HIS spirit adds all good virtues and qualities to us over the time of our lives…….we just need faith.

2 PETER 1: 8  “FOR IF YOU POSSESS THESE QUALITIES IN INCREASING MEASURE, THEY WILL KEEP YOU FROM BEING USELESS OR UNFRUITFUL IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.”