Anyone who knows me well knows how much I love the Word of God, and appreciate ministers who teach the Word! I fully realize that I have no original thoughts! The Spirit of God gives me insight into the Word of God so that I can share it with others! When I see a teaching that really blesses me, I HAVE to share it! That is what I will be doing on the blog today! A pastor friend on facebook shared a very simple and very clear message on faith that I think would be of benefit to the many people that I have encountered who view faith as such a mysterious and hard to understand concept! Here it is, along with the name of the minister who first shared it! I pray that it blesses YOU as much as it does me!
Barry Bennett
Fully Persuaded
Being fully persuaded that what God had promised,
He was also able to perform. (Rom. 4:21)
What does it mean to be ‘fully persuaded?’ If one
can be fully persuaded it would imply that it is possible to be partially
persuaded as well. Being fully persuaded would be an alternate definition to
faith: faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen. (Heb. 11:1)
It would seem that one who is partially persuaded
acknowledges the truth and has a good understanding of truth, but is not
committed to living according to truth. The partially persuaded live in two
worlds; the world of self effort, fear and doubt, and the world of faith.
Rather than growing in faith, they tend to see faith as an emergency frequency
that may or may not get the desired results. Just to be safe, the partially
persuaded trust in themselves as much as possible.
Abraham wasn’t always fully persuaded. He
attempted to fulfill God’s promise through his own efforts. After that obvious
failure Abraham grew to be fully persuaded in the promise of God. He grew
strong in faith.
Until we realize that God is our complete source
and His Word is our provision for every need, we won’t be fully persuaded. As
Paul said: “I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And that life I
now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God.” (Gal. 2:20) This
is what it means to be fully persuaded.
David gives us a great picture of the fully
persuaded man or woman of God.
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel
of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the
scornful; but his delight is in the law (Word) of the Lord, And in His law
(Word) he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the
rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also
shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. (Ps. 1:1-3)
AMEN! Be willing to pay the price to become fully persuaded! YOUR faith is too precious to settle for anything less! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with an older song called "Faith":