Bible Question:
Please excuse my ignorance in asking so many questions But I feel compelled to ask this one also to see what imput this forum can provide me with. So please bear with me once again. Fenelon I believe is attributed with the quote: "Let go, and let God" But in 2 Tim. 4:7 it didn't appear to be Paul's philosophy of the day when he stated: 2Tim. 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: In this I see 3 "I haves" of Paul, he said: 1) I HAVE fought the good fight. I also cross reference this with the following verse: 1Tim 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I think Paul was saying we have been enlisted as soliders in the army of Christ, theres a real battle thats being waged. Do we have to take up the armor and get dressed for battle, or does God dress us? Do we follow Him into battle? 2) I HAVE finished my course -- here is the second I have of Paul from this verse 3) I HAVE kept the faith. I know that believers are kept by the power of God through faith. (1 Pet. 1:5) So do these kept verses contradict each other? Does faith require maintenance on the part of those who have it? In Christ zach† |
Bible Answer: In Eph 2:10 it says that we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. The key here is good works. James 2:17 says faith without works is dead. This means faith is not somthing that we can produce on our own. Faith is one of the manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit in Gal 5. And in John 15 Jesus said that He is the vine and that we were the branches, and a branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine. So, the vine produces the fruit we just bear it. So just abide in Christ, He is our source. Do not seek after the resource. Just walk with His Spirit, and talk with Him, and fellowship with Him and don't resist Him. Remember, Christ is our righteousness in I Cor 1:30. And we have been made righteousness of God in Him, (II Cor 5:21) |