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The Battle for Life - Perseverance 1

Brian Allenby from Christians at Work looks at the spiritual principle of walking by faith

Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance.
Samuel Johnson

We human beings are a strange old bunch aren’t we? Have you noticed that when we are in difficulties, we head down the tube much faster than when life is something like normal? We should stop and reconsider, we should stop and regroup - oh yes of course, we can always stop to pray the problem through. That's usually the last thing we do!

Where is faith at these times?

What about when we run ahead of God? According to Romans 1:17, the Christian is supposed to go on "from faith to faith". When you read the life of Abraham in Genesis 12 to 25, you see all God did to perfect Abraham’s faith. It is, in fact, a spiritual principle.

Whenever God works in and through our lives it is always in response to faith. The thing that hinders the work of God is not his lack of power - but his people's lack of faith.
Do you remember the Lord’s response to lack of faith? Matthew 13:58: "And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief".

But in Matthew 9:29 we read: "Be it done to you according to your faith".

This raises an important question: "How can we know that we are living by faith?"

It is so easy for us to be fooled by our own feelings or by the circumstances around us or even by Satan and his demonic powers. So what are the tests that we can apply to our actions and decisions?

How do we know that we are walking by faith?

There are several simple tests:

Ask yourself: "Am I doing this for the glory of God or just to please myself?"

When Paul wrote to the Romans concerning Abraham, he said: "Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God." (4:20).

Abraham and Sarah were both well on in years and certainly past their child-bearing and rearing years when God promised them a son - FB Meyer put this very well when he wrote: "You never really trust God until you trust Him to do the impossible!" "For nothing is impossible with God".

Abraham and Sarah producing a child in their very old age was impossible apart from God.

It was not Abraham’s faith in faith that brought about the miracle; it was his faith in God!
The world’s shallow philosophy: "Have faith - everything will work out" is as foolish as it is ineffective. Faith in what? Certainly not faith in faith! Abraham and Sarah trusted God and God performed what He had promised.

Because he knew God, Abraham was "fully assured of what he was promised He was able to perform" (Romans 4:21).

It is important for you and I to realise that Abraham’s motive in all of this was to give all the glory to God. Faith always gives glory to God, because faith acknowledges and confirms that man is unable to accomplish anything and that only God can do it.

So the next time you make a decision, ask yourself the question in your Christian walk or service: "Is it to or for the glory of God?" If it isn’t, then stand back and wait.

If there is a thought in your heart and mind that what you are doing or saying is out of selfishness or self-glory, STOP IMMEDIATELY!

True faith is only ever motivated by the desire to glorify God!

We’ll look for some other tests over the next few weeks.

Brian Allenby
Christians at Work
PO Box 1746, RUGBY, Warwickshire CV21 3ZS
Telephone: 01788-579738
E-mail: office@christiansatwork.org.uk

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		RESOURCES The Battle for Life - Perseverance 1 Brian Allenby from Christians at Work looks at the spiritual principle of walking by faith Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance. Samuel Johnson We human beings are a strange old bunch aren’t we? Have you noticed that when we are in difficulties, we head down the tube much faster than when life is something like normal? We should stop and reconsider, we should stop and regroup - oh yes of course, we can always stop to pray the problem through. That's usually the last thing we do! Where is faith at these times? What about when we run ahead of God? According to Romans 1:17, the Christian is supposed to go on "from faith to faith". When you read the life of Abraham in Genesis 12 to 25, you see all God did to perfect Abraham’s faith. It is, in fact, a spiritual principle. Whenever God works in and through our lives it is always in response to faith. The thing that hinders the work of God is not his lack of power - but his people's lack of faith. Do you remember the Lord’s response to lack of faith? Matthew 13:58: "And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief". But in Matthew 9:29 we read: "Be it done to you according to your faith". This raises an important question: "How can we know that we are living by faith?" It is so easy for us to be fooled by our own feelings or by the circumstances around us or even by Satan and his demonic powers. So what are the tests that we can apply to our actions and decisions? How do we know that we are walking by faith? There are several simple tests: Ask yourself: "Am I doing this for the glory of God or just to please myself?" When Paul wrote to the Romans concerning Abraham, he said: "Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God." (4:20). Abraham and Sarah were both well on in years and certainly past their child-bearing and rearing years when God promised them a son - FB Meyer put this very well when he wrote: "You never really trust God until you trust Him to do the impossible!" "For nothing is impossible with God". Abraham and Sarah producing a child in their very old age was impossible apart from God. It was not Abraham’s faith in faith that brought about the miracle; it was his faith in God! The world’s shallow philosophy: "Have faith - everything will work out" is as foolish as it is ineffective. Faith in what? Certainly not faith in faith! Abraham and Sarah trusted God and God performed what He had promised. Because he knew God, Abraham was "fully assured of what he was promised He was able to perform" (Romans 4:21). It is important for you and I to realise that Abraham’s motive in all of this was to give all the glory to God. Faith always gives glory to God, because faith acknowledges and confirms that man is unable to accomplish anything and that only God can do it. So the next time you make a decision, ask yourself the question in your Christian walk or service: "Is it to or for the glory of God?" If it isn’t, then stand back and wait. If there is a thought in your heart and mind that what you are doing or saying is out of selfishness or self-glory, STOP IMMEDIATELY! True faith is only ever motivated by the desire to glorify God! We’ll look for some other tests over the next few weeks. Brian Allenby Christians at Work PO Box 1746, RUGBY, Warwickshire CV21 3ZS Telephone: 01788-579738 E-mail: office@christiansatwork.org.uk © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.