Come along with me on the Grand Avenue of the Alphabet Of Christianity. We get excited about faith – then the questions come, don’t they? As we grow, we get more curious and serious about faith. Why? As Scripture says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Sunday in Worship our soloist sang Find Us Faithful. Jesus said, “Have faith in God….”
I remember a Pastor saying, “Faith that fizzles before the finish was faulty from the first.” Today, I want to say, “Faith that sizzles from the start means you won’t fizzle before the finish.” So, let’s set a solid foundation of self-repeating faith that won’t break down under pressure.
First, we must grasp the difference between “The Faith” and “our faith”. “Our faith” is our limited, personal experience of faith in God – sometimes it sizzles, sometimes it fizzles. “The Faith” is reality as defined in Scripture by God Himself. It’s eternally true. It’s reality about God, man, life, death, the future – all things. Sizzlin’ faith shows three elements:
- Content – to believe God we must know Him increasingly through the Lord Jesus Christ and Scripture. Content puts brains in your faith – you begin to grow in faith and to know by knowledge. Faith without content is not faith, it’s fantasy.
- Conviction – we become more and more convinced (that’s conviction) that the content of “The Faith” is true. God’s Spirit spotlights Christ, “The Truth”. We increasingly know – road-testing faith in God. He’s keeping us out of life’s ditches.
- Confidence – we personally trust, we believe, we live by “The Faith”. Now we’re sowing seeds of faith – we’re trusting, following, learning, applying, increasing, proving and pleasing God. We’re living in the realm of “eternal truths” Christ provides. How confident are we? Check out Philippians 1:6 once again and get happy.
Second, we grasp the awesome reality, result and reward of faith in God. Simon Peter said it loud and clear: “Though you have not seen him, you love him…you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” I Peter 1:9
Are you sizzlin’ or fizzlin’?