10.13.12 "Faith Rewarded with Power"

"Faith Rewarded with Power"

Jeremiah 22:1-23:20
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
Psalm 83:1-18
Proverbs 25:110-14

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 "And so we keep on praying for you that our God will make you the kind of children he wants to have - will make you as good as you wish you could be! - rewarding your faith with his power. Then everyone will be praising the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because of the results they see in you; and your greatest glory will be that you belong to him. The tender mercy of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ has made all this possible for you."

These verses are a great reminder of some very important things.

1. God is trying to make us into the children he wants to have. There is intentionality to God's purposes for our life. He is working in us and through us for our good!

2. His work in us is to make us as good as we wish we could be. If you're like me, there are a lot of times you can get frustrated with yourself. I know I'm not who I should be. But the great thing is that as I let him do his work, I will become what I need to be!

3. This whole process takes the power of God! What this portion of scripture shows is that our faith is rewarded with power. Notice the sequence. As we move in faith, we experience His power! Too often I think I wait around for his power and I never exercise faith. This doesn't have to be huge leaps of faith. It is just in these little steps of faith where we begin to experience the power which increases our faith.

4. There should be observable results! What God is doing in your life should result in developing character and conduct that others see. Can others see growth in you? Can they see it in me? I'm not talking about piety or "holier-than-thou" type of growth, I'm talking about genuine steps of Christian maturity. I really have to think about it. When was the last time someone praised the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because of the results they saw in me?

5. It's only by the mercy of God that any of this is possible. We don't deserve this attention for growth that God gives us. We deserve far less. Yet in the price Jesus paid for us, all of this is possible for you.

If there's a tidbit I want to take today, it's that I must take steps of faith. His power will follow. This power will equip me to accomplish what he has for me. It will give me strength to become who He wants me to be. As I experience this, I know my faith will grow.



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe
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