The Foundation of Growing Our Faith

Thank you, Mr. Scapura. And again, happy Sabbath to all of you, and happy Sabbath to our Zoomers. I forgot to welcome you as we started announcements. So great to have you with us as well today.

Well, last time, a couple weeks ago, in preparation for the Spring Holy Days this year, we talked about the topic of biblical faith. Today, I would like to actually add onto that topic. I, being a long-winded preacher, ran out of time. And so the next phase that I was supposed to go into is how to grow biblical faith. And because I got distracted and talked about this and went a little more detailed than maybe I should have, I ran out of time. So today, what I would like to talk about or explain is how we can build or develop a greater level of biblical faith in our daily lives. And I'd like to do that, of course, by exploring the Scriptures, what the Scriptures teach us. And before I can really do that, I have to talk about something that is our spiritual foundation. The first thing that is required to have an abundant biblical faith and for it to grow, for it to thrive, is to possess the correct mindset of having a spiritual perspective regarding your present life and your future. Many people miss out on this. And because they miss out and don't have the right foundation, like any building has to have or else it'll be faulty or else it won't withstand the storms of life and the difficulties that arise, the right foundation for our faith is absolutely essential. Let's go to Romans chapter 8 and we'll pick it up in verse 28. Romans chapter 8, beginning in verse 28. This is a Scripture that most of us are fully aware of, but I wonder sometimes if we really get what the Scripture is teaching us. Paul says, beginning in verse 28, for we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and to those who are called according to his purpose. He doesn't say some things work together for the good. He doesn't say a few things work together for good to those who love God. He says all things, every life experience, the happiness, the joys, the highs, but also the disappointment, the discouragement, the lows. He says all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose. Verse 29, for whom he foreknew. In other words, for those that he knew in advance would be born and that he would call them. And as I want to remind us again, that if God is the Alpha and the Omega, if he knows the beginning from the end, should it surprise us that he also knows what goes on between the beginning and the end?

You see, your calling is not an accident. God doesn't have this big roulette wheel, and he throws a ball in it. It goes around and around and around and the ball stops. Mark Graham. I'll just call this guy here. His name is Mark Graham. No, that's not the way God calls us. God was working with us before we were ever called. God works with us to get us to the point that we are able to respond to him, to respond to his calling. And he has things happen in our lives that usually we are not even aware of, his presence as children, growing up through the experiences that we have. It says, for whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. God predetermined that he would call some through every age, and that those groups of people would be called in their first physical lifetimes, and they would become the first fruits of his plan. And that happens to be each and every one of you sitting here in this room today.

That he, speaking of Christ, might be called to firstborn among many brethren. Verse 30, Moreover, whom he predestined, these he also called, whom he called, these he also justified. He forgave them through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We are made just in the eyes of God, sinless, forgiven. Our past washed away through the blood of Jesus Christ, justified.

And whom he justified, these he also glorified. Now we are called the children of God. You can't have a better title than that, ever, than to be called the child of God.

