Life of Faith: Part 1
Pastor Rollan Fisher
The Foundations
The Commendation of God
The Life of Faith
The Foundations
The foundations of the faith all establish proper belief in God and his saving work through the cross of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 5:11 - 6:3
About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.
The milk of the word ushers us into the eternal life of God - all by faith in the sacrificial death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Like a calcium source for strong bones, the foundations are the milk of the word of God and are important for establishing Biblical structure in our lives.
These are the things that lead to the person and saving work of Jesus by establishing the importance of the cross of Christ.
You will live and not die when you repent of your sin and put your faith in the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ for you at the cross.
The milk of the word helps us live free from sin, aware of our forgiveness and justification in Christ.
It shows us how to turn from sin, put faith in God and order our days in obedience to the commands of God’s Word in light of the judgement to come.
The Commendation of God
A life that God commends is one that is obedient to his written word and his dynamic direction in our personal lives.
Hebrews 11:1–7
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased 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. By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
Living a life of faith means walking with God and his people in such a way that brings his commendation.
The meat of the word brings us into more than just orthodox belief about God.
The meat of the word ushers us into dynamic interaction with God, where the Holy Spirit guides us into God’s Kingdom adventure for our lives as we follow his leadership, with his people, by faith.
The meat of the word addressed not just what the people of God are to believe, but how they are to follow Christ based on his dynamic direction in their lives.
The life of faith is exemplified by God’s interaction with the patriarchs and matriarchs.
They give us examples of how to live a life of faith commended by God, one that pleases him and brings his eternal reward in Christ.
Maturing in Christ means we continue to develop our relationship with God to move from:
Mere acceptance to commendation
Simply belonging to friendship with Jesus
John 15:14–17
14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
God’s commendation involves the intersection of sanctification and consecration - being set apart for God’s pleasure and purposes.
Like a protein source, the meat of the word builds our faith muscle for movement with God.
The Life of Faith
When seen through the lens of Christ, the Old Testament examples of the patriarchs and matriarchs show us how to live lives of faith.
The meat of the word ushers us into the eternal purposes of God - all by faith.
The life of faith is one of consecration to the purposes of God - living as a disciple and making disciples of Christ.
1 Timothy 1:3–7 (NIV)
As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
Let’s meet Jesus as the cross today and allow him to mature us to a place of walking with him by faith!
Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher