What does it mean to live by faith?
First I think I need to explain this to non-believers, non-devout Christians and non-orthodox Christians. To be honest, you don’t have a clue. Also to be honest, even the devout have often not thought through what it means.
What it does not mean,
Faith in your fellow man
Faith in democracy
Faith in reason
Those are all good, but not what devout Christians mean.
Living by faith means we realize we can never fix ourselves or the world. We must trust in God to do that and that involves getting started by trusting in Christ to forgive our sins. Then we follow the path that God has laid out for us and trust Him to make the difference around us.
It means that we are honest even when it looks like the act of a loser. We live in faith that God is in charge and will make it work. It means we forgive and go the extra mile. Our choices are not made based on cold calculation but on faith in the character of God.
There is also a sense in which we face the future with optimism. Things do not seem to be going well in our country. The people who are running things hate God, the Constitution, the rule of law, justice and liberty. They hate us. They have control of all the public voices and forces. All we have is God and a call to live faithfully.
I am gambling that it will be enough, if not for the country then at least for those who are faithful. Pray, obey and trust.
homo unius libri
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Seeing all this godless wickedness going on reminds me of the times the Bible says that God heard the outcry of His people and responded. My daily prayers are full of "You see this, right, Lord? ". His steadfast character and faithfulness are the only sure defense/protection we have from how upside down the world has become.
ReplyDeleteAnd even if He lets His wrath loose we can expect to have His protection.
ReplyDeleteGrace and peace