Faith's Activity

Minister:
Date: PM
Text: II Timothy 1; Lord's Day 7
Psalters: 264, 60, 96, 161
  1. That it is active.
    1. The bond of faith becomes an activity because it is living.
      1. The bond provides us with both the ability (power) and the activity.
      2. Faith must be active, for faith without works is dead (James 2: 17).
    2. How is the activity of faith worked?
      1. The Holy Spirit works this activity, infusing into us the ability to believe.
      2. The Spirit works this activity through the Word, the means of grace (Romans 10:13-17).
    3. The essential activity of faith is a turning to and drawing from Christ.
  2. Faith is first knowledge.
    1. Faith is not blind, for it has a basis in the revelation given by God of Himself (Romans 4:3).
    2. “Believed” means "to count to be true," "to take a statement or someone as truth."
      1. It is to take for truth what God says about Himself in the Bible.
      2. It is believing that Christ is what revelation says He is and that He will do what He has promised.
    3. Faith appropriates, i.e., takes Bible truths and applies them to oneself.
  3. And faith is trust: we are “persuaded” (confidence).
    1. This persuasion arises from knowing HIM.
    2. Faith is the persuasion that Christ will care for me, perfecting, establishing, strengthening and settling (I Peter 5:10).
    3. Faith believes that Jesus will do as He promised.
    4. In the measure of our personal knowledge of Him, we rise above all doubts and emotional fears.
      1. I am persuaded that His grace will be sufficient and that His strength will be perfected in my weaknesses.
      2. And I believe He will keep me when I die.