Skip to main content

Marks of Faith

By Date -
Marks of Faith

Marks of Faith
Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.
Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, “We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.'” But not even then did their testimony agree.
And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” But He kept silent and answered nothing.
Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”
Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?”
And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.
— Mark 14:55–64, NKJV

Israel's religious and political leaders wanted to rid themselves of Jesus, so they tried every means possible to convict Him of a crime. They paid an informant from among Jesus' own followers, but he returned their money and declared the Lord innocent (Mark 14:43–46; Matthew 27:3–5). They orchestrated an armed mob to intimidate Jesus, but He kept His cool and restrained His followers (Matthew 26:51–54). The leaders even presented witnesses to testify against Him, but the witnesses perjured themselves and contradicted each other (Mark 14:55, 56).
People tried to convict Jesus of a crime for which they lacked a shred of evidence. They failed because Jesus lived His life in plain sight. For every false accusation lodged against Him, there were countless examples of His love and moral perfection.
What signs of authentic faith do people see when they scrutinize our lives? Is it enough evidence to prove that our trust in God is real? The Bible suggests several outward marks of authentic faith:

  • We display the Beatitudes that Jesus described in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3–16).
  • We think with a transformed mind, we express genuine love, and we respect authority (Romans 12:1,2; 13:1–7).
  • We overflow with love actions (1 Corinthians 13).
  • We display the Spirit's fruit (Galatians 5:22–26).
  • We imitate Christ's humility and look out for others' interests (Philippians 2:1–4).
  • We pray without ceasing, and in everything we give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).
  • We carry out works of faith and compassion (James 2:14–17), we control our tongues (3:1–11), and we speak wisdom (3:13).
  • We hold to the truth about Jesus (2 John 4; 3 John 3, 4) and defend it (Jude 3).
As others study our lives for evidence that we are followers of Christ, how many of these marks do they see?
Drawn from the Apply the Word Study Bible.

Follow Us on:
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Don’t Look Back!

By Date -
Don’t Look Back! Luke 9:62 – And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Have you answered the call to serve God as His son and daughter? Have you totally chosen Jehovah as your God? Have you decided to leave your old ways and cleave unto God? If yes! Beloved I congratulate you. But hope you took the cost of your choice?? [Please refer to yesterday’s sermon] God doesn’t want us to look back when we have answered the call, why? This is because of the following: Firstly, it brings shame to the body of Christ and makes people to despise Christ. Looking back is to be lukewarm and to depart from the first love! [Revelation 2:4, Revelation 3:16] Secondly, looking back makes the believer to suffer backwardness spiritually and physical. The faith of the believer suffers and takes a longer time to be rebuilt. [Hebrews 6:4]. Thirdly, looking back will make the person not to complete whatever he or she has started. This is w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Heart Not Garment - 2

By Date -
"Rend your heart, and not your garments." --Joel 2:13 Apart from vital godliness all religion is utterly vain; offered without a sincere heart, every form of worship is a solemn sham and an impudent mockery of the majesty of heaven. HEART-RENDING is divinely wrought and solemnly felt. It is a secret grief which is personally experienced, not in mere form, but as a deep, soul-moving work of the Holy Spirit upon the inmost heart of each believer. It is not a matter to be merely talked of and believed in, but keenly and sensitively felt in every living child of the living God. It is powerfully humiliating, and completely sin-purging; but then it is sweetly preparative for those gracious consolations which proud un-humbled spirits are unable to receive; and it is distinctly discriminating, for it belongs to the elect of God, and to them alone.
Post a Comment
Read more

Faulty Covenant

By Date -
Faulty Covenant Hebrews 8:7 [7] For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. Covenant as a strong bound that is not easily broken can be faulty. The covenant made betwixt God and the Israelites was a faulty covenant in this time of Grace but perfect in it's time. The covenant wasn't to lead sinner's unto Christ's but it was to lead them unto their destructive end quickly. The old covenant was a period of darkness and pains (because it was more by works and not by grace) but thanks to God who invalidated the old covenant and gave us the covenant of Grace where Jesus is the mediator no longer Moses. God spoken of the new covenant long ago in Jeremiah 31:31; it was manifested in Christ. This new covenant brings light to the soul. Every covenant that do not bring light to your life, be destroyed now by fire! Whatever makes you to live by work and not by grace be destroyed! For God's name sake, let everyt...
Post a Comment
Read more