Moving From Unbelief To Faith (2)

Matthew 1:18-25

Joseph did not remain an unspiritual man. He became a man of faith. How did he become a man of faith? - He became a man of faith through an encounter with the angel of the Lord, who revealed to him the true nature of Jesus. God was graciously providing His Son as the Saviour of the world. Joseph had a very important decision to make. he had to decide whether he was going to accept Jesus as his Saviour or reject Him as the illegitimate son of another man. By his acceptance of Mary and the child she was expecting, Joseph signified his acceptance of Jesus Christ, the Saviour. Joseph's response of faith, following the word of the angel of the Lord, now stands as a permanent example for us, that we might learn, from Joseph, how to move from being unspiritual, unbelieving people to being men and women of faith, rejoicing in our Saviour, Jesus Christ. God has a question for each one of us: Have you made a true response of faith to the gracious word of the Lord concerning His Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ?

Moving From Unbelief To Faith (1)

Matthew 1:18-25

First, we note Joseph's initial response to finding out that Mary - his betrothed (fiancee) - was with child by the Holy Spirit. To understand Joseph's initial response, we must understand the nature of Jewish betrothal. In our society, if an engaged couple decide to break off their engagement, this is a matter between themselves. There is no legal contract binding them to each other. Things were different in Israel at the time of Jesus' birth - Jewish betrothal could be dissolved only by a formal act in which the man gave the woman a certificate of divorce. Joseph planned to do this quietly, in order to avoid a public scandal." Joseph's initial response was to view the situation from a purely human point of view. He did not understand the spiritual significance of what had happened. From the purely human standpoint, Joseph's intended action was perfectly understandable. He wanted to save face. At this stage, however, Joseph was still in the position of 'the unspiritual man' who 'cannot understand the things of God.' Joseph needed to be 'born again.'

Taking God's Word Seriously (4)

What a difference there is between the kind of sophisticated unbelief, which leaves us with half a Bible and half a Saviour, and the attitude of faith that rejoices in a whole Bible and a whole Saviour! This is not a matter of splitting hairs between different interpretations. There is an eternity of difference between regarding Jesus as our great example and trusting Him as our Saviour. It is the difference between the believer who will spend eternity with Christ and the unbeliever who will spend eternity without Christ.

What is the essential difference between the believer and the unbeliever? - The difference is highlighted in Matthew 1:18-25, where we read of Joseph’s experience of God’s grace in the announcement of the Saviour’s birth. Here, we learn about our Saviour’s birth. Through Joseph’s experience, we also learn about the way of moving from unbelief to faith. In the next few posts, we will look at Joseph's experience of moving from unbelief to faith.

Taking God's Word Seriously (3)

Matthew, chapter 1, divides itself naturally into two sections - (a) verses 1-17 and (b) verses 18-25. These two sections of the New Testament’s very first chapter contains clear, unambigous rejection of the so-called ‘faith’ of many sophisticated unbelievers. In this post, we look at verses 18-25. 

Verses 18-25 make it perfectly clear that we are not to think of the story of jesus as a purely human story. His birth was not ordinary. It was extraordinary. The purpose of His birth was not unknown. It was uniquely specified before His birth. There are many people who say, “Surely, you don’t believe in the Virgin Birth. It’s just an old fairy-tale.” For many people, the Virgin Birth is a stumbling-block - they cannot believe it! They want a “Christianity” without the Virgin Birth. They cannot, however, escape the fact that the New Testament does not present us with such an earthbound “Christianity.” Matthew 1:18 simple tells us, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.” There is no suggestion of “It wasn’t really like this, but this is a nice way of speaking about it and it sounds good.” 

If the manner of Jesus’ birth was extraordinary, the purpose of His birth was even more amazing.He did not come only to be a moral example of perfect love. He came to be the Saviour, the One who would save His people from their sins.

Taking God's Word Seriously (2)

Matthew, chapter 1, divides itself naturally into two sections - (a) verses 1-17 and (b) verses 18-25. These two sections of the New Testament’s very first chapter contains clear, unambigous rejection of the so-called ‘faith’ of many sophisticated unbelievers. In this post, we look at verses 1-17.

verses 1-17 make it clear that if we are to understand the story of Jesus rightly, we cannot say, “The New Testament - that’s all right (after all - it’s an inspirational classic) - but I’ve no time for the Old Testament.” From the opening words of Matthew’s Gospel, we learn that the story of Jesus did not begin at Bethlehem. we need to go back to the Old Testament. Matthew goes back to Abraham and the promise given to Abraham by God. Luke takes us right back to the God of creation. The story of Jesus is no mere human story. It has its roots in the eternal love of the God who was active throughout history, preparing His people for the coming of the promised and expected Saviour.

Link For Notes On Matthew