We relate to God and to Jesus Christ through faith. However, this one area of life is one that many people misunderstand or have difficulty with. You don’t have to live with doubt. For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to intouch.org/tv.
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in touch the Teaching Ministry of Dr
Charles Stanley reaching the world with
the Gospel of Jesus Christ
next on in touch the basics of faith
there are two things that are absolutely
essential to
a right relationship with God
they are first of all belief that God is
secondly believe that God will always do
what God says he will do apart from
these two basic convictions there is no
salvation and there is no blessing
in fact the right of Hebrews said it
this way if we’re to please God we must
believe that he is and that he is a
rewarder of those who diligently seek
him or that he will do exactly what he
promised the basic Foundation truth of
the whole Christian Life is Faith that’s
how we relate to God that’s how we
relate to his son Jesus Christ and yet
that is the one area of our life that
probably most people either
misunderstand or have the most
difficulty with cannot trust God why
don’t I trust God oftentimes life filled
full of Doubt well this is the beginning
of a series entitled learning to walk by
faith
and I want you to turn if you will to
Second Corinthians chapter five
and the title of this message is
learning to walk by faith the basics now
what do I mean by the basics I mean the
starting point this is where we begin in
learning to walk by faith
and what I want you to note In this
passage is this that the Apostle Paul
writing to the Corinthians is talking to
them about life and death and the
condition of our body what is going to
happen to us after we die
and the process of discussing that he
makes one statement here that I want us
to know but I want us to look at this
whole passage for a moment he says in
second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 1 for
we know that if the Earthly tent
speaking of thou physical body which is
our house is torn down we have a
building from God that is another body I
a house not made with hands Eternal in
the heavens for indeed in this house
that is in this body we groan Longing To
Be clothed without dwelling from heaven
inasmuch as we having put it on shall
not be found naked for indeed while we
are in this tent we groan being burdened
because we do not want to be unclothed
but to be clothed in order that what is
Mortal may be swallowed up by life
now he who prepared us for this purpose
is God who gave to us the spirit as a
pledge
therefore being always of good courage
and knowing that while we are home in
the body we are absent from the Lord for
we walk by faith and not by sight
we’re of good courage I say and prefer
rather to be absent from the body and to
be at home with the Lord the Apostle
Paul is saying you know there will come
a time we lay these bodies down we’ll
have a new body a resurrected body which
our Lord promised in which he certainly
demonstrated in his own Resurrection
Paul says we have the privilege of
living by faith we walk by faith
therefore we’re not worried about death
we’re not afraid of death we’re not
concerned about what’s going to happen
to these bodies we have the awesome
promise of a resurrected body and a
Heavenly home and he says therefore
we’re not walking by sight we’re not
walking by feeling we’re not walking by
the people’s opinions we’re not walking
according to reason we’re walking simply
by faith it is the will and purpose and
plan of God that all of us learn to walk
by faith and I hope you’ll jot down a
few things when I give you a couple of
definitions or so here I want to make it
as simple and plain as possible but it’s
very important that we understand what
the Bible says about faith not what the
world says about it now
when you think in terms of the word
faith and the the word believe probably
in our culture today because people say
I believe this and I’m a Believer and
yes I believe in all the things they say
probably the better word is the word
trust that is I’m placing my trust in I
am committing myself to the word believe
or trust is an action word and if you
took these three words in the in the
Greek language love and serve and uh if
you put the word believe all three of
these have the same ending on the word
and a Greek ending on a word is very
significant they’re all words of action
I love if I love someone I’m going to
respond
if I serve someone I’m going to act if I
believe I’m going to act for example you
can read the 40 verses of the 11th
chapter of Hebrews and 19 times the
Bible speaks of someone believing
whether it’s Abraham or Jacob or Moses
or Noah they all believed and when they
believed the Bible says they did
something so in the New Testament you
can go all the way through the New
Testament every time someone is
believing or placing their trust in
there is an action it is an interaction
that moves the will and so when we think
in terms of
