True faith

We all often hear the phrase "Time is flying...where has the year gone?" Another week has flown by and we all sit and wonder, particularly as we get older, where the time has gone. I often ponder how fast life has gone and then sadly equate that to what I have actually done to make a difference to the world in which I live. The result...? I come up very short.

But we as humans cannot allow the seeming insignificance of our lives stop us reaching beyond our grasps. To me, God has placed us on this earth to discover that in and of ourselves we are somewhat competent in changing life, but through Him we can and are challenged to make an impact on our world. We must realise that we are all different yet all called to go beyond where we stand now, and enter the realm of faith which is the only way that we can impact life in a tangible, positive way. Paul, the writer of a good deal of the New Testament, was living what he thought was life when "LIFE" confronted him.

(Acts 9:3-7) "And while he was journeying, he came near Damascus; and suddenly he saw a light from heaven shining round him; And he went down on the earth, and a voice said to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you attacking me so cruelly?" And he said, Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are attacking: But get up, and go into the town, and it will be made clear to you what you have to do." And the men who were with him were not able to say anything; hearing the voice, but seeing no one."

Paul, in his own human ways thought that he was making a difference in his world by doing what he was doing. He had his "Mentality" of what needed to be done and forcefully set out to accomplish those goals. His impact was tangible, yet when he was confronted by God and he saw as he should, he started a whole new way of living. The result of this is seen all around the world by the tens of millions in Church today that have been impacted by his entry into the world of true faith.

This in many ways brings me to the thought of the week."What is true faith?" We would all have our definitions and thoughts, but in reality it is much deeper than that. The Western Church of today faces an issue that is greater than it has faced for many years, and to me it is critical. It is the issue of 'easy believism' that seems to have infiltrated the Church of the West. There is a huge lack of depth to the Church of today. Many in Church have the attitude of "I can do what I want and still go to church to appease my conscience." Christ has become a spoke in the wheel of many Christians, rather than the hub from which life itself revolves. Our central hub is "ME"; God, work, sport, hobbies, and other things we see as important revolve around "ME". Christ is simply an appendage to life rather than what He himself said...

(John 14:6) "I am the way, the truth, and the life!" Jesus answered. "Without me, no one can go to the Father".

The word 'life' here is dzo-ay 'From G2198; life (literally or figuratively): - life (-time). It comes from another Greek word meaning 'Spirit' or 'the life of the Spirit in us'. Now if He is our Spirit life, and the next verse is true, it has huge implications on how I affect the world I live in.

(Col 3:3) "For you died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God."

or another translation says it this way...

(Col 3:3) "For your life on earth is done, and you have a secret life with Christ in God."

So the more we try to find life here, and impact from the position of Christ, we find frustration and little change. If we can get a hold of the fact that our life is hidden in a Spiritual realm, and that that realm is accessible then we can, like Paul, begin to have a huge impact as Father God will always back up His will. We find our calling and His will, in Christ. "True Faith" I feel is faith that believes there is so much more than what I see, and that that realm is accessible to those who will take the steps in the door. Can you imagine if the High Priest under the Old Covenant failed to enter the Holy of Holies to make atonement for the people? DISASTER! Similarly today, if we fail to access the door that has been opened by faith then it can only result in the same.

I encourage you to spend more time in prayer; not because you have to but because it is where you will find the kind of life that can and will impact the world in which you live.

Another thoughtful thought

Pastor Rob.