This sermon emphasizes the foundational truth of the necessity of living, active faith in the Christian life, highlighting the importance of faith as the key to every aspect of life. It delves into the power of God through faith, the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel, and the transformative nature of being in Christ. The speaker urges listeners to cultivate and utilize the mustard seed faith given by God to move mountains and grow deeper in their relationship with the Lord.

I'm very glad to be able to be back with you once again, and I join in the prayer that we have just prayed that the Lord would meet us. Because we are living in very troubled times, and things are going to get far more troubled. Therefore, we need the Lord, and I'm sure he only can fulfill in us all his purpose. I would like to read from three small passages in the New Testament. First of all, in the Roman letter of the Apostle Paul, and from verse 16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is revealed the righteousness of God from faith unto faith, as it is written, but the righteous shall live by faith. Then I would like to read to you from the Ephesian letter of the Apostle Paul. From chapter 2, from verse 7. That in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace have ye been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works that no man should glory. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared, that we should work in them. And lastly, in the second letter to the Corinthians of the Apostle Paul. Chapter 5, from verse 17. Therefore, if any man is in Christ, there is a new creation. Old things are passed away, behold, they are become new. But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation, to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses, and having committed unto us the word of reconciliation. We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us. We beseech you, on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God. Him who knew no sin, he made to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Corinthians 5, chapter 17. Therefore, if any man is in Christ, there is a new creation. Old things are passed away, behold, they are become new. But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation, to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses, and having committed unto us the word of reconciliation. We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us. We beseech you, on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God. Him who knew no sin, he made to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Shall we just have a little word of prayer? Beloved Lord, we are so thankful that you are here. We are not gathering to a place or to a person. We are gathering to you. And Lord, we want to thank you that you made provision for us in such a meeting. You have provided for us an anointing, both for the speaking and for the hearing. And we ask you, in your name, let that anointing be full. Help us to hear your voice beyond the human voice. And we shall be careful to give you all the thanksgiving and praise of our hearts, for answering this, our prayer, which we ask in the name of our Messiah, the Lord Jesus. Amen. Dear brothers and sisters, the one thing I have on my heart is one of the most foundational truths of the Bible. It is absolutely vital and strategic. Without it, we are nothing. With it, we are joined to the Lord. I want to speak about the necessity of a living, working, active faith. Now, for some of you, this is like coming back to Sunday school. But be careful. It is exactly that kind of attitude that has brought death to so many assemblies. We consider things like this kindergarten, whereas they are foundational. Everything is built on that foundation. Without the foundation, the house collapses. It will never stand in the storms that are going to come. This necessity of living, working, active faith. Faith is not static. It is active. It is not just something that marks the beginning of our Christian experience. Our conversion. As if that is the only thing that requires faith. As if we can depart from it into other matters. Faith is fundamental to every single part of the Christian life. And every single part of church life. Of family life. Of business life. Of the service of the gospel. So important is this matter. Please do not shut off. Well, we've heard this so many times here. Listen to what I believe the Lord has to say. He says in this marvelous few verses. It is the apostle Paul speaking. But it is Christ in him. I am not ashamed of the gospel of the Messiah. Because it is the power of God unto salvation. To everyone that believes. It means that you have been saved. That you have been delivered from a lost eternity. That you have been saved from a ruined life. That you have been saved unto the Lord Jesus. And then he says. For therein is revealed a righteousness of God. From faith to faith. It is not only the beginning of the Christian life. It is the progress of the Christian life. It has something to do with the goal of the Christian life. And on every single step in the way. We need that living active faith. You will remember, many of you, most of you, if not all of you. The words of the writer of the Hebrew letter. He says looking unto Jesus. The author and perfecter of faith. Sometimes it is better to understand this. Not as something, some original giving of faith. Never to be experienced again. We should understand this. Not as something that is just at the point of our conversion. Every single step in the Christian life. Or in the service of God. Is marked by active faith. He is the source of faith. It is only when we see with the eyes of our heart the Lord Jesus. Hear him with the ear of the spirit. That we enter into more and more of our salvation. Every step is marked by living active faith. He is not only the source and author. He is the perfecter, the finisher, the completer. In other words, whenever you need more faith. Whatever the condition you are facing. He is there to give it. He not only is the source. He is the perfecter. Do you get this burden that I have? J.N. Darby makes a wonderful comment on this verse. The just shall live by faith. He says, we must understand this. As the justified shall live on the principle of faith. Now a principle is a little different to a man-made law. I mean the principle of gravity. If I walk up on the roof and step off, I shall fall. That's the principle of gravity. It's cause and effect. What is the principle of faith? There can be no being filled with the Spirit. No being gifted by the Spirit. No dying the death of the cross. No living the resurrection life of the Lord Jesus. Without such active working faith. Everything begins with such faith. Progresses with such faith. And ends with such faith. Now there are two verses that are stark and severe. The first is Hebrews 11 and verse 6. The last part of the verse. