Most believers know what faith is because after all that's what saved us. But I read a definition of faith in chapter 18 of the Life Study of Galatians that touched me in a new way. "Our faith is the reflection of the grace of Christ" (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Galatians. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1979, Print).
I've been reading through the book of Genesis, and Galatians 3:6 is a quote from Genesis 15:6. The background of this verse is Abraham is old and without a child, and God tells him to look at the heavens and count the stars and tells him that's how many descendants he would have. The very next verse is: "And he believed Jehovah, and He accounted it to him as righteousness."
Where did Abraham's faith come from? As Witness Lee shares in these marvelous Life- Study messages, Abraham was actually under a hearing of faith like Galatians 3:2 talks about (that was last week's blog). God's speaking infused faith into his heart to believe God's promise. I have always enjoyed Witness Lee's illustration in Chapter 20 page 175 of how a camera describes our faith:
I've been reading through the book of Genesis, and Galatians 3:6 is a quote from Genesis 15:6. The background of this verse is Abraham is old and without a child, and God tells him to look at the heavens and count the stars and tells him that's how many descendants he would have. The very next verse is: "And he believed Jehovah, and He accounted it to him as righteousness." Where did Abraham's faith come from? As Witness Lee shares in these marvelous Life- Study messages, Abraham was actually under a hearing of faith like Galatians 3:2 talks about (that was last week's blog). God's speaking infused faith into his heart to believe God's promise. I have always enjoyed Witness Lee's illustration in Chapter 20 page 175 of how a camera describes our faith:
"We may also say that faith is a photograph of the divine scenery. Through such faith we become true sons of Abraham. When we believed in Christ, an organic union took place. The divine life entered into us, and we were born of God through faith. As our faith photographed the divine scenery of grace, something of a real and substantial spiritual nature was infused into us" (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Galatians. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1979, Print).
I really like this illustration because it makes faith something real and active. Whenever we hear or read God's word, our spirit of faith is going click, click--it's taking pictures like a camera of the spiritual scenery. Something is getting impressed into our heart that literally infuses us with faith in what God is speaking. This never becomes old to me, it amazes me. This is why it's so important for each of us to read God's word every day and be in fellowship with other believers!!
Other Blogs on the Life Studies of Galatians:
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