BIGGER FAITH

By Greg Calamia

I KNOW that you are . . . ABLE . . . to do above and beyond whatever I ask or think. I pray to you about everything because I trust in you completely:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

SMALLER FAITH:

Father, my trust in you is weak, and I’m barely holding on. Please increase my faith. I’m not even sure I have the Holy Spirit living inside me. Please give me some assurance:

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We also need to regularly examine our lives to be sure that we’re not deceiving ourselves:

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

If you can already see it, it isn’t faith:

“Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭23‬-‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Let’s pursue walking with the Holy Spirit, rejecting the worldly desires of the flesh:

“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭11‬-‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Father, please reassure us and keep us strong until the end. In the NAME of your One and Only Son we pray.

Greg’s journey into serious Bible reading and study began when his wife Janel, told him about a local men’s BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) group that met every Monday night. Once he started, he discovered daily time in God’s word was absolutely necessary to living a practical Christian life. After finishing the program, he committed this daily discipline drawing him into a closer fellowship with the Lord. With guidance from the Holy Spirit, and much prayer, Greg felt led to do more. He began by presenting the gospel on LinkedIn with short excerpts of commentary supported by God’s word. His mission is to encourage Christians to read the Bible and learn for themselves the truth of God’s word. His heart’s desire is to prompt Christians to prayerfully perform a self-evaluation to be certain that they have the Holy Spirit living within them and that they are indeed in the faith, certain of spending eternity with the Father, Son and Spirit. Greg and his wife Janel, are empty nesters residing in Sterling Heights, Michigan. They have two married children, Emily and Jordan, and one grandson Jack (Emily). You can find a variety of articles by Greg on Linkedin.

Feature Photo by WallPaper Cave