Is faith all about results? No. Are results a natural yield of an authentic faith? I would say yes. So, what kind of results does a resolved faith produce?
Today I would like to explore with you what results flow from a resolved faith. Here are three results that are produced by a faith that is resolved in character, resolute in nature and divine in disposition:
1. A Resolute Association with Jesus. When Paul planted a church in Thessalonica and heard about their resolved faith he said the following: “We are alive when you are standing with Christ and stable in Christ (1 Thess. 3:8-9 paraphrase mine). When Paul found out about their solid relationship with Jesus, he was ecstatic. Paul says “Because I know you have a solid relationship with your Savior, I am alive!” A resolved faith produces a solid relationship with Jesus. We have our gaze firmly fixed on Jesus. We sustain this stability by being empowered by the Holy Spirit.
2. A Restored Affiliation with God. When Paul wrote to the Romans, he said to them the following: “Now you have peace with God through faith in his son Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1). Our resolved faith is a means by which we obtain amnesty from the wrath of God and enter the territory of His grace. After we are declared just by God because of Jesus and through faith, we begin the life-long process of spiritual re-formation, re-storation and re-novation. There is not a graduation from Christianity. We have a propensity to think that there is. No matter how long or short our journey with Jesus has been, we are in need of renewal and restoration. We have not made it or arrived.
3. A Right Alignment in Life. Paul purposefully states that if he would want to get somewhere, it is ultimately God who needs to guide and direct his drive (1 Thess. 3:11). It is God who can straighten the path, show a more probably path, remove all obstacles (or create them), and provide direction for where we should go and what we should do. When we possess a resolved faith, all we do is pursue what God wants. This is a result of this type of faith. We consult with God and emphatically proclaim, “Let your will be done,” just like Jesus. How much better it is when we initially let God align the path He would like for us to journey on. Let God align your life path. Let God set the sail for your voyage. This ultimately becomes second nature for us when we have a resolute faith living in us.
Question: What about the results of a resolved faith encourages us to continue on this journey with Jesus? What are results of a resolved faith do you see in your life?
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