A GROWING FAITH

 

A GROWING FAITH

Jude 20-23 But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit. Live in such a way that God's love can bless you as you wait for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you. Show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. There are still others to whom you need to show mercy, but be careful that you aren't contaminated by their sins. NLT

What are you building your life on? There is only one foundation that means anything and lasts, and that is your relationship with Christ. When life is over on earth, there is nothing that can hold you up as you face God on Judgment Day except for your faith in Christ.

Note that Jude calls this faith a holy faith. Holy faith is a faith that is life-changing. It is not just giving lip service or allegiance to God. It is a life that is sold out to Him, a life that is deeply affected by God in him, a life set apart from sin for all to see.

We are to pray as we are led along by the Holy Spirit. Much can be said about this, but let me just say this: In order to be led by the Spirit we must be willing to wait before Him to learn where we need to go and we must follow Him willingly. Most of us are in way too big of a hurry to get somewhere to wait, but wait we must if we want the Lord to lead us.

Live in such a way that God can bless you as you wait for eternal life to unfold for you. This doesn't mean you can put your life on cruise control. We must live faithfully and serve faithfully as long as we have opportunity and breath.

Our living must be characterized by mercy. We are to reach out to those whose souls are in jeopardy. We are to come alongside them and strive to help them find their way to God, especially those who profess faith in Him. If you know of someone of faith who is struggling and drifting away from God, be merciful and lovingly help them find their way back to God.

We need to show mercy to all who will listen, but be careful. As you reach out to others, protect your own soul. Don't let the sin of others infiltrate your soul. Stay prayed up and in the Word so that you won't get sucked into sin. Do all you can to help others while you stand guard over your soul.

In other words, your faith must be a growing faith built on the foundation of God’s Word and exercised daily. It begins at Calvary and does not stop until we get to heaven. It is lived out, not just talked about. It is a living faith that matters.