Galatians 5:6 For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.
This was the verse I was given to study as I read "Crazy Love, Overwhelmed by a Relentless God" by Francis Chan. (Great book by the way! It really makes one think, pray, repent and dig deep.) In the book Francis Chan made the statement, "Imagine if we applied this line of thinking to our lives. What if you could truly sum up your life by saying, 'The only thing that matters is faith working itself out thru love'"
Of course after reading this passage I have questions. There's always questions! LOL So I thought to myself: What does this look like? What does it mean, this faith working itself out through love? And guess what! God has the answer!
At our Sunday night service we were given the verse Jeremiah 33:1-3 as part of the sermon. While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the Lord gave him this second message. "This is what the Lord says--the Lord who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose Name is the Lord: Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come." And from last night's ladies Bible study: James 1:5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. Our Father wants to tell us things, He wants to share His heart and wisdom with us. He wants us to seek Him and His desires, His answers, His wisdom. Imagine that! This is the God we serve! Let's praise Him!!
The Lord gave me two answers to my questions. He fulfilled His promises in Jeremiah and James. He is faithful!
1. Works. Faith without works is dead James 2:19-20 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can't you see that faith without good deeds is useless. And verse 17: So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Remember, Paul told us in Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Actions give life to our faith.
2. How I treat God when things go wrong shows my faith working itself out through love. I made an entry here the other day regarding Romans 8:28 and what it would be like if we lived like we really believed that verse. If we really trusted God and wanted to show we love Him we would we would live that verse out in every circumstance of our day. If I love, trust and respect Him I will not act like a spoiled brat when things go wrong or don't work out my way. And when we live this verse out, we can have peace even in our tears and struggles.
Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
These two answers show our love for God and our love for people, thus proving our faith. Mark 12:30-31 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength. The second is equally important. Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these. Faith working itself out in love.
Thank You Lord! Thank You for listening and answering and loving us. Thank You for never leaving us adrift in our questions and our desire to please You. Lord, today help us to live our faith out by loving You and loving others. Jesus modeled this on the Cross...in obedience and love. Let our lives reflect Him and it's in His most precious Name I pray.
Be open to the Lord's leading on how to live out your faith today.
Philippians 2:11-13 12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
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