PT-2 Intro to “The Significance of Faith” (Luke 9:37-45)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/31/2026 9:21 AM

My Worship Time                                             Focus:  PT-2 Intro to “The Significance of Faith”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                Reference:  Luke 9:37-45

            Message of the verses:  “³⁷ On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him. ³⁸ And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, because he is my only son, ³⁹ and a spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth; and only with difficulty does it leave him, mauling him as it leaves. ⁴⁰ And I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not.” ⁴¹ And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” ⁴² Now while he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. ⁴³ And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.

But while everyone was astonished at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, ⁴⁴ “As for you, let these words sink into your ears: for the Son of Man is going to be handed over to men.” ⁴⁵ But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not comprehend it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.”

            I will continue to quote from John MacArthur’s commentary on the introduction to the verses above.

            “Theologians use three Latin words to delineate the elements of saving faith.  Notitia (knowledge) refers to the intellectual element of faith, and ‘consists in a positive recognition of the truth,  in which man accepts as true whatsoever God says in His Word’ (Louis Berkhot, Systematic Theology [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976], 503).  Assensus (assent) describes the emotional element of faith.  Berkhof notes, ‘When one embraces Christ by faith, he has a deep conviction of the truth and reality of the object of faith, feels that it meets an important need in his life, and is conscious of an absorbing interest in it—and this is assent’ (Berkhof, 504-505).  Finally, fiducia denotes the volitional element of faith; it is an act of the will.  Saving faith

Is not merely a matter of intellect, nor of the intellect and emotions combined; it is also a matter of the will, determining the direction of the soul…this third element consists in a personal trust in Christ as Saviour and Lord, including a surrender of the soul as guilty and defiled to Christ, and a reception and appropriation of Christ as the source of pardon and of spiritual life. (Berkhof, 505)

            “Genuine faith inevitably results in a life of obedience to God; one cannot affirm Jesus as Lord without doing what He commands (Luke 6:46; cf. Matt. 7:21-23).”

(Luke 6:46; cf. Matt. 7:21-23)

“46  "Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”

“21 ¶  "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do

many mighty works in your name?’ 23  And then will I declare to them,, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

“Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and the others mentioned in Hebrews 11 believed God’s promises and obeyed Him, even though they all died without fully realizing what they had been promised.  Saving faith overcomes death, endures torture, outlasts chains and prisons, withstands temptation, suffers martyrdom, and survives hardship (vv. 32-38).  It is by such faith that people gain salvation and approval from God (v. 39).

Hebrews 11 (vv. 32-38)

“ 32 ¶  And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33  who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34  quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35  Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36  Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38  of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.”

(Hebrews 11:39)

“39  And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised,”

            “In this section of Luke’s gospel, the Lord Jesus Christ gave His followers a crucial lesson about faith.  Verse 41 reveals that the point the Lord wanted to make is that a twisted, distorted view of the Word of God produces unbelief.  This passage may be examined under four headings:  demon possession, disciple perversion, divine power, and dazzling person.”

Spiritual Meaning for my Life Today:  Sometimes when I read John MacArthur’s commentary I marvel at what he comes up with after looking at the verses that he is commenting on, and this is one of those times.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I’m trusting the Lord to work out a situation that is now going on in my life to bring healing, honor and glory to the Lord.

10/31/2026 9:50 AM