His Faith, Not Mine Series

(The Faith That Saves and Lives Through Us)

Theme Verse:

> “Not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faithfulness of the Son of God.” — Galatians 2:20

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Introduction — The Problem of Trying to Believe Harder

There are moments in life when your faith feels like it’s leaking.

You pray, but the words come out dry.

You read the promises, but they blur like print on wet paper.

And somewhere deep down you whisper, “Lord, I’m trying to believe… but I can’t seem to hold it.”

And in that moment — right there, when faith feels thin — you are standing on the edge of the greatest discovery in all the gospel:

It isn’t your faith that saves you.

It’s His faithfulness.

The story of salvation doesn’t begin with a believer reaching up; it begins with a Savior reaching down.

Your story starts with His “yes” long before you ever learned to say yours.

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1. The Gospel Begins in God’s Faithfulness

From Genesis to Revelation, the golden thread running through Scripture is not human consistency but divine reliability.

Abraham believed — but only after God showed Himself faithful.

Moses led — but only after God revealed His covenant.

Israel fell — and yet God remained true.

When Paul wrote, “the righteousness of God is revealed through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ” (Romans 3:22), he wasn’t writing a new idea.

He was tracing the oldest one: God keeps His word.

The gospel is not good advice for better living — it’s good news about God’s unbroken promise.

That means the question of salvation isn’t “Have I believed enough?” but “Can He be trusted?”

And the answer — thundered from Calvary — is Yes. Forever yes.

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2. The Faith of Jesus — Not Just Faith in Jesus

In Greek, Paul uses a phrase that scholars still wrestle over — pistis Christou.

Some translate it “faith in Christ.”

Others read it “the faithfulness of Christ.”

And you know what?

Both are true — but the second one holds the first in its arms.

Before there was your faith in Jesus, there was Jesus’ faithfulness for you.

He trusted the Father when you couldn’t.

He obeyed perfectly where Adam failed.

He held fast when every nerve in His body screamed to let go.

Your faith doesn’t create salvation; it connects to what His faithfulness already accomplished.

When the thief on the cross gasped, “Lord, remember me,” Jesus didn’t check his doctrinal accuracy or emotional sincerity.

He simply said, “Today you’ll be with Me in paradise.”

Why? Because salvation rests on His faith, not mine.

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3. When My Faith Fails — His Does Not

Maybe you’ve been there.

The diagnosis came back worse than you expected.

The prayer you prayed didn’t get answered the way you wanted.

The people you trusted walked away.

And you thought, “My faith is failing.”

Friend, your feelings may falter — but Christ’s faithfulness never flickers.

You are not hanging onto God by a thread; He is holding you by a covenant.

Hebrews calls Him the “author and finisher of faith.”

That means He started the story, and He’s writing the last chapter too.

Your doubts can’t edit His manuscript.

When Peter sank beneath the waves, Jesus didn’t scold him for weak faith; He reached out and grabbed him.

Peter’s faith failed — but grace had longer arms.

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4. The Cross — Where Faith Kept Believing

Picture that dark hill outside Jerusalem.

The sky bruised black.

The world holding its breath.

There hangs the Son of God — bleeding, abandoned, accused.

And what keeps Him there?

Not nails — faith.

Even when He cried, “My God, why have You forsaken Me?” He was still quoting Scripture (Psalm 22).

That’s faith under fire — believing through silence.

Every heartbeat of Jesus on that cross was a confession:

> “Father, even when I cannot see You, I still trust You.”

That is the faith that saves the world.

And that faith — His faith — is credited to you.

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5. The Scandal of Grace

This is why grace scandalizes religion.

Religion says, “Work harder, believe stronger, hold on tighter.”

Grace says, “He already did.”

The gospel is not a ladder we climb; it’s a rescue we receive.

And if that offends the proud, it heals the broken.

You are not saved because your belief never wavers — you are saved because His faith never wavered.

That’s why Paul could boast, “I live by the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

He didn’t say, “I live by the faithfulness of Paul.”

He said, “I live by the faithfulness of Jesus.”

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6. Faith as Rest

Faith is not gritting your teeth and trying harder to believe.