How Is Our Faith…?

Morning!

Raises his cup of coffee ☕

So I want to open today with a question.

How is our faith?

Faith means putting our trust in Jesus.  Now, I’m reasonably certain that if you’re here, you’ve put some kind of trust in Jesus.  At the very least, you’re probably curious about Him.  Either way—let me take a moment to say:

Welcome to our newcomers!

It’s great to have you here!

Thank you for all your feedback so far—it has been humbling.

This morning, we’re going to be thinking about a couple of different things.  Faith—our trust in Jesus and how we grow that faith are the main ideas.

There’s a passage in Luke 17 that always fascinates me.  At this point in Scripture, Jesus has been talking with some Pharisees— Pharisees who were lovers of money.  He begins teaching them about God— And more importantly— How God sees the heart.

Proverbs 15: 11

“Hell and Destruction are before the LORD; So how much more the hearts of the sons of men.”

And

Proverbs 21: 2

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the hearts.”

After teaching the Pharisees about the Law, Jesus then gives us the story of The Rich Man and Lazarus.  Just as a reminder: The rich man was going about his wealthy life, indulging in his luxuries.  Meanwhile, Lazarus, a sick and needy beggar, sat at the rich man’s gate, longing for even the crumbs from his table.  Then, both men died.  Lazarus was carried by angels to heaven.  The rich man found himself in torment in hell.

From hell, the rich man calls out for water and asks for Lazarus to be sent to warn his family.  But then—something interesting happens in the story.  Abraham answers the rich man.  He tells him: His family already has Moses and the prophets.  They should listen to them.  Then Abraham makes a remarkable statement: Even if someone rises from the dead, they will not believe if they do not believe Moses and the prophets.

The story culminates in this:

Luke 17: 1-4

“Then He said to the disciples, ‘It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!  It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.  Take heed to yourselves.  If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent’, you shall forgive him.”

The apostles reaction?

Luke 17: 5

“And the apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith’.”

Before I get too far in, let me say this: Your faith is between you and Jesus.  It’s not my place to judge another man’s servant.

That said— The question of the day remains.

How is our faith?

Jesus’ disciples— The same men who were eyewitnesses to His miracles…Who touched with their own hands the five loaves and two fish.  Who drank with their own lips the wine that was once water.  Who were in the direct Presence of Jesus every day.  Even they prayed: “Lord, increase our faith.”

Are we ready to ask for our faith to be increased?

That’s a powerful question.  It’s one that Peter helps us with.

This morning, we’re going to get started in 2 Peter.  It’s not entirely certain who the recipients of Peter’s letter were.  Some speculate that it was the same audience as his first letter— the Christians of Asia Minor.  What is clear, however, is that these Christians were being threatened by false teaching.  A form of Gnosticism had taken hold— A belief system that focused on knowledge of esoteric things as the way to salvation instead of faith in Jesus.

2 Peter 1: 1-4

“Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

Peter begins by reminding us of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ.  He reminds us that we partake of the Divine Nature through knowledge of Jesus Christ.  And it is through this knowledge of Jesus that Grace and Peace are multiplied.  And it is for this reason that he gives us the next lines.

2 Peter 1: 5-11

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.  For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.  Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do the things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

SSo— Grace and Peace are multiplied through the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ.  It is because of the promises we have been given in Jesus

that we are to give all diligence to add to our faith.  The first thing to note here is that Peter introduces the reality that our faith can be added to.  And not only that, but we can infer that Peter is saying:  We should be adding to our faith diligently.

Now, we looked at diligence a few posts ago— But I think it’s important to revisit it for this passage for two reasons.  One: Because diligence is key to this passage.  And two: Because I’m a word nerd and love looking words up.

Diligence: (noun)

- Steady, earnest, and energetic effort: devoted and painstaking work and application to accomplish an undertaking: Assiduity

- obsolete: (Speed, haste)

The greek word used by Peter is different from the one in our earlier studies.  Here, Peter used the word…

Spoude (Greek)

- Speed

- (by implication) eagerness, earnestness, carefulness, diligence

There is a more urgent tone to Peter’s words.  He is urging us—with speed—to add to our faith.  And what are we to add to our faith?  There is a list that follows.  And that list starts with the foundation of virtue.  Peter tells those of us seeking to increase our faith that the first step—the foundation— is to add virtue to it.

So what is virtue?

Virtue: (noun)

- Conformity to a standard of right: Morality; a particular moral excellence

- A beneficial quality or power of a thing

- manly strength or courage: Valor

- A commendable quality or trait: Merit

- A capacity to act: Potency

- Chastity, especially in a woman

So the foundation of growing our faith starts with adding virtue

to our faith where there is no virtue now.  What is virtue?  Virtue is conforming ourselves to Jesus’ morality.  Or maybe more appropriate, transforming into Jesus’ morality.  This is what Christians call the process of Sanctification— the lifelong journey every believer goes through with the Holy Spirit to become more like Jesus.  It is ongoing.  There is no break.  There is no vacation.  We are on call twenty-four seven when it comes to Sanctification.

Remember the Parable of the Talents?  Adding virtue to our faith

implies that we are making a positive addition to that faith.  Faith—putting our trust in Jesus— even if it is as small as a mustard seed, is just the beginning.  We are then to start by adding virtue where it is not.

So let’s take a minute to think about this— Because there are a lot of epic-sounding words with possible life-altering implications at stake.  Let’s ground ourselves in the examples we’ve talked about over the last week.

How do we add virtue to our faith?

By thanking Jesus that we are safe when cut off in traffic— instead of reacting in anger.

By saving a few extra dollars that we can then give to others.

Some areas of our lives may need more serious work.  For some of us, following Jesus as He calls us to may require major life changes. He who loses his life for Jesus will find his life in Jesus.  And as Paul would say—This is a trustworthy statement.

The list doesn’t stop at virtue.  It goes on—and it becomes even more interesting.  The foundation of growing our faith begins with virtue—

but Peter doesn’t stop there.  He tells us that we are to add to that virtue—

there is a next step.

Adding virtue to our faith implies action.

We are changing our behavior— not alone, but with the Holy Spirit guiding us, teaching us, transforming us.  And with this change in behavior comes something else— Knowledge of the Holy Spirit.

The more we do with the Holy Spirit—

the more the Holy Spirit does with us.

The more the Holy Spirit reveals Himself to us—

the more we know Him.

And the more we know Him—

the more we want to know Him.

And the more we want to know Him—

the more virtue we want to add to our faith.

This is the cycle Peter has given us.

A natural outflowing of adding virtue— and specifically, Jesus’ loved virtues— is self-control.  Self-control leads to perseverance.  And perseverance leads to godliness.  But Peter doesn’t stop there.  There is still more outflowing that happens— still more growth that comes from this process.  Godliness leads to brotherly kindness.  Brotherly kindness leads to love.  So that the end goal is: Love from a pure heart and an unfeigned and true faith.

Matthew 5: 3-12

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when they revel and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

So, how is our faith?

Are we ready to ask Jesus to increase our faith?