Faith, Patience, Salvation

Faith and patience

| by Kristine Repino

Let me stir you up with The Truth!

The SUPPLY to every need, the POWER to change any circumstance, and the SOLUTION to every puzzle-the VICTORY to every issue you face has already been given to you.

God’s plan of SALVATION provided all you will ever need before that need existed.

  • Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who HAS blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ
  • 2 Peter 1:3 As His divine power has given to us ALL THINGS that pertain to life and godliness

You are an HEIR of salvation

  • Galatians 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a SON; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
  • Romans 8:17 And if children, then HEIRS; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;

This is totally GOD’S victory (through Jesus)!   Let me say it again, this is God’s victory, on YOUR behalf!  All you need to do to receive it is to BELIEVE it.

  • 1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, who GIVES us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
  • Colossians 2:15 [God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in TRIUMPHING over them in Him (Jesus) and in it [the cross].

Then WHY don’t we always see our victory?  We KNOW it isn’t God

  • 2 Corinthians 1:20 For ALL the promises of God in Him are YES, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
  • Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is FAITHFUL.

What IS the problem?  There is still an ENEMY

  • 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the DEVIL walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
  • John 10:10 The thief does not come except to STEAL, and to KILL and to DESTROY.

There is a FIGHT to hold onto your faith, and therefore, we are exhorted to fight the GOOD fight of FAITH

  • 1 Timothy 6:12 FIGHT the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
  • 1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our FAITH.

Jesus says it like this:

  • John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I HAVE OVERCOME the world.”

So how do we do it?  Through FAITH and PATIENCE

  • Hebrews 6:11-13 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through FAITH and patience INHERIT the promises.
  • James 1:2-3 Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.  Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your FAITH bring out endurance and steadfastness and PATIENCE.
  • James 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.

Faith that overcomes

Let’s suggest there is a storm which is several hundred miles away and you and I are believing by faith that it would dissipate completely before it ever gets close to us.  We’re praying, thanking God for His protection, and commanding that storm to go.  A couple hours later, that storm is much closer, hasn’t slowed down and the power of it seems to increasing.  We continue to believe, command it to go, and praise God for His protection.  Then, just an hour later, we get reports that this storm has increased in intensity and is now considered a hurricane and is coming right toward us.

If you’ve understood faith to be trust in God for your every need to be met, you may easily agree in faith when we began this scenario.  If you’ve had some experience exercising your faith, you might even continue to hold fast to your hopeful expectation when the storm didn’t dissipate at the first shout of praise to God.  But I’d like to ask you, would you merely be holding on to a possible hope of deliverance once the storm became a real threat?  Would your faith continue to be as steadfast, consistent and strong as it was when the storm began hundreds of miles away?  That is faith and patience.  There is a fight to hold on to overcoming faith; unrelenting, unwavering confidence in God’s power, wisdom and goodness.  But the victory is already ours!  Amen.