Living in Faith
Living in freedom and peace
Faith means Trust
"The Lord is near to all
who call upon Him, To all
who call upon Him in truth."
(The Bible: Psalm 145, Verse 18)
Faith is not an imagination or a feeling. Faith also has nothing to do with opti-mism or “positive thinking” or a particular spiri-tual state of a person. Faith is not a skill or something that only certain people are ca-pable of. Faith is a choice; namely the deci-sion to trust God. The word translated from Greek as "faith" means "trust". Believing in God is more than just an inner convic-tion. It is a tangible reality.
God always acts for our good, even if we cannot understand some of what is happe-ning in the world or in our lives. Because our minds and our judgment are limited. God's will and God's ways, on the other hand, are perfect in every respect. This means that God - unlike us humans - never makes mistakes. With this awareness we can rely completely on God - more than on ourselves - and trust fully in His guidance; even when God's decisions for our lives do not corres-pond to our personal ideas or wishes. God can turn around a person's situation, no matter how hopeless, if they are willing to trustingly place their entire life in God's hands. Because there is nothing that is not possible with God.
Faith means Strength
"Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set
on pilgrimage."
(The Bible: Psalm 84, Verse 5)
Faith means being aware that God is there, that God loves us and that He leads and directs our lives. Because our whole life is in God's hands. God gives us answers to our questions, offers us support in our needs and also carries us through the suffering of this fallen world. A life in faith gives confidence and strength as well as com-fort and support in difficult times; also with regard to death.
Faith also means not being on your own but being able to turn to our almighty and mer-ciful Creator at any time and count on his help. This firm certainty allows us to go through this world without fear or worry. Faith in God is the only sure foundation in our lives. Everything else that people put their hope in (whether money, politics, other people or themselves) is uncertain and flee-ting. But anyone who bases their life on God will not be disappointed.
Faith means Relationship
with God
"For the eyes of the Lord are
over the righteous, and his ears
are open unto their prayers."
(The Bible: 1st Peter chapter 3, Verse 12)
The easiest way to contact God is to pray. A prayer is a conversation with God. God pro-mises that anyone who earnestly seeks Him will surely find Him, and that God will re-veal Himself to anyone who turns to Him with a sincere heart and asks for Him. This can happen in very different ways.
Prayer is an essential part of the lives of be-lievers and an expression of their connec-tion with God. In prayer we can not only talk to God, but also let God speak to us. Praying enables us to be close to God and thus always draw strength for everyday life. It doesn't matter where you call on God from. A quiet room where you can give God your full attention without distraction is best. The Lord's prayer and the various psalms and prayers that have been handed down to us in the Holy Scriptures can serve as an example for a trustworthy prayer for you.
Faith means Freedom
Jesus Christ says:
"If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
(The Bible: John chapter 8, Verses 31-32)
God wants to give us humans a life of free-dom through faith in Jesus. True freedom consists in the redemption of man from the bondage of sin, which destroys us and sepa-rates us from God. In addition, true freedom means not being free from worries (e.g. about food, clothing or wealth), inner con-straints (e.g. pressure to perform), selfish attitudes (such as pride, greed, envy, jealousy or hatred), material or sensual desires ( e.g. money, food or sex) nor to be determined by the standards of this world (e.g. other peo-ple's opinions or the desire to conform to a certain ideal). The key to this freedom lies in trusting God and His Word.
The Bible reveals to us the truth about God and our lives. If we accept them and are wil-ling to do what Jesus says, we can overcome everything that holds us captive. Because God's word is healing for body and spirit. No matter whether fears or worries, depression, trauma, and emotional wounds, experiences of violence and abuse or addictions of all kinds: everyone can experience for them-selves the liberating and life-changing po-wer that faith in God gives. Countless people in all parts of the world can confirm this from their own experience. Healings from illness and physical ailments are also pos-sible with God; even those that are consi-dered “incurable” from a medical perspec-tive. A number of miracles happen all over the world in the name of Jesus, whereby peo-ple are supernaturally healed from suffe-ring and pain that sometimes lasts for years.
Faith means Hope
God the Lord says:
"Behold, I make
all things new."
