Faith - making God look good

RevJP · Moderator Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 7005 Location: USA

This is what faith is: it is the strong assurance that God's promises are good and that he can and will perform them. And the harder the promises seem to fulfill, the more our faith honors God.

Faith Shows God to Be Strong and Wise and Loving and Reliable

What is it about faith that gives glory to God? This is crucial for you to know because you exist to give glory to God. That is why God created you: to display more of his glory in the universe. The main problem with all the world is that humanity has exchanged the glory of God for other things (Romans 1:23). We have totally lost and abandoned our reason for being and should not wonder then that so much is utterly wrong with the world. But God is bringing creation back to its reason for being, and the prophets tell us that "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea" (Habukkuk 2:14; see also Numbers 14:21).

It matters whether you know why you were created and brought into this world. If you don't know, your life will be a mere shadow of the substance God intends - a mere echo of the music you were designed to make - a mere residue of the impact you might have had. Ephesians 1:5-6 describes the purpose of your existence like this: "God predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus . . . to the praise of the glory of His grace." You exist for the praise of the glory of God's grace.

And Romans 4:20 says that faith is fundamental to fulfilling your purpose for being: "Abraham grew strong in faith, giving glory to God." Faith is God's ordained way of being justified because faith glorifies God.

Your daddy is standing in a swimming pool out a little bit from the edge.
You are, let's say, three years old and standing on the edge of the pool. Daddy holds out his arms to you and says, "Jump, I'll catch you. I promise." Now, how do you make your daddy look good at that moment? Answer: trust him and jump. Have faith in him and jump. That makes him look strong and wise and loving. But if you won't jump, if you shake your head and run away from the edge, you make your daddy look bad. It looks like you are saying, "he can't catch me" or "he won't catch me" or "it's not a good idea to do what he tells me to do". And all three of those make your dad look bad.

But you don't want to make God look bad. So you trust him. Then you make him look good - which he really is. And that is what we mean when we say, "Faith glorifies God" or "Faith gives God glory." It makes him look as good as he really is. So trusting God is really important.
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dpainter · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2005 6:57 pm Post subject:

RevJP,,,,I realy like what you have to say about "faith". My problem is when fellow christans use faith to lay a guilt trip on me, do you know what I mean? For example, they would say somthing like: "if you have faith you would do, or you would go,,,,,etc,,,,," Is it right for them to do this? In the first place I do have faith in God in what ever I do, but when I am not comfortable about somthing I don't personaly see it as a lack of faith.

TeeJoe · Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2005 6:49 am Post subject:

lone-traveler · Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2005 7:44 am Post subject:

RevJP · Moderator Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 7005 Location: USA

dpainter, welcome. I saw in your introductory post that you would be interested in bible study. Join us in the Omega group as we will begin studying James in earnest in the next day or so. I will be posting some study tips and stuff for everyone's information and then begin the actual study.

However, concerning your comments regarding faith, let me refer to James (it is ironic that your post goes in line with our impending study)

Jam 1:3 Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.
Jam 1:4 But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.
Jam 1:5 If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.
Jam 1:6 Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind.
Jam 1:7 For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord,
Jam 1:8 [For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides]. Jam 1:9 Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his elevation [as a Christian, called to the true riches and to be an heir of God],
Jam 1:10 And the rich [person ought to glory] in being humbled [by being shown his human frailty], because like the flower of the grass he will pass away.
Jam 1:11 For the sun comes up with a scorching heat and parches the grass; its flower falls off and its beauty fades away. Even so will the rich man wither and die in the midst of his pursuits. [Isa. 40:6, 7.]
Jam 1:12 Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor's] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.

I know this is just touching on your concerns regarding faith and the guilt trips offered by those of the more self-righteous inclination, but truly we will find James speaks eloquently regarding faith and live faith.
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dpainter · Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2005 5:27 pm Post subject:

Thank you all. Actual bible verses to look up, that I like.

RevJP · Moderator Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 7005 Location: USA

I will ask Nobby to add you to the group.

You will find the forum at the bottom of the fourm list and will only see it after your membership has been activated (it is invisible to non-group members).
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Nobby · Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2005 8:15 pm Post subject:

JP. I just did dpainter is now a member of the Omega Bible Study Group.
Glad to have you.
JP you have 2 PM's
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Much Love Nobby
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RevJP · Moderator Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 7005 Location: USA

Saw them. Thanks Nobby, appreciate your quick responses.
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