the Faithful

Faith is a tremendously active principle

that always puts Jesus Christ first.

The life of faith says, 

"Lord, you have said it.

It appears to be irrational.

I'm going to step out boldly all the same,

trusting in your Word.

-O. Chambers

"Do not worry then, for your heavenly Father knows.

Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness." Matthew 6:33

This year, the weekly missionary Bible study Matt teaches has been based on cults, false teaching, false doctrine, what we believe and why, knowing what the Bible says, etc.

Something that he has emphasized from the start is that we are not wary enough of false teaching, leaders and doctrines.  Believers today can be easily swayed from the truth without even realizing they have left it.  This was obviously not only true true today, because in almost EVERY BOOK of the New Testament, God warns us about false teachers, false teaching, false belief.  We are encouraged over and over to endure, to persevere, to remember what we have been taught, to remember what Scripture says.

Faith isn't supposed to be comfortable.  It's not supposed to be common sense.  ("Common sense and faith are as different from each other as the natural life is from the spiritual, as impulsiveness is from inspiration." Chambers says).  We shouldn't expect it to be something everyone agrees with. It's ok to have things in the Bible that we're not even sure we agree with.

God's Word isn't supposed to be something we rest easy with, something we can easily fit into our minds and hearts, something that makes us feel good all of the time.  It's not supposed to be "what I would have done" or what seems right to me.

What matters is that when we DO disagree, when we're NOT so sure, we say by faith, "I'm going to step out boldly all the same, trusting in your Word."

We would NOT be so easily swayed, confused about what we believe, and unsure if we were firmly rooted and continually ground in the Word, family!

Matt has met with dozens and dozens of people these past 10 days, all of whom are anxious to hear what he thinks, what he feels about lots of different things in their lives.   

But the reality is, what Matt thinks doesn't MATTER.  What THEY think and feel doesn't matter.

All he can share with them that is of any worth is what GOD thinks...in His Word...which they have had all along, but have neglected to consult...or, have consulted, and neglected to BELIEVE.  To step out on.  To have FAITH.  Even the hard stuff.  Especially the hard stuff.

Have faith, friends.  

It doesn't happen on accident, but is a tremendously active principle.  

The life of faith says, 

Lord, you have said it.

The world tells me it is irrational.

I'm going to step out boldly all the same,

trusting in your Word.

We must be the Faithful.

Be on your guard that you are not carried away by the error of men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord...2 Peter 3:18

Many will follow false prophets, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned, and in their greed they will exploit you with false words...2 Peter 2

We are His house if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end...Hebrews 3:6

Be careful, brothers, that there not be in any one of you an unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God, but encourage one another day after day, so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin...Hebrews 3:12

"Those who have tasted the good word of God and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to shame...Hebrews 6:6

I make known to you, brothers, the Gospel which I preached, which you received, which you stand by, which you are saved by, IF you hold fast the word which I preached...1 Corinthians 15:1-2

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful...Hebrews 10:22