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Two Things Needed


If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Galatians 5:25

The two most important things in our Christian journey are the life of faith and the walk of faith. The person who grasps this is not far from being a master in experimental [experiential] theology, for they are vital points to a Christian. You will never find true faith unaccompanied by true godliness; on the other hand, you will never discover a truly holy life that does not have at its root a living faith relying upon the righteousness of Christ.

We must not fail to understand that we cannot seek the one without the other! There are some who cultivate faith and forget holiness; and so they claim they have the truth, the true orthodox faith, but fail to remember Jesus condemned the Pharisees for their belief in their own righteousness.  It was not enough to hold to the truth in religiosity without the grace and mercy of God in practice!

There are others who believe that truth and faith aren’t possible.  They hold to a religion of self whereby their version of faith is based on their own goodness, efforts, and merits.  It is an error to hold to a self-styled form of godliness whereby we form our own system of life’s works based on our own presuppositions and not on the truth revealed in God’s word.

All of this leads to a simple truth revealed in scripture:  We must have faith, for this is the foundation; we must have holiness of life, for this is the superstructure.

What use is the mere foundation of a building to a man on a stormy day? Can he hide in it? He needs a house to cover him as well as a foundation for that house. Even so, we need the superstructure of spiritual life if we want solidness in a culture of shifting sand.  

Yet those who seek to be holy life without faith, are like the one who erects a house that has no foundation on a rock. Let faith and life be put together, and like the two supports of an archway, they will make our devotion endure.  Lord, give us today life internally, and it will reveal itself externally to your glory.

-C.H. Spurgeon

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