We Receive Belief
Spirit Gives Us Faith
The Text
John 3:14–15 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
The Devotion
And this is the free gift that you have received. Christians tried to rightly evangelize, "Just open your hands, and you will freely receive!" as though a child eagerly awaiting the biggest birthday gift of their lives.
But we were not born like that. We are born not even to open our hands. We were born never to be eager to receive God's gift. A child has to face the giver of the gift in order to receive. But we were born to face away and run away from God at all times.
The power to see God, the power to turn to God, the power to lift your eyes upon God -- that power is by the Spirit alone:
Romans 8:11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.
The power to believe that if you turn your eyes upon Jesus and live comes from the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead. The Spirit must dwell in you to give you the power to lift your eyes upon him and see him.
Numbers 21:4–9
4-5 Then they set out from Mount Hor by way of the Red Sea to bypass the land of Edom, but the people became impatient because of the journey. The people spoke against God and Moses: “Why have you led us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”
We once could not face God, see God, or speak to God, but we will complain, groan, and gripe about how we are not God.
6 Then the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and they bit them so that many Israelites died.
This is the consequence of our sin: death. Our bitterness, hatred, strife, loathing, lust, laziness, greed--all of our sins will result in our death. Perishing under the weight of the just wrath of the Almighty Holy God.
7-9 The people then came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Intercede with the LORD so that he will take the snakes away from us.” And Moses interceded for the people. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake image and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will recover.” So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. Whenever someone was bitten, he looked at the bronze snake and recovered.
Because God so loved his people, he gave the bronze serpent to those who believed and trusted in the word of God, who would surely not perish but have everlasting life.
Because God so loved the world in this way, he gave his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
This is faith -- it is only now you want to lift your eyes to see the Christ, and you do see the Christ, and you do live.
The Scriptures
Genesis 24:27 and said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld his kindness and faithfulness from my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.”
Genesis 32:10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. Indeed, I crossed over the Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two camps.
Exodus 34:6–9 The LORD passed in front of him and proclaimed: The LORD—the LORD is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation. Moses immediately knelt low on the ground and worshiped. Then he said, “My Lord, if I have indeed found favor with you, my Lord, please go with us (even though this is a stiff-necked people), forgive our iniquity and our sin, and accept us as your own possession.”
Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he might lie, or a son of man, that he might change his mind. Does he speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?
Nehemiah 9:33–38 You are righteous concerning all that has happened to us, because you have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly. Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors did not obey your law or listen to your commands and warnings you gave them. When they were in their kingdom, with your abundant goodness that you gave them, and in the spacious and fertile land you set before them, they would not serve you or turn from their wicked ways. Here we are today, slaves in the land you gave our ancestors so that they could enjoy its fruit and its goodness. Here we are—slaves in it! Its abundant harvest goes to the kings you have set over us, because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and our livestock as they please. We are in great distress. In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writing on a sealed document containing the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.
Psalm 25:10–11 All the LORD’s ways show faithful love and truth to those who keep his covenant and decrees. LORD, for the sake of your name, forgive my iniquity, for it is immense.
Psalm 26:3 For your faithful love guides me, and I live by your truth.
Psalm 31:3–5 For you are my rock and my fortress; you lead and guide me for your name’s sake. You will free me from the net that is secretly set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I entrust my spirit; you have redeemed me, LORD, God of truth.
Psalm 36:5–6 LORD, your faithful love reaches to heaven, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your judgments like the deepest sea. LORD, you preserve people and animals.
Psalm 40:11 LORD, you do not withhold your compassion from me. Your constant love and truth will always guard me.
Psalm 61:7–8 May he sit enthroned before God forever. Appoint faithful love and truth to guard him. Then I will continually sing of your name, fulfilling my vows day by day.
Psalm 69:13 But as for me, LORD, my prayer to you is for a time of favor. In your abundant, faithful love, God, answer me with your sure salvation.