He also glorified. Verse 31, What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? If God's working behind the scenes in our lives, then who could possibly be against us? Who can thwart the will of God? Who can thwart what God is doing in your life? What Paul's saying here is very clear. It's that all things work out for the good for God's children. Yes, the positive experiences work together with the negative experiences for our long-term benefit and our personal growth. When we truly believe this, it transforms our thinking about all of life's experiences. And rather than becoming martyrs mentally, rather than whining, rather than complaining, rather than questioning God's motive or his existence, our thoughts are transformed into understanding that everything, all things, are working together according to God's plan because we love God and he's called us according to a very powerful purpose. He has a plan for your life. You were called in this lifetime by the Father, and that's mentioned in verses 29 and 30. Your life now has a divine purpose, and when your life has a divine purpose, things don't happen by sheer accident, but because an omnipotent God allows these events in our lives. Again, I want to emphasize, Paul says, all, not some, all things work together, not separately, not isolated events, not just some time and chance happening in our lives. No, all things work together for good, not just some things. Now, we should acknowledge that some of life experiences are God's will, and some of our life experiences are of our own choices, and God says, fine, I'll allow you to learn through that choice, that decision that you've made. I will make your choice, your decision, after all, you're a free moral agent. I will allow that decision you made to be a training opportunity for you. So sometimes it's due to God's will, and God's will sometimes includes him chastening us. We'll read a scripture about that in a few minutes. And then other times, God allows the decisions that we make in our own lives, and some of them do boomerang back on us, don't they? The decisions we make in our own lives, and he uses those as opportunities to prepare us for something grand, something wonderful in the future. Everything God uses in your life is to your ultimate spiritual benefit. When we understand this, and we believe that the foundation of growing biblical faith is established, now God can work with us. We're now spiritually to the point where we can appreciate every event. I'll say that again, because it may shock you. We get to the point when we can spiritually appreciate every event, including the most negative and painful, not simply as some kind of punishment from God, but for a deeper underlying purpose that we don't immediately see. When we're going through something very difficult or painful, emotionally or otherwise, we don't see it then. But usually, five years later, 10 years later, 20 years later, we can look back and understand the things that we learned through those painful, negative, emotional experiences that took our lives to another level, to another place, because those events happened. And again, they may not be good events. They may be tragic events. They may be sorrowful events. They may be negative events. But when you have the right foundation, you realize God is on your side, and God is going to allow all of this to work out to your benefit, because God is always interested in our long-term growth and development. We can't see that far. What are we interested in? Now, we're interested in our short-term delight, right? Comfort.

But God is interested in totally something different than we carnal human beings are. God is working behind the scenes to mature our thoughts and actions through allowing trials and testing. And when we come to understand this foundation and belief system, we can faithfully process even the most difficult experiences. As we go through life, for example, we have the loss of loved ones. They die. Someday we will die. And as painful as that experience is, usually the trial goes far beyond the person who is ill or the person who dies. It's for those of us who are left behind.

There's something for us to learn through that experience. Their trials are over. Their experiences are over. Their lives are preserved for the resurrection in God's kingdom. But the training usually continues for those of us who have been left behind. Those of us who have to continue living our lives in a productive and faithful way also learn from those kinds of experiences. The same is true of having an illness or disease. You learn things that you will never learn otherwise. And I can tell you firsthand that that is absolutely the truth. Aging. As we age, and we see some of our faculties slipping, and we're maybe not as sharp as we used to be, right? Some of the talents we have are a little bit dulled as we get older and older. God is teaching us something. No one likes to grow old, but that is part of God's plan and God's process for our lives. A financial loss. Experiencing constant change like the world that we live in today. I've read recently that cleanliness is now racist. So you can add that on to being productive is racist.

So we live in a world of constant change and disappointments. And again, all of that, we have to realize everything we're experiencing, because when God called us, we now live in the light of eternity. Everything we experience isn't just some accident or roll of the dice or some chance event or something. God either willed it or God allows it for a purpose. For something that's deeper than we can understand at the time. Again, biblical faith starts with this foundation that we've been talking about. In contrast, too many religious people think God is a genie. And I've run into a lot, including, sadly, in the Church of God. They think God is a genie. They think all they need to do is pray for something and God is obligated to do it. They think God is, your wish is my command.

But again, God, unlike a genie who wants to please us quickly and temporarily, God is interested in long term. He's not interested in our short-term happiness, contentment, well-being, or any of the other things we want. What God is interested in is eternity and preparing us to share and live as his children for all eternity. So, God is not a genie. Some people have watched too many Walt Disney movies growing up as children, and their definition and their perception of God is someone who just doles out the freebies and all the good stuff every time they pray for it. Totally misunderstanding what God's will is and what God is doing in our lives and in this world. 1 Peter, chapter 1, verse 3. You'll turn there with me. 1 Peter, chapter 1, verse 3. Peter writes, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, an inheritance that can't be taken away from you.

God is preparing us to be inheritors of eternity, inheritors of his spiritual family forever.

Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away, everything physical fades away. In time, the pyramids will become dust and they're ancient, but it's rather unique that they're still standing. But if the world would go on another 5,000, 10,000 years, even the pyramids would eventually become nothing. Everything in this physical world fades away. But God is calling us to an inheritance that will never fade away, reserved in heaven for you. Jesus Christ has our reward with him. And when he returns to this earth to establish the kingdom of God, that reward that he has is reserved for us right now in heaven will be given to us as he returns to earth. And we are transformed from this physical to spiritual during a resurrection, and we will receive our inheritance as we return to earth with Jesus Christ. Verse 5, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed at the last time. Do we have a faith that endures it's ready to be revealed in the end times? Will we be there? Will our attitudes be right? Will our lives be given glory to God and the things that we say and do? Verse 6, in this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials. Why? Because everything's by accident? Because it's all time and chance in your life? Because you just don't know what tomorrow's going to bring? Verse 7 gives us the answer. That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, that is your faith, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. So our faith is being tested. Those experiences, those trials, those difficulties that we go through are to make us more like Jesus Christ, to give us a mindset that God has. Less carnality, less about me, less about now, and more spiritual, more about God, more about eternity. Those are the two contrasts that God is working on. Our human contrasts that we struggle with and what he's trying to do within our lives. Continuing in the glory of the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love, though now you do not see him, yet believing, that's that Greek word, this is the verb form of the Greek word pistos, yet believing you rejoice with joy, inexpressible and full of glory, and receiving the end that is the ultimate goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. So, brethren, let's accept and realize that the trials that we suffer through, the things that we experience in this physical life once we are called and given the Spirit of God, are no longer arbitrary, not tied to time and chance or luck, that God has a plan for your life.

And let's accept and realize that these trials we suffer are to grow, to strengthen, to test our faithfulness. And as we prepare for the spring holy days this year, let us examine our degree of personal faith. That's why I gave a sermon last week, and I'm talking on a topic today, because I think we need to look into our hearts, make sure we have that foundation that we've been talking about at this point in the sermon, and that we are prepared to go forward, rededicating ourselves to Jesus Christ through taking and participating in the Passover, and realizing through the days of unleavened bread that we are new creatures in Christ, that we need to move on towards growth and towards perfection to be like Jesus Christ is. But what if we sincerely believe that we're going through something right now that's a trial and we've brought it on ourselves? What if you believe at this point in time God's punishing you for something you did?

Maybe within your heart you're saying, I'm having these problems, I'm having these difficulties, and I know that God is punishing me because I had this thought, or I said this thing, or I've been living this lifestyle, or I've been making these compromises. What if that is true? Well, in that case, that would be God's will if God is punishing you for something that you're going through. Let's go to Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 6 and read about what the author of Hebrews reminds us regarding correction, regarding being chastened by God, and what our attitude and perspective should be. And this fits with that foundation that we talked about early in the sermon to prepare us to understand how we can grow our faith. Hebrews chapter 12 verse 6, for whom the Lord loves, he chastens and scourges every son whom he receives. So if God loves you, sometimes you're going to get a spiritual spanking. Sometimes we're going to be corrected. And as he'll say, we all grew up in a household, and most of us grew up in households, where we had a father who lectured us and sometimes yelled at us and sometimes lost his cool because as adolescents or teenagers, we may have done some things we shouldn't be doing, right, or had bad attitudes, and we've all been corrected. So let's tie this all in together. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as sons for what son is there whom a father does not chasten. Any good father in a human level wants their children to grow up to be responsible people. And that means, as a father or mom, that sometimes you give them a good verbal chewing.

Sometimes you lecture them. But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Because God chastens those whom he loves. Verse 9, furthermore, we've had human fathers who corrected us and we paid them respect.

Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the father of spirits and live? For they, that is our human parents indeed, for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them. And our parents weren't perfect. Mine certainly weren't. But I have to give them credit and say they did the best job they could, considering their background and their circumstances. They did the best job they could at the time. They chastened me in ways that seemed best at the time. And sometimes it may have been harsh. Sometimes it may not have been fair. But between you and I, most of the times, I deserved it. I probably got away with more than I ever got chastened for.

