Monite ‘Epeleli 25, 2022

FAITH THAT RECONCILES

KO E TUI ‘OKU NE FAI ‘A E FAKALELEI

GALATIANS 2:15-16

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

KALETIA 2:16

Neongo ko e tupu Siu kitaua, ‘o ‘ikai ko e ongo angahala mei he Senitaile, ka ‘i he‘eta ‘ilo ‘oku ‘ikai fakatonuhia ha tangata mei he ngaahi ngāue faka-Lao, kae ngata pē ‘i he tui kia Sīsū Kalaisi, ko ia, ko kitaua foki na‘a ta tui kia Kalaisi Sīsū, koe‘uhi ke ta ma‘u fakatonuhia mei he tui kia Kalaisi, ‘o ‘ikai mei he ngaahi ngāue faka-Lao: koe‘uhi ko e me‘a ki he ngaahi ngāue faka-Lao, ‘e tu‘u mola ai ‘a e kakano kotoa pē, ‘o ‘ikai hanau fakatonuhia mei ai.

 

Sola Fide - Faith Alone - Ko e Tui´ pe    

He who has God for his inheritance does not exult in fading joy, but, as one already elevated toward heaven, enjoys the solid happiness of eternal life. It is, indeed, to be maintained as an axiom, that all the promises of God made to the faithful flow from the free mercy of God, and are evidences of that paternal love, and of that gratuitous adoption, on which their salvation is founded.

Therefore, we do not say that Abram was justified because he laid hold on a single word, respecting the offspring to be brought forth, but because he embraced God as his Father. And truly faith does not justify us for any other reason than that it reconciles us unto God, and that it does so not by its own merit, but because we receive the grace offered to us in the promises and have no doubt of eternal life, being fully persuaded that we are loved by God as sons.

JOHN CALVIN

Sapate ‘Epeleli 24, 2022

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST

KO HONO FAKAHA MAI ‘O SISU KALAISI

JOHN 14:5-6

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

SIONE 14:6

Pea lea ki ai ‘a Tōmasi, ‘Eiki, ‘oku ‘ikai te mau ‘ilo pē ko ho‘o me‘a ki fē; pea mau ‘ilo fēfē ai ‘a e hala? Pea folofola ‘a Sīsū ki ai, Ko au pē ko e Hala, pea mo e Mo‘oni mo e Mo‘ui: ‘oku ‘ikai ha‘u ha taha ki he Tamai ka ‘i he‘ene fou ‘iate au.

 

Sola Fide - Faith Alone - Ko e Tui´ pe    

Faith is the soul's entirely adhering to and acquiescing in the revelation of Jesus Christ as our Saviour, from a sense of the excellent dignity and sufficiency of the Revealer of the doctrine and of the Saviour. God is the Revealer, and Christ is also the Revealer. Christ's excellency and sufficiency include the excellency of His person, and the excellency of the salvation He has revealed, and His adequateness to the performance, etc., and the excellency of His manner of salvation.

From the excellency and sufficiency of the Revealer and Performer we believe what is said is true, fully believe it; and from the glorious excellency of the Saviour and His salvation, all our inclination closes with the revelation. To depend upon the word of another person imports two things: first, to be sensible how greatly it concerns us, and how much our interest and happiness really depend upon the truth of it; and, secondly, to depend upon the word of another is so to believe it as to dare to act upon it as if it were really true.

JONATHAN EDWARDS

Tokonaki ‘Epeleli 23, 2022

FAITH THAT MOVES ONWARD

KO E TUI ‘OKU LAKA KIMU’A

PSALM 84:5 & 7

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.

SAAME 84:5 & 7

Monū‘ia ā ka ko e kau tangata. ‘Oku ‘i he ‘Afiona ‘enau falala, ‘Oku nau loto‘aki ‘a e ngaahi hala. ‘Oku nau ‘alu ‘i he mālohi ki ha mālohi, ‘Oku nau hū ‘i Saione ‘i he ‘ao ‘o ‘Elohimi.

 

Sola Fide - Faith Alone - Ko e Tui´ pe    

Consider the heart's desire of the apostles: "Increase our faith." They did not say, “Lord, keep our faith alive: Lord, sustain it as it is at present," but “Increase our faith.” For they knew very well that it is only by increase that the Christian keeps alive at all.