Psalm 85:10–11 Faithful love and truth will join together; righteousness and peace will embrace. Truth will spring up from the earth, and righteousness will look down from heaven.
Psalm 86:15–17 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth. Turn to me and be gracious to me. Give your strength to your servant; save the son of your female servant. Show me a sign of your goodness; my enemies will see and be put to shame because you, LORD, have helped and comforted me.
Psalm 89:1–52 I will sing about the LORD’s faithful love forever; I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations with my mouth. For I will declare, “Faithful love is built up forever; you establish your faithfulness in the heavens.” The LORD said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn an oath to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever and build up your throne for all generations.’ ” Selah LORD, the heavens praise your wonders— your faithfulness also— in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in the skies can compare with the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD? God is greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, more awe-inspiring than all who surround him. LORD God of Armies, who is strong like you, LORD? Your faithfulness surrounds you. You rule the raging sea; when its waves surge, you still them. You crushed Rahab like one who is slain; you scattered your enemies with your powerful arm. The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours. The world and everything in it—you founded them. North and south—you created them. Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at your name. You have a mighty arm; your hand is powerful; your right hand is lifted high. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; faithful love and truth go before you. Happy are the people who know the joyful shout; LORD, they walk in the light from your face. They rejoice in your name all day long, and they are exalted by your righteousness. For you are their magnificent strength; by your favor our horn is exalted. Surely our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel. You once spoke in a vision to your faithful ones and said, “I have granted help to a warrior; I have exalted one chosen from the people. I have found David my servant; I have anointed him with my sacred oil. My hand will always be with him, and my arm will strengthen him. The enemy will not oppress him; the wicked will not afflict him. I will crush his foes before him and strike those who hate him. My faithfulness and love will be with him, and through my name his horn will be exalted. I will extend his power to the sea and his right hand to the rivers. He will call to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the rock of my salvation.’ I will also make him my firstborn, greatest of the kings of the earth. I will always preserve my faithful love for him, and my covenant with him will endure. I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as heaven lasts. If his sons abandon my instruction and do not live by my ordinances, if they dishonor my statutes and do not keep my commands, then I will call their rebellion to account with the rod, their iniquity with blows. But I will not withdraw my faithful love from him or betray my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or change what my lips have said. Once and for all I have sworn an oath by my holiness; I will not lie to David. His offspring will continue forever, his throne like the sun before me, like the moon, established forever, a faithful witness in the sky.” Selah But you have spurned and rejected him; you have become enraged with your anointed. You have repudiated the covenant with your servant; you have completely dishonored his crown. You have broken down all his walls; you have reduced his fortified cities to ruins. All who pass by plunder him; he has become an object of ridicule to his neighbors. You have lifted high the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice. You have also turned back his sharp sword and have not let him stand in battle. You have made his splendor cease and have overturned his throne. You have shortened the days of his youth; you have covered him with shame. Selah How long, LORD? Will you hide forever? Will your anger keep burning like fire? Remember how short my life is. Have you created everyone for nothing? What courageous person can live and never see death? Who can save himself from the power of Sheol? Selah Lord, where are the former acts of your faithful love that you swore to David in your faithfulness? Remember, Lord, the ridicule against your servants— in my heart I carry abuse from all the peoples— how your enemies have ridiculed, LORD, how they have ridiculed every step of your anointed. Blessed be the LORD forever. Amen and amen.
Psalm 92:1–4 It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praise to your name, Most High, to declare your faithful love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, with a ten-stringed harp and the music of a lyre. For you have made me rejoice, LORD, by what you have done; I will shout for joy because of the works of your hands.
Psalm 115:1–3 Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory because of your faithful love, because of your truth. Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in heaven and does whatever he pleases.
Psalm 117:1–2 Praise the LORD, all nations! Glorify him, all peoples! For his faithful love to us is great; the LORD’s faithfulness endures forever. Hallelujah!
Psalm 138:1–3 I will give you thanks with all my heart; I will sing your praise before the heavenly beings. I will bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your constant love and truth. You have exalted your name and your promise above everything else. On the day I called, you answered me; you increased strength within me.
