The truth is that Jesus always taught that everything he did could do it because he kept looking at God. His power rested in the fact that he was always with his inner gaze set on his Father (John 5: 19-21).
The Epistle to the Hebrews tells us to run the race "looking to the author and finisher of the faith, in Jesus" All of which teaches that faith is not a one-time act, but a continuous attitude of the heart that keeps looking at God.
To believe, then, is to direct the heart's attention to Christ. It is to look up to "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" and never stop looking for the rest of our life. At first it may seem difficult, but that attitude becomes easier with the continued look at the wonderful personality of Christ.
We can distract ourselves sometimes, but having entrusted our hearts to him, every time we part a little, we will feel the strong desire to return as a bird returns to its nest.
I insist that this personal and voluntary commitment to Christ is necessary, which makes the soul fix its gaze on Jesus forever. God accepts this intention as our choice, and tolerates the distractions we suffer from living in this evil world.!
https://gateway.ipfs.io/ipfs/QmfZ9MqZ2YWAfXq6SnVsspaQMdKo58UjeJjnhQXdCSrt8d
God knows that we have turned our hearts to Jesus, and we know it too, and we console ourselves knowing that our soul is acquiring a habit that will soon become part of our nature, so that soon it will not require any effort from our part.
Faith is the virtue that thinks least of itself. By its very nature, it is scarcely aware that it exists. Like the eye, which sees all that is before it, but it is never seen, faith deals with the Object on which it rests, and never pays attention to itself.
While we are looking at God, we are not looking at ourselves. The man who has struggled to purify himself, and has achieved nothing but failures, will find great relief in removing his gaze from himself and fixing it on that One who it is perfect.
As long as I look to Jesus, all those things that I wanted for so long will be realized within him.
God will be within him, working the will and doing for his good will.
Faith, by itself, is not a meritorious act; the merit depends on the one in whom the faith is placed.
Faith is a change of look: we stop looking at ourselves to look at God. Sin has twisted our inner vision. Unbelief is putting the self in the place that corresponds to God, and is dangerously close to the sin of Lucifer, who said, "On the heights of the clouds I will go up, and I will be like the Most High" (Isaiah 14:14).
Faith looks outward, and not inward, and on this all life rests.
All this may seem too simple. But we do not apologize for it. To those who want to go up to heaven for help, or descend to hell, he tells them, "The word of faith is near" (Romans 10: 8)
The word induces us to lift our eyes to Christ and there begins the blessed life of faith.
As we look up to God we can be sure of finding a friendly look, because it is written that the eyes of the Lord travel all over the earth to see those who have a perfect heart for him.
SteemChurch:The Look Of The Soul
darlenys01 (58) in steemchurch • 10 days ago
The truth is that Jesus always taught that everything he did could do it because he kept looking at God. His power rested in the fact that he was always with his inner gaze set on his Father (John 5: 19-21).
The Epistle to the Hebrews tells us to run the race "looking to the author and finisher of the faith, in Jesus" All of which teaches that faith is not a one-time act, but a continuous attitude of the heart that keeps looking at God.
To believe, then, is to direct the heart's attention to Christ. It is to look up to "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" and never stop looking for the rest of our life. At first it may seem difficult, but that attitude becomes easier with the continued look at the wonderful personality of Christ.
We can distract ourselves sometimes, but having entrusted our hearts to him, every time we part a little, we will feel the strong desire to return as a bird returns to its nest.
I insist that this personal and voluntary commitment to Christ is necessary, which makes the soul fix its gaze on Jesus forever. God accepts this intention as our choice, and tolerates the distractions we suffer from living in this evil world.
God knows that we have turned our hearts to Jesus, and we know it too, and we console ourselves knowing that our soul is acquiring a habit that will soon become part of our nature, so that soon it will not require any effort from our part.
Faith is the virtue that thinks least of itself. By its very nature, it is scarcely aware that it exists. Like the eye, which sees all that is before it, but it is never seen, faith deals with the Object on which it rests, and never pays attention to itself.
While we are looking at God, we are not looking at ourselves. The man who has struggled to purify himself, and has achieved nothing but failures, will find great relief in removing his gaze from himself and fixing it on that One who it is perfect.
As long as I look to Jesus, all those things that I wanted for so long will be realized within him.
God will be within him, working the will and doing for his good will.
Faith, by itself, is not a meritorious act; the merit depends on the one in whom the faith is placed.
Faith is a change of look: we stop looking at ourselves to look at God. Sin has twisted our inner vision. Unbelief is putting the self in the place that corresponds to God, and is dangerously close to the sin of Lucifer, who said, "On the heights of the clouds I will go up, and I will be like the Most High" (Isaiah 14:14).
Faith looks outward, and not inward, and on this all life rests.
All this may seem too simple. But we do not apologize for it. To those who want to go up to heaven for help, or descend to hell, he tells them, "The word of faith is near" (Romans 10: 8)
The word induces us to lift our eyes to Christ and there begins the blessed life of faith.
As we look up to God we can be sure of finding a friendly look, because it is written that the eyes of the Lord travel all over the earth to see those who have a perfect heart for him.
The great expression of experience is, "You, oh God, you see me. When the eyes of the soul meet the Lord who seeks, it can be said that heaven has begun to exist on earth.
Nicolás de Cusa in his work "Vision of God," wrote this more than five hundred years ago:
"When all my eagerness is to direct myself towards you, because you do everything to direct yourself towards me; when I only look at you with full attention, without taking your eyes from your mind, because you embrace me with your constant affection; when I direct my love only to you, because you who are love, you have turned to me, what is my life, my Lord, without all sweetness for your loving embrace? "
I would like to say more about this ancient man of God. He is very little known among ordinary Christians and among fundamentalists, less. I think we would gain a lot if we related a little to men of the Christian school of which Nicolaus de Cusa is one of the most genuine representatives. But for the denominational leaders of today to approve the literature that the people have to read, this must be entirely their partisan taste.
Half a century spent in America with this same attitude has made us all presumptuous and satisfied with ourselves.
We imitate each other, and repeat each other's sentences, and look for puerile excuses to hide our lack of originality.
Nicolaus was a faithful follower of Christ; I loved our Lord, his devotion was bright and radiant. His theology was orthodox, but fragrant and sweet as everything that emanates from Jesus. For example, his concept of eternal life could not be more charming. If I'm not mistaken, it was as close as possible to John 17: 3, which is common among us today.