Holy Faith
Jude 20
Building up yourselves on your most holy faith.
You have come this far by faith, my friend. Looking
back over your life, and thinking things over, you
arrive at the conclusion that without God, your life
would be like a ship without a sail.
God has brought you safely through another year, and
it's His plan to prosper you and to give you health,
even as your soul prospers. By your ever-increasing
dependence on the Lord, your faith will grow by leaps
and bounds. Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and please, please - train yourself to wait patiently
on Him, before doing or saying anything!
Father knows best! He sits high above the earth, and
sees the activities we humans devise. He knows the
end from the beginning, and if there's anyone we need
to acknowledge, it's Him!
"How do I decrease so Christ can increase, and have
His way - His will - in my life?" If this is your
thought, let's see what Jude said.
Jude teaches in this scripture that you must build up
your own spirit and soul - your precious inner man -
on your most holy faith. God won't do everything for
you. There are some things He leaves for His children
to do for themselves.
Thank you, Lord.
What does faith do? Faith is a building block that
forms, shapes, builds and perfects your inner man into
the same image as Jesus Christ. This is a life-long
process, and we gain from it! Faith prospers you! It
blesses you! It builds up spiritual muscles and
causes you to be a spiritual giant whom demons and
principalities fear. Faith puts you out front, even
when your knees knock together, and your body feels
weak and frail. Faith keeps you going, going, going!
Faith is holy - most holy. It enables you to believe
and trust God, when the sky is dark and you cannot see
your way. Faith is so precious and so rare. Its
worth is above rubies, diamonds and precious jewels.
Because Jesus purchased it with His life, it has the
power to erect you, frame you, and transform you to
look like Him, act like Him, and have the same mind as
Him.
Faith will remove old ways that are shameful, and
usher you into a newness of life you could never
imagine. When you put your trust in Jesus, you are
developing your faith. It forms gradually, because
it needs your input. It needs you to exercise it. It
yearns to be employed in your time of need. It is
God's gift to you and me, for our problems and
afflictions in life.
Let your tests and trials teach you how to rely on
Jesus Christ. Just let your inner man experience
longsuffering, as it waits for Jesus to come to its
rescue. The wait of meekness and patience will
increase your strength to believe God, and before you
know it - you'll be believing God for bigger, and
better things!
Christ is your foundation stone, and you're built up
in the foundation, according to your faith. Faith
will get you into places where you ordinarily wouldn't
fit. Faith enlarges your borders, and brings you
before "great" persons. Faith solves problems too
complicated for your finite mind and experience.
Faith is God - moving on your behalf. It is
invisible, but the evidence that it's there is your
joy! It causes you to smile, because you know the end
of the story! It causes you to rejoice, because you
have hope. It keeps you in the ark of safety, when
others are experiencing a shipwreck. It is most holy
- most precious - most valuable!
Day by day, let us trust Him more. Let us turn to Him
first and foremost, for His guidance. Ask His
approval, my friend, before you ask anyone else. Be
built up, a little at a time, on your precious,
blood-bought faith. Remember Jesus - the Author and
Finisher of your faith, and let your trust in Him grow
- one step at a time.
Faith won't let you be ashamed. Faith will accomplish
what the Word has promised you. Your faith will
sustain you when others forsake you. Keep trusting in
the Lord, and doing good. Don't be weary of
well-doing. Earnestly contend for that precious, holy
faith that brought the early saints and prophets
through their trials. God is no shorter than His
Word!
"Oh God - show us how to build ourselves up on our
most holy faith. Let not our bricks crumble and
become dust. When we wobble and totter send the Word
to quicken us and make us upright. We need you,
Father. Teach us how to pray and how to trust you.
