LESSON 4B Saving Faith and Perfect Faith Smetimes Running Frward is Staying Put When climbing t the tp f Mt Everest yu must stp at varius altitudes t acclimate t the altitude r yu wn t make it t the tp. Based n Gd s prvidence and Jeff s encuragement, we have an pprtunity t hang ut at base camp faith fr anther lessn r tw. We will g n after we have acclimated t seeing faith the way Gd intends. This we will d if Gd permits! Remember ur Training Faith is Believing that Gd is. Believing that Gd will d what he says he will d. Believing that Gd is gd and a rewarder f thse wh seek Him. Trusting and Taking Jy in Jesus Christ alne Justifying faith There is a minimum amunt f faith required t be justified. Requires Repentance frm Sin twards Obedience t Christ Jyful trust in the wrk f Christ n the Crss crucifixin, death, resurrectin 12/17/17 1 By Phillip Muehring
Maturing faith (faith being perfected) True faith never stays small because Gd prunes it perfects it. Jhn 15:1-11 Requires Obedience Expanding knwledge f Christ and dctrine thrugh a renewing f the mind Suffering Walking with the Lrd Justifying Faith - Cure fr the desert death! What causes ne t hear the wrd and be saved and anther die in the desert never seeing the prmised land? Faith. They didn t unite the wrd with faith. Hebrews 3:15-4:7 What did Jesus say the remedy was fr the desert curse? Jesus lifted up n crss like Mses lifted up the serpent Jhn 3:14-15 It was faith nt magic. Brnze serpent became an idl and had t be destryed 2 Kings 18:1-4 What must we d in respnse t this lessn? Desert Metaphr S lng as we are walking in the desert twards the prmised rest Then we must lk t the brnze serpent and cmbine it with faith in Gd. Current Metaphr fr Tday S lng as it is tday Then we must lk t the wrk f Jesus n the crss and cmbine it with Biblical Faith! Maturing Faith Authr and Perfecter f Faith Lk at Hebrews 12:1-3 1Therefre, since we have s great a clud f witnesses surrunding us, let us als lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which s easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set befre us, 2 fixing ur eyes n Jesus, the authr and perfecter f faith, wh fr the jy set befre Him endured the crss, despising the shame, and has sat dwn at the right hand f the thrne f Gd. 3 Fr cnsider Him wh has endured such hstility by sinners against Himself, s that yu will nt grw weary and lse heart. What des it mean that Jesus is the authr and perfecter f faith? Authr and Perfecter f Faith Authr He created all things even faith. 12/17/17 2 By Phillip Muehring
The faith f the OT saints were written n the hearts f real peple by Jesus Christ Perfecter He did it perfectly. Heb 4:15; Dt 32:4 He calls us and trains us t d it mre perfectly. Phil 3:12; Mt 5:48; Eph 4:13-15; Cl 2:6-7 If Jesus ging t the crss is perfect faith what des imperfect faith lk like? Tw Mre Meals at Base Camp Called By Faith Judges r als Deliverers Gd cmmanded the Israelites t take ver the land but they failed t be bedient per Judges 1:27-37. Nt necessarily examples t fllw exactly but certainly t learn frm. And everyne did what they thught best in their wn eyes. And Israel did great evil in the eyes f the Lrd. Vicius cycle dwnward thru the bk. Repeated cycle lks like the fllwing: 12/17/17 3 By Phillip Muehring
Judges 6-7 Big Picture Christian Educatin Hur: Hebrews Lessn 4B- Saving Faith & Perfect Faith Read Judges 6-7 What d we see as far as the cntext and take aways in the first few verses? Gd will use ther natins and even sinful peple t punish sins f the peple When we cry ut, Gd will hear if we are his peple. His answer starts when we have a repentant attitude. His answer starts with the wrd f the Lrd and utilizes his peple. Wh is the Angel f the Lrd? Jesus Christ Pre-incarnate. Hw d we knw this? Righteus Angels never accept wrship. Only Gd des. Rev 22:8-9; Luke 4:7-8 Bible teaches n ne has ever seen Gd the Father except the Sn See Jhn 1:18; 1 Jhn 4:12. Giden s Faith What d we bserve abut Giden s faith? He was a cward t begin with. His faith was s little he required visible prf nt exactly walking by faith vs sight! Tested Gd 4 times. Then finally we see wrship ahhh faith is starting t shw up What des Gd d in his interactin with Giden? Reminds Him f Gd s cmmand t take the land. See Giden fr what he will be and nt fr what he is. Encurages him t g with a servant tw by tw. Takes measure t ensure Gd gets the glry What happens t Giden s faith after he begins t bey? He is embldened t trust mre and pursues the enemy. He deals with elders f a sinning city with incredible reslve n lnger afraid f his father r even elders f anther city. He begins t lead thers t bey and t trust. He gives Gd the glry and pints peple t their true King. Des he becme perfect? N. His faith grew as did his bedience but he still wasn t perfect. He sws seeds f sin which hurt the next generatin as well as his wn. Tk many wives made an ephd which was wrshipped. 12/17/17 4 By Phillip Muehring
Applicatin Gd has called us t expand his kingdm. Are we scared t bey and press frward in building up the unseen church? Has Jesus Christ revealed Himself t yu in His wrd? Is putting ut a fleece a Gdly thing t d? Have we gtten ver cnfident and inadvertently swn idls int ur lives which will hurt the next generatin? HEBREWS VIEW OF SALVATION / SANCTIFICATION / DISCIPLESHIP Lay Aside Sin / Fix Eyes n Jesus Hebrews 12:1-3 1Therefre, since we have s great a clud f witnesses surrunding us, let us als lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which s easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set befre us, 2 fixing ur eyes n Jesus, the authr and perfecter f faith, wh fr the jy set befre Him endured the crss, despising the shame, and has sat dwn at the right hand f the thrne f Gd. 3 Fr cnsider Him wh has endured such hstility by sinners against Himself, s that yu will nt grw weary and lse heart. 12/17/17 5 By Phillip Muehring
Time T G T The Spiritual Gym Christian Educatin Hur: Hebrews Lessn 4B- Saving Faith & Perfect Faith Assignment = Cnsider ways yu need t practice discerning gd and evil. Write dwn 1 Encumbrance t lay aside and 1 crrespnding way t fix yur eyes n Jesus. Add them t yur 1 Sin and 1 fix yur eye item frm last week. Find a trustwrthy believing friend small grup, family, persnal friend r cme see me! Share yur 4 items and invite them t hld yu accuntable t pray and t encurage yu. Clse n this as a Christmas present t yurself. NOTE: Chse wisely dn t let this becme legalism r just a mmentary fad. Remember we are crrupted as fllws Intellectually (thinking right) Vlitinally (wanting and chsing right) Affectinately (feeling r lving right) Mrally (discerning right) Behavirally (ding right) Relatinally (relate t Gd and thers right) Sins f missin (didn t d when yu shuld have) Sins f cmmissin (did d when yu shuld nt have) 3 Types f Temptatins Lust f the flesh Physical bdy gluttny, sexual, etc. Lust f eyes Mind prngraphy, gssip, vanity, cveting, etc. Pride f life Desires pwer, greatness, fame, etc. Jude 24-25 Nw t Him wh is able t keep yu frm stumbling, and t make yu stand in the presence f His glry blameless with great jy, 25 t the nly Gd ur Savir, thrugh Jesus Christ ur Lrd, be glry, majesty, dminin and authrity, befre all time and nw and frever. Amen. 12/17/17 6 By Phillip Muehring