MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU

Jesus said: “My grace is sufficient for you...” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

There is a lot of teaching that markets itself under the big umbrella of Christianity. This can be very confusing for new Christians, and even for mature Christians who are experiencing a season of hardship.

If you are a person who is seeking to better understand how Christianity is different from other world religions, and you are overwhelmed by all of the apparently conflicting teachings that say they represent the Christian religion, you should know this:

True Bible based Christianity is very simple. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. 

Nothing more. Nothing less.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

John 3:16

Amen.

GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; 

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

FORCE RIPENED FAITH

Have you ever eaten a tomato that was tasteless, obviously picked prematurely and forced to ripen in a delivery truck on the way to market many miles (or continents) away? 

Have you ever bitten into a vine-ripened tomato? What a difference! The vine-ripened tomato is juicy and colorful and it has the full flavor of the sun and the soil and the seasonal rain.

Sometimes in our faith, especially as baby Christians, we want to grow up quickly. We want to show the world how much, and all, that we know. Our enthusiasm is not to be discouraged. But faith cannot be forced ripened. Faith is experiential. Faith is personal. We can learn from others’ trials of faith, but until our own faith is tested we will never know the true power of faith to transform our lives and the world around us. 

...knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (NKJV)

...for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (ESV)

...because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (NIV)

You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you may become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. (The Message)

James 1:4

FAITH CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS

For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.

Matthew 17:20

This is a tricky verse to share with anyone who is not a Christian. Even Christians struggle with it. It’s hard to imagine moving a mountain, especially when you are standing in front of one, whether it’s an actual mountain or a mountain of problems.

There is one important thing to note about this verse: we are not moving the mountain. It is our faith that moves the mountain.

I am always amazed at how easy it is to lift and transport a heavy item when it's resting on the platform of a moving dolly. The long arm of the dolly takes all of the difficulty out of the task. This phenomenon is called leverage.

Faith is our leverage in this life. 

We don’t need big muscles to do impossible things. We need faith. Even faith the size of a mustard seed can do great things. Christ tells us it can move mountains! 

Let’s be clear: we are not talking about using our minds to perform a magic trick. We are talking about having faith in Christ and using that faith to do impossible things.

What seems impossible to you? Before we challenge God, maybe we should challenge our faith.