True Faith in the Midst of Affliction

The Context: Paul's Concern for the Thessalonians' Faith in Affliction

0:03 Our approach in last Lord's Day was upon the first five verses of this chapter, and in particular what they teach concerning the biblical doctrine of affliction. For you will remember the setting, the Apostle Paul has left this young church in the midst of suffering. He knows that the suffering and affliction continue in his absence, and concern, lest the affliction should be used as an instrument of Satan to turn these young believers back to the world and away from Christ, and being unable to go and strengthen them in the faith by his own person,

0:44 he says that he sends Timothy, in order that Timothy might know their faith, in order that Timothy might confirm and exhort them concerning their faith. Timothy comes back with this good report, Paul sits down and pens this letter, and in so doing, gives us one of the richest deposits of scriptural truth concerning the whole doctrine of affliction and its place in the life of the believer. Paul reminded them that even in his initial ministry, there was the certainty of affliction. Verse 3, For yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto, for verily when we were with you we told you before that we would not be afflicted,

1:26 that we should suffer affliction. The word should be translated affliction, same word as is found in verse 3. So he reminds them of the certainty of affliction, then he reminds them of the purpose of affliction, it is sent to try our faith, and then the means to bear up in the midst of affliction, and this we considered last Lord's Day. Now, this passage is also rich in its tremendous teaching on one other, the basic doctrine of the Christian faith, and I want you to discover what it is as I read the first ten verses, emphasizing two words that occur no less than five times in the ten verses.

Discovering the Doctrine of Faith in 1 Thessalonians 3

2:12 Wherefore, when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone, and sent Timotheus, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish, to establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith, that no man should be moved by these afflictions, for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before, that we should suffer tribulation, even as it came to pass, and ye know. For this cause, when we could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labor be in vain. But now,

2:57 when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you, therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith. For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy, wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God, night and day praying exceedingly, that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

3:41 Now, the words obviously are, your faith. And five times in ten verses, those two words occur. We sent Timothy, verse 2, to know your faith. Verse 6, he brought good tidings about your faith.

4:00 Verse 5, sent to know your faith. And then in verse 10, perfect that which is lacking concerning your faith. Now, it's the butchering of this passage, if we were to slip through, and not catch something of the thrust of the Holy Spirit concerning the biblical doctrine of faith, and the particular relationship of affliction to the whole matter of the faith, of a child of God. So, we will be considering this morning, what this passage teaches concerning the nature and fruits of true faith in the midst of affliction.

The Author and Object of Faith vs. The Nature of Faith Itself

4:41 Now, generally speaking, the most important thing about faith is its author and its object. God, of course, is ascribed in Scripture as the author of faith. In Acts 13.48 we read, And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

5:02 And Ephesians 2.8 and 9, By grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Scripture speaks of people who believed through grace. So, the important thing about faith is its author and its object, who is Christ.

5:22 The glory of the person of Christ, and the sufficiency of the work of Christ, these are the objects of the faith of a believer. Hence, most of the time, in considering the subject of faith, we should not be occupied with faith itself, but with God, its giver, and with Christ, its object. We should be focusing the thinking of our minds upon Christ, the glorious object of faith, and all the beauty that surrounds His person, all the perfection that surrounds Him, all that surrounds His work, praying then that the Holy Spirit, as we gaze upon Christ, will create faith, will strengthen faith,

6:06 will develop faith. But, because this passage deals with the subject of faith, we are not going to consider what we generally should, the author and the object of faith, but something of the nature of faith itself, and how it operates. For it is by faith that we are brought into the profession of life. The Scripture says we stand by faith.

6:31 We read this morning, without faith it is impossible to please Him. Paul says that it's the shield of faith wherewith we quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Peter says we are kept by the power of God through faith. So faith is a very vital part of the Christian life.

Principle 1: True Faith Needs to Grow and Develop

6:48 In fact, we might say that faith is the key exercise in the life of the child of God, for he is called a believing one, a believer, one who is exercising faith in his Savior. Now, this morning, we want to consider then what this passage teaches concerning the nature and fruits of true faith. And the first thing we see in the passage is, and there are three, that true faith needs to grow and develop. You see, initially, faith is the empty hand which takes hold of Jesus Christ.

