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The Walk, Worship, and Warfare of Faith

Hebrews 11:1-3 – “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”

            As believers we are called to infuse our faith into an unbelieving culture.  Faith is a powerful force. Phillip Yancey defines faith as “believing in advance something that will only seem logical when seen in reverse.”  Faith is pleasing to God.

In a recent time of prayer, I had the thought, “faith has a voice.”  In Hebrews 11:4 we learn, “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.”

We must learn to align our thoughts and our words with the Word of God.  How do we align our thinking?  How do we bring our thinking into alignment with God’s will for our lives?  Ephesians 4:23-24 says, “and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,” and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” Proverbs 23:7 reveals, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” 

Abel demonstrated faith’s worship.  His faith was pleasing to God.  Worship is by faith. Our worship begins with an acknowledgment of our need of Christ.  In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus shares the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.  The Pharisee was self-righteous.  Listen to his prayer in verses 11-12, “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’”

This contrasted with the Tax Collector’s prayer, “standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner!” Jesus praised the tax collector. Worship is an act of faith, an act of surrender, and an expression of our love to the Father.

Abel offered gifts to God. He brought an acceptable sacrifice to God which said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
When we worship, we acknowledge our poverty of spirit by faith. We come to worship in His righteousness alone. We have the standing to worship because of His shed blood at Calvary.

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