Active Faith

Ok Christians.  I am now going to talk to myself while addressing you.  When did our faith become dead?  I mean do we believe the gospel to be true?  Do we believe God to exist?  Do we believe He has given us victory over sin?  Do we care?  Is who we are just people identifying ourselves as Christ followers and at the same time NOT trusting Him?  IS OUR FAITH REAL?  


The question is: what does that even mean?  Here's my take....


If I truly believe that Jesus has given me the ability to live out the fruit of the Spirit then it is evident in my life.  Do we lack victory over sin and the lies of the evil one?  Then I would challenge that we don't really believe what we claim.  The facts don't change.  God's power doesn't change.  His word doesn't change.  WE change.  We let the fog of deception cloud the ever present reality of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  We ignore the truth of God's victory over sin.  Dallas Willard said:


"Faith today is treated as something that only should make us different, not that actually does or can make us different.  In reality we vainly struggle against the evils of this world, waiting to die and go to heaven.  Somehow we've gotten the idea that the essence of faith is entirely a mental and inward thing."


Faith is active.  You struggling with believing  a lie?  ACT in faith to counter it.  You having trouble overcoming sin?  ACT in faith to gain victory.  See it's not just a fist clenching, teeth gritting, push through it alone experience.  The missing element to every aspect of Christian faith(and I mean every) is action.  We have become a self centered church, and by self centered I mean it is always about our needs or failures or shortcomings.  Yes these issues are important.  But I wonder how much more victory we would experience in our own lives if we actively obeyed the two greatest commandments: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39 ESV).  


The tricky part is knowing what that action looks like.  I think a great place to start is focussing on someone else.  Pour into and encourage someone besides you.  This is no easy task as we love to look inward.  But I know that Jesus didn't call us to just be self evaluators.  We love God, and then Others.  I don't see love Me anywhere in those commandments.  


I encourage you, trust that you are forgiven and that sin in your life is defeated.  And then live a life of active faith.  You can do it cause Jesus said you can do all things through Him. 


 HE gives you strength.  

All to Him I Owe

A haunting sound
A deep lament
Sorrow comes
Tears well spent


On our knees
A bloody mess
An outward cry
To make us less


Blood was spilled 
On our behalf
We lie beside
His mighty staff


We're not the same
White as snow
Not what we did
But who we know


It's finished now
I am made new
Forever His
I belong to You.