'Faith Looks Out Instead of In'

Heb_12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Pursuit of God -  A.W. Tozer

'Believing, then, is directing the heart's attention to Jesus. It is lifting the mind to "behold the Lamb of God," and never ceasing that beholding for the REST OF OUR LIVES. At first this may be difficult, but it becomes easier as we look steadily at His wondrous Person, quietly and without strain. Distractions may hinder, but once the heart is committed to Him, after each brief excursion away from Him the attention
will return again and rest upon Him like a wandering bird coming back to its window.

I would emphasize this one committal, this one great volitional act which establishes the heart's intention to gaze FOREVER upon Jesus. God takes this intention for our choice and makes what allowances He must
for the thousand distractions which beset us in this evil world. He knows that we have set the direction of our hearts toward Jesus, and we can know it too, and comfort ourselves with the knowledge that a habit
of soul is forming which will become after a while a sort of spiritual reflex requiring no more conscious effort on our part.

Faith is the least self-regarding of the virtues. It is by its very nature scarcely conscious of its own existence. Like the eye which sees everything in front of it and never sees itself, FAITH IS OCCUPIED WITH THE OBJECT UPON WHICH IT RESTS AND PAYS NO ATTENTION TO INSELF AT ALL. WHILE WE ARE LOOKING AT GOD WE DO NOT SEE OURSELVES--BLESSED RIDDANCE. The man who has struggled to purify himself and has had nothing but repeated failures will experience REAL RELIEF when he STOPS TINKERING WITH HIS SOUL AND LOOKS AWAY TO THE PERFECT ONE. While he looks at Christ the very things he has so long been trying to do will be getting done within him. It will be GOD working in him to will and to do.

Faith is not in itself a meritorious act; the merit is in the One toward Whom it is directed. Faith is a REDIRECTING of our sight, a getting out of the focus of our own vision and getting God into focus.

SIN HAS TWISTED OUR VISION INWARD AND MADE IT SELF-REGARDING. UNBELIEF HAS PUT SELF WHERE GOD SHOULD BE AND IS PERILOUSLY CLOSE TO THE SIN OF LUCIFER who said, "I will set my throne above the throne of God."

FAITH LOOKS_OUT_ INSTEAD OF _IN_ and the whole life falls into line.

All this may seem too simple. But we have no apology to make. To those who would seek to climb into heaven after help or descend into hell God says, "The word is nigh thee, even the word of faith." The word induces us to lift up our eyes unto the Lord and the blessed work of faith begins.'

Rom_10:8  But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach

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The above excerpt from 'The Pursuit of God' is a real eye opener for me. It may not be an eye opener to any other, but for me it touched a place within that needed touching. I am notoriously looking inward at myself and my failings. Satan continuously throws my past evil up into my face and dares to me believe one like me can ever have the hope of salvation.  And not only that, Satan uses my many weaknesses, preying upon them so I fail more often than not and then he rubs my face in those failures once again daring me to believe, to hope I can belong to Christ's. He lays thick the filthy robes of unrighteousness upon me and I tighten them about myself fearing of every being able to allow my SAVIOR to take them from me. Christ's ability to release the evil from around me is so much greater than I can imagine! I HAVE committed myself to HIM, and while I don't believe in once saved always saved, I do believe in once saved continuing in hope, hope that lies far beyond my ability to comprehend.  We commit to Christ, we make Christ our hope and He is our hope, our ONLY HOPE. He will save us from ourselves we only have to LOOK TO HIM ALWAYS! And when Satan does put up the evil distractions to get us to look away we must repent, seek forgiveness and look once more upon our ONLY HOPE, JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD and SAVIOR NOW and FOREVER!!!!!!!

Please, Lord, we would be YOURS always! ALWAYS! Even as we live in this world filled with a million distractions seeking to turn our gaze from You we will look past those distractions all by YOUR GRACE and to YOU!