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  (II) FOR BY GRACE ARE YOU SAVED THROUGH FAITH - PART 2 (WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD)
  by Robert Wurtz II
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Summary: The sermon emphasizes the critical role of faith as a response
to God's revelation and the importance of obedience in the life of a
disciple.

Topics: "Faith And Obedience", "Gods Revelation"
Scripture References: Genesis 4:5, Genesis 4:7, Isaiah 66:2, Jeremiah 6:16, Hebrews 11:4

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DESCRIPTION
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Robert Wurtz II delves into the concept of faith as the right response
to God's revelation, contrasting it with sin as the wrong response.
Through the story of Abel and his offering, we see the importance of
being teachable and obedient to God's instructions, laying the
foundation for becoming a disciple who walks in God's ways. The
willingness to be subject to God's teaching and to tremble at His word
reflects a heart ready for restoration and fellowship with God, as seen
in the examples of Abel and the Children of Israel.

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CONTENT
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Ron Bailey has defined faith as, "Right response to revelation." The
definition of sin would then be, "Wrong response to revelation." The
first act of faith we find recorded after the fall of man is the story
of Abel and his offering to God. Hebrews 11 tells us, By faith Abel
offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he
obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and
by it he being dead yet speaketh.

How was this an act of faith? We know that faith cometh by hearing and
hearing by the word of God. Adam was faithful to pass along God's
instruction to Eve concerning the Tree of Knowledge, it is reasonable to
believe he also taught his sons about the offering for covering God
provided in making them skins. Yet, as we will find in Abel and Cain
there was a willingness in the one to be 'taught', but the other was not
willing. This is important, because these are the beginnings of a long
standing biblical concept of being a 'disciple'. A disciple is one that
is being taught, but this means the person has to be teachable and walk
in what they have learned.

Jeremiah 6:16 reads, Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see,
and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and
ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk
therein.

This is the attitude of one that is willing to be subject to the Teacher
on the one hand and one that is not on the other. Will we or will we not
walk in what God reveals? Ask God's way and then walk in it. This is
more than head knowledge, it is desire for revelation that we might
respond- and this response is 'faith'.

God 'looked' towards Abel's offering, but to Cain He did 'not look'
(Genesis 4:5). Recall Isaiah 66:2- "To this man will I look... that
TREMBLES at my word." This is the attitude of a disciple. This is what
makes a person readied to be restored back into fellowship with God
because they make themselves a place of God's rest. This is what Steven
pointed out at the end of Act's 7. The Children of Israel received the
Law at the hands of angels and did not keep it. They would not walk in
the teaching and besides that they were resisting the Holy Ghost.

Was Cain mistreated by God? Will not the Judge of All the Earth do
right? If we respond rightly to what God has revealed as His will it is
'faith', but if not it is 'sin'. We have to have a heart to obey God. In
Genesis 4:7 God asks Cain, "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be
accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto
thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him." To 'do well' is
to rightly respond to what was heard (faith cometh by hearing); anything
else is sin- the opposite of faith. This is the first real picture of
the basis on which God would 'accept' or 'look to' man and in turn make
him/her a place of His rest (Isaiah 66:2).

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/robert-wurtz-ii/ii-for-by-grace-are-you-saved-through-faith-part-2-without-faith-it-is-impossibl/
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