Lesson 25 August 4, 2002
Review
Biblical Faith is
Non-Meritorious
Biblical faith is not a work, it is the one thing you can do without doing
anything
(cf.
John 6:27-29; His commandment 1 Jn. 3:23; Rom. 4:4-5).
Faith
is the only way that is consistent with grace!
(Rom 4:16a)
(1) Faith
is an admission of one's spiritual inability and helplessness to merit or work
for salvation or as a believer to handle our own life apart from God's grace
provision as revealed in the New Testament
(Rom. 4:1-5; Eph. 2:8,9; Titus 3:5;
Gal. 2:20).
(2) Faith
is a rejection or repudiation of any confidence in the flesh (Phil. 3:1-9; see also Jer. 17:5-9; Rom. 3:9-24).
(3)
Therefore, recognizing one's helplessness and the sufficiency of Christ,
biblical faith rests in God's complete
and finished work and provision in Jesus Christ or Christ's merit (Rom. 4:4-5, 16; 11:6; Heb. 4:10).
Faith is Not Necessarily
Demonstrated by What You are Doing for God.
The issue is what is the motivation.
Phil.
2:12-13; 4:13