Making Faith Real
Published November 22nd, 2006 in Romans: Living the Christian LifeIt was a warm day on Sunday, meaning that under the lights on Sunday night was a hot experience. I was feeling sick after trying to fit too much into my week and being in bed most of the day, plus I was in a bad mood after a number of people didn’t do what they promised, leaving me to pick up the pieces.
Twenty minutes before the service started, I re-arranged my entire message.
That’s the sort of lead up I had to our time of worship together. It should have been an organisational disaster - fortunately God did his thing and some unexpected (in a good way) things happened.
My passage was Romans 9, which speaks of Paul’s anguish for his fellow Jews. At the time, the Jews were relying on their reputation as God’s chosen people, plus their efforts at fulfilling the law, to make them right with God. Jesus didn’t register on the radar for the Jews and had become something of a ’stumbling block’.
This was the theme that Paul opened this letter with - we are made right (righteous) with God through faith in Jesus, not through any reputation or work on our behalf.
We know that now. We’ve heard it before many times, particularly as we’ve worked our way through Romans. However, there is always a nagging question in the back of my mind. If we are made righteous by faith, how do we make that faith real? How do we make sure that we don’t fall into the same trap as the Jews and think we can work our way into God’s love or rely on our reputations to get us over the line?
On Sunday night I suggested that we tap into a rhythm of the Christian life. As I see it, Christian faith involves a regular gathering and sending. We come together and are sent. Come together and are sent. Like a beating heart is the rhythm of life in the Spirit. Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to love God with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbours as ourselves (Mark 12:28-31) - this contains the essence of the rhythm…
We come together to worship (Soul)
Our soul is our inner self. It’s the bit that connects with God on the spiritual level and is the eternal part of our being. When we talk of a personal relationsihp with god, it is a connection between God and our soul.
But Paul never talks about a personal relationship. For Paul, connection with God always happened within the context of community. Our individual spiritual life is important, but we do these things so we can better contribute to the community of God’s people. Our response to God when we gather is what we call worship - and this is loving God with our soul.
We are sent to love (Heart)
1 John 4:8 says God is love. We know of God’s love because of Jesus and are sent from our gathering to love in the same way that God loves. That means unconditionally without favour or prejudice - easy to say, but hard to do. It involves opening our hearts and lives to others, caring for whoever crosses our path. This is loving others, but it is also loving God with our heart.
We are sent to serve (Strength)
Mark 10:45 says that Jesus came to serve. We are sent to do the same. Ministry literally means serving. This means offering oursleves, our things, our time and our energy to show others a glimpse of the life that Jesus wants them to have. For some it means building stuff in the Philippines. For others it means taking medicine to the jungles of Thailand. For some it means driving people around to view rental properties. For some it means tutoring students in maths. It means so many things I could never list them all - but all of them are examples of loving God with our strength.
We ar sent to think (Minds)
I said on Sunday night that this is one of the most neglected areas of faith. I still believe it too. God gave us minds to use - so use them! Debating things of faith on the intellectual level might seem like the realm of the theologians, but I’ve found a genuine interest in the community about all sorts of things relating to faith and God. Christianity can speak into environmental issues, social justice, welfare, politics, economics, science, teaching, and so on. Don’t ever think that your interest in these things must be disconnected from your faith. You’ll find that your faith is made stronger when you exercise a bit of thinking in these areas and do a bit of theological stuff yourself. This is loving God with our minds…don’t be scared of it.
Separated from this rhythm, faith becomes lifeless, apathetic and limp. The gathering and sending is not a magical formula, but is the essence of a Christian faith that is lived to the full. Take any one of those elements away and faith becomes lopsided, sending you in circles.
Paul said he would sacrifice himself for the sake of his Jewish brothers and sisters. He desperately wanted them to embrace faith in Jesus and experience life as it was meant to be. I wonder what he would say if he looked at my faith and the way I live my Christian life?
What would he say about yours?
this video demonstrates faith, for me.
We spoke about this in small group last night- making faith real. Actually living faith. And we came up with a couple of guidelines:
* spend more time with God. Pray.
* ask God what you should be doing
* do it.
* keep moving, and trust that God will guide you to where you are supposed to be.
The story from the Bible that I like best for this discussion is when Jesus is walking on the water to the boat where his disciples are, rowing through the wind and the waves. Peter asks to walk out to Jesus, so he hops out of the boat, looking at Jesus, and walking on water. But Peter gets distracted by the big waves and the wind, and looks away from Jesus, and he starts to sink. “O Lord, Help!” he cries, and Jesus stretches out his hand and catches him.
Jesus is always there to catch us. So don’t be afraid about stepping out in a big way in faith.
Good messsage. Lots to think about. Came across well. needs more push and folllow up for us all to be doing all 4 of those things.
It was a good message, and a good challenge. The part about engaging our minds as an act of worship particularly hit home, as one who has graduated and since found his brain slowly turning to mush after 15yrs straight of education. It is neglected, and something that isn’t talked about too much; its been encouraging then, to witness an increase in a group of my friends becoming more and more intellectually stimulating about their faith and encouraging me to be. Nice to hear it, though!
By way of an intro, my girlfriend and I visited on Sunday night, just getting a feel for some of the churches around the area. And The General, if you’re Sir-Walt-a-Lot, I’m gonna scream.
Good to have you with us Burks. Visit again some time (and bring your brain!)
Alison - what do you do if you can’t hear what God is telling you to do? What if God isn’t saying anything at all? Do you just sit around and stare at the walls….?
Expand for me.
I was also the guy doing karaoke on stage. Cant believe I spotted you but didnt figure it was you!
