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Your Faith is like a...
Your Faith is like a beautiful stallion, graceful, sleek, and
powerful. Properly groomed and cared for, by its nature it will
demonstrate vigor and vitality. It is a beautiful thing to watch as
it runs across the plains, and glorifies God's creative genius more
than any tribute given to the artist that paints a pretty picture.
Your faith, when
properly groomed and cared for will demonstrate itself in your life
and will inspire others to glorify God even when you're not aware
that others are watching you run this race called life.
The health of your
beautiful stallion is exemplified by it's four muscular legs. I am
no horse expert, but I've noticed that the experts will check the
legs of the horse as part of an assessment of the fitness and
ability of a horse to run or to carry a load. So too, when
your faith is healthy we can talk about the four legs that can be
examined as the means for assessing the fitness of your faith.
When I speak about faith
in this article, I am referring to the strong belief in God that
causes one to rely on him as the very source of their strength and
guidance in life.
When I speak about the
four legs of your faith, I'm really talking about 4 areas in your
life that demonstrate the health of your faith in God. Contrary to
the false teaching floating around that one can have a vibrant faith
in God that is not evidenced in your life, the Bible says that a
faith not evidenced in your life is "dead" (James 2:17); or, if you
let me put it in modern language, such a faith is bunk or bogus.
So, the four legs of
your faith in our metaphor are as follows:
The right front leg
of your faith is your tongue, or more precisely, what you speak.
When you truly grab hold of genuine biblical faith in God, God makes
you over and he makes you into a new person (II Corinthians 5:17).
And, you cannot continue to practice ungodly speech that was part of
the old person you used to be, while at the same time maintain a
pure heart.
I once had a young man try to convince me that an acquaintance of
his had accepted God by faith, and had a good heart, while the
acquaintance continued to use profanity as part of his vocabulary.
The acquaintance basically lacked the faith that God could purify
him from his foul language.
Matthew 15:18 says:
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from
the heart; and they defile the man.
KJV
If profanities are coming out of your mouth, profanities are in your
heart. Such vile speech makes you unclean in God’s eyes. I recommend
that you grab hold of real faith and cry out to God and ask that He
cleanse your heart. Also, throw out any videos, books, or music that
promotes such language because you don’t need that filth polluting
your mind.
Some may never use profanity but may still have a tongue issue. Have
you ever met someone who loves to hear the latest gossip; someone
who takes great joy in being the first to spread the latest gossip
no matter how hurtful or how far from truth the gossip may be.
James 1:26
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his
tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
KJV
Then there’s the person who loves to put other people down, who
loves to embarrass and degrade others, and even gets joy in doing
so. These people will sometimes even justify their actions by saying
“I’m just telling the truth!” I’m not advocating that anyone lie,
because that is a sin, but there is no sin in simply holding one’s
piece and refraining from speaking when appropriate. For example, a
Christian brother comes into the congregation wearing a new suit of
clothes; it may be the ugliest suit, in your opinion, that you have
ever seen in your life. You don’t have to loudly proclaim to the
brother that he’s wearing the ugliest suit you have ever seen in
your life, even though it may be true. If the suit is not immodest,
but just happens to be a design you find not to your tastes, you can
simply say nothing.
Indeed, people have used their tongue to cause near riots in the
house of God.
If you have a tongue that is unbridled and out of control, fast and
pray, believing God can deliver you from the thing in you that
causes you to have a tongue out of control.
Finally, one of the biggest excuses the unbelieving world uses to
accuse the Christian faith of being a fraud is people who seem to be
religious who profess to be Christians, who yet tell lies.
Don't be a liar as God
will not accept liars who won't repent of their ways, and the
unbelieving world is not drawn to Christ by the life of someone who
is known to lie.
Some religious people spread a false notion that some lies are okay.
They say it’s okay to lie if you did it to save someone’s feelings
from being hurt, or they say it’s okay to lie if it caused you to
get something good that you deserved anyway, and etc. I’d like to
share the following verse with you:
Revelation 21:8
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and
murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars,
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone: which is the second death.
KJV
To proclaim something that you know to be false, is a lie.
True faith in God is demonstrated by a tongue that is guided by a
pure heart. Such a tongue will demonstrate consistent godly
character and will be a model of righteousness and purity even to
the unbelieving world.
But a tongue that
produces profanities and lies, will have a hard time convincing
unbelievers of the truth that God can deliver from the bondage of
sin.
The left front leg of
your faith is your action, or put another way, the deeds that you
do. We have so many examples of faith in the Bible. When we look at
the examples, it becomes quite apparent that true biblical faith in
God causes action, it causes us to do things. Let us look at the
eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews; I attempted to select a few
verses to share from the chapter but the whole chapter exemplifies
the point so well, I found it difficult not to include the entire
chapter:
Hebrews 11
11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of
things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the
word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things
which do appear.
4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than
Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God
testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and
was not found, because God had translated him: for before his
translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that
cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek him.
7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet,
moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the
which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness
which is by faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which
he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out,
not knowing whither he went.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange
country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs
with him of the same promise:
10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder
and maker is God.
11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive
seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because
she judged him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so
many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is
by the sea shore innumerable.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but
having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced
them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the
earth.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a
country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence
they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly:
wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath
prepared for them a city.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he
that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead;
from whence also he received him in a figure.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of
Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of
the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his
parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not
afraid of the king's commandment.
24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called
the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than
to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the
treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the
reward.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for
he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
28 Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood,
lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which
the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were
compassed about seven days.
31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed
not, when she had received the spies with peace.
32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of
Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also,
and Samuel, and of the prophets:
33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness,
obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out
of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to
flight the armies of the aliens.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were
tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better
resurrection:
36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea,
moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were
slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and
goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and
in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith,
received not the promise:
40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without
us should not be made perfect.
KJV
To be more complete, I must say that faith causes you to not only do
what is right in God’s eyes, but to refrain from doing that which is
not right in God’s eyes. Our faith should be evidenced in our
behaving in obedience to God. This thought reminds me of something
Jesus said related to our actions proving what is in our hearts:
John 14:15
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
KJV
The way we live our lives, our daily actions, are supposed to show
those around us what it is to live righteously. We should be a
pattern for others to see what a true Christian should be like. Look
at the words the Apostle Paul wrote to Titus:
Titus 2:7
7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine
shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
KJV
When we do what was described in the verse above, we please God and
glorify our heavenly father.
Matthew 5:16
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
KJV
TO BE CONTINUED....
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