7:32 If the Bible presents Christ as a treasure, faith is the hand that grasps that treasure. If the Bible presents Christ as a robe of righteousness, faith is the hand and the arms that take the robe and put it on. If the Bible presents Christ as the bread of life, faith is the mouth which feeds upon him. If the Scripture presents Christ as living water, faith is the mouth and the tongue that takes of that water and appropriates that water.

8:07 Now, that faith, that empty hand, that parched mouth that appropriates Christ, this faith is a disposition, a virtue, that needs to grow and to develop. So, Paul says, when he is about to send Timothy, this was his purpose, verse 2, I sent Timothy to confirm you and comfort you concerning your faith. Now, think of all the virtues of the Christian life, hope, love, patience, long-suffering, zeal, knowledge, all of these different things, all necessary to the Christian life, and yet the one thing that Paul is most vitally concerned about

8:52 when he thinks of those people at Thessalonica and thinks of tearing Timothy from himself and having him go as his representative, the one virtue, the one Christian virtue that he is concerned that Timothy confirmed them in and strengthened them in is this virtue of faith. For Paul recognized that faith needed to grow and to develop. In fact, he says, even though Timothy did something to help strengthen your faith, he said, I'm still praying very earnestly that I might be able to come. For what purpose?

9:25 Look at verse 10. Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face and have a nice little time of fellowship together and rejoice in our attainments. No, no. He said, night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face and perfect that which is lacking in your faith.

9:44 He sends Timothy to strengthen faith and he says, by the time I get along there are still areas that need to be growing and developing, so I want to be an instrument of God for the strengthening of your faith. Now immediately we're struck with the fact that Paul did not view faith like some kind of spiritual inoculation once you have it, all is well. I'll get it out again, inoculation. That's better.

10:11 Now you see, once you get inoculated and your body builds up the immunity, you forget about it. You don't live by your inoculation. You went, you had it, you winced when the needle went in and now you forget about it. Now that's precisely the way many people in our day, evangelical, nice people, view faith.

10:32 Somewhere in the dim, murky past, they got inoculated. They looked to the cross, they believed on Jesus, that's settled, that's done, now they've gone their way. And if anyone should ask them, any chance that you might get the measles? Oh no, I was inoculated back there, you see.

10:48 Any chance that you might perish? Oh no, I believed on the Lord Jesus. Any chance that your sins might meet you in the day of judgment? No, no, I believed on Christ.

10:58 And it's always past tense. I remember someone actually telling me one time when I was dealing with them about their relationship to Christ, they said, oh, I did that years ago. What they mean is, they got inoculated. Now Paul did not view faith as being inoculated with some kind of spiritual panacea by a once for all judgment.

11:21 He did not gaze to the cross. Oh no, he didn't view it this way. He didn't look upon it as simply filing your citizen papers. And once they're passed, you're a citizen, you forget about it, you act as a citizen, you don't worry about it.

11:36 If someone asks you, what citizen are you of? Oh, I'm a citizen of the United States. And you settle it. This is the attitude.

11:42 Are you a Christian? Oh yes, I believed on Christ. I took out my heavenly citizenship papers back there in the past. They're all signed.

11:49 I'm declared a citizen of heaven. It's taken care of. No, no. Paul viewed it as a living, growing principle of the soul implanted by God in regeneration, growing and developing in the process of sanctification, needing to grow and develop until it is replaced by sight in glorification.

12:13 That's the biblical doctrine of faith. Implanted like a seed in regeneration. The first exercise of the life of God is that gaze of the soul upon Christ crucified. The empty hand taking the treasure, taking the robe of righteousness, the parched mouth drinking of Christ, the hungry soul feeding on Christ.

12:36 But now, that which is implanted in regeneration, Paul views as growing in sanctification and continuing to grow until it is replaced in glorification. Then faith will give way to sight and hope will give way to fruition. That's why he said, now abideth, as long as we are here, faith, hope and love. And then in that day, of course, the only one that will be left will be love.

