How Do We Grow in Our Faith?

The standard answer to this question is: Read the Word, Pray, Go to Church, and Share Our Faith. All of these disciplines are good and necessary, but you can be doing all of these things and still be struggling with sin to the point of defeat. This is exactly the case that Paul laments in his own life in Romans 7:15:

“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”

The solution is to focus on Christ Jesus and what He has done for us:

“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ who has delivered me from this body of death.” (Romans 7:24)

“For one who has died with Christ has been set free from [the power] of sin” (Romans 6:7) giving us the confidence that we are not condemned in our struggle with sin (Romans 8:1). We can focus on His love for us and walk out our faith, knowing that He is leading us on victoriously (Romans 8:27).

O Lord, please, teach us how to consider ourselves to be dead to sin and alive in the freedom of that truth! Amen

-Pastor Terry Schoenfeld