believing it isn’t some stagnant kind of
belief that says yes I believe never
moves never budges no action the very
word is a word of action something is
going to happen in your life in my life
when we place our trust in when we
commit ourselves to almighty God
now you hear people say well I believe
and of course they’re thinking in terms
of yes I believe that I’ll get up
tomorrow morning I believe that the
church those will be open when I get
this all kinds of that kind we’re
talking about biblical Faith we’re
talking about faith we’re talking about
a commitment we’re talking about a trust
level that has to do with eternal things
and so when we come to Define well what
is faith
well you could just say something like
this that faith is a confident
conviction that our God is who he says
he is and that our God will do exactly
what he says he will do
now it is the will and purpose and plan
of God that we live by faith well the
Apostle Paul said we walk by faith what
did he mean by that when the Apostle
Paul used the term walk he usually
referred to that conduct lifestyle
manner of life this is how we live our
lives and so you recall that on other
occasions he said for example with the
walk not in the flesh but in the spirit
we’re to walk in love a walk by love
and we are to walk in the spirit
many things he said and what he was
saying is this should be a lifestyle
if somebody were to say to you
or ask you the question
do you live by faith I wonder how many
of you would say yes
probably most of us would say well yes I
do and what you mean is well I do most
of the time
or I do sometime or there are things
that I have a difficult time trusting
God for you know what that doesn’t mean
that you don’t live by faith because I’m
going to come to that in a few moments
what I want us to notice here is what
the Apostle Paul is saying when he says
we’re walking by faith
not by sight not by feeling now most
people walk not by faith but by sight
and by feeling and by reason I reason
this thing out this is what I’m going to
do oftentimes God gets left out even
sometimes when he is included he is
included in this manner here’s what I
think ought to do and God I’m trusting
you to help me
instead of saying Lord what would you
have me to do what is your will what is
your purpose what is your plan it is the
will and purpose and plan of God that
you and I walk by faith now what do we
mean by that simply this
when you and I wake up in the morning
what is the first thing we should say
now I would not can’t dictate to
somebody else what they think but I can
tell you what I feel I think that is
when I wake up in the morning the first
thing I want to think about is father
because you know what all day long I’m
going to live making decisions meeting
people doing the work that the Lord has
called me to do and so I know when my
opened my eyes or I become conscious
even sometime before I open my eyes I
know that today I need my father to walk
with me
I know that today I will have to depend
upon him and trust him for every single
thing and so therefore I want to begin
the day where it should begin in my
relationship with him affirming my
relationship affirming my Unity my
Oneness and my love and Devotion to him
we should listen because we’re going to
walk by faith now what does that involve
well here’s what it involves
it means for example that I’m going to
be asking for his guidance today here’s
what he said trust in the Lord with all
your heart lean not to your own
understanding in all your ways
acknowledge Him and He will direct your
paths I want to thank you that I have
that wonderful privilege and and the
wonderful promise that you’ve given me
Lord
it means if I’m going to walk by faith
today
that I am going to be seeking his mind
and his heart
seeking direction for every single facet
of my life not some things but
everything you see to walk by faith
isn’t something we do sometime and not
sometime walk to walk by faith means I
am going to rely upon I’m going to trust
then I’m going to depend upon my
heavenly father to give me direction for
the day I’m going to depend upon him to
meet every single need that I have now
all of us would come up with needs that
we have we think well now there’s some
needs we need to meet ourselves who says
so
my God shall supply all your needs
according to his riches in glory in
Christ Jesus
and so therefore I’m going to trust him
to meet every single need today because
you see if I’m going to walk by faith
I’m going to depend upon him for
everything I’m looking to him he’s my
father some expecting him to meet my
need I’m going to thank him and I’m
going to trust him to forgive me of my
sin when I falter and fall and stumble
today I’m going to trust him
I’m gonna believe that he’ll pick me up
having forgiven me of my sin and moved
me on in life
I’m going to trust him for every
relationship that I have
I’m going to trust him for the things
that I need to say and need to remember
I’m going to trust him for those
difficult things that I when I face I
won’t know what to do immediately I’m
going to trust him for the how to