Spurious Faith is Static and Severed from Christ

13:06 Now contrast that with what I would call today a defective or spurious faith that rather than being a growing and developing thing is a static thing. Something that is static has reached a plateau or a level. I went for a complete physical a few weeks ago and I asked the doctor about my weight and he said, no, you're alright, just keep it static. In other words, don't let it go any further than what it is.

13:33 He says, you're up at the upper level where you ought to be, keep your weight static. Don't go beyond that. Now, spurious faith is static. The person who has spurious, false faith, when he thinks he has enough faith that will make him a citizen of heaven, he's content.

13:53 And there's no desire for faith to grow, to develop, to expand, to deepen. To expect salvation from a static faith is as foolish as to expect fruit by going to a fruit tree and tearing off a branch from its living source and clinging to that branch and walking off with it. No. That branch will bear fruit only as long as it is vitally joined to the main source of life, to the body of that tree.

14:27 And so all the promises of salvation, the Bible says, are in Christ Jesus, yea and amen. The promise, whosoever believeth on the Son, him that cometh unto me, all of those promises of salvation are bound up in Christ. And you are clinging to those promises only so far as faith is continually clinging to Christ. But the person who says, well, I'm resting in the promise, he that believeth, and I took that promise and walked away with it, he will no more have life by a promise divorced from Christ than he'll have fruit upon a limb severed from the tree.

15:11 Impossible. The promises are yea and amen in Christ. And so the question is not, did I believe X number of years ago, but do I now believe? Is Christ the object of my hope?

Principle 2: True Faith Grows and Perseveres Through Affliction

15:27 Do I lay hold of Christ again and again in the actings of my soul? As Peter says, to whom coming, that's the present activity of the life of a true believer. And so one of the most basic principles of the nature of true faith is brought out in this passage that true faith needs to grow and develop because it's a living thing. Second principle, and this is perhaps the most vital in the passage, true faith will grow and persevere in spite of difficulties and in fact, it grows by the difficulties.

16:09 Notice verse four, for verily when we were with you we told you before that we should suffer tribulation even as it came to pass and ye know. We told you that once you believe you're signing a warrant for affliction and we proved to be accurate prophets, it's come to pass just as we told you and I've got a sneaking suspicion that he probably told them even before they embraced the gospel. He probably was honest like the Lord was and told people before they ever stepped over the threshold that this is not only

16:52 a matter of obtaining peace and forgiveness but you're going to incur the frown of the world. The Lord was honest with people. He told them to count the cost. Do you remember in the 14th chapter of Luke?

17:02 He told them the whole story. When he gave his evangelistic message he invited men not only to a narrow gate but to a narrow way, to a narrow way, the unpopular way and apparently Paul did the same and we know from other scriptures that he obviously did this to young believers. He went back to all the churches he had founded and exhorted them and told them that through much tribulation they must enter the kingdom of heaven. Verse 6 and 7 But now when Timotheus came from you unto us and brought us good tidings of your faith and love that ye have good remembrance of this always desiring greatly to see us as we to see you.

17:39 Therefore brethren we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith for now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord and apparently they were standing fast so he says in verse 9 what thanks can we render to God for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God. You see true faith grows and perseveres in spite of yea even by difficulties and affliction. Listen to one of the old Puritans who said it in his very quaint way Affliction is God's spade by which he did into his people's hearts

18:20 to find the gold of faith. Affliction is God's spade by which he digs into the hearts of his people to find the gold of faith. And the opposite is true. Affliction is God's spade whereby he digs into the hearts of men to show the alloy the tin of false faith.

18:54 Just as surely as affliction will reveal the presence of true faith it will almost invariably expose the sham of spurious faith. Now how does this work? Will you follow closely now as I want to make this intensely practical. In the gospel the gospel that Paul preached the Lord Jesus is set forth as the only way of forgiveness announcing to men the truth.

19:21 Announcing to men their sinfulness Paul would then proclaim the way of salvation in Christ. And he would say to men in Jesus Christ and in him alone is forgiveness salvation hope all the promises of God all the covenanted mercies of God they're bound up in the Lord Jesus. He's worthy to be trusted obeyed and followed. He's promised that all who come unto God by him will be saved.

19:49 He promises to receive all believing sinners and give them life now and life hereafter. Then he would invite men to repentance and faith as he says in Acts 20.21. Now what happens?

