EVANGELICAL FAITH
Philippians 1:27 - 30
We read: “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” in Hebrews 11:1.
Those who teach heresies take advantage of the credulity of people who do not stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the Gospel of Christ. The evangelical faith consists of a set of teachings that have been received through the prophets, from Jesus Christ and His apostles, all contained in the Bible, the Word of God.
On the evangelical faith as a set of doctrines, we read that:
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The law given through Moses was the tutor of the Jews, keeping them under guard, for the faith in Jesus Christ which would afterward be revealed (Galatians 3:23 - 24).
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The evangelical faith was obeyed by a great many of Jewish priests, who had converted to Christ at the beginning of the church of Jerusalem (Acts 6:7).
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Where Paul and Timothy went, the churches were strengthened in the evangelical faith, as they received the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem, and they increased in number daily (Acts 16:4 - 5).
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The evangelical faith was kept, preached and promoted by the apostle Paul, and is common to all the elect of God (Galatians 1:23, 2 Timothy 4:7, Titus 1:1 - 4).
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The evangelical faith was the only base on which the church of Corinth, when facing serious heresies arising inside it, must be firmly planted and fortified (1 Corinthians 16:13).
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The evangelical faith must be kept with a pure conscience (1 Timothy 3:9).
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It is our responsibility to be sound in the evangelical faith (Titus 1:13 - 14).
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It is necessary to strive together for the faith of the gospel, and not be afraid of the adversaries (Philippians 1:27 - 28).
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The believers in Christ are part of the family of the faith (Galatians 6:10).
The evangelical faith is the work and gift of God, the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen, and provides the fruit of the Holy Spirit (John 6:29, Romans 10:9 - 10, Galatians 5:22,23, Ephesians 2:8, Hebrews 11:1), resulting from the reading of the Bible, and the preaching of the Gospel (John 17:20, 20:30 - 31, Acts 15:7).
The effect of the evangelical faith is:
- The remission of the sins (Acts 10:43).
- The justification of the sinner (Acts 13:39).
- Release from conviction (John 3:18).
- Salvation (of the penalty, the power and the presence of the sin) (Mark 16:6).
- Sanctification (Acts 15:9).
- Release from spiritual death (John 3:18).
- Spiritual Light (John 12:36,46).
- Spiritual life (John 20:31).
- Perpetual life (John 3:15 - 16).
- Adoption by God (John 1:12).
- Direct access to God (Ephesians 3:12).
- Edification (1 Timothy 1:4).
- Preservation (John 10:26 - 29).
- Inheritance (Acts 26:18).
- Peace and rest (Romans 5:1).
R David Jones