Living by Faith in an
Unfaithful
World
Living by Faith in an
Unfaithful
World
Richard “Rick” Triplett
Copyright © 2015 by Richard “Rick” Triplett.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015912214
ISBN: Hardcover 978-1-5035-9086-1 Softcover 978-1-5035-9087-8 eBook 978-1-5035-9088-5
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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These meditations are not academic studies. They are the fruit of a soul thirsting to know the Lord. This passion to know Christ better is imprinted on every page. Readers will both discover spiritual truths in these pages and come away with their own thirst whetted to know the Lord better.
It was my privilege to serve as Rick ’s pastor for a brief time. The impressions he left with me are of a man keen of mind, with a deep commitment to Jesus Christ. He is a person who is exceptionally well read, and, on the occasions we discussed spiritual issues, he came across as being sure of where he stands. It was not arrogance on his part; it was the result of his reading widely and thinking deeply so that he knows that of which he speaks. There is about Rick a serious intensity which the reader will discern from reading his work.
The stated purpose of the book is to strengthen the faith of believers in a world that is becoming increasingly anti-Christian. Rick takes the scriptures seriously, so that his explorations into the issues of faith lead to solid insights that will benefit any sincere believer. One way to read the book is as a daily devotional. This provides the reader time to reflect and think about what is read. Another way to read it is to use it is as a resource when teaching a Sunday school lesson or writing a sermon or when
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When he tells us that the righteous will live by faith—four times—he certainly means it.
The writer of Hebrews defined faith in the following way: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Heb.
11:1, NIV). But what does it mean to live by faith? Faith is neither physical nor material. Faith believes that we will receive what we hope for even though we cannot see it because it is incapable of being seen now. By faith, we believe God exists and will keep the promises he has made to us. For us, faith believes in an invisible God and the efficacy of his power to do what he says he will do. It underpins our lives with the assurance that we will be saved in the end-times. It requires us to replace our self-centered interests and values with those of God and adopt his purpose for our lives as the road map by which we choose to live.
The percentage of people living today that are Christians and living a life submitted to God is dwindling. Paul, quoting Isaiah, referred to a faithful remnant when he wrote, “Though the number of the children of
Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved” (Rom.