Keeping our Faith Alive
Posted by Pastor Rudy Fetalsana on Thursday, January 6, 2011
Thank God we are still here. We said goodbye to 2010 with grateful hearts and welcome 2011 with its challenges. With strong faith in Christ, we survived the trials and testings of the past year such as natural calamities, disasters, sicknesses and many others. It was only by the grace of God that we gained strength and courage to forget the past and look forward to the challenges of the future.
John 16:33 - “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
As long as believers live in this world they will be going against the flow of this present world system. They will experience pressures, adversities, problems, opportunities to sin, temptations and struggles. But in all these things the believer can be an overcomer because Christ has overcome the world. He lives inside of us through the Holy Spirit so we can draw strength. We can overcome.
It was Chuck Swindoll who said: “Sandwiched between January 1 and December 31 are twelve exciting, unlived months of opportunities and challenges brought by changes that awaits us.” We will be taken out of our comfort zone and required to respond. We can do so positively or negatively, with hope and optimism, or resentment and pessimism.
So how do we keep our faith alive?
Firstly, the fight of faith.
1 Timothy 6:12 – “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
The Christian life is a fight of faith. Being a Christian is not always easy. We are to fight against our fleshly natures and oppositions from a sinful world. The Christian life involves discipline, struggles, spiritual warfare, difficulties and challenges. Yet God has given us the power to overcome and be victorious if we rely on the Holy Spirit.
Secondly: Guarding our faith.
1 Timothy 6:20 – “Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge...”
Paul advised Timothy to guard what was committed to his trust, avoiding the idle babblings or contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge. Protect and keep your faith.
What is the promise and assurance to keep our faith alive?
2 Timothy 1:7 – “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
To keep our faith alive, we must possess good judgement, disciplined thought patterns and the ability to understand and make the right decisions. The bible teaches us that a Christian must have a sound mind - a mind that is not ruled by fear, anxiety, depression and mood swings. Through the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit the believer’s mind should be filled with peace, creativity, good judgement, wisdom, common sense and productivity.
John 16:33 - “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
As long as believers live in this world they will be going against the flow of this present world system. They will experience pressures, adversities, problems, opportunities to sin, temptations and struggles. But in all these things the believer can be an overcomer because Christ has overcome the world. He lives inside of us through the Holy Spirit so we can draw strength. We can overcome.
It was Chuck Swindoll who said: “Sandwiched between January 1 and December 31 are twelve exciting, unlived months of opportunities and challenges brought by changes that awaits us.” We will be taken out of our comfort zone and required to respond. We can do so positively or negatively, with hope and optimism, or resentment and pessimism.
So how do we keep our faith alive?
Firstly, the fight of faith.
1 Timothy 6:12 – “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
The Christian life is a fight of faith. Being a Christian is not always easy. We are to fight against our fleshly natures and oppositions from a sinful world. The Christian life involves discipline, struggles, spiritual warfare, difficulties and challenges. Yet God has given us the power to overcome and be victorious if we rely on the Holy Spirit.
Secondly: Guarding our faith.
1 Timothy 6:20 – “Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge...”
Paul advised Timothy to guard what was committed to his trust, avoiding the idle babblings or contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge. Protect and keep your faith.
What is the promise and assurance to keep our faith alive?
2 Timothy 1:7 – “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
To keep our faith alive, we must possess good judgement, disciplined thought patterns and the ability to understand and make the right decisions. The bible teaches us that a Christian must have a sound mind - a mind that is not ruled by fear, anxiety, depression and mood swings. Through the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit the believer’s mind should be filled with peace, creativity, good judgement, wisdom, common sense and productivity.