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Listen to it again. Without faith, that living, active, working faith. It is impossible to please God. You can fill your head with Bible knowledge. But without living faith, it is impossible to please God. You may have an academic understanding of the eternal purpose of God. But without living faith, it is impossible to please God. You can work your fingers to the bone. You can be devoted. To Christian things. But if living faith is not present. You cannot please God. I consider that a very severe, stark truth. And here is the second. Just as severe. Romans chapter 14, verse 23. All that is not of faith, is sin. All that is not of faith, is sin. That's very severe. Let me put it another way. All that does not originate with the Lord Jesus. All that does not come into your life through the Lord Jesus. However religious it may be. However theological it may be. If it is not of faith. The product of living, active faith. It belongs to fallen man. I say that is severe. It is the flesh. It is the flesh masquerading as a Christian. It is wood, hay and stubble. It is the product of our natural being. No wonder the apostle says. The only way to be justified. Is by the righteousness of God. And living on the principle of faith. I hope I've got the first step clear. But let's say something more about this righteousness. Of God. Revealed in the gospel. In this gospel. In it is revealed the righteousness of God. Which is by faith. That not only results in your being born again. That is at the root of every step you take in the Christian life. And in the service of God. What am I saying? Let me put it another way. I am simply saying. You have to be walking with Jesus. You have to have a daily experience of the risen Messiah. He says in John's gospel chapter 10. My sheep hear my voice. And I lead them. Don't miss that out. My sheep hear my voice. And I lead them. From faith to faith. It's not just something that belongs to the beginning. It is something that is the key to growing in Christ. It is the key to coming to maturity in Christ. I wish I could make it even clearer. You see. The power of God. Is to everyone who believes. Not just at conversion. But at every stage in their Christian life. When you have living faith. The power of God is given to you. The ability to overcome. The ability to live the Christian life. The ability to go forward. And the ability to reach the goal of God. It's all there. It's all to do with this living faith. But dear brother, dear sister. I go into so many assemblies. Where two thirds of the assembly has no faith. They had it at the beginning. But it has long since departed. It is a routine of meetings. A routine of methodology. It is a routine of liturgy. And don't think it's only in the old established churches you have liturgy. Often in... Very often in assemblies like ours we have a liturgy. We never depart from it. When living faith is not present. The Lord cannot work. Then we have to fall back on method. Technique. Head knowledge. There is no further experience of the living Messiah. I... I'm sure that I'm... Pushing this too far. But this is the burden God has given me. Have you ever considered Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 8? Have you ever considered Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 8? It says... By grace are ye saved through faith. And that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. It says... Listen again. By grace are ye saved through faith. And that faith not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. So the only way you and I could have been saved... So the only way we could have been saved... Is to be resurrected from the Spirit of God. It is because the Lord gave us living faith. In some wonderful way, something dawned on us. And we suddenly became aware of the Lord Jesus. And then the Holy Spirit blessed be Him. The Holy Spirit gives us living faith. The Holy Spirit has always been the manager. The supervisor of all God's work. From the beginning. Do you remember? Genesis chapter 1, verse 2. The Spirit of God hovered over the water. It's an amazing term in the Hebrew. It speaks of a bird of prey trying to find its nest. A roosting place. Because all was formless. Empty. Dark. Then the Holy Spirit got to work. It was the Father that everything originated in. And it was through the Son and for the Son that it was all created. And it was the Holy Spirit who did the job. So it is with your conversion. If you're born again. What is the first thing about being born as baby? You cry. I need thee. Oh, I need thee. That's the first thing. Here's the second thing. You need to breathe. Here's the third thing. You need to take sustenance. Here is something even more important. You have to breathe. What happens when people become Christians? Their eyes are not open. Their ears are not open. They don't breathe. They don't hunger for the Word of God. How can they learn to walk? How can they learn to grow up? How can they learn to take responsibility in the house of God? The problem is living active faith. The problem is living active faith. Did you take in those marvelous Scriptures? In 2 Corinthians 5 where the Lord said to the Apostle Paul Him whom you know sin became our sin that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. I consider this one of the most extraordinary sayings in the whole New Testament. How can you and me if you get offended by me saying you, I'll say me How can I become the righteousness of God? That's mind blowing. How can we understand it? You and me the righteousness of God in Christ is unbelievable. No wonder the Apostle said I'm not ashamed of the Gospel. No wonder the Apostle Paul said I'm not ashamed of the Gospel. Because this is