Romans 6:2-4 English Standard Version

2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Father God gave us this seed of faith in order that we might plant it in His Son’s sacrifice upon the Cross. 

How can we do that? The scriptures tell us how.

Psalm 51:16-17 English Standard Version

16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Psalm 34:18 English Standard Version (ESV) The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

When we come to terms with our brokenness and trust that only God can save us, we must take that seed of faith to heart and allow it to die on our cross.

Matthew 16:24-25 English Standard Version

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life[soul] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Too heavy a burden for us mere mortals? Not to worry just as Jesus had help from Simon of Cyrene, we too have been sent a Helper.

There is only one faith that saves and it isn’t a religion.

When people ask what faith are you they want to know if your beliefs align with theirs.

1 Corinthians 12:5

(ESV) and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;

(KJV) And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

(CEV) There are different ways to serve the same Lord,

The fact that you serve the Lord does not mean you are saved nor the manner in which you do it.

The greatest testimony I ever heard was that of a Vineyard pastor who said, “I served as a pastor for 20 years after divinity school before I came to a saving grace knowledge of Jesus Christ.”

How could anyone preach the gospel and bring souls to Christ without being saved himself?

1 Corinthians 3:5-8 English Standard Version

5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.

Only God can make us grow in Christ, to become this new creation in Christ, having placed our faith in Christ, to believe in Him and all that He has done to win this bride unto Himself.

We can strive in the flesh to attain knowledge, positions and title and it is as Solomon declared, “vanity of vanities”.

John 12:24 English Standard Version (ESV) Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

Matthew 7:20 English Standard Version (ESV) Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

The seed of faith planted produces fruits of faith. Yet it has to die where it is planted.