A Lesson On Faith

As you may already be aware, Jones and Waggoner are the two young men who delivered the powerful message of Righteousness by Faith to the church at the 1888 General Conference in Minneapolis.  I was recommended a book of theirs entitled, Lessons on Faith.

In this post I'm going to do a quick summation of a sermon and a part of that book.

God, through the apostle Paul, says in Romans 1:17, "The just shall live by faith."

So here we see how those abiding in Christ ought to live...by faith.

Then we turn to Matthew 4:4 and find that Christ, quoting Deuteronomy 6:16, says, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God' "

When we look at these two truths together we must come to one of two conclusions. Either 1.) There are two different ways a follower of Christ may live, or 2.) These two verses are descriptions of the same way of living.

I'd propose that it's the latter, in which case we find that:

Living by faith is the same as living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

What a beautiful and biblical definition of faith: to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Let's look at a second example.

Matthew 8:5-8,10, "Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, 'Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.'

And Jesus said to him, 'I will come and heal him.'

The centurion answered and said, 'Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.'

When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!' "

So here we find Christ Himself identifies what it is to have great faith. What is it that Christ was referring to about the centurion that was not just faith, but great faith?

The centurion said "But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed." The centurion believed that the word of Christ alone had the power to accomplish what it said would happen.

Together, these three passages lead to a solid conclusion about what it is to have faith: To live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God...to believe that word has the power to accomplish what it says it will.

This is why Bible promises are so powerful. This is why Christ upon His triumphal entry said, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." (Luke 19:40) Because the word of God had declared that those shouts would be heard upon Christ's entry (Psalm 118:26) and if the people wouldn't have cried out, the very stones would have...because God's word declared it, and God's word has the power to accomplish what it says.

Isaiah 55:11, "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

Hallelujah!

Well...I don't want this lesson to be too long-winded, so I'll stop right here.

God bless, and be faithful.

We Can Have Victory Over Sin!

Do you believe that we can overcome sin in this life? Do you believe God is powerful enough to keep us from sinning? Do you believe that it's possible to keep the commandments of God while we have a fallen nature?

Most of Christendom doesn't. Most Adventists have come to believe what Desmond Ford believes...that we will never be fully sanctified until Jesus Christ returns and gives us unfallen natures. But what does the Bible say?

What does God call His followers to be?

1 Peter 1:15-16, "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

God grants us to live how, all the days of our life?

Luke 1:74-75, "That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life."

Of what does God say that His followers will not serve, are reckoned dead to, that it shall not reign in their mortal body, that they shall not obey, that it shall not have dominion over them, and that they are free from?

Romans 6:2, 6, 7, 11-15, 22, "God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? ... Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. ... Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. ... But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."

What are given by Christ to His followers that they may partake of the divine nature and escape corruption?

2 Peter 1:4, "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

What does the Bible say about those who abide in Christ and who are born of God?

1 John 3:3, 6, 9, "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. ... Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. ... Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."

What effect do God's promises have on Christians?

2 Corinthians 7:1, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

What is it that will cause the heathen to know that Christ is Lord?

Ezekiel 36:23, 26, 27, "And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. ... A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."

How much does God sanctify His followers?

1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."

How does God describe His true church?

Ephesians 5:27, "That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

What does God tell His children not to do?

1 John 2:1, "My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

What is it that enables us to live as Christ lived?

Philippians 2:5, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."

What does the Spirit of God do to those who follow Him?

1 Corinthians 6:7, "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

What does faith in God do to His followers?

Acts 26:18, "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."

What type of person will followers of Christ become?

Ephesians 4:13, "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."

What is God able to keep His followers from doing?

Jude 1:24, "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy."

How much can followers of Christ do?

Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

What does the Lord know how to do?

2 Peter 2:9, "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations."

What does God make sure comes with every temptation?

1 Corinthians 10:13, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

We are to follow Christ's example...how did He walk?

1 Peter 2:21, 22, "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth."

Who does Christ grant to sit with Him on His throne?

Revelation 3:21, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

What should be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ?

2 Corinthians 10:5, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

What will not be fulfilled by those who walk in the Spirit?

Galatians 5:16, "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."

How do the 144,000 stand before the throne of God?

Revelation 7:2-4, 14:1, 5, "And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed, and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. ... And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. ... And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God."

What do the remnant keep?

Revelation 12:17, "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."


The Bible is crystal clear that it is possible to keep the commandments of God, and that those who follow Christ will do just that. It's a question of God's power. Either God is more powerful than sin, or sin is more powerful than God. So, how powerful is your God?