The Activity of Faith

Minister:
Date: AM
Text: II Timothy 1; Lord's Day 7
Psalters: 264, 68, 234, 161
  1. Faith is active.
    1. The bond of faith becomes an activity because it is living – as a branch grafted into a living tree.
      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 and the desire to believe.
      2. The Spirit works this activity through the Word, the means of grace (Romans 10:13-17; Canons III,IV-17; V-14).
    3. The essential activity of faith is abiding in, a returning to, and a drawing from Christ.
  2. Faith is first knowledge: holds for truth what God reveals in Scripture.
    1. “Believed” means "to count to be true," "to take a statement or someone as truth."
      1. First, faith is not blind, for it has a basis in the revelation given by God of Himself (Romans 4:3).
      2. Faith takes for truth what God says in the Bible.
    2. Faith appropriates, i.e., takes Bible truths and applies them to oneself.
  3. And faith is trust:  we are “persuaded” (confidence of heart).
    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.