Continuing. Verse 11, now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful nevertheless afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. So even if you believe that you are being punished by God for something, that you were being chastened, it's for a purpose too. It's to develop within us the peaceable fruit of righteousness, being right in God's eyes by saying, I need to stop living that lifestyle and I need to pray and I need to ask for repentance and I need to ask for forgiveness and I need to get my act together. I need to get closer to God and stop doing or stop thinking or stop saying this that comes back to haunt me all the time. Verse 12, therefore strengthen the hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make straight pads for your feet so that what is lame may not be dislocated but rather be healed. So if we feel like we're being punished for some reason, it is to develop within us the peaceable fruit of righteousness and God's ultimate goal is for us to be healed, for that to be gone, for that punishment to have to stop, and for us to move forward and not live in shame and not live in guilt, but to get the point, to get the lesson, and move forward in our lives and realize that we have been trained and we've been healed by that experience. So we see, brethren, that whatever trials and frustrations we go through in life, whether it's God's will or a choice that we make and the consequences of that, they are never ever in vain. They're not an accident or merely random. If we bring problems on ourselves or even if a loving Father chastens us, it's for a good purpose. We can't see it at the time, but it's always to develop us and help us to develop the fruit of righteousness. Realize it's part of the training process God has for you and that He has for me. God has a plan for your life, and He is in control of everything. Well, with this foundation we've been talking about and understanding why we go through difficulties, why our faith sometimes is challenged, and why we feel under assault sometimes, and why we struggle with doubts sometimes. Understanding that foundation, once it's established, we will see that growing our faith is a byproduct or something that's very powerful. God gave us the tool that we need to grow our faith. He gave it as a gift to us. Let's go to Galatians chapter 5 and verse 22 and see what this gift is. Galatians chapter 5 and verse 22.

James wrote, My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

Galatians chapter 5 and verse 22. But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. That's that Greek word pistis that we talked about last time. Gentleness, self-control, against such, there is no law. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the crop of nine qualities produced by the Spirit in those who walk on dependence with God. It's there for us. It's there for the taking. Imagine being in a fruit orchard and you have all the ripe fruits and you can smell the apples. They're ripe. They're just... That's what the Holy Spirit offers us. The Holy Spirit offers us a crop of nine qualities that are a byproduct of having God's Spirit within us so that we can grow in all of these qualities and one of them is faithfulness. But for this to happen, we have to be open and sensitive to the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. It's our advocate and it will bring remembrance to our minds of things we should be doing.

Sometimes it'll bring to remembrance in our minds things we said we would stop doing and are still doing. It will prick our conscience when we need a nudge. It will offer joy and peace when we're discouraged. But it can only do that if we are listening and allowing God's Spirit to coach us.

2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 3. Something else that Paul wrote in this case to Timothy. 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 3. This is one of Paul's prison epistles.

I believe this was his second imprisonment.

2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 3. I thank God, Paul says, as he's writing to Timothy, whom I serve with a pure conscience as my forefathers did. As without ceasing, I remember you in my prayers night and day. He had a personal friendship and relationship with Timothy. Frankly, he was Timothy's mentor. Greatly desiring to see you, he says, being mindful of your tears that I may be filled with joy. When I called to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice. And I am persuaded as in you also. So here grandma and mom brought the young Timothy to church when he was a little boy. On the Sabbath day so that he could learn God's word. And because of their diligence and faithfulness, he grew up to be a servant of God. Verse 6. Therefore, I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Now this word from the Greek that translated stir up is anadzopora and it means to rekindle. So he's saying rekindle the spirit of God, which was given to you by the laying on of my hands. I'm going to read this, verse 6, from the New International Version. Quote, For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. Paul is saying that Timothy's responsibility is to keep rekindling this spiritual gift. How about us, brethren, as we prepare for the Passover this year, do we need to rekindle or fan into flame that Holy Spirit that resides within us? Do we need to take a spiritual bellows and take that little amber?

