HOW FAITH WORKS
What matters is faith that makes its power felt through love. Gal. 5:6, Jerusalem
I know this is a bold assertion. But the longer I live with it, the more I believe it to be true. I believe that virtually everything we do that is illegal, immoral, unkind, unethical, insensitive, or otherwise sinful, we do in a frantic and futile attempt to bolster our self-worth, protect our self-image, or defend our self-esteem. In varying degrees, we are all lonely, frightened people, trying to cling to our little scraps of self-worth.
We are in this wounded condition because all of us have been out of relationship with the Lover of our souls. Viewing ourselves as unloved, we have gone about in the best way we know how to cope with our emptiness. Forgetting that the script was written by Satan himself, we follow the actings of a hundred generations before us. We gossip, exaggerate, boast, manipulate, ridicule, and scorn. But no one applauds. Like a thirsty man drinking saltwater, we cannot quench our thirst. If you want to speak of sin in psychological terms rather than theological terms, this is it!
The inner emptiness of one out of union with God is so full of craving, so powerful, that its longings cannot be stifled by any amount of pressure or commands. Only a loving friendship can heal the heart of an unloved person. And faith does just that. Faith, in fact, is the reestablishing of a loving relationship with God. It puts us into fellowship (indeed it is the fellowship itself) with our divine Lover. And does that ever make a difference in our lives!
In this context, take another look at today's verse. Paul recognizes that the essential ingredient in our lives is that healing bond with our Sustainer. And that relationship is in fact so powerful that the apostle James could say, "By my deeds I will prove to you my faith" (James 2:18, N.E.B.).
Perhaps we hold faith in such low esteem because the real item is so rare. Most people speak of faith as though it were a self-generated opinion about something one can't know for sure but would very much like to believe. Others can talk about faith for pages--even whole chapters--and never mention Jesus Christ. But have you ever found someone who is enthralled with Jesus and who fellowships with Him often who hasn't begun to become like Him?
That is faith's power!
What matters is faith that makes its power felt through love. Gal. 5:6, Jerusalem
I know this is a bold assertion. But the longer I live with it, the more I believe it to be true. I believe that virtually everything we do that is illegal, immoral, unkind, unethical, insensitive, or otherwise sinful, we do in a frantic and futile attempt to bolster our self-worth, protect our self-image, or defend our self-esteem. In varying degrees, we are all lonely, frightened people, trying to cling to our little scraps of self-worth.
We are in this wounded condition because all of us have been out of relationship with the Lover of our souls. Viewing ourselves as unloved, we have gone about in the best way we know how to cope with our emptiness. Forgetting that the script was written by Satan himself, we follow the actings of a hundred generations before us. We gossip, exaggerate, boast, manipulate, ridicule, and scorn. But no one applauds. Like a thirsty man drinking saltwater, we cannot quench our thirst. If you want to speak of sin in psychological terms rather than theological terms, this is it!
The inner emptiness of one out of union with God is so full of craving, so powerful, that its longings cannot be stifled by any amount of pressure or commands. Only a loving friendship can heal the heart of an unloved person. And faith does just that. Faith, in fact, is the reestablishing of a loving relationship with God. It puts us into fellowship (indeed it is the fellowship itself) with our divine Lover. And does that ever make a difference in our lives!
In this context, take another look at today's verse. Paul recognizes that the essential ingredient in our lives is that healing bond with our Sustainer. And that relationship is in fact so powerful that the apostle James could say, "By my deeds I will prove to you my faith" (James 2:18, N.E.B.).
Perhaps we hold faith in such low esteem because the real item is so rare. Most people speak of faith as though it were a self-generated opinion about something one can't know for sure but would very much like to believe. Others can talk about faith for pages--even whole chapters--and never mention Jesus Christ. But have you ever found someone who is enthralled with Jesus and who fellowships with Him often who hasn't begun to become like Him?
That is faith's power!
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