Unbelief is the
only sin, which prevents us from enjoying eternity in Heaven (Romans 11:20; Ephesians 3:18;
Galatians 2:16). Therefore, God
gives every person ever born a measure of faith to help us to believe in His
redemptive work, and to claim our salvation through Christ (Romans 12:3). Then He gives us a portion of faith in order
to function in the gifts He gives us through His Spirit (Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians
12:9; Galatians 5:22-23).
If we depend on our
human effort for our salvation, we fall short of God's glory; however, if we
believe in and trust in Him who justifies the ungodly, God credits our faith
toward our right standing with Him (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 4:5, 9:32). Our God justifies Jews and non-Jews alike (Romans 9:30). There is no one on this earth that He does
not desire to reconcile to Himself (Romans 3:30).
Since this is true,
why do so many good people refuse to believe? Some have never heard that Jesus
loves them. Others fail to realize the manuscript evidence, which proves the
Bible is true. People need to know that we find peace with God through our
faith in the justification provided for us by the Lord Jesus Christ through His
crucifixion, death and resurrection (Romans 5:1).
He also gives us
access to God's grace, so that we can rejoice in the hope of sharing in His
glory (Romans
5:2). His Word is in our heart
and in our mouth, in order to share it with those who also need salvation (Romans 10:8, 17, 1:18-32). We can present to them the Good News
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is based upon the foundation of Biblical
truth established by practical evidence and human history.
Prayer:
Father God, allow
us to walk in the truth that we are crucified with Christ. Teach us what it
means to live in this flesh by the faith of the Son of God, who loves us, when
at the same time Christ lives in and through us (Galatians 2:20). Help us to stand firm in our faith and to walk by faith rather than to
rely on our earthly senses (1 Corinthians 16:13; 2 Corinthians 1:24, 5:7). Remind us to examine ourselves to prove our
faith and that Christ abides within us (2 Corinthians 13:5).
Thought for the
Day:
Our faith does not rest on human wisdom, but on the power of God. - 1
Corinthians 2:5
