The Devotional - 005 - Biblical Faith

A Thought for the Day – 005 – Biblical Faith

Philippians 3: 12 – Not that I have already attained or am already perfected, but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

 

Comments and challenges

When D.L. Moody was on an evangelistic tour in Denver, a young lad wanted to hear the evangelist but could not get into the building. “I’ll get you in!” said a heavyset man at the back door. “Just hold on to my coattail.” The man was D.L. Moody, and the boy was Paul Rader, who grew up to become one of America’s greatest preachers and also the pastor of Moody Church from 1915 to 1921.

I am looking at a little book sitting on the file cabinet here in my study, Titled: 10 people every Christian should know and written by Warren W. Wiersbe. A sub-heading; learning from Spiritual Giants of Faith. The contents of the book are as follows: Matthew Henry (1662-1712); Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758); John Henry Newman (1801-1890); J.B. Lightfoot (1828-1889); J. Hudson Taylor (1832-1905); Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892); Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899); Amy Carmichael (1867-1951); Oswald Chambers (1874-19170) and A.W. Tozer (1897-1963).

Over time we read books, biographies or even hear about people of the past who are considered pillars of faith in God and from our faith (based in Christ) we understand the victories and the defeats of the men and women who were the spiritual leaders to bring faith to the world around us.

Over the course of a year I have prayed for an opportunity to speak to a young Catholic boy who just began his first year of college. Over the weekend the LORD provided about an hour of time in the middle of a family gathering for the two of us to have a private one on one conversation about the LORD. He is somewhat strong in his belief in Catholic doctrines and can hold a challenging conversation, but one or more things have happened in his young life to rock the boat.

I, as others of faith in God know that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should be saved. Salvation is at the top of the list of spiritual things that glorifies our God. “The LORD is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” 2 Peter 3:9.

My young friend in his Catechism training learned of Spurgeon, Moody and others; he also learned Bible Truth and related to these truths as stories in the Bible. In his understanding the KJV of the Bible was to be rejected because it was not the Catholic version, nor was it blessed by the Catholic Church. We covered a lot of thoughts and isms related to faith in God and faith in the Catholic Church, it seemed to me that I was getting nowhere, then the LORD open his spiritual awareness.

He (the boy) had a bad experience with one of his Catholic mentors, this raised doubt and also raised a strong awareness for my friend to begin searching out other “religions” and as his first semester in college he decided to take a religious course even after his college counselor advised against it. His first study in this class was a book entitled. “How Jesus of Nazareth ripped off Buddha”. My friend clings to Catholic doctrine because of the tradition of his family who are very Catholic so he understood that Jesus was not a thief.

Here is the point of the matter: God opens the eyes of the blind and I was able to see this young man’s eyes begin to light up when I asked him to take a look at the progression of his world. Is it getting better, is it staying the same or is it getting worse? His answer was, no it is not better, no it is not staying the same and yes it is getting worse. God does not work through the religious effort of man to gain God’s favor. God has already completed the work for man to come to Him through faith in Jesus. This is God’s favor to man, we call it grace.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name. that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father - Philippians 2:5-11.