The General is Owen!?!?!
Matt- I believe that sometimes God doesn’t speak, but still guides you- as if by his hands. I also reckon he closes doors as well as opens them, but if you aren’t near the door, you won’t be able to tell.
For example, there were two ministry opportunities I was asked if I wanted to be involved in- for one, after thinking and praying about it, I felt like it was definitely a yes. The other, I really wasn’t sure, I couldn’t hear/understand/feel a definite yes or a no. So I figured that God would probably want me to do it, and would stop me if I wasn’t meant to do it. So I said yes- I moved, and he hasn’t stopped me yet.
Keep going Alison…
You say a lot about how you ‘felt’ like God was saying something to you. But feelings do not always speak of the reality of the situation. Your feelings may tell you that you are in love with somebody and should spend the rest of your life with that person. If the other person, however, can’t stand you, it doesn’t matter what you feel - it ain’t gonna happen!
And if God gives us free will, why would he stop us doing anything at all? God has not stopped murders, wars, terrorist attacks and the like. Why would he stop us making a bad choice?
Your turn.
You’re forcing me to really think, Matt. thanks.
You’re right, Matt. Feelings aren’t 100% accurate. They’re not 100% diagnostic of the reality, but they do exist, and do have valuable clues for what to do next, or about what’s happening. Sometimes.
two questions there- second part: free will. (ooooh!)
I don’t believe that God is strictly hands-off. He doesn’t just sit there, watching, popcorn in hand. No- I believe that God is actively at work in our world, and I believe that he rewards people who try. If you are trying to make the right choice, then He will help you.
Free will- it’s a cop out a lot of the time. Yes, we can do what we want. Yes, in all things God works for the good of those who love him. (Romans 8:28)
In the story of Peter and Jesus walking on water, Peter made a bad choice- he looked at the waves. But he was still OK!
Yes, I have a death wish (For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21) . I want to live recklessly for Christ. I want to make my faith REAL- for me that means not sitting around umming and ahhing about what to do- You can’t get to where you are supposed to be going unless you are moving!
This is about faith- you can’t hold up evidence and proof it. In the end, you have to do what you believe you should.
God rewards people who try - isn’t that a ‘works righteousness’ mindset? God doesn’t reward those who don’t try? What happened to grace?
And if feelings are a human emotion, and all humans are tainted by sin, can we trust feelings at all? Wouldn’t it be beter to leave them out of the equation altogether?
Being devil’s advocate….;)
*chuckle* I just looked up at my wall, and saw this card:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
I think that sums it up, for me. I trust God to guide me to where I should go- and he will.
—
Just saw your comment-
It’s not the works= righteousness argument, it’s the faith with out works is dead argument. “What shall we say, then? That we should sin more so that Grace may increase? By no means!” (romans somewhere)
And your second devil’s advocate question is harking to the modern cold, clinical “let’s prove it” attitude. What if the feelings are from God?
And my question- in the Bible, voices boomed from heaven. God spoke with concrete words to his prophets etc. WHY doesn’t that happen today?
God does still speak concrete words to some. I guess the difference is that after God last spoke (transfiguration) we then had Jesus to intercede on our behalf, and the spirit descended to speak to us. God has just chosen a different, more constant, and more personal, medium.
I don’t beleive God is hands off, but I dont think he will ever directly intervene against our will. Sometimes when we are open to intervention, or seek it, then it can happen. God never actually stops us from doing things, but he can make it pretty darn hard.
ps. Within two recent posts we are debating, in one: Mundane Spirituality, God not speaking to us, that faith is more important than action; the other - that we are too busy for quiet times. Is there a link?
For Alison - so it’s a question of faith. But faith in what? Faith in what sort of God? What is it that you believe about God that convinces you that God is worth your faith?
For the General - was the transfiguration the ‘last’ time God spoke? Voices from heaven are recorded in at least Acts and Revelation…how do we know there aren’t more?
Is there a link between a lack of quiet times and God not speaking to us. Maybe. But many of the faithful people through history will tell of times when God seemed silent DESPITE their times of devotion and service.
From what I can read, the last time that there is an explicit reference to God speaking, it is the transfiguration. The rest, through Acts and revelation are Angels, Spirit, or Jesus. So maybe that explains the lack of booming voice. (Although Jesus does have a voice like a trumpet).
It’s still god speaking, but not God the Father, the you wlll be struck dead if you ever lay eyes on.
Q>. Who did Jacob wrestle with, if the direct presence of God causes death - was it Jesus?
Sure, God chooses not to speak at times, and we can have a desert experience, but surely more of the time God is speaking and it is we who arent listening? Rev 3.20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Should we stop listening for God just because he isnt currently speaking? I think of the little kid in ‘The Incredibles’ who sits on his trike in front of the Parr’s house waiting. Eventually, at the end of the movie, he gets what he was looking for - and it is ‘awesome’.
Two schools of though re the Jacob thing. One is Jesus, the other an Angel.
I like the Incredibles illustration - mkaes me want to go home and watch it again. (Love that movie)
Again, I’v been playing devil’s advocate a bit - I do believe God speaks often. But firmly believe it happens through many different ways. Even those long dry times can be God speaking. It’s not how we expected nor what we wanted. It doesn’t mean that it’s not God though.
Sometimes I think we only listen for the good stuff and hoe the hard stuff will go away.
The reason I like the base jump video as an illustration for faith, is that falling uncontrollably is kind of what faith is- you can’t nail it down, you can’t put it in a box.
John 6 is a pretty awesome chapter, and verses 28 and 29 put an interesting spin on the “works” stuff. (that we seem to get bogged down in, don’t we!)
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”