20:02 Someone says ah I see I need this savior who offers life this savior who promises forgiveness this savior who has pledged to be sure before me the sinner plead my cause before a holy God and he professes to embrace that Christ. Now what happens? Well he begins to obey his word he begins to love his claims and walk in his laws and live them out and experience and immediately there's the reaction of a hostile world. Here he's embraced the Lord Jesus loving him he seeks to obey him and keep his word he goes back into his office and no longer does he enter into the latest round of dirty jokes and the minute he opens his mouth and says fellas that's done now

20:45 his life exposes theirs opposition. He doesn't cut corners in his job anymore he takes his ten minute coffee break instead of making it a half hour siesta and the other fellas begin to rub him and say wait a minute Mac you trying to show us up? He says no I'm just seeking to do what is pleasing to my new found Lord who commands me to render the service that is due to render the service for which I am being paid and so in his little circle the influence of his life begins to be light and salt it begins to sting in the open wounds of society it begins to be a testimony opposition comes he begins to be frowned upon some of his best friends begin to cut him off

21:29 they begin perhaps verbally to abuse him begin to put social pressure upon him what happens? alright he comes into tension here the Christ whom I've embraced for life and salvation peace now and glory hereafter the Christ whom I obey out of love and in faith attachment to him is bringing affliction what will I do? the pinch is on my reputation my possessions my friends my life itself at stake what does faith say? faith says wait a minute has my need changed?

22:01 am I still a guilty sinner? yes has Christ as the one who can meet my need changed? no he's still the only hope of sinners have the issues changed? that I must be rightly related to him if I'm to have any grounds of assurance that I'm saved now and in the world to come?

22:21 no the issues are the same so what does faith do? faith says I'll continue to cling to Christ I'll continue to attach myself to him and his ways and his people let the world frown let my friends deride me let them forsake me I must cling to Christ for to forsake Christ is to forsake life so what happens? affliction became God's spade to dig down in the heart of that man and reveal the gold of true faith that's what happened in the midst of this the word of God says to the believer all things are working together for your good affliction comes

23:06 maybe personal physical domestic financial and the word of God says this God whom he's trusted for his salvation this God who loved enough to send his son this God who says all things are working together for your good this God who says I will not suffer you to be tempted above that you're able this God who says like as a father pities his children so I pity my children I will not chide nor keep my anger forever here's the problem the affliction the opposition comes and there's the temptation shall I doubt that all things are working together for my good shall I doubt that he will suffer to be tempted above that I'm able shall I doubt that he has a father's heart tenderly concerned

23:51 faith says no I cannot I dare not judge the heart of God by what I see of his dealings he is infinitely wiser than I infinitely more powerful infinitely more concerned infinitely more wise I will not deny this God simply because of affliction this is Job isn't it this is Job when all the affliction came and his wife said curse that God and die how can he be the God you say he is Job's faith reached through all of that heartache and affliction and he says this God gave this God take away blessed be the name of the Lord and now what happens to spurious faith it folds under the pressure of affliction

Affliction Exposes Spurious Faith (Parable of the Sower)

24:35 and is relinquished under fire turn to the 13th of Matthew as you see a classic example of this in the parable of the sower true faith you see is strengthened in the midst of the fire of affliction as the Thessalonians faith was but what happens to spurious faith here is this fellow Matthew chapter 13 verse 20 he that received the seed into stony places the same as he that heareth the word and anon with joy receiveth it he said this is wonderful the promise of forgiveness the promise of life the promise of pardon

25:19 wonderful he receives that word of promise that word of pardon yet hath he no root in himself he's got no real gold of true faith deep down in his heart but he endureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by he is offended now what is his offense when he stumbles how does he reveal that stumbling by cursing God not necessarily Luke gives us the answer he reveals that disposition of heart by ceasing

26:04 to believingly cling to Christ for we read in Luke 8 13 the parallel passage Luke's account of the same parable Luke 8 in verse 13 they on the rock are they which when they hear receive the word with joy and these have no root which for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away they are temporary believers their faith will go as far as the first real crucible of affliction but then when the pressure comes like that fellow I described in the shop