respond to criticism and how to respond
to praise I’m going to trust him for the
needs of others that I suddenly feel
that I’m to be a part of
I’m going to trust him that if I need to
share a testimony of what Christ has
done for me I will do it in the spirit
in the way that he will guide me and
show me it’ll make an impact
I’m going to trust him not to try to end
not to try to impress anybody but to
make an impact in someone’s life today
no matter who it is so that they too
will want to know the same Christ that I
know
I’m going to trust him today
in such a fashion that I won’t even have
to worry about the future and my eternal
security I just trust him when I wake up
in the morning I wake up in the arms of
the loving father wake up absolutely
secured in the person of Jesus Christ
wake up every morning knowing that at
the cross my eternal salvation was
settled once and for all so you see to
walk by faith means that Jesus Christ is
going to dominate my thinking Jesus
Christ is going to dominate and control
the decisions Jesus Christ is going to
be the center of everything you see for
most people they think their life is the
sin of the world
and all of life revolves around them but
here’s the way it is let’s say for
example this represents Jesus here’s the
way we live our life no matter what’s
going on during the day all of life
revolves around the Son of God because
he’s at the core of our life when you
trust that Jesus Christ as your personal
savior the Bible says that Jesus came to
live in your life in the presence and
the power of the Holy Spirit and
therefore he’s there now why did God
send the Holy Spirit into our life to do
what to enable you and me listen to
enable you and me to walk by faith every
single day listen he wants to be in on
every decision he wants to be in on
every relationship
and when the troubles and the trials and
the persecutions and the difficulties
and the hardships and the heartaches
come you know what he is there listen
Hey listen
a a confident conviction
that our father that our God is listen
involving himself in every circumstance
and in every single need of her life you
see to walk by faith is to walk in
submission to and to what listen to walk
in a way that he is in absolute control
now when we talk about being submissive
or yielding ourselves to him
I think most people the way they think
is I’m going to give this to him and
this to him and this to him I’ll take
care of this and this and this over here
no if I’m really committed to him if I’m
really surrendered to him he has access
to everything in my life he has access
to every single thing therefore not
holding anything back let me ask a
question
when You Face some situation
circumstance in life what is your first
response if it’s a difficult is it
father I need you I’m trusting you
here’s what happens he wants us to so
live that nobody has to remind us to
pray no one has to remind us to seek him
no one has to tell us well have you per
ask us have you prayed it is listen the
natural normal response listen it’s that
quick the natural normal response when
we Face anything is to say father what
would you have me to do thank you God
you’re Sovereign and you’re in control
so how am I going to learn to walk by
faith here’s how I’m going to learn
I’m going to
make a request I’m going to put God to
the test not trying to tempt him but I
make I make a request and you know what
God answers my prayer or sees me through
this you know what happens when that
happens
one layout comes down on my Foundation
of faith my Foundation is built on
Christ that’s a solid foundation
but now but I’ve got to build on that
I’ve got to build on the foundation of
the Eternal Son of God how am I going to
build on it I’m going to trust him
and watch how he works and see him come
through and thank him for it but I’m
going to observe what happened
second thing I’m going to do is I’m
going to get his word and I’m going to
find out what the Bible says about it
now listen carefully
if you don’t know who the God is that
you trust how are you going to trust him
but when you and I get in the word of
God and here’s what it says
the Bible says that God loves me
and the Bible says he will meet my needs
the Bible says that God is Holy and
he’ll forgive me in other words when I
begin to look at the scriptures here’s
what happens my understanding of the
nature of God you know what that’s doing
that’s that’s like that’s like pouring
into my into my whole Foundation pouring
into my whole Foundation the oil that
makes everything work his his who God is
here’s what he’s like and if he this is
what God this is who God is and this is
what he’s like then I I can trust him
you see if you come to church bring your
Bible
read it with us take it home lay it down
you may learn some things but God listen
God wants you in his word he listen he
wants you he wants you to absorb the
truth he wants you looking at the words
remembering what he says looking at his
promises you see the more I understand
the promises of God the nature of God
