A life of faith is the only life that pleases God. "Without faith it is impossible to please Him." Impossible. To walk by sight--to demand to see what God is doing in our life or will do because we make such and such a decision--causes us to walk in blindness and petulance. The impetus for faith comes from our confidence that He is who He claims to be and that He rewards those who act on that confidence. And though He may at times bless us with physical things, His ultimate rewards are spiritual and eternal. Incorruptible rewards stored up in Heaven safe from thieves and rust and decay--rewards that require faith in their reality--are His love gifts to His faithful servants.
And faith--belief that is genuine--always bears fruit--the transforming work of the Spirit in making us more like Him day-by-day. Always. If there has been no fruit, it's because there is no life. We are saved by grace through faith in order to be His workmanship--a people dedicated to doing those things that make the glory of the Father visible and undeniable. Faith is always "unto good works." As James tells us, faith without works is a useless faith.
Yes, faith is "seasonal," but it is a part of the true believer's experience. Usually, it is between the storms of life that the Spirit wielding His Sword transforms us to prepare us for the storms ahead. Then, when we experience the storm, we find His promises sure and trustworthy--the proof of His promises is engraved on our hearts, and our hearts grow even more confident in the promises we have not yet experienced. Our faith is deepened.
To walk by sight is to walk in blindness unable to grow in grace and in the knowledge of who He is--unable to please Him. By faith we believe, bear fruit that is everlasting, find in the storms that He is the unwavering Promise Keeper, and rest in that most amazing truth that all will work for our good who love Him with unwavering obedience. The hymn in the heart of the faithful is "it is well with my soul"--a soul that can never be separated from His infinite love.
No comments:
Post a Comment