26:47 and they begin to feel the pinch of attachment to the tree clinging to Christ they will either openly repudiate the gospel or they'll do what many in evangelical circles have done they'll tear away a living branch and refuse to be identified with Christ where it means reproach and sorrow and misunderstanding and abuse and yet they'll say they're still trusting in the promises of mercy and they believe they'll go to heaven when they die they're not true believers for as we find in the life of the Thessalonians the affliction that came Paul was fearful that it might reveal that maybe they were like stony ground hearers and so he says

27:32 notice his wording he knew this was a possibility that they could have been mere stony ground hearers so he says in verse 5 for this cause when I could no longer forbear I sent to know your faith lest by some means the tempter have tempted you and our labor be in vain he said it didn't matter how glowing your first steps into Christian life were if that faith you professed was not growing and developing it simply reveals there was never anything in the first place our labor was in vain we labored for nothing labored for nothing labored for nothing but thank God the affliction that came was God's spade to dig down

Perseverance of True Faith (Hebrews 10)

28:16 and reveal that in the hearts of the Thessalonians there was the true gold of true faith which according to our second principle this morning will always grow and persevere in spite of difficulties yea in fact it grows by the discipline of difficulty turn to the tenth chapter of Hebrews as we see another biblical example of this principle and I'm taking time to enlarge it because I believe it's so vital to our own salvation and to our proper assessment of the ways of God with men Hebrews chapter 10 verses 35 to 39

28:59 cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompense of reward for ye have need of patience that is endurance that after you have done the will of God you might receive the promise for yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry now the just shall live by faith you see the just man lives by the principle of faith he's not just saved in terms of being justified by faith but faith then becomes the principle of his very life attachment to God as he's revealed in the scriptures and in his promises but if any man draw back

29:41 my soul shall have no pleasure in him but we are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul when affliction comes and a man like a stony ground here draws back and moves away from the hope of the gospel the bible doesn't say he draws back to a few less rewards he draws back to perdition to forsake the way of faith faith is to forsake the way of salvation but he says thank God we are not of them who draw back

30:24 we who are true believers will what? we will believe unto final salvation for true faith the gold of true faith will not be moved by affliction only discovered and made brighter as it is refined in the furnace of affliction and so affliction becomes to the believer that boiling pot in which the dross is skimmed off and his faith is purified the wonderful hymn I think it's one of top ladies yea I to the end shall endure as sure as the promise is given more safe more happy but not more secure

31:07 the glorified spirits in heaven notice his statement I to the end must endure yes but I to the end shall endure the true believer will persevere and so Paul rejoices because they are going on and their going on in faith is the proof of the reality of their initial faith and so again dear child of God why do we fight affliction? wouldn't you rather have God show you whether or not your faith is the real thing now while you can do something about it if it isn't and wait for that day when it's too late one of the things that gives me a measure of assurance that I belong to the Lord is to look back to those times when I've been put

31:51 under the pressure of affliction and everything in my flesh is wanted to repudiate my Lord but I couldn't do it and you come through that fire and you say with Paul I rejoice by the grace of God I've been enabled to stand fast so when affliction comes the first reflex action should not be Lord take away the affliction but oh Lord strengthen me with strength and faith in the midst of the affliction Lord dig deep with thy shovel to discover the true gold of true faith and then the third principle that I see in this passage first one was true faith needs to grow and develop true faith will grow and develop

Principle 3: True Faith is Never an Only Child

32:35 even in the midst of affliction third principle true faith will never be an only child now some of you are only children that is you are the only son or daughter of your father and your mother my wife is an only child but you know God never brought faith to bear in the heart of a man and left it an only child and we see in this passage the brothers and sisters that faith always has notice them Timothy has come back to us he says with a wonderful report of what verse 6 but now when Timotheus came from you unto us and brought us good tidings of your faith and love

33:17 and that ye have good remembrance of us always desiring greatly to see us as we also to see you therefore brethren we were comforted over you in all of our distress then you read back chapter 1 all of those things he said about the Thessalonians that from them the word of God was sounding abroad in all of those areas they became followers of the apostles and of the Lord they turned to God from idols you see faith had many beautiful sisters and brothers of Christian grace and true faith will never be never be an only child faith is an invisible grace

