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So a true believer sees God in all things. He sees beyond this life. He does not value the things of this life!
So faith has a vision of God beyond all the ugly details of life. But then we see that…
B. Faith values God above all things.
1. That means count we the world as worthless.
We must DEVALUE the world in our lives.
We should count all things in this life “as dung” that we might “win Christ” (Philippians 3:8) .
Listen to the words of Jesus in (Matthew 6:19) , “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
The book of First John was written to demonstrate the marks of true believers. John gives a very clear command to us in (1 John 2:15) . He says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Do you love the world? Where are your treasures? Do you count your life dear? Or are you holding onto your life. We must not only devalue the world, we must devalue our own life!
Listen to the words of Jesus once again in (Luke 9:23) , “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away [INTO HELL]?”
If you hang onto this world, to your life, to your treasures, to your sin, and you do not forsake all and follow Christ, you will lose all, and you will lose it forever!
So we must count the world, and our own lives, as WORTHLESS. But then…
2. That also means that we count Christ as precious!
The believer seeks first “the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33) . We are willing to suffer loss for Christ. We are willing to suffer persecution for Christ (2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”) Paul said in (Philippians 3:8), “I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.”
So faith has a VISION of God beyond all the ugly details of life, and faith VALUES God, but then we see that…
C. Faith is the only venue to please God.
(Romans 14:23) “whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
(Hebrews 11:6) But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
So faith has a VISION of God beyond all the ugly details of life, and faith VALUES God, Faith is the only VENUE to please God, and finally we see that…
D. Faith is viewable [observable] to all the world.
II. Mark number two: Love.1. Faith is observable through our lips.
Many people try to avoid the truth of God by saying, “Well, my faith in God is a private issue.” This is not faith at all. Faith is not hidden, it is out in the open for all to see. Paul said in our text in (Ephesians 1:15) , “I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus.” He sais in (Romans 1:8) “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.” How did that happen?
Let’s look at it this way. Are there any Cubs fans here today? How about White Sox fans? You root for your favorite team right? You talk about it. All the likes and dislikes of your life are all observable, because you talk about what you love and you talk about what you don’t like. It’s the same with those who trust in Jesus Christ. Christians are obsessed with Christ. He is their love. He is their treasure. “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20) ! We confess with our mouths to all who will hear that “Jesus Christ is Lord!” And one day “[every knee will bow] and … every tongue … confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11)
We cannot keep quiet. Our faith is observable. It’s observable not only through our lips, but through our life!
2. Faith is observable through our life. John tells us that our faith is not just a bunch of talk, but it is something that we practice and exercise in our lives. You can tell if someone is in shape, or if they are just talking. So let’s look at (1 John 3:18) . John says, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”
Or as (Philippians 2:12-13) puts it so clearly, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Your salvation, your faith is so powerful, it is transforming. It transforms your life. God works to will and to do His good pleasure in you and through you. Is that the kind of life you are living?
So do you have the first mark? Do you have faith? Do you have that vision of God in all things?
If not, what is blocking your vision? Faith is that which forsakes all and follows Christ!
So the first evidence, or mark, that we are genuine believers is what? FAITH! Now let us look to the second mark.
Paul says to the Ephesians, “I heard of your…love unto all the saints” (verse 15). But what is love? Is love that feeling that I feel when I feel that I feel something? In our minds so much of the time, we view not only faith as mystical, but love as mystical also. It is not tangible to us. But that is not true Biblical love. What is true Biblical love?
A. First let us look at the Attributes of Love. What is love?
1. Love is a Sacrifice of Self for the sake of the object of love. Look at (John 3:16) . Here we see the ultimate act of love.
(John 3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
God so loved…that he GAVE!! He gave! God loved, and so He gave all that He had, His only Son…He bankrupted heaven, because he loved. The word here is AGAPE, and it is that divine love that loves unconditionally. Is your love conditional?
Listen to (1 Corinthians 13:1-8) , “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Charity never faileth…” (continued...)
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