Napoleon once said, “I must fight battles, and I must win them: conquest has made me what I am, and conquest must maintain me." And it is so with the Christian. It is not yesterday's battle that will save me today; I must be going onward. A wheel will remain erect as long as it moves, but when it begins to stand still it falls. Christian men are saved by progress: constantly going onward keeps the Christian alive.

If it were possible for me to stop, I know not where my life would be. The Christian must be going onward; for the arrow will mount while still it is in progress, but it stalls the moment power stops that keeps it aloft. So the apostles said unto the Lord, "Increase our faith."

CHARLES SPURGEON

Falaite ‘Epeleli 22, 2022 

PURIFIED BY FAITH

FAKAMA’A ‘I HE TUI

ACTS 15:8-9

And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.

ACTS 15:8-9

Pea ko e ‘Otua ‘oku tokaima‘ananga ki ai ‘a e loto, na‘a ne fakamo‘oni ma‘anautolu, he‘ene foaki ki ai ‘a e Laumālie Mā‘oni ‘oni, ‘o hangē ko ‘ene fai kiate kitautolu. Pea na‘e ‘ikai te ne momo‘i faikehekehe kiate kitautolu mo kinautolu, he‘ene fakama‘a honau loto ‘aki ‘enau tui.

 

Sola Fide - Faith Alone - Ko e Tui´ pe   

The Spirit testifies, by the mouth of Peter, that hearts are "purified by faith” (Acts 15:9); and seeing that the purity of the holy patriarchs was of the very same kind, the apostle does not in vain infer that the offering of Abel was, by faith, more excellent than that of Cain. Therefore, in the first place we must hold that all works done before faith, whatever splendor of righteousness may appear in them, were nothing but mere sins, being defiled from their roots, and were offensive to the Lord, whom nothing can please without inward purity of heart.

I wish they who imagine that men, by their own motion of free will, are rendered meet to receive the grace of God, would reflect on this. Certainly, no controversy would then remain on the question, whether God justifies men gratuitously, and that by faith. For this must be received as a settled point, that in the judgment of God, no respect is had to works until man is received into favor.

JOHN CALVIN

Na’e lea ‘a e Laumalie ‘o fou mai ‘i he ngutu ‘o Pita, na’e fakama’a honau loto ‘aki ‘enau tui (Ngaue 15:9); pea ‘i he vakai atu, na’e pehe ni pe mo e fakama’a ‘o e kau Peteliake, na’e pehee ai ‘e he ‘aposetolo, na’e lelei hake ‘a e feilaulau ‘a ‘Epeli, he na’e fai ‘i he tui, ‘i he feilaulau ‘a Keini. Ko ia ai, ‘oku tau ma’u mei ai, ‘oku ‘ikai ha ngaue ‘e taau, ka ‘ikai fai ‘i he tui, neongo ‘a hono masani pe fotu ki tu’a, he ‘oku angahala kotoa mei he aka pea fakatupu houhau kia Sihova.

Taau ange ke mahino ki he tangata, ko ‘ene ngaue ‘oku fai ‘iate ia pe, ‘oku ‘ikai tali ‘e he ‘Otua, he ‘oku ‘ikai ha ngaue ‘a e kakano ‘e fakatupu hoifua kiate Ia, ngata pe ‘i he ngaue ‘oku fai ‘i he tui. ‘Oku toki tali pe ‘a e ngaue ‘a e tokotaha, kuo tomu’a hifo ki ai hono finangalo.

Tu’apulelulu ‘Epeleli 21, 2022 

THOSE WHO LIVE BY FAITH

KO KINAUTOLU ‘OKU MO’UI ‘I HE TUI

2 CHRONICLES 20:20

And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.”

2 CHRONICLES 20:20

Pea na‘a nau tu‘u hengihengi, ‘o ‘alu ‘atu ki he Toafa ‘o Tekoa: pea ‘i he‘enau ‘alu atu na‘e tu‘u ‘a Sihosafate, ‘o ne pehē, Fanongo mai, ‘e Siuta, mo kimoutolu ‘a e nofo Selusalema: tui kia Sihova ko homou ‘Otua, pea ‘e fakatu‘uma‘u kimoutolu: tui ki he‘ene kau palōfita, pea te mou tu‘umālie.