34:00 when the soul feeds upon Christ you can't sit there and see I wish I could see how many of you are listening to the word of God in faith this morning I wish some kind of a red light would go on over the heads of those who are receiving the word with faith and I'd point my finger at the Lord and I'd point my finger at the rest of you and seek to do something to see the red light go on over your head but you see I can't tell those of you that are receiving the word with faith faith is an invisible grace and virtue but faith always produces visible fruits and virtues in the life of the belief and that's what Paul rejoiced in he said faith in these people was not an only child Timothy came back

34:44 not only declaring your faith but declaring your faith as it was revealed in your love to us your longing to see us the fact that your testimony is being spread abroad throughout that whole area the fact that everywhere we go the witness of your changed lives precedes us and we need not say anything about you everybody has already heard what God has done in you do you profess to be a believer in Jesus Christ this morning do you profess to have faith in the Savior do you profess to cling to Him and to those promises that cluster around you like lush fruit on a healthy tree the promises of forgiveness and mercy that are all bound to Christ

35:28 do you claim the promises as yours because Christ is yours if so let me ask you how many brothers and sisters does that faith have in your life is there the brother of holiness and the sister of true godly sorrow for sin is there that little child of sensitivity to sin and that big child of hungering to see the advancement of God's kingdom do you have some brothers and sisters to your faith or is your faith an only child my friend if your faith is an only child God was never the father of your faith you know who is the father of that kind of faith the devil

36:10 because James says that demons also believe and tremble and he says that precisely to people who say we've got faith and since we are saved by faith and not by works we've got faith as an only child and James says you show me your faith without your works and I'll show you my faith by his brothers and sisters by his works he says that kind of faith that is without brothers and sisters is what is dead faith wilt thou not know oh man that faith without brothers and sisters is dead faith without works is dead listen again to one of the old Puritans he says take your foul fingers off the promise

36:54 and pretend no more to faith if ye be children of the devil such whose works do not such whose necks do not freely stoop to this yoke of obedience the devil himself may as soon pass for a believer as a disobedient man other things he can show as much as you do you pretend to knowledge thou wilt not deny the devil to be a greater student of scripture than thyself dost thou believe scripture to be true doth not he more strongly dost thou tremble he much more it is obedience he lacks

37:39 and this makes him a devil and it will make thee like him also take your foul fingers off the promise and pretend no more to faith if you be disobedient to the revealed will of God faith's first brother is obedience and second brother and sister and the increase of the family is the outworking of that obedience and holiness and love and all the other many fruits of the Holy Spirit and so Paul rejoiced in the faith of the Thessalonians because it was a faith that had the full family of Christian virtue standing with it

Summary and Call to Embrace True Faith

38:24 and so I submit that the lesson of this passage declares that true faith will never be an only child I trust that these three simple principles found in this passage will be burnt into our hearts by the Holy Spirit principle number one true faith needs to grow and develop Paul sends Timothy to confirm them in their faith he himself longs to come to perfect what is lacking in the faith for faith is a living principle of attachment to Christ not some dead static activity of the past every promise in the scripture that I know of that promises mercy to believers the word believe is in the present tense

39:08 he that believeth present tense on the Son hath everlasting life not he that believed past tense he that believeth present tense why? because true faith is a living principle that implanted as a seed in regeneration grows and develops in sanctification until it is replaced in glorification second principle true faith will grow and persevere in spite of difficulties yea, in the midst of difficulties does this begin to make some sense as to why God drives you over the coals brings you through the fire and plows your heart up why does God let such and such happen to me well he wants to put the spade in

39:51 to find the true gold of true faith and the third principle true faith will never be an only child but will have its attendant virtues even as it did in the life of the Thessalonians and may God grant if the faith you profess to have is not this may you forsake it as an unclean thing and no longer just cling to a dead branch but embrace the Lord Jesus throw yourself on him ask the Holy Spirit to reveal him in such a way that your heart will be ravished with love and affection for him and trust in him that if he calls you to pass through the very fires of that affliction which might be unto death itself

40:35 you'll hear his word be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee the crown of life and the heart of a true believer says Lord that's the only path for me may God grant that we shall have that kind of faith even as did the Thessalonians