Faith in the word of God alone without practice brings no benefits. That’s the reason why many Christians live a defeated life. They have faith but live as if they do not.
The faith they practice is just in regards to eternal life, but not towards the promises God has for an abundant life. This is because they fail to realize, God did not limit His promises only to the afterlife. The Lord Jesus in His word said:
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly”. (John 10:10)
Who is the thief? The devil.
Where did he come to? The world.
Where did the Lord Jesus come to? The world.
What did He come to do ? He came to bring life more abundantly!
This verse shows God’s Holy Will for those who believe in Him, but why are there people who believe in Him and yet do not see results? Simply because their belief has only been theoretical and not practical. Sacrifice is what characterizes a practical faith.
The Lord God said "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse…And try Me now in this, Says the Lord of hosts, 'If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.'" (Mal 3:10) What does this mean?
In these verses God Himself invites us to try His word and see if it will work or not, but first the person needs to try himself to see if he believes in what is written or not, to sacrifice the 10% of everything he receives.
The Christian faith needs to be practiced or exercised in order for it to produce fruits. This practice is sacrifice. The sacrifices the priests made in biblical times where done daily and it characterized the practice of a living faith in the living God.
In today's time, obedience to the word of God should be the same, in order for faith to produce its benefits a person has to sacrifice.
What sacrifice is required? The surrendering of your will to do the will of God.
Anyone willing to obey the word of God must be prepared to sacrifice his or her own self. Either the person does the will of God or the person does his or her own will, but the two does not walk together. He will be saved if he dies to this world, is born again and lives only to please the Lord. In this case his will is to do the will of God
Bishop Carlos
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ReplyDeleteThat's true Bishop. If we don't use our practical Faith in regards the promises of God we'll stay in Church for a long time and will never see the results we want to see. Without sacrificial Faith there isn't results.
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