Information Related to "Faith"
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Virtual Christian Magazine Editorial Faith By Tom Damour Jesus taught the importance of enduring faith and consistent prayer. Consider the lesson of the parable of the unjust judge.
esus taught His disciples through several parables, but one of them ended with the question, "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:7). Some have mistakenly thought this parable teaches that we should beg and plead for God to intervene for us, and maybe if we plead long enough, He might give us the answer we seek. But this is not what the parable means at all. Two lessons There are two main points we should glean from the parable. First, Jesus wanted us to learn we should be consistent in our prayer life. This is clearly brought out in verse 1, "Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart" (Luke 18:1). The other point Jesus wanted them to understand is that ultimate justice for Christians would not come about until His second coming. In Luke 18:6-7 we read, "Then the Lord said, 'Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?" The Phillips Translation reads, "Notice how this dishonest magistrate behaved. Do you suppose God, patient as he is, will not see justice done for his chosen, who appeal to him day and night?" Christians must never give up praying for the Kingdom of God to be established on the earth. That is when God will bring justice and peace to the earth. We should continue to pray, even if the answer we seek is long in coming. Jesus concluded His parable by asking if He would find people of enduring faith when He returns. The point of the parable was to remind Christians that we must not lose heart (faith) no matter the circumstances and that we should continuously pray for the day Jesus Christ will return and restore God's government on the earth. Necessity of faith In this month's issue of Virtual Christian Magazine, you will see several ways faith can be expressed. Each article illustrates faith in action, but under different circumstances. Growing in faith is an expensive endeavor. By that, I mean we must be willing to take the time and effort necessary to learn what God says to us, and then apply His Word in our daily lives. Jesus Himself said, "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:27). We must be willing to obey Him no matter the cost to us. It is our hope that as you read, "the eyes of your understanding" (Ephesians 1:18) will be opened so that your walk of faith will continue to mature as you learn more about the truth of God and how it applies in your life. Copyright 2005 by United Church of God, an International Association All rights reserved. |
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Keywords: prayer faith
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