Today we continue our series entitled, “Grace and Truth” by continuing to look at by continuing to look at The Law given under Moses vs. the Grace provided by Jesus. Our main scriptures are John 1:14 & 17. Let’s look at them again.
(John 1:14 NIV)
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
(John 1:17 NIV)
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
We have studied Galatins chapters 3, 4 and some of 5. For the past couple of messages we have been looking at Galatians 5:6. Let’s go back to it today.
(Galatians 5:6 KJV)
For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
So what does this mean for you today? A few things:
1. For years many preachers (myself included) have preached against emotions, teaching that we must rule our emotions and never allow our emotions to rule us. While the point of ruling out emotions is valid, if we are not careful we may lead people to temper their emotions to the point where they serve God more with their heads than with their hearts. This is why I believe many Christians today, in an attempt to live by faith, stand on God’s Word and declare it over their lives, more as a matter-of-fact, than as a reality. This kind of cold-hearted, mind-centered faith is void of true power because it is more head-acknowledgement than heart-submission. Faith has to be more than mental assent. Speaking words of faith from your head means nothing if it is not coupled with a believing heart. Faith is a matter of the heart. For it to be true faith, not only does it have to involve your heart, but it also involves God’s. Your heart must be connected to God’s heart for it to be faith.
2. Faith is not about you coming up with something and then “releasing your faith” for God to bring it to pass. The problem with that is that you came up with it. The “it” was birthed in your heart and not in God’s. This is not faith. This is hoping and wishing. This is you trying to get God to give you something you want. But faith is actually about you learning to want what God wants for you.
3. Faith is not about you trying to get God to put a YES on your plans. Faith is about God trying to get you to put a YES on His plans. Faith begins where the will of God is known. Faith has to be connected to something that was birthed in God’s heart and not yours!
4. Faith is about acknowledging the fact that God made plans for you before the world began, seeking to discover what those plans are, and then doing whatever you are supposed to do in order to see the manifestation of them in your life. In this way faith is about dying to self, agreeing with, and submitting to God’s will. Not trying to get God to agree with your will.
5. Truly living by faith is about dying to self daily, submitting your will to God’s will, giving God’s will first place in your life, accepting what He wants to do in/with/through you by His unearned grace, and then seeking to pursue it by faith. This cannot be done with your head. You don’t die to self in your head. You die to self in your heart.
6. I will close with somewhat of a testimony. I will make it personal.
Living the life of faith means making God your true Lord. Jesus may be your Savior, but not every Born-Again believer lives with Him as Lord. When He is Lord of your life it means He rules. He is on the throne and you are on the cross. His decisions reign supreme and you are dying to self daily. I am a witness. I gave my life to Jesus at the age of 23. The life I now live looks nothing like the life I thought I was going to live. Further, even after being Born-Again, there are many things Isbaella and I wanted, that were actually good things, that we asked God for, but that God revealed to us that were not part of His plan for our lives. These were things that were birthed in our hearts and not in His. We had to learn to accept that.
To truly live by faith Isabella and I had to learn to accept God’s plans over our own, even when it was painful. This is what dying to self is about. Faith is about submission. Faith is about surrender. Faith is about accepting, believing and pursuing God’s will for your life. Now don’t get me wrong. Isabella and I are truly blessed. We live an amazing life. I’m not complaining. My point is simply that the life we live now is NOT the life we planned. It is the life God planned for us before the world began. For us to give up our plans and to pursue God’s plans, ungrudgingly, enthusiastically, and wholeheartedly, we had to be convinced that God loves us. We have to know that God will never lead us the wrong way. That He will never hurt us. That He only has our best interests in His heart. Because we know this, and we are convinced that God loves us, we are willing to do whatever He tells us to do, by faith. This is what Paul meant when He said, “Faith works by love.” Our faith is strong, not when we attempt to convince God, but when He convinces us. When we are convinced that God loves us, that He can be trusted, and that His plans are good.
Whenever God leads us to do something that we don’t have all the answers for, and people ask us about it, my standard response is, “I don’t know what God is going to do in this situation. But what I do know is that it is going to be good!” My prayer for you is that you get to the point where you are so convinced that God loves you that you are willing to do whatever He tells you to do, by faith, even when it means giving up something you really wanted. Take it from me. Whatever you give up will become a seed and the harvest you will receive from it will FAR exceed what you sacrificed. This is the life of faith!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your love and grace. I am convinced that You love me. The revelation of Your love for me has changed me from the inside-out. I am Your beloved son/daughter. You love me just like You loved Jesus. You love me with an everlasting love. I did nothing do anything to cause you to start loving me and nothing I do will ever make you stop. You love me because You are so good, not because I am. You love me because You are Love and Love emanates from every part of Your being. I accept Your Love. I believe Your love. I embrace Your love. I am changed by Your love. I become Your love. And with this type of LOVE in my heart, I can live by faith. I will do whatever You tell me to do and go wherever You tell me to go, even when it means giving up something I wanted, simply because I am convinced that You love me. My faith works by LOVE! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