What's left of the Holy Spirit lying dormant, ignored? Do we need to once again get that to glow and fan it into a flame in our lives? Well, this is the time of year of all times, but this is the time of year as we prepare for the Passover and the spring holy days to think about those kinds of things. Brethren, in our relationship with God, God wants full custody of you, not just weekend visits. God is not like a divorced parent. He's not interested in seeing you on the weekends. He wants full custody of our lives. Another way that we can grow in faith, of course, is to strengthen our relationship with God as we fan the flames of the Spirit is to draw close to the Father. So one thing we can do to grow in biblical faith sometimes is so simple we overlook it, and that is to talk to God and ask Him for more faith. Let's go to Matthew chapter 7 and verse 7. Matthew chapter 7 and verse 7 to ask God for more faith. Jesus said, Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? What kind of physical cruelty would a father do that to someone they love? Or if he asks for a fish, he will give him a serpent. If you then, being evil, that is humanity, being human beings, know how to give good gifts to your children and respond to them in the right way, how much more will your father, who is in heaven, give you good things to those who ask him?

In these powerful verses, Jesus provides us with some important tools for our needs to be met and our prayers answered. Prayer is how we ask and communicate our need and our desires to God. By seeking, we focus on the request. We have an engaged mind. We have an acute awareness that, Father, this is something that I really need. Please intervene on my behalf. By knocking, we show our persistence until the door is opened and that need is met. God, in most cases, is waiting for us to ask, to seek, to knock. Are we willing to do that? Turn with me to Hebrews 11.

So, one way we can grow in biblical faith is to talk to God and ask Him for more faith.

Another thing we can do is to study the lives of the faithful.

Their biographies are in the Bible for a very good reason. Hebrews 11, we won't go through the whole chapter for the sake of time, but we'll pick up some things here. Beginning in verse 1, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. And then Paul begins a phrase that he uses eighteen times in this chapter. Do you think he's trying to tell us something?

By faith, again, that phrase is used eighteen times in this chapter. By faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that the things which are seen were not made by things that are visible. God is spiritual. And again, we get back to faith. There's no evidence. God is a spiritual being. By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous.

God testifying of his gifts, and through it, he being dead still speaks. So Abel, unlike his brother, gave something that had blood, something whose blood was shed, picturing what Jesus Christ would have to do. And that example of Cain and Abel and their sacrifice is still being read today because of the great example that Abel gave. His brother just gave fruit, but Abel gave something that pictured Jesus Christ, an animal whose blood was shed as part of a sacrifice.

Again, for the sake of time, and I'm already behind like it was last sermon, for the sake of time we won't go through the rest of the chapter, but it gives many more examples. I encourage you to read the original accounts in the Old Testament. Determine what lessons you can draw from these accounts. Learn and grow in faith by the example of those whose entire lives were dedicated to God. The very fact that that phrase by faith is used 18 times should tell us how important their personal examples are for us to read and to model.

They're there for a very good reason. Jesus, as Hebrews says in chapter 12 in verse 2, is the author and the finisher of our faith. So let's allow Jesus Christ to work through us. Let's be submissive to the Holy Spirit and allow it to spiritually coach us. Let us go to God and ask for faith in the things that we need. Let us continue to follow the example and read about the lives and the examples of those who had faith.

Another thing we can do is remember the basic biblical tools and habits, and sometimes we've heard about them so often that we just take them for granted. We stop listening, but there's certainly a proper place for prayer and Bible study and meditation and fasting and other tools that God gives us. Let's take a look at Romans chapter 10 and verse 12. Romans chapter 10 and verse 12. Paul writes here, For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek.

For the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon him, for whoever calls in the name of the Lord shall be saved. And of course, we know by now that calling upon the name of the Lord, having faith, having belief, also has a connection with doing something about it. It also has a reflection of that two sides of the coin, faith and works. Doing something about our faith, not just thinking happy thoughts in our heart, or warm fuzzies about things, but actually doing something that reflects that conviction and that faith and that belief. Let's pick it up here now in verse 14. How then shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed?

