THE FAITH OF JESUS
- One With Christ Forever -
By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law; but the faith of Jesus
Christ...” (Gal.2: 16). What does that mean? Theologian John Gill stated: “...but by the faith of Jesus Christ; not by that faith, which Christ, as man, had in God...but that faith of which he is the object, author, and finisher...”
'WHO was Jesus of Nazareth? He was True God from Eternity - together with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. The Bible says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.
''And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1: 1-4,14)
JESUS CREATOR AND GIVER OF LIFE!
JESUS of Nazareth was the Creator of the universe and life itself. The Bible says, “God ...hath in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds;
“Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image or His Person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself PURGED OUR SINS, sat down in the right hand of Majesty on High.
“Being made so much better than the angels, as He had by INHERITANCE, obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son? And again, when He bringeth in the Firstbegotten into the world He saith, And let all the angels of God WORSHIP HIM?
“But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy Kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and HATED iniquity; therefore, God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the OIL of Gladness above thy fellows.
“And Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thy hands: They shall perish; but Thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail.” (Heb.1: 1-13). When He was incarnated He became True man, by His virgin Birth!
WHAT DID HE ACCOMPLISH?
WHAT did He accomplish? Through His miraculous Ministry, Jesus Christ brought His Fathers' great love, compassion and mercy to multitudes of sinful, sick and suffering people for more than three years. He showed them how evil was Satan, the enemy of God and man. And He showed the world the real and genuine Salvation of God!
The climax of His Ministry upon earth was Destroying the power of Satan, Sin, Evil, and the kingdom of Darkness, through His sacrificial death upon the Cross on Golgotha. His Vicarious Death for the sins of the world, past, present and future, met the righteous demands of Divine Justice in the Courts of Heaven for the sin of High Treason committed by Adam and Eve against their Creator, Father and God.
What happened on the Cross on Mount Calvary, when God the Father, for Christ's sake, blotted out the sins of fallen man and opened a cleansing fountain where lost, tormented humanity can be washed, purged and liberated by the pure and holy BLOOD of Jesus Christ is the 'Faith of Jesus'!
How does one explain something so great and stupendous? You cannot fully describe something so amazing as 'Christ Living in you' or 'Crucified with Christ!'
THE NATURE OF CHRIST!
The Bible says: “Let the mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the CROSS.
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a NAME that is above every name: That at the name of JESUS every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”(Phil. 2:5-11)
There are two things I desire and strive to achieve in my Christian walk with Jesus Christ. I desire to have the 'Faith of Jesus' and the 'Mind of Christ'.
St. Paul writes, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
“For who hath known the Mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the Mind of the Lord.” (1 Cor 2:14-16).
Following Jesus means laying down everything that is offensive, carnal or selfish in the interest of achieving the utmost for our Lord Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. It is to keep our eyes constantly on Him who gave all for us!
St. Paul writes, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
“For who hath known the Mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the Mind of the Lord.” (1 Cor 2:14-16). My chief desire is to declare the True Gospel of the 'Faith of Jesus' in the power of the Holy Spirit! Amen.
