In Tim Mills' second message he took up the question he raised at the end of his first as to whether initial faith is the same as the faith we are to go on with.
He answered the question by going back to Habakkuk 2:4 and noting that word live.
He identified from Habakkuk three dangers
1. The Lord's people themselves because of their sins (1:1-4)
2. The Babylonians (1:5-2:20)
3. God himself (3)
He then took us to the three New Testament references to the Habakkuk reference in Romans 1, Galatians 3 and Hebrews 10.
Hebrews 10:38 asserts both that Christians are justified and that there is danger and if we continue in sin it will be a disaster. The sin in view is hearing God's Word and saying no to accepting it and doing it.
Those who trust in Christ can get through the dangers
if they look to Christ.
Galatians 3:11
Backsliding is nothing less than leaving God. What should you do when the anchor is slipping - trust urgently in Christ.
Romans 1:17
We spent the bulk of the time here and were taken over several chapters, powerfully making the point that we, though justified, are tempted to act in our strength, something that God hates. Those who are already justified live through the danger of saying one thing and doing another as they believe urgently in Christ.
He confessed in closing to feeling tired (not just physically) but in all sorts of ways - praying, singing, etc, etc. The answer is not to look at your faith as such but to fix your eyes on God and on Christ with urgent and clinging faith.
It was a privilege to hear this thorough and well thought out message.
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