Have Faith, Believe (As Jesus Is, So Are We – Set 10) – April 15, 2023 (118/365)

Jesus’ Commandment

As Christ Is, So Are We In This World

Facilitated by Pastor Joedy

TL;DR Have the faith of God. Christ is the Author and Finisher of your faith. To believe in God is to agree that God is who He says He is.

We’re seemingly all aware of the Old Testament Law; There’s the 10 Commandments, and if you’re a little more seasoned, there’s the ‘greatest of all’ – That is, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, body, soul and spirit’, and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’.

But now that we have Christ, and now that we’re under a New Covenant, Christ has ensured that we have the following to observe, instead:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.John 13:34-35

And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.1 John 3:23-24

I think we covered ‘Love One Another’ in another post. I was fortunate to attend an online Bible study with the good Pastor, where he covered that. For a while I thought I was going to sit this one out, but then he started quoting verses in an order different from the other transcript. The emphasis this time is on the other commandment – To believe.

What is believing?

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.John 20:30-31

Fun fact! The word ‘believe’ in all its forms is mentioned a hundred times in John’s Gospel.

What is it about believing? “Only believe”; “Nothing is impossible to those who believe”; “Believe and receive eternal life”; “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your household shall be saved”; “Yet to all who believed and received, He gave them the right to become children of God”; “Those who believe in their heart and confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord, they shall be saved”. So much emphasis on believing, not just coming from Jesus, but Paul and the rest, as well!

Did the Early Church obey this command of Jesus Christ? Yes they did!

The Philippians obeyed:

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,Philippians 1:9

Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. Philippians 1:25-26

The Colossians obeyed:

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospelColossians 1:3-5

The Thessalonians obeyed:

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

Finally, look: the Ephesians obeyed as well –

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.Ephesians 1:15-23

Why believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?

Faith accesses the grace of God: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.Romans 5:1

• The moment you believe (faith), you receive (grace). Grace gives and faith receives.

Faith remains along with hope and love:So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.1 Corinthians 13:13

• The only thing that counts, the only thing that matters is faith.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.Galatians 5:6

Faith also means trust, so when you say you have faith in God, you trust God, and when you trust God, it’s because He loves you. It’s just like in relationships – you have faith in other people because you trust them, and because you know they love you, and therefore love them in reciprocation.

Faith is what pleases God: And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6

Jesus told us to have the faith of God. Our own faith would waver.

And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Mark 11:22-23

Faith in God’s faithfulness – Expressed in four of His statements: I am (His nature), I will (His promise), I can (His ability and power), I did (God’s faithfulness).

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.Ephesians 3:20-21

How does Faith work wonders? Faith is hearing – it’s the beginning. Faith is believing – trusting in the Lord. Faith is responding – acting.

What is faith’s enemy? Doubt and misconceptions, e.g. ‘God brings bad things to teach you a lesson’; A wrong perspective of God would lead to much misinterpretation of Scripture. We are not immune from troubles.

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I don’t know man, around this time I just stopped taking down notes and slacked off. There was too much to take in.

Until the next post, God bless you.