Birth: Savior; Growth: Spirit
We receive life by faith in the Savior and grow in that life by reliance on the Holy Spirit.
Miles J. Stanford preaches on the importance of walking in the Spirit to overcome the desires of the flesh. He emphasizes that while faith clears us before God through the Cross, the growth ministry of the Holy Spirit is needed to clear us from ourselves. By realizing our position in the Father's presence through faith, we are drawn closer to Him without depending on our senses. Faith allows us to claim our abundant title to be near and happy with God, even when our natural conscience may suggest otherwise. The preacher highlights that walking by sight takes us outside of faith, and God desires us to continually rely on faith for every moment, as it is the evidence of things unseen.
Text
"Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).
We receive life by reliance upon the Savior; we grow in that life by reliance upon the Spirit.
"Many think that because of faith they are cleared of everything before God through the Cross, and therefore by faith they are clear of everything in themselves. But that is the error of 'holiness by faith.' The objective (position) is that we are clear before the Father; the subjective (condition) is that we are cleared from ourselves by the growth ministry of the Holy Spirit."
"As you by faith in the positional facts realize that you are in the Father's presence, you will not try to depend upon any sense of His presence. You know His presence because you know that your position in the Christian life is a life of faith in the facts-nothing else. That the Father forces you to live by faith so as to draw you into His presence-not you, by sense, trying to draw Him into yours."
"We are, naturally, suspicious of any offer to make us happy in God. Because our moral sense, our natural conscience, tells us of our having lost all right even to His ordinary blessings. But in the Word of our Father, faith reads our abundant title to be near to Him and happy with Him, though natural conscience and our sense of the fitness of things would have it otherwise. Faith feeds where the moral sensibilities of the natural mind would count it presuming even to tread." -J.G.B.
"The moment we walk by sight we are outside of faith. The Father would never have us outside of faith; hence, even in answering faith, He so answers it that we need it again the next moment, even while we are enjoying the results of it." -J.B.S.
"Faith is. . . the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).
Sermon Outline
- I. Birth: Savior
- A. We receive life by reliance upon the Savior
- B. We are cleared before God through the Cross
- II. Growth: Spirit
- A. We grow in life by reliance upon the Spirit
- B. The Holy Spirit clears us from ourselves
- III. Faith in Positional Facts
- A. We know God's presence by faith in the facts
- B. Faith forces us to live by faith
- IV. Faith vs. Moral Sense
- A. Faith reads our title to be near to God
- B. Faith feeds where moral sensibilities would count it presuming
Key Quotes
“We are, naturally, suspicious of any offer to make us happy in God. Because our moral sense, our natural conscience, tells us of our having lost all right even to His ordinary blessings.” — Miles J. Stanford
“The moment we walk by sight we are outside of faith.” — Miles J. Stanford
“Faith is. . . the evidence of things not seen.” — Miles J. Stanford
Application Points
- We must rely on faith in the facts, rather than our senses or moral sense, to know God's presence.
- Faith is the evidence of things not seen, and it requires us to live by faith, even when we enjoy the results of it.
- We must be careful not to walk by sight, but rather by faith, to avoid being outside of faith.