We Christians make our lives complicated; we have duties, rules, and sacraments. We need to read the Bible, pray, attend church, do the good works of our Lord. One could make a long list.
“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians 5:6b. NIV.
What counts before God is faith. He looks at our faith in Him and counts it as righteousness. Faith in God is essential to obtain salvation, faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus is God’s plan for saving us. Faith must have an expression. Faith is not just an idea that we keep in some closet of our philosophy it does us little good.
True faith in God causes us to love God and that love is going to spill over to people who God loves. A faith that does not express itself in love toward others is questionable and possibly not faith at all but only a creed. The love of the early Christians was the super magnet that drew the Roman Empire to Christ. However, the loveless modern Christian is thrusting many who seek to other Gods.
Active faith in God is going to change the believer’s heart. This spiritual change begins with love. Our faith should make us loving people if we do not love people we may not have true faith. If love is not growing in my heart I must consider that something is deeply wrong with my faith.
My Christian experience must bear the hallmark of Love. If my brand of Christianity is theologically correct, full of preaching, gifts, tradition, and organization but loveless it is a sad cold Christianity and does not look like its founder. Without love, our Christianity is only A culture and does not reflect Christ.
God wants us to have loving lives, but love can’t come about by a formula or a course- God's Spirit produces it. Let us daily pray that God's Holy Spirit fills us and brings the fruit of love. May we measure our actions, words, and deeds each day against the standard of love.
If you are loveless maybe your faith is not in the God of the Bible. Seek Him and pray for God to reveal Himself to you and do not give up until you find Him.
“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians 5:6b. NIV.
What counts before God is faith. He looks at our faith in Him and counts it as righteousness. Faith in God is essential to obtain salvation, faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus is God’s plan for saving us. Faith must have an expression. Faith is not just an idea that we keep in some closet of our philosophy it does us little good.
True faith in God causes us to love God and that love is going to spill over to people who God loves. A faith that does not express itself in love toward others is questionable and possibly not faith at all but only a creed. The love of the early Christians was the super magnet that drew the Roman Empire to Christ. However, the loveless modern Christian is thrusting many who seek to other Gods.
Active faith in God is going to change the believer’s heart. This spiritual change begins with love. Our faith should make us loving people if we do not love people we may not have true faith. If love is not growing in my heart I must consider that something is deeply wrong with my faith.
My Christian experience must bear the hallmark of Love. If my brand of Christianity is theologically correct, full of preaching, gifts, tradition, and organization but loveless it is a sad cold Christianity and does not look like its founder. Without love, our Christianity is only A culture and does not reflect Christ.
God wants us to have loving lives, but love can’t come about by a formula or a course- God's Spirit produces it. Let us daily pray that God's Holy Spirit fills us and brings the fruit of love. May we measure our actions, words, and deeds each day against the standard of love.
If you are loveless maybe your faith is not in the God of the Bible. Seek Him and pray for God to reveal Himself to you and do not give up until you find Him.
(c) Adron 3/11/10
