Growing in Faith

When you exercise the faith God provides for you, you enter His Kingdom through His salvation. His salvation carries with it a plan for you. God, through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, has a plan for you! And by extension, you have a purpose in His Kingdom, such that He has prepared good works in advance for you to do.  

We have works to do and we’re going to need faith to do them!     

SAVED BY FAITH FOR A PURPOSE

Paul continues his prayer by expressing God’s mercy toward you. Through His power and His mercy, you were made alive together with Christ to such a degree that you and I are raised up and seated with Him in the heavenly places! All this because you were saved by grace through faith (by faith such that you know it is not by your works that you are saved). Your salvation and your faith are a gift from God!  

We have works to do and we’re going to need faith to do them!     

When Jesus prophesies that we will do even greater works, His words have all the power of God behind them. So, imagine how much more powerful this Word becomes when His hand-chosen man, Paul, confirms His Word. This is exactly what Paul does in his letter to the Ephesians when he says in Chapter 2 that you were created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which were created in advance for you to do.   

We have works to do and we’re going to need faith to do them!     

Allow me to give you just a little of taste of Paul’s prayer for you.  Look at Paul’s language in his letter to the Ephesians.   While he spends plenty of words being a bit terse in some of his exhortations, this passage beginning with Chapter 1 and ending with chapter 3 in it’s entirety is one long prayer with a couple of rabbit trails.

In Ch 1 & 2, his language is beautiful and majestic, even expansive in how he speaks of what we have in Christ. We can know Paul’s prayer is for us and not just the Ephesians of the time because we rely on Ephesians 2:8 as an instruction in how it is that we can come to be saved. Paul’s salvation, the Ephesian’s salvation, and in this day and time wherever you are, your salvation is the gift of God.

God gives us this gift of salvation because of HIs amazing grace, astonishing love and everlasting mercy!

Jesus answered a question from a lawyer. The question was.’What is the greatest commandment?” Jesus said, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and all your mind.’ Matt 22:37

I know many Christians who love the Lord wonderfully with all their mind. I know few who love Him with all their heart and soul.

What’s the difference between intellectual love and love from/with the heart?

Which do you think is better?

Jesus was beginning to talk to the disciples that He was only going to be with them for a little longer. As He began to tell them this, Thomas said, “Show us the way and we’ll go with you..’ Jesus answered him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” And then Philip pipes up, “Show us the Father…” John 14:5-7 https://www.bible.com/bible/100/JHN.14.5-7

There’s a lot to complain about everyday.  Bad drivers, bad bosses, bad football teams. And a lot of other stuff...

There’s a lot to be thankful for.  The sun rose again. You are still able to get out of bed. You have people to love who love you back.  You have a dog, or a cat.

It’s You! You’re the Jesus was talking to the He said in John 14 that “you would do even greater works than these!

How do you know it’s you? Are you one who believes in Him? If so, then You’re the ‘he’ Jesus is speaking to! 

Try to define the word “faith.” It is difficult, indeed, to define this word using only intellectual concepts. Faith, because it requires believing in something you can’t see, because it has such a deep root in you and me, cannot be understood with only your mind. You need your heart involved to have any chance at comprehending what faith means.  

We have works to do and we’re going to need faith to do them!

You have the potential to be one of Christ’s fulfillers of prophecy! …Looking back at the prophecy spoken by Jesus over 2000 years ago, you might see what He said as an invitation. You are invited into relationship with Jesus such that you can see that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him. You are invited into a relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in which He will do whatever we ask in His name.    

We have works to do and we’re going to need faith to do them!

Jesus rebuked Philip (John. 14:11) For not knowing Him. Philip reacted to one of Jesus' statements by saying, "Show us the Father ..." Jesus replied, saying :"Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me."

 We have works to do and we’re going to need faith to do them!

Philip lived with Jesus every day for over three years. He was there when Peter said Jesus was the Christ. He saw the miracles and heard the teachings we read about in the New Testament. But it’s more than that. Philip sat with Christ in the quiet of many meals, around the table where He would have shared so much more than He spoke to the crowds. Philip should have known Christ intimately. And yet he was unable to understand that Jesus was God.

 We have works to do and we’re going to need faith to do them!

The idea that we would do greater works  begins with an exchange between Thomas, Philip and Jesus. This exchange starts in verse 1 of John 14:1-15, with Jesus saying, “Do not let your hearts be troubled…”  His Words that were meant to comfort His disciples as He saw the near future coming closer, namely His death on the cross and the resurrection. It continues with Jesus explaining, if not defending, His statement.  

 We have works to do and we’re going to need faith to do them!

Who are “they”? Who is Christ saying this to? He is speaking first to Thomas and Philip. Is He talking to anyone else? I believe so.  Look at His phrasing as He moves from a direct response to those two disciples. In John 14:10 you can see He is talking directly to Thomas and Philip. By verse 12, He changes who He is speaking to when He says, “whoever believes in me …”

 We have works to do and we’re going to need faith to do them!

In John 14:12, Jesus is concluding a conversation He’s been having with Thomas and Philip. You can see what Christ is saying in His conclusion: “…they will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.”  

 We have works to do and we’re going to need faith to do them!

Because I believe in Him, I have relationship with Him. I belong.   

Because I have relationship with Him, I belong in Him and to Him. I can ask questions of Him.  

Because I believe in Him, I have relationship with Him. I belong.   

Because I have relationship with Him, I belong in Him and to Him. I can ask questions of Him.  

Because I believe in Him, I have relationship with Him. I belong.   

Because I have relationship with Him, I belong in Him and to Him. I can ask questions of Him.