Walking With Jesus

Is Conversion a Good Thing?

“Jesus called a little child to Him and put the child among them. Then He said, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.’” (Matthew 18:3-4 NLT)

Conversion is one of those terms that cause people to cringe, largely because they don’t understand what it means. According to Strong’s Concordance it means: “to turn, return, turn again,” with specific reference to the Biblical usage which is: “to turn to the worship of the true God; to cause to return, to bring back to the love and obedience to God; to love wisdom and righteousness.”

Like so many other dimensions of the Christian faith, conversion begins with us, each of us individually. I can’t convert another person. We don’t have the power to change another person’s heart or mind. We can certainly pray for and speak with those who need the Lord, thus influencing them, but the decision to turn to Christ is an individual decision, prompted by the Holy Spirit, with the express intention that someone will yield their life and allegiance to Jesus.

When understood in that light, conversion is a great thing; however, somewhat dependent upon the tradition in which a person is “converted,” it may come with a lot of baggage, so much so, a person could be “converted,” and still miss Christ. Church is a family of believers who have trusted Jesus for salvation and are headed to heaven to live together for all eternity.

In heaven we’ll all be perfect and our relationships will reflect that perfection, but while we’re on this earth, we’re far from perfect and our relationships often reflect our imperfection. What that can look like is a list of rules and regulations, which may align in part with Biblical instruction, but end up looking a lot like what the Jewish believers in Jesus tried to cast on the gentiles (non-Jewish) who were becoming believers in Jesus.

Things like dress codes, language, movies, church attendance, friendships, and so forth. The goal was to be separated from the world and aligned with Christ; however, the legalism can become the measure as to whether a person is even a believer. Non-Christian cults fit into this, but even within the Body of Christ, there are groups that emphasize “holiness” that is more man-made and man-centered, than Holy Spirit led and focused on modeling Jesus’ life and teachings.

Jared C. Wilson wrote: “Conversion to Christ produces true religion. Conversion to religion produces the same old self-righteousness.” “True religion,” as I understand what Wilson is saying, is centered and focused on Jesus; seeking to model our lives after His, not simply in how He interrelated with others, but His personal piety, His love for the Father, evidenced by His devotion to prayer; His love of the Scriptures, His love of everyone He met and with whom He had contact – yes, even those who crucified Him.

Conversion is a decision that we must make in response to the Holy Spirit’s invitation, but it’s not intended to lead us to disciplines that put the emphasis on ourselves – i.e. OUR faithfulness; OUR disciplined Bible reading/study, OUR extended prayer time, OUR unblemished attendance record, or OUR sacrificial giving and serving.

Jesus said to “Seek first His Kingdom and righteousness…” That implies giving Him the highest priority and ordering our lives around His will and desires. And, yes, of course, that should result in disciplines that enable us to form godly habits, that ultimately serve to exalt and honor Him, not us. Conversion to that life of obedient surrender to Him is what the Bible calls us to.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are You Praying Safe Prayers?

“Don’t you realize that I could ask My Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and He would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now? (Matthew 26:53-54 NLT)

Prayer is the most powerful force on earth, yet we often treat it like a child’s security blanket. It’s like we don’t want it to get “dirty.”

When Jesus spoke the words in the verses above, He was in the garden of Gethsemane with His disciples. Judas had brought a few soldiers, armed with swords and clubs, and others to arrest Jesus, but at first, Peter pulled his sword and was going to try to protect Jesus. The end result, had that happened, would likely have been the death of the very men Jesus had trained to carry out His mission to the world.

Whenever Jesus prayed, He was fully aware of the consequences of the actions He was asking God to take on His or someone else’s behalf. He knew without a doubt that His Father in heaven would instantly answer, regardless of what He asked. How did He know that? He was His only Son, and He knew the heart of the Father better than anyone.

That’s why Jesus, in His earlier request prayed: “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from Me.” But then added: “Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine.” We often mistakenly believe that we should add to each of our prayers: “If it be Your will!” What have we done when we pray like that? We’ve prayed “safe prayers.” We’ve given ourselves an out. If it’s not answered we can say: “Oh, I guess it wasn’t God’s will!”