Psalm 143:1 LORD, hear my prayer. In your faithfulness listen to my plea, and in your righteousness answer me.
Isaiah 38:16–20 Lord, by such things people live, and in every one of them my spirit finds life; you have restored me to health and let me live. Indeed, it was for my own well-being that I had such intense bitterness; but your love has delivered me from the Pit of destruction, for you have thrown all my sins behind your back. For Sheol cannot thank you; Death cannot praise you. Those who go down to the Pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. The living, only the living can thank you, as I do today; a father will make your faithfulness known to children. The LORD is ready to save me; we will play stringed instruments all the days of our lives at the house of the LORD.
Isaiah 49:7 This is what the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, says to one who is despised, to one abhorred by people, to a servant of rulers: “Kings will see, princes will stand up, and they will all bow down because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel—and he has chosen you.”
Lamentations 3:22–23 Because of the LORD’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!
Hosea 2:18–23 On that day I will make a covenant for them with the wild animals, the birds of the sky, and the creatures that crawl on the ground. I will shatter bow, sword, and weapons of war in the land and will enable the people to rest securely. I will take you to be my wife forever. I will take you to be my wife in righteousness, justice, love, and compassion. I will take you to be my wife in faithfulness, and you will know the LORD. On that day I will respond— this is the LORD’s declaration. I will respond to the sky, and it will respond to the earth. The earth will respond to the grain, the new wine, and the fresh oil, and they will respond to Jezreel. I will sow her in the land for myself, and I will have compassion on Lo-ruhamah; I will say to Lo-ammi: You are my people, and he will say, “You are my God.”
Micah 7:20 You will show loyalty to Jacob and faithful love to Abraham, as you swore to our ancestors from days long ago.
Habakkuk 2:4 Look, his ego is inflated; he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith.
Zechariah 8:7–8 The LORD of Armies says this: “I will save my people from the land of the east and the land of the west. I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God.”
Romans 1:16–17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.
Romans 3:21–31 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law of faith. For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then nullify the law through faith? Absolutely not! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
Romans 4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited for righteousness.
Romans 8:28–30 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful; you were called by him into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 2:1–5 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, announcing the mystery of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom. I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.
1 Corinthians 15:14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith.
1 Corinthians 15:17–19 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Those, then, who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 3:2 I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard?
Galatians 3:7–9 You know, then, that those who have faith, these are Abraham’s sons. Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and proclaimed the gospel ahead of time to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed through you. Consequently, those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith.
Galatians 3:11–14 Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith. But the law is not based on faith; instead, the one who does these things will live by them. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith.
Galatians 3:23–29 Before this faith came, we were confined under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith was revealed. The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith. But since that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for through faith you are all sons of God in Christ Jesus. For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 5:22–23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.
Ephesians 2:8–9 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 3:14–21 For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 4:4–8 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. For it says: When he ascended on high, he took the captives captive; he gave gifts to people.
Ephesians 6:16 In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Philippians 1:6 I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 He who calls you is faithful; he will do it.
2 Thessalonians 3:3–5 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to God’s love and Christ’s endurance.
1 Timothy 1:12–17 I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me, because he considered me faithful, appointing me to the ministry—even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I received mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them. But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
2 Timothy 2:11–13 This saying is trustworthy: For if we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.
Hebrews 2:14–18 Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. For it is clear that he does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring. Therefore, he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in matters pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.
Hebrews 3:5–6 Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s household, as a testimony to what would be said in the future. But Christ was faithful as a Son over his household. And we are that household if we hold on to our confidence and the hope in which we boast.
Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:38 But my righteous one will live by faith; and if he draws back, I have no pleasure in him.
Hebrews 12:1–2 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Revelation 1:4–8 John: To the seven churches in Asia. Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by his blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father—to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. So it is to be. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 17:14 These will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those with him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
Revelation 19:11 Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and with justice he judges and makes war.