Understanding This Christian Thing In The Present Tense
Faith is not measured by how much we have read or superficially understand about the Bible, but how much of it we are “doing” because to really Understand This Christian Thing in any meaningful way, we must be applying it to our lives in the present tense.
Application is experience and not until we acknowledge both our great need and personal inability apart from Christ will we humble ourselves to seek and listen to Him.
Most people are waiting to see if what Jesus said and promises will come true – this likewise is not faith. Waiting and watching do not build faith – they weaken and reduce it!
In contrast, a few are testing His Promises today for only in a present tense asking, seeking, knocking, tasting, and seeing can we hope to grow in faith in Jesus Christ as we see Him day-by-day fulfilling His now promises as a preclude and foundation for His great promise of eternal life. True faith is built on repeated confirmations of promises fulfilled in the present tense!
Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe. Saint Augustine