And how shall they believe in him, whom they have not heard? So he's talking about the preaching of the gospel, and he says you have to hear the message in order to believe. And if there's no one preaching that message, how in the world can they ever hear the truth? How can their minds be converted? How can they change if they've not heard the message?

And how shall they hear without a preacher? And of course, today we have the blessings of expanded technologies. Not everyone has to be within earshot of a preacher today. People can read literature. People can go on social media and see TV programs, and they can see sermons, and they can see all kinds of additional things that weren't available 50-60 years ago for the good news to be preached to this world. Verse 15. And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Someone has to be trained. Someone has to be sent out in order to preach the gospel, the good news that changes lives. As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. Verse 16. But they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report? And here's the answer. So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Two very powerful things there in verse 17. According to Paul, faith can come by using two basic biblical tools that we talk about all the time, but they really are important. First of all, he says, faith comes by hearing.

Coming to Sabbath services is a great way to hear the Word of God, the fellowship with your brethren. You can listen to audio and video messages during the week. Again, on our website, there's all kinds of information. You can't live long enough to listen to everything that's on the UCG website. Thousands and thousands of sermons. I don't care if you listen for 24-7, because there's more being added every week. You could never hear it all. But faith comes by hearing. So we don't have to be limited to just coming to Sabbath services, and we should come. It's a commanded assembly. But all through the week, we can listen to audio and video messages. You can call someone during the week and encourage them and talk to them. You can fellowship here, or fellowship from your home by calling individuals. You can listen to inspiring music. And again, because of modern technology, we can now do these kinds of things every day. And more than ever, we can realize that faith comes by hearing, saturating our minds with quality messages about God's Word, about God's way of life. He says something else here, too. He says, hearing by the Word of God. That's studying this book right here. This is the Word of God.

And we can do this through personal Bible study, through reading literature and articles, going into the interactive Bible studies, and learning to sharpen our skills and talk about so-called controversial doctrines and topics, and learning from one another. We can do it through, of course, prayer. With prayer, we speak to God. With Bible study, He speaks back to us. With meditation, we focus our thoughts on spiritual things. With fasting, we are reminded of our limited humanity and how much we need God desperately. Because just going a few hours without food, we're already hurting. We're already reminded that we are physical and how frail this human existence is. The last thing I would like to talk about today is to live your faith. Make your actions a personal testimony of faith. Allow your life to be a personal testimony of faith. James chapter 2 and verse 17. James chapter 2 and verse 17. James writes, again emphasizing this understanding that faith is two sides of the same coin, faith and works, not just talking the talk, not just being a blowhard, but doing what you say you believe, doing something about it. Thus also, faith by itself, if it does not have works is dead, James says. But someone will say, you have faith and I have works. He says, show me your faith without your works and I will show you my faith by my works. They'll prove that I'm a faithful person. They'll prove that what I say I do, what I say I am, that it's not just all talk.

You believe that there is one God? He says, you do well. Even the demons believe and tremble. So, simply believing that there's a God isn't enough. I mean, statistics in the United States still show something like, I don't know, 80% of Americans say they believe in God. Oh, that's very impressive, but they don't do anything about it. Many of them continue to live like animals. But yes, they believe in God. Well, as James says here, the demons believe in God and they tremble because they know there's a judgment. So, big deal! What are you doing about it?

Is what James, the question James is asking here. But do you want to know, oh foolish man, that faith without works is dead? And he goes on, continuing to talk about the example of Abraham and Rahab, how their actions were connected with their faith, approved and demonstrated their faith. So, brethren, put in the practice what you read in the scriptures. Trust God and his word. If the Bible says do it, then do it. And don't argue with the scriptures. Now, I have to add, because I know some people have done some things in the past, but whenever you read anything in context, realize that some of the things in scriptures were meant for a Bronze Age people who were under a different covenant, living in a different age in a different time. So, to go all the way back to the Old Testament and to point out one little thing and say, well, the scripture says this, so I'm going to do it. You've got to understand the context.