and how he works the stronger my faith
is going to be so therefore if I’m going
to learn to walk by faith
I make those requests I see what happens
if for example if he doesn’t answer my
prayer and the Lord shows me that wasn’t
my will thank you Father you you had
something better in mind you know what
even when he doesn’t answer it and I
understand that God had something better
than mine you know what that does
strengthens my faith what does it say to
me that God loves me so much that he
won’t listen he won’t even give me what
he knows isn’t good for me thank God I
may not like it at the moment and I may
chafe over it and I’m afraid to even get
angry and saying God what’s the deal
and God says the deal is this is the
best deal this is the best thing that
can happen to you and this is the way it
is even when I don’t get what I want
and God shows me why
what does it do but strengthen my faith
loves me too much to give me something
shouldn’t have well how do we how do we
learn to do it
we falter we fall we make mistakes but
here’s what we do you see if you’re
going to learn to walk by faith remember
this some things you have to remember
first of all when you falter and you
think God I blew it bad what you do is
you don’t have yourself a pity party and
just wallet and think well God I’ve
blown it bad how could you ever trust me
and trust you to begin with how could
you ever trust me anymore and and so
we’ll have to remember this
discouragement will destroy your faith
you’re not careful
just because we all fought and fail and
we became frightened at this point are
we we said oh God what’s going to happen
here you know what that doesn’t upset
god listen you can’t disappoint someone
if they don’t have any expectations of
you and he doesn’t have any expectations
of he sees dust frail he understands
this and so therefore I don’t have to
give up and you see one of the keys is
not how many times do I falter and fall
in the process of learning to walk by
faith the key is listen not how much how
often I fall but what do I do when I
fall I get up I thank God for his
forgiveness and his cleansing thank God
for showing me my doubts and my fears
and my anxieties and fretting thank God
that he loves me enough to keep on so
what do we we get up and we keep moving
you don’t give up and what happens
little by little day after day as we
trust him week after week as we trust
him month after month as we trust him
year after years we trust him what’s
happening we are building strength into
our faith our faith is becoming stronger
and stronger and stronger and stronger
listen if the things listen if the
things that bothered you when you were
first Saved still bothers you and you’re
threatened and fuming over them you need
to ask yourself the question God am I
still listen am I still in the playpen
when it comes to Faith
where am I God in my faith now
the way God builds faith
as we said before and I repeat this
trouble trial difficult in hardship
thing listen
if I really want to understand what God
is like
and I wanted to strengthen my faith I’ve
got to be willing to get thrown in the
fire
I’ve got to be willing to face difficult
in hardship listen you don’t build Godly
you don’t build faith that sustains you
in life by simply reading it in the book
listen what makes it work is experience
it is experience that makes it work but
what listen what gives impact to your
testimony experience
it is the fact that you’ve been there
you’ve walked through deep Waters you’ve
walked through fire you’ve walked
through trials you’ve walked through
hardship you’ve you’ve been you’ve
walked to those times of great need when
they’re assuming there was no way in the
world for those needs to be met and God
met them
how do we learn
we learn by living
trusting failing keeping out getting our
Focus back on him and moving on in life
so let me ask you this are you willing
to surrender your life
to that God
Body Soul Spirit finances relationships
marriage family children everything
can they handle it
will you let him handle it
you say what I’m not even a Christian
what about me well simply this
here’s where you have to start
you have to ask yourself the question do
you believe that do you believe the
testimony of God’s word
that except you’re born again except you
trust Jesus as your savior be lost
eternally you believe that
do you believe that Jesus Christ went to
the cross and died on the cross and paid
just send it in full do you believe that
you have to begin right there if you’re
willing to accept that truth and willing
to say to him Lord Jesus I confess my
sins to you I do believe what you say in
the scripture I do believe that your
death at Calvary atoned for my sins I’m
I’m trusting you as my savior I’m
trusting you that what you did will turn
for my sin I’m trusting you to forgive
me of my sins I’m trusting you to be my
savior my Lord the moment you do that
that moment you become a living child of
God then you begin the journey with us
we’re all learning how to walk by faith
thank you
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