 

Sola Fide - Faith Alone - Ko e Tui´ pe    

The doctrines I speak of are those of Christians living by faith, not by sight: their giving glory to God by trusting Him in the dark; living upon Christ, and not upon experiences; not making their good frames the foundation of their faith. These are excellent and important doctrines indeed, rightly understood, but corrupt and destructive, as many understand them.

The Scripture speaks of our living or walking by faith, and not by sight, in no other way than these, namely when we are governed a respect to eternal things, which are the objects of faith and are not seen, and not by a respect to temporal things, which are seen; when we believe things revealed, that we never saw with bodily eyes, and also exercise faith in the promise of future things, without yet seeing or enjoying the things promised, or knowing the way how they can be fulfilled. This will be easily evident to anyone that looks over the Scriptures, which speak of faith in opposition to sight.

JONATHAN EDWARDS

Ko e tokateline ‘oku ou fakamatala ki ai, ko e mo’ui ‘i he tui, ‘o ‘ikai fai fakamamata. Ko e fakalangilangi’i ‘o e ‘Otua, ‘i he falala kiate Ia ‘i he kaupo’uli ‘o e mo’ui; ko e mo’ui falala kia Kalaisi, ‘o ‘ikai ko ‘ete taukei; ‘o ‘ikai tefito ‘i he lelei ‘o e mo’ui fakamatelie, ke langa ai ‘a e tui. Ko e ngaahi tokateline lelei eni mo totonu, neongo ‘oku ofe’i ‘e he ni’ihi ki he kovi ‘o fakatatau ki he’enau fakatonulea.

‘Oku fakamatala ‘a e Fofofola ki he mo’ui pe ko e fononga ‘i he tui, ‘o ‘ikai ko e mamata, ‘o ‘uhinga, ‘i he taimi ‘oku pule’i ai kitautolu ‘e he ngaahi me’a ‘o ‘itaniti, ‘a ia ko e taumu’a ‘o ‘etau tui, ‘a ee ‘oku ‘ikai ke tau mamata ki ai, ‘o ‘ikai tefito ‘i he ngaahi me’a matelie ‘oku tau mamata ki ai. Ko e fa’ahinga tui ki ha ngaahi me’a kuo fakaha mai, ka kuo te’eki te tau mamata ki ai, pea tau ngaue’aki ‘a e tui ki he ngaahi me’a ‘i he kaha’u pe te nau hoko fe fe? ‘Oku ha mahino ‘aupito ‘a e mo’ui ko eni, ‘i he’etau vakai ki he Folofola, he’ene fakamatala ki he tui, ‘o ‘ikai ko e fai mamata pe.

Pulelulu ‘Epeleli 20, 2022 

BY FAITH EMBRACE THE PROMISE

PUKE KI HE PALOMESI ‘I HE TUI

GALATIANS 3:24-25

So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,

KALETIA 3:24-25

Pea tā ko e Lao ko hota fakale‘o ma‘a Kalaisi, kae fakatonuhia kitaua mei he tui. Ka ‘i he hoko mai ko eni ‘a e tui, pea ‘oku ‘ikai te ta kei fāiekina ki ha fakale‘o.

 

Sola Fide - Faith Alone - Ko e Tui´ pe   

The perpetual succession of the church has flowed from this fountain, that the holy fathers, one after another, having by faith embraced the offered promise, were collected together into the family of God in order that they might have a common life in Christ. This we ought carefully to notice, that we may know what is the society of the true church, and what is the communion of faith among the children of God.

Whereas Moses was ordained the teacher of the Israelites, there is no doubt that he had an especial reference to them, in order that they might acknowledge themselves to be a people elected and chosen by God; and that they might seek the certainty of this adoption from the covenant which the Lord had ratified with their fathers, and might know that there was no other God, and no other right faith. But it was also (God's] will to testify to all ages, that whosoever desired to worship God aright, and to be deemed members of the church, must pursue no other course than that which is here prescribed.