(The Bible: Revelation Chapter 21, Verse 5)
Every person in the world wants peace, health and a long and happy life, without fear for his existence and without worry about the future. God wants to give us what seems like a distant dream or illusion to most people in this world. Because it was God's plan from the beginning to one day create a new paradise on earth where there will be no more suffering or illness; just like in the beginning, before man separated from his Creator (See: God and suffering).
Now, through faith in Jesus Christ, God gives all people the hope of being able to parti-cipate in this imperishable life in the world to come through the resurrection from the dead (See: The way to redemption).
Faith means to love
Jesus Christ says:
"A new command I give you:
Love one another. As I have loved you,
so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
(The Bible: John chapter 13, Verses 34-35)
God wants us to understand his love for us humans and that we too learn to love him with all our hearts. Since God's essence is love and God created us humans in his image, our thoughts and actions should also be determined by love towards our fel-low human beings at all times. But as a result of his turning away from God, man has increasingly lost this natural love. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, shows us through his life what true love means:
Jesus showed us a love.....
- which is completely pure and unselfish
- which is independent of feelings
or sympathies
- which is free from pride, greed, jealousy, envy
or other selfish motives
- which always only looks for the best
for its fellow human beings
- which values the needs of fellow human beings higher than one's own and which does not
think first of herself in times of need,
but of one's neighbor
- which does not repay evil for evil,
but always clings to good in order
to dissuade others from evil
- which always speaks the truth, pointing
out the will of God to protect a person
from wrong ways that separate him
from God and lead to perdition
- which speaks the truth even when people
find it uncomfortable or react with
hatred and rejection
- which can forgive even the greatest enemy when he sincerely regrets his act
- which is ready to give the own life
for others; if necessary, even to death
In the same way, Jesus gave his life for hu-manity out of love in order to give eternal life to everyone who believes in him. Fur-thermore, through His perfect love, Jesus overcame the evil that has filled this earth since the Fall. At the same time, Jesus left us an example that we can follow and thus overcome the evil in the world.
When we are connected to Jesus, we too are able to love God and our fellow human be-ings in the same way that Jesus modeled for us. And by this - that is, by love - as Jesus himself says, you will know who really be-longs to him.
Faith means: A New Existence
Jesus Christ says:
"unless one is born of water
and the Spirit, he cannot
enter the kingdom of God."
(The Bible: John chapter 3, Verse 5)
God wants to create a new man according to the example of Jesus who corresponds to God's image. Therefor He wants to free us from all evil and selfish attitudes and ha-bits that have ruled our life. This perfect transformation, which no human being can accomplish by his own strength and effort, is the work of God through His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, which He gives to all people who believe in Jesus. The Holy Spirit renews our thinking and helps us to better understand God's will. In addition, the Holy Spirit also enables us to behave ourselves in ways that are pleasing to God and beneficial and our neighbours us while resisting what is wrong in God's eyes and harmful to us and others. In short, the Holy Spirit helps us see things as God sees them.
Baptism in the name of Jesus by immersion in water expresses a person's commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and member-ship in His church. It also symbolically af-firms the death of the old, sinful man and the resurrection of the born-again man, cleansed of conscience, whose new life as God's child is marked by truth, justice, and unselfish love for his fellow men.
Faith means Peace
Jesus Christ says:
"Peace I leave with you, My peace
I give to you; not as the world
gives do I give to you."
(The Bible: John chapter 14, Verse 27)
Through the connection to God and the reconciled community with our Creator and Father man finds peace; a peace that each of us longs for deep down; a peace that overcomes all fear, hatred and bitterness in this world; yes, a peace that none of the many perishable things on earth can give us humans, as solely our father in heaven.
God gives this unique peace to all people through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world.
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No matter who you are, where you come from and how you have lived your life so far...
no matter whether you are Jewish,
Muslim, Buddhist or atheist...
God's promise applies to you too!
We wish you, dear reader, from the bottom of our heart, that you will recognize the true God and your redeemer Jesus Christ; that you experience God's grace and His indescribable peace in your life and obtain the Eternal Life.
(see: Your step to new life)
Faith means LIFE
"He who has Jesus
has life."
(The Bible: 1st John chapter 5, Verse 12)