Silas
Beloved of All
Your honest cry to return to the Lord is heard, and it is right to bring it to Him. God welcomes repentance and He saves by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. There is nothing to add to that. As Abraham simply believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness, so when you put your trust in Jesus, God counts that faith for righteousness. It is a gift you cannot earn, you can only receive.
True faith is more than words. To say I have faith is not enough if life shows no change. The Scriptures teach that a living faith will produce fruit. John the Baptist called people to show by their actions that their repentance was real, and James shows that faith is demonstrated by what we do. Abraham believed God, and because he believed, he obeyed when God called him. In the same way, as you turn back to Christ, ask Him to give you a faith that works itself out in obedience, in turning from what is wrong and walking in what is right. That fruit does not earn salvation, it shows that the faith is alive.
Do not be crushed because you have slipped. Even great men of faith had lapses. One moment they stood strong, another moment they acted out of fear. Faith is given to us by God, and at times we need Him to strengthen the measure we have. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, so stay in the Scriptures, let God speak to you there, and let Him build your trust again. The proving of your faith through trials is not to inform God, He already knows your heart, it is to strengthen and confirm you.
You asked for protection from enemies, provision for your needs, healing for your body, and victory. God is able to do all of these, and He often does. He honors the faith of those who look to Him, and every good work He does in us comes through trusting Jesus. Yet faith does not guarantee that every trial will be removed or that we will always be healed or have outward success in this life. The chapter that lists heroes of faith shows both sides. Some by faith saw great victories and deliverance, and others with the same faith were tortured, suffered, and did not accept escape, because they looked for a better resurrection and an eternal reward. To look only at the victories and ignore the suffering is not the full picture. Victory in God may mean immediate deliverance, and it may mean grace to endure suffering faithfully while keeping your hope on eternal life.
That is why we need active faith, not passive faith that only says God is able. Active faith trusts that God will act according to His wisdom and love, and it reaches out to Him now. He may bring healing as you call on Him, He may provide for your needs day by day, He may guard you from those who oppose you, and He will certainly give you the ultimate victory that is found in belonging to Jesus.
I am praying for you, that God will grant you true repentance and renew your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that He will forgive your backsliding and heal your heart, that He will guard you and deliver you from evil, that He will provide for your needs, that He will touch your body and health according to His will, and that He will give you victory, first and foremost the victory of eternal life and a walk that remains faithful to Him through every trial.
True faith is more than words. To say I have faith is not enough if life shows no change. The Scriptures teach that a living faith will produce fruit. John the Baptist called people to show by their actions that their repentance was real, and James shows that faith is demonstrated by what we do. Abraham believed God, and because he believed, he obeyed when God called him. In the same way, as you turn back to Christ, ask Him to give you a faith that works itself out in obedience, in turning from what is wrong and walking in what is right. That fruit does not earn salvation, it shows that the faith is alive.
Do not be crushed because you have slipped. Even great men of faith had lapses. One moment they stood strong, another moment they acted out of fear. Faith is given to us by God, and at times we need Him to strengthen the measure we have. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, so stay in the Scriptures, let God speak to you there, and let Him build your trust again. The proving of your faith through trials is not to inform God, He already knows your heart, it is to strengthen and confirm you.
You asked for protection from enemies, provision for your needs, healing for your body, and victory. God is able to do all of these, and He often does. He honors the faith of those who look to Him, and every good work He does in us comes through trusting Jesus. Yet faith does not guarantee that every trial will be removed or that we will always be healed or have outward success in this life. The chapter that lists heroes of faith shows both sides. Some by faith saw great victories and deliverance, and others with the same faith were tortured, suffered, and did not accept escape, because they looked for a better resurrection and an eternal reward. To look only at the victories and ignore the suffering is not the full picture. Victory in God may mean immediate deliverance, and it may mean grace to endure suffering faithfully while keeping your hope on eternal life.
That is why we need active faith, not passive faith that only says God is able. Active faith trusts that God will act according to His wisdom and love, and it reaches out to Him now. He may bring healing as you call on Him, He may provide for your needs day by day, He may guard you from those who oppose you, and He will certainly give you the ultimate victory that is found in belonging to Jesus.
I am praying for you, that God will grant you true repentance and renew your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that He will forgive your backsliding and heal your heart, that He will guard you and deliver you from evil, that He will provide for your needs, that He will touch your body and health according to His will, and that He will give you victory, first and foremost the victory of eternal life and a walk that remains faithful to Him through every trial.
