The Object of Faith
1 Corinthians 13:13
A.
If we went around saying:
1.
I have hope, I have hope, I have hope
2.
What do you have hope in?
3.
What is the object of your hope?
B.
Or what if We said:
1.
I have love, I have love, I have love
2.
Some one would ask, “What or whom do you love?”
3.
What is the object of your love?
C.
Do we say this:
1.
I have faith, I have faith, I have faith
2.
When we say this, no one questions one about the
object.
3.
Seems as if all know what we mean when we say,
“ I have faith”
D.
We had to have an object for hope and love.
1.
Faith was just assumed.
2.
Now let us really establish an object for our faith.
II.
Objects of our HOPE.
A.
Here are some scriptural examples of HOPE.
1.
Colossians 1:27, 1Timothy 1:1, Titus 2:13
B.
All these point to Jesus as the object of Hope.
1.
We are to direct our hope toward the object, Jesus.
C.
Use these three verses together: “Christ in
me, the Lord Jesus Christ is my Hope, I look for that blessed Hope and the
glorious appearing of my God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
D.
Know the object of my Hope, giving that Hope a focal
point, strengthens the very foundation of it.
III.
Object of our Love
A.
Here are three scriptural examples of Love with an
object.
1.
1Corinthisans 2:9, 2Corinthians 5:14, Colossians 3:19
2.
Each expresses different objects for Love.
3.
Our prayer:
Ephesians 3:19
4.
When we direct our Love toward an object [wife], Love
becomes more real to us.
A.
If Love and Hope have objects, Faith them must have an
object.
1.
Mark 11:22, Galatians 3:26, Romans 10:17
2.
God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Word are objects
of our Faith.
B.
Faith must have a more direct focus on the object.
1.
Without direction our Faith does not have much power.
2.
When directed in the right direction, the object, then
Faith becomes alive.
3.
Example: Soldier – a weapon – never trained on it – very in-effective.
C.
In God’s Word, what would be the object of my Faith?
1.
His omniscience, all knowing God
2.
His omnipresence, everywhere present God
3.
His omnipotence, all powerful God
4.
Would it be, His holiness, His creative ability, His
kingdom, the choices are limitless.
A.
Without what? Faith in what? Faith in whom?
1.
A beginning:
John 1:14 -- The Living Word
2.
To read, study and meditate the Word, is to know God
3.
His personality is revealed in the Bible, because the
written Word and the Living Word are the same.
4.
“Without faith in the Word of God, it is
impossible to please Him”
B.
Our Faith is developed by the Word. Romans 10:17
1.
Hearing means to read and meditate the Word.
2.
The object of our Faith is the Word of God.
3.
Some facts about the Bible.
a.
Approximately 1200 pages
b.
More than 23,000 verses in the Old Testament
c.
More than 8,000 in the New Testament
d.
800,000 words to consider
e.
Over 4 million letters
4.
Faith in the Word is very general.
A.
Three things ;
Christ’ death, burial, and resurrection, “Of first importance”
1.
Jesus by “revelation” revealed to Paul. Galatians
1:11-12
a.
“That Christ died for our sins” is part of that
revelation.
2.
This brings us closer to the main object of our Faith.
3.
It is the Blood of Jesus
Conclusion: Our Hope, Our Love, Our Faith is all based on the Living Word, Jesus, His death,
burial and resurrection. It has become
our main focus, the object of our Faith.
Let us begin to focus our Faith on the Power of the Blood.’