Am I suggesting we shouldn’t pray in line with God’s will? Of course we should! But we often pray bold and courageous prayers, only to nullify everything we’ve prayed by adding “If it be Your will!” That’s not what Jesus prayed. Jesus clearly stated exactly what He wanted His Father to do, then He added: “Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine.”

That’s why it’s so important to seek the Lord BEFORE we pray, so we CAN pray in line with what we already know is God’s will, either because it’s clearly recorded in His Word, or He’s given us clarity in our heart and mind.

For example, let’s say a loved one who is not a believer is deathly ill. You’re the “go-to” person for prayer in your family or circle of friends, so you’re asked to pray. You know that you’re the only person in the room who is a Jesus-follower, so you quickly ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you pray, then you ask the Lord to heal your loved one, restoring her to complete health, including giving her insight into her great need of forgiveness from her sin.

You don’t have to say, “If it be Your will!” because you know with certainty that it’s not God’s will that anyone perish, “but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) Now it’s in God’s hands. What if your loved one isn’t healed? Then you keep praying.

One conclusion I’ve come to in my old age: I want to pray prayers that if not answered make me look foolish, but when answered make my Savior look like the awesome God that He is. Our faith needs to be squarely and fully in the God of the Bible to do what only He can do – the impossible! So, please don’t be afraid of being embarrassed if He doesn’t answer like you prayed.

Pastor Bryan Loritts said: “Stop praying safe prayers guarding yourself from being disappointed by God. Pray in faith.” God has very broad shoulders and can handle our disappointment if things don’t go as we’ve asked. Bold, courageous prayers are a work in progress and, sure, we may not always get it right, but more and more we will, giving greater honor and praise to the only One who is deserving.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Happiness Dilemma

“From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.” (Malachi 3:15 NLT)

It’s not uncommon for believers to feel they are caught in the proverbial “cross hairs” when it comes to wealth and material possessions. When we’re young in the faith it seems wrong that those who have no apparent knowledge or concern about following Jesus or living to His honor have everything this world can offer, especially if we’re struggling to make ends meet.

We work hard to do well at our jobs, but it seems it’s never enough. Every time we think we have a shot at getting ahead the car breaks down or the washer gives out or the kids need braces. “All we want is a little bit of happiness. Is that asking too much?”

That was the cry of my heart when I was young in the faith and just starting out in marriage. It took a long time, certainly longer than it should have, for me to finally grasp that happiness isn’t a byproduct of money or possessions, it grows out of my dependence upon the Lord and my pursuit of His glory and fame.

The bottom line to me, especially in this season of my life is this: wherein lies my deepest pleasure? Why is that so important? Augustine understood when he wrote: “Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure; where your treasure is, there is your heart; where your heart is, there is your happiness.”

It’s so tempting to look at the outward evidence of the lives of those who aren’t following Christ and conclude, as the prophet Malachi in the above verse, those who have little or no regard for the things of God are the only ones who prosper. Of course, at least intellectually, we know that’s not true, but it “feels” true to us. Thus, our happiness dilemma.

What’s a dilemma? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary it means “a choice between equally undesirable alternatives.” And some might conclude, “What’s undesirable about wanting a little more?” So, what’s the downside? What’s it going to cost you to get that “little more?”

Often the dilemma is between compromising to get ahead – i.e. earn more, or continuing to harbor anger and frustration with those who seem to have what I want. But let’s back up and take a closer look at Augustine’s quote. Ask yourself some pertinent questions. First, where is your pleasure? Because wherever your pleasure is, there is your true treasure.

And I don’t believe he’s speaking simply of sensual pleasure, rather, what brings the greatest delight to your heart as you view your life? While I wish I could tell you where I find my pleasure now has always been true, but it hasn’t been. Today my greatest pleasure is pleasing and honoring the Lord, but this, at least for me, has been an “acquired taste.” If you’d asked me when I was younger, I may have told you that was my pleasure, but it would have been a lie, not because I didn’t want it to be true, but experientially it just wasn’t.

