This week we are studying Genesis 16 through 19, which covers
* Abram and Sarai
("This is your fault")
* Sarai and Hagar
("Do with her whatever you think best")
* Covenant restated
(Circumcision and the changing of names)
* Abraham entertains angels unawares
(Heb 13:2)
* Bargaining with God
(Reminds us of Moses -- do we really care more about humanity than God does?)
* Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
(No questions there -- all very straightforward)
* Lot's daughters attempt to maintain the family line
(Can grape juice do that?)
Each story is fascinating, giving rise to many threads of thought and discussion.
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“To be justified by faith means that even though grace and Christ’s blood provide all the ground we need to get right with God, justification is still something that we have to consciously desire and choose. Faith is not a work; it is a gift. And yet, faith is something that we exercise in the same way that we put our hand out to receive a gift. If we put our hand behind our back, we don’t receive the gift. Faith is a gift, but it has to be exercised. It is a capacity that God grants us, yet is also a choice that we must put into practice.
What, then, is faith, and how do I know when I have it? Saving faith is not a work, yet it never comes without works. Works are the evidence that our faith is genuine. When we have faith in Christ, - faith in a justifying God - something happens to us. We’re saved by faith alone, apart from the works of the law, but saving faith is never alone. Faith is more than just a mere mental assent to the gift of salvation. It is a daring trust in God. Faith means staking your life on God, saying “God, I’m going to accept Your salvation, no matter where it leads me and no matter what the cost.” Salvation is free, but it leaves us changed people.” Pg 51 Knowing God in the Real World, Jon Paulien
4 Steps in the practice of faith:
1. Acknowledge your need
2. Desire and accept what Christ has done
3. Rejoice in what God has done for you
4. Let every act of your life demonstrate your loyalty and trust in Him
We don’t bat 1.000 – but He bats 1.000 for us!
Protecting our relationship with Him:
1. Personal, private prayer life
2. Bible and devotional study
3. Emphasis on thankfulness
4. Share your joy Ibid, Chapter 3, “Keeping the Faith”
“It is a law of nature that our thoughts and feelings are encouraged as we give them utterance. While words express thoughts, it is also true that thoughts follow words. If we would give more expression to our faith, rejoice more in the blessings that we now have, -the great mercy and love of God, - we should have more faith and greater joy. No tongue can express, no finite mind can conceive, the blessing that results from appreciating the goodness and love of God.”
(Ministry of Healing, pp 251 -253)
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