the power of God. To believe everything. Because God's will is written in this matter. From faith to faith. As it is written the justified shall live on the principle of faith. Away with this dead Christianity. Away with this hypocrisy. Let's be done with it. Turn our backs on it. Let the Holy Spirit generate living, active faith in every one of us. Because by the grace of God alone we have become the righteousness of God in Christ. I used to think these words him who knew no sin became our sin. I used to think these words him who knew no sin became our sin. It's hard to believe. But we can become the righteousness of God in Christ. It's beyond anything you and I can imagine. No wonder the Apostle Paul said in another letter Christ crucified is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Well, I hope I'm making myself clear. We are not saved by being born into a Christian family. We may have parents that are saints. Not only in status but in practice. But it does not mean that you and I are thereby made Christians. We have to have our own experience of the Lord. We have to be born again. We do not become a child of God by being born into a Christian family. Nor do we become a child of God by baptism. Important as baptism is. We don't become a Christian because we take communion. Vital as the breaking of bread is. We do not become a child of God by association with Christians. Or by becoming a church member. There is a wonderful verse in the Colossian letter of the Apostle Paul. It's in the first chapter. It reads like this. I'd better read it. Otherwise I shall misquote it. It is important. Colossians chapter 1 verse 13 speaking of Christ who delivered us out of the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his dear Son. Isn't that marvellous? Delivered from where we belong. We are all part of a fallen human race. Only the Lord Jesus can deliver us. From what we are born into. And then transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love. I've said it unsure before when I've been here in previous years. It is very interesting in the English translation of the New Testament. And I suspect in the Chinese that we have a problem. The modern versions say for God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. The new translation says for God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. That all who believe may receive eternal life. But this word believe is itself marvellous. That saving faith but there is a little preposition in Greek. And it's everywhere in the New Testament. You here do not believe in Jesus there. That's static. Inactive. You believe into him. The moment you become the recipient of living faith God delivers you out of the power of darkness and transfers you into the kingdom of his Son. By being born again you have entered into the kingdom. Think. Isn't this amazing? The incredible mercy of God. When we were helpless hopeless he saved us delivered us and put us in Christ. If you take this little word in Christ it opens the whole New Testament. That's what Theodore Austin Sparks always used to say. In Christ outside of Christ in Christ everything all the blessings all the needs met all the fullness all the power the resurrection life of the Lord Jesus it's all in Christ. And only God through his grace can deliver us out of the power of darkness and put us into Christ. Do you begin to understand it? Who is going to be glorified with all the glory of God? The Lord Jesus. And if you're in him you will share that glory. It's in Christ. The whole eternal purpose of God is centered in him. Fulfilled in him. And yet yet to be fulfilled that's why I read those scriptures if any man be in Christ and I like this rendering of the Greek there is a new creation. The old has passed away the whole all has become new. Where? In him. Well I think we've spent enough time on this. How much faith do we need? Isn't that a good question? Because we have whole movements that tell us we must expand our faith. We must pump it up as if it's natural to us. Have you got a little bit of faith? Get to work on it. Pump it up and then everything will be yours. But the Lord Jesus said when his disciples questioned him about a very difficult epileptic case if you have faith as a little grain of mustard you shall say to this mountain be thou removed and it shall be removed. Faith as small as a grain of mustard seed No, no, no you say. This preacher is no good. We need more faith. We've got to get more faith. We've got to make it big. Strong, big. Then we shall see the great works of God. It's not what the Lord Jesus said. He said a little grain of mustard seed faith can move Mount Everest. Can move a huge mountain of problem difficulty. The devil comes to us and says no, no, no that's not right. Look, you haven't got the wisdom of God. If you've got a mountain of problem you need a mountain of faith then with that mountain of faith you can bulldoze that mountain. Then dear child of God you will never move another inch. Until you use that little grain of mustard seed faith you were saved with such a little grain of faith. It was so small but it brought you into the salvation of God into the power of God to deliver you from the power of darkness and translate you into his kingdom into his son. Dear child of God I'm going to finish now. Everyone here who is born again is already the recipient of a little mustard seed grain of faith. Have you buried it? Ignored it? Put it away into a cupboard at some time to take it out and see if you can increase it. Dear child of God this faith God gives us is alive it's active it is working every time you take a step of faith you are joined more deeply to your Lord. It is as simple as that. I think I covered as much as I should this evening. What about the faith that God gave you? What have you done with it? Buried it? Ignored it? Or by the grace of God have you used it? If you've used it you've grown in the Lord. You have moved further on with him. The just divide shall live on the principle of faith. Are you living on the principle of faith? God-given faith living active working shall we pray? Beloved Lord we need you we need you to touch our heart speak to us Lord yourself you know the condition of every one of us will you bring us to a new place with yourself renew our faith enable us to use it help us Lord we ask it in your name Amen