Continuing studies from Stage One...

Continuing studies from Stage One...

Continuing studies from Stage One...

Continuing studies from Stage One...

Continuing studies from Stage One...

Continuing studies from Stage One...

Continuing studies from Stage One...

Continuing studies from Stage One...

Continuing studies from Stage One...

I wonder, at times, how many of us realise just what a very practical, everyday thing faith really is, or at least, is meant to be! Too often it’s seen as a super religious thing, probably due mostly to man’s religions. But in fact it is a very everyday, practical, essential part of living, with people.

By it we choose to believe, or not believe, what others are saying to us. By it we choose to trust, or not trust, those around us, those in leadership, those in medicine, etc.

It’s exactly the same for us in relation to God. As it was said of Abraham in the Word, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” (Gen:15:1-6); so, for those of us who truly believe what God is saying to us in Jesus Christ, most certainly including Calvary, then we too are reckoned as righteous before God, without sin, completely clean and acceptable to him.

Having come up through one of man’s great religions, including spending three years in a monastery, studying its doctrines and teachings, I was left with the idea that holiness could be seen as following certain religious practices; as being devoted to God through these, i.e., being a priest or a religious brother etc.

When this wonderful Lord Jesus Christ graciously came into my life as my Saviour, Lord and Master, being a bit unsure about this “holiness” matter, I asked him to show me what it really was in his eyes. He took me to an old Bible dictionary where I found that the origin of the word was found in the word ‘whole’.

My new nature sang with joy at this, realising, for the first time, that to be “holy to God” was nothing like what I’d believed up to that point, but was in fact nothing more, or less, than being “wholly belonging to him.” And, as Jesus had purchased me by his life blood, this was already a fact in my life. What a marvel!!

There was a song around many years ago, which, at the time, I didn’t really appreciate. Even now I’m not too sure if I’ve gotten the words right. What sticks in my mind though, is the passage that went something like this:

Count your blessings,
Name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done!!

For those of us who have truly known this great Lord for some time, it must surely be easy to identify with those words. And to help in some small way, for me at least, he has given me the following tracts, which I’m sure he’ll add to, as time goes by.

I can only hope that they will be a blessing to you also, by bringing to mind his amazing goodness to you personally.