The Natural of Faith rest in our ability to be able to trust in the promises of God so much that his Word becomes our weapon, the only source in which to defeat the enemies of our soul.
(Romans 10:13-17) "For whosever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (V.14) How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (V. 15) And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! (V. 16) But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For E-sa'ias saith, Lord, who hath believed our record? (V.17) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
(1) Faith has a two-fold sense in the Bible, one is trust, and reliance and the other is fidelity, and trustworthiness.
(2) The faith of God - his fidelity to promise, the NT draws all its examples of faith from the lives of OT believers.
OLD TESTAMENT DEMANDS FAITH:
(A) "The just shall live by faith," this is the declaration of the Christian's principle found four times in the Bible (Hab. 2:1-5; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:10-11 and Heb. 10:38).
(B) It would thus be true to say that the OT demands faith more than it develops an explicit doctrine of faith.
(C) A true commitment of self to God, an unwavering trust in his promise, and a persistent fidelity and obedience.
THE OBSERVANCE OF LAW:
(A) The life of faith were in no way incompatible because the law rested on the promise of God.
(B) Obedience was motivated by a believing conviction that he would stand by what he had said.
(C) They acted in simple faith in the promise of God, "Because God said so."
(D) Obedience to the Lord's law was the way of life for those who trusted in God.
The righteous shall live his whole life by faith, he is saved by faith (I Peter 1:5) and he live by faith (Gal. 2:20) HIS faith shall be tried many times and in many ways (I Peter 1:7). But faith will always be vindicated, because it is more than equal to any occasion, faith knows how to wait on the Lord (Isa. 40:31).
OLD TESTAMENT IS NEVER THE OUTWARD ACCEPTANCE OF A LEGAL CODE:
(A) It is utter confidence in the faithfulness of God and a consequent loving obedience to his will.
(B) Faith knows how to wait on the Lord (Isa. 40:31), and it is always victorious (I John 5:4) faith defies reason, (Matt. 17:14-21) faith does not always face facts: It never gives up (Heb. 11:32-39) faith says, "God is working out his perfect will in my life, and I can endure and suffer."
CONTRAST OF OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS' FAITH AND NEW TESTAMENT SAINTS:
(A) Old Testament saints looked "FORWARD" to the coming of the Messiah.
(B) It required a real act of faith to look "forward" and absolutely trust God, and faith therefore becomes the supreme human act and experience.
(C) It obviously required a real act of faith to believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah.
(D) It was not long that "to believe" meant to become a Christian. Everywhere he offered himself as the object of faith and made it plain that faith in him is necessary for eternal life. His primary concern with his own disciples was to build up their faith in him.
The record in Acts shows that the first Christians called themselves "the belivers" (Acts 2:44) and that they went everywhere persuading men and bringing them into obedience to the faith that is in Jesus (Acts 6:7; 17:4; 28:24).
HE HAS RISEN! AND HE IS ALIVE! BELIEVEST THOU THIS?
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