JOHN CALVIN

Ko e hohoko ‘o e siasi, ne tafe mei he fauniteni ko eni; ko e kau takimu’a, na’a nau puke ma’u ki he palomesi, fou ‘i he tui, pea fakatahataha’i ai kinautolu ki he famili ‘o e ‘Otua, ke nau ma’u ‘a e mo’ui taha ‘ia Kalaisi. ‘Oku mahu’inga ke tau tokanga ki heni, ke tau ‘ilo ‘a e kautaha ‘o e siasi mo’oni, mo e feohi’anga ‘o e tui ‘i he fanau ‘a e ‘Otua.

Ko Mosese na’e fakanofo ko e faiako ki ha’a ‘Isileli, pea na’e teu’i pe ia ma’a kinautolu, ke nau ‘ilo ko e kakai fili kinautolu ‘a e ‘Otua; pea ke nau hohoi ki he ohi na’e tu’utu’uni ‘i he kovinanite mo e ‘Otua, ‘a ia na’e fai mo ‘enau ngaahi kui, pea ke nau ‘ilo, ‘oku ‘ikai ha toe ‘Otua mo ha lotu ‘oku toe mo’oni ange. Ka na’e toe finangalo pe ‘a e ‘Otua, ke talaki ki he ngaahi to’utangata, ko ia te ne fie lotu ki he ‘Otua mo’oni, mo kau ki he siasi, ‘e ‘ikai toe ‘i ai ha founga ka ia pe kuo ‘osi hiki ‘i he Tohi. 

Tusite ‘Epeleli 19, 2022 

GUARD YOUR FAITH

LE’OHI HO’O TUI

1 CORINTHIANS 16:13-14

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.

1 KOLINITO 16:13

Mou ‘ā ‘o le‘o; mou tu‘u ‘aki ‘a e tui; mou fai ‘o ngali tangata; mou fakama‘u hifo. ‘Ilonga ha‘amou me‘a ‘e fai, fai pē ‘i he ‘ofa.

 

Sola Fide - Faith Alone - Ko e Tui´ pe    

Take care of your faith, my friends; for it's very often so weak that it demands all your attention. I do not know whether you feel that your faith is too strong, but I never feel mine strong enough. It seems to be exactly strong enough to bear the day's troubles, but it would not stand cutting in the least degree with the plane. I could not afford to take the least atom off; it is just enough, and no more.

As for some of us, our faith is so weak that the least trouble threatens to devour it. The goat passes and nips its tender shoot, the winter chills and freezes it; it is almost ready to die. And my faith very often hangs upon the feeblest thread; it appears ready to expire.

Take care of your faith, Christian, take care of your faith. Whatever you leave out of doors of a night, do not leave that little child of faith; whatsoever plant is exposed to the frost, be sure to put faith within. Take care of faith, for it is so weak generally, it needs well to have a good preservation.

CHARLES SPURGEON

Tokanga ki ho’o tui, si’oku kaungame’a; he ‘oku lahi e taimi ‘oku vaivai fu’u, pea ‘oku fu’u fiema’u ke tokangaekina. ‘Oku ‘ikai te u ‘ilo, pe ‘oku ke pehee pe, ‘oku malohi ho’o tui, ka ko au, ‘oku ou ongo’i pe ‘oku ‘ikai malohi fe’unga. ‘Oku malohi fe’unga pe mo e faingata’a ‘o e ‘aho ni, pea ka ‘ova atu ‘oku ‘ikai te u ‘ilo pe ‘e fe fe?

Ko e tokolahi, ‘oku vaivai fu’u, pea ka hoko mai ha ‘ahi’ahi, ‘e ‘ikai ke lava hano matu’uaki. ‘Oku afe mai pe ‘a e kosi, ‘o kaikai atu hono mukaa, pea uesia ngofua ‘i he to mai ‘a e momokoo; ‘oku toe pe ke mate. Pea ko ‘eku tui, ‘oku tei mate pe.

Kalisitiane, tokanga ki ho’o tui. Fakatokanga’i ho’o me’a ‘oku fa’a tuku ‘i tu’a he po’uli, ‘oua mu’a te ke tuku ai ‘a ho’o tui valevale; ko e ‘akau ‘oku fa’a li’ekina ‘i tu’a he momoko, fakahu ki fale ho’o tui. Tokanga ki ho’o tui, he ‘oku kei vaivai. ‘Oku fiema’u ke fakaili mo tokanga’i lelei ka fakahaofi.