THE CORNERSTONE OF FAITH IS JESUS CHRIST: JESUS SAID TO THEM, “HAVE YOU NEVER READ IN THE SCRIPTURES: “THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE. THIS WAS THE LORD’S DOING, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’? (Matthew 21:42)
FAITH is the foundation of the Christian life. It is where you start. Faith in God is where you need to go. Know this and know it well that Jesus is the only way to God. In the days of the old patriots God did test their faith. For example, take Abraham.
1. "Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham" And he said, "Here I Am." 2. Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you". (Genesis 22:1-2)
O’ yes Abraham faith was tested in his heart to a place where no one should dwell but God along. And Abraham responded in faith to God command. He did exactly what God said to do. (Genesis 22:3-12)
You may ask “what is faith in God”? Faith in God is trust in Him, based on a true understanding of who He is, as revealed in the Bible. Faith in God involves an intellectual assent to the facts concerning God and a life-changing reliance on those facts.
Faith in God has several components.
- The first is believing that He actually exists. However, just simply believing that God exists is not enough. As (James 2:19) explains, the demons believe in God’s existence as well.
- After acknowledging that God exists, the second element of faith in God is commitment. Faith that does not result in action is a dead faith, not true faith (James 2:26)
This is the season of the year when we look back to the Cross at Calvery. We will remember the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As we do that, we can see that the old patriots had faith in God. For example, take Zacharias and Elizabeth.
Luke 1:5-25
5. There was in the days of Herod, the King of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah, His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. 8. So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 11. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13. But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
And Zacharias doubted the angel of God, and he responded not in faith.
18. Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years". 19. And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings".
O’ yes Zacharias faith was tested but he failed the test, he doubted the words of God. He questioned the angel who was bringing him the good news. Zacharias should have known that angels were sent by God to carry his message. The angel said, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings”. Because of his unbelief, Zacharias was mute, could not speak until after the birth of his son, John.
20. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time. 24. Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25. "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people". God sent the angel to Zacharias about the birth of their son, John the Baptist, but it was Elizabeth who conceived John and carried him in her womb for nine months (9). She was faithful and carried out the spoken promise for a son in her old age. She rejoiced that God had look upon her with favor and took away her shame. The angel told Zacharias that his son would be great. Luke 1:15-17 "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. "And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. "He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. These fore mentioned patriots were privileged with honor and the glory of God to be there when Jesus, The Messiah, The Savior of the World was to step from eternity into a sin bound world caused by man's fallen nature that disobeyed God's command and brought sin, death, and eternal damnation upon all human being who was born of flesh from the womb of a woman. The angel that was sent by God, to blessed Zacharias and Elizabeth, the parents of John, and Mary, the mother of Jesus with the good news would soon replace a lost, hopeless, sinful world with LIGHT. God was showing His grace and mercy toward a fallen world that had no hope without the love of the Father who would give man a second chance, it was "God's Divine Will" for the World to be saved from sin. And Jesus, God's only begotten Son was "The Chosen One". And John the Baptist was the forerunner before Jesus. John would introduce Jesus to the people as the Messiah. "The next day John see Jesus coming unto him, and saith, "Behold the Lamb of God", which taketh away the sin of the world. Faith was the key factor to accept God's plan of salvation. John's father was made mute because he did not have enough faith to believe the words the angel spoke. He stayed mute until by faith he believed and said, "his name is John". When John was born, they were to call him after his father, Zacharias "His mother answered and said, "No; he shall be called John". But they said to her, there is no one among your relatives who is called by this name. So they made signs to his father, what he would have him called. And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, "His name is John". So they all marveled. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, Praising God". Luke 1:60-63 But wait, there is another very important patriots who faith was tested by God. It was Mary who by her obedient and faithfulness became the mother of the Son of God. The Messiah, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior who gave His life for the sins of the world.
Luke 1:26-38
26. Now in the six month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27. to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, and of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28. And come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" 29. But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30. Then the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33. "And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end". 34. Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" 35. And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37. "For with God nothing will be impossible". 38. Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word". And the angel departed from her.
Mary the mother of Jesus, was in faith while the angel was speaking to her and was puzzled, when she asked the angel how can this be? "Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" The angel explained to her "The Holy Spirit" will come upon her and the power of the Highest will overshadow her; and the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. He also told her Elizabeth her relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. "For with God nothing will be impossible". "Then Mary said, Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word". Luke 1:38
Mary was obedient to the word spoken by the angel. She trusted the spoken word was from God. Even in her uncertain of how all of it would come to pass, Mary had faith in God. She submitted herself to the Will of God. Mary’s baby and Elizabeth’s baby will run parallel to each other. God sent John the Baptist before Jesus, he was the forerunner clearing the way for Jesus, the one crying in the wilderness repent of your sins, he was going before Jesus Christ making clear the path and baptizing all who came, and making sure to tell them he was not the one, he said for there is another one who is coming after him, but he is preferred before me.
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight. 5. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight. And the rough ways smooth; 6. And all flesh shall see the salvation of God".
Praise The Lord!!!
JEWELS FOR THE SOUL 