And you have to be fair to God and understand that you're living in the right covenant, and not the wrong covenant and the wrong relationship with God. But having said that, trust God in his word. And when the Bible says do something, do it, and don't argue or try to reason with scriptures. As Jude wrote in Jude chapter 1, or verse 20, and we read this a few weeks ago in our mid-month Bible study, but you, beloved, building yourselves up in the most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

So, use God's Spirit to build yourself up. Stay close to God through prayer and through those biblical tools that we talked about just a few minutes ago. The American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson said this once, quote, we live by faith or we do not live at all. Either we venture or we vegetate. So, as we approach the Passover this year, I want to ask you, are you venturing?

Are you using God's Spirit to continue to change your life? Continue to be a new creature in Christ?

Growing? Believing more than ever before? Or have we begun to vegetate? Have we flipped on spiritual autopilot and just kind of going through the motions? But there's no real growth. There's no change. So, which one is it in our lives? I think we all know what should be happening in our lives. Trust God's promises and live by them and feed your faith. And when you do that, you'll starve your doubts. Feed your faith and you will starve your doubts. So, let's recap some of the things we talked about today in this sermon. God has a plan and a deep purpose for your life. All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. God is in control of everything in your life, everything in this world, even if we sometimes feel that things are out of control. Trust me, God has everything in control.

Trust the process and establish the best foundation of faith that we talked about earlier in the sermon. All of our positive experiences work together with the negative experiences in life for the long-term benefit and personal growth for us spiritually. When we truly believe this, it transforms our thinking. And everything that happens in life we reinterpret from a spiritual perspective. So, it isn't just, woe is me, God is picking on me, where is God, when I need him. But when you have a spiritual perspective, you realize the good, the bad, the painful, the joyful are all working together for good in your life.

Talk to God and ask him for more faith with something else we talked about. Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be open to you for everyone who asks, receives, and he who seeks finds and to him who knocks it will be open. That's a promise from Jesus Christ. But we have to follow what Jesus taught us. Be persistent, be humble enough to ask.

Remember, sometimes God could do anything he wants, but he's waiting to be asked. He's God, he's an impotent. He can do anything at any time but waiting for us to ask. Are we willing to do that? Are we humble enough to do that? We talked about studying the lives of the faithful. Their biographies in the Bible are there for a reason. Learn and grow in faith by the example of those who were dedicated to God before us. You know, there's a common example of Abraham sacrificing Isaac. He certainly was obedient to God, but he also had incredible faith. Think about the fact that as the young men and him are on the last leg of their journey before he and his son goes up to Mount Moriah, he says, I and the lad are going to go up to the mount and we will return to you. What? How's that going to work out? God's taking him there to sacrifice his son.

His son is supposed to die. Yet Abraham, in his own faith, maybe he doesn't know how, maybe he doesn't know why, but he just knows God is going to work this out.

And he tells those servants that we're going up to the mountain and I and the lad will come back to you. That's faith. That's a biblical faith. Another thing we talked about is remember the basic biblical tools and habits. Practice them daily. Basic communication skills keep us connected to God. In Bible study, God speaks to us. He reveals what he wants us to understand as we study his word. When we pray to him, we speak to him. We open our hearts and our minds and we tell him what's in our mind. With meditation, we focus on spiritual things. With fasting, we are reminded of our limited humanity. And then live your faith. Make your actions a personal testimony of faith.

As James said, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Put into practice, active practice, what you read in the scriptures. Remember the faithful examples of those who have lived before us. As Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 10, he said, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. It's those good works that show that we live a life of faith.

It's those good works that show that we believe in a biblical faith. It's those good works that help us to continue to grow in our faith. So, brethren, I wish all of you a wonderful Sabbath day and continue in your own way and in your time at home and your meditations and your thoughts and your Bible studies to prepare for this year's upcoming Passover and days of Unleavened Bread.