Wherever you are in your faith journey, seek Jesus until He becomes your all in all. When Jesus is your Treasure, He’ll own your heart, thus you’ll be happy in Him. Happiness is often thought of as an emotion, but to me it’s more a conviction, that leads to contentment, that manifests itself in peace.

Every day I thank the Lord for the bountiful way He cares for me, understanding that everything is a gift from Him, including my wife, kids, pups, church family, and everything else I love and appreciate about the life I now have in Him.

My best advice if you really want to be happy – seek Jesus with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. He’s all you need to be fully and gratefully happy.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Be Careful What You Pray For

“When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, ‘Remember, O Lord, how I have always been faithful to You and have served You single-mindedly, always doing what pleases You.’ Then he broke down and wept bitterly.” (2 Kings 20:2-3 NLT)

Some of the most uplifting, encouraging, and yet challenging stories in the Bible are in the Old Testament. 2 Kings 19:20-37 outlines God’s reply to King Hezekiah’s prayer regarding King Sennacherib’s threat to conquer and destroy Jerusalem. Hezekiah was a good king and sought to be obedient to the Lord. Rather than cower in fear, he immediately prayed and believed God would deliver him and his people. As a result, Jerusalem was saved, and the King of Assyria was killed by his own sons.

But shortly after, King Hezekiah got sick and Isaiah the prophet gave him a message from God, letting him know to: “Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.” That wasn’t exactly the news the king wanted to hear, so, once again, he went to the Lord in prayer, pleading his case as a godly king. Once again, God answered, instructing Isaiah to tell the king to “make an ointment from figs,” which he did and the Lord granted Hezekiah fifteen more years of life.

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That’s a great story, but a couple of things happened in those extra fifteen years that caused me to wonder if God did the nation of Israel any favors healing their king. First, envoys from Babylon came to Jerusalem to bring their best wishes and a gift to the king, which was fine, but Hezekiah, without thinking of the implications of his response to his guests, showed them “everything in his treasure-houses – the silver, the gold, the spices, and the aromatic oils. He also took them to see his armory and showed them everything in his royal treasuries!”

Later, Isaiah let him know that what he’d done would one day result in Jerusalem falling into the hands of the Babylonians, resulting in everything he’d shown them being lost. But, what’s worse, during those fifteen extra years, his son Manasseh was born and at age twelve became king when his father died, and he reigned fifty-five years. The Bible says, in reference to Manasseh: “He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, following the detestable practices of the pagan nations that the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites.” He essentially undid everything his father had accomplished that was right for Israel.

Corky Calhoun wrote: “God’s goal is not to buy us more time on earth, but to make sure we spend eternity with Him in heaven.” Unfortunately, common sense isn’t a spiritual gift, and too often we set into motion things that aren’t God’s will by praying selfishly and acting without thinking about the consequences of our actions on others.

Obviously, God knew what would happen before Hezekiah even prayed, but what this story illustrates to me is that if we’re not very careful, our obedience to God’s directives can create in us a spiritual “pride” that results in an attitude of entitlement. We live our lives, yes, even as God’s child, but with a blindness to the effects of our “walk with God” on others, especially our children and those closest to us.

You’ve perhaps heard the expression: “we can be so heavenly minded we’re of no earthly good.” Our pious behavior, rather than pointing people to Jesus, draws attention to ourselves, resulting in those we most want to see respond with faith in Jesus, get so turned off they run from Him. That’s why humility is so important in our relationship with the Lord.

We need to have people in our lives who aren’t simply “yes” people, but who are willing to confront us when we get out of line with God or others. It’s also why we need to pray daily that our heavenly Father’s Kingdom will come, and His will be done on earth, in and through our lives, as His will is done every day in heaven.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Sends Someone to Hell?

“The disciples were astounded. ‘Then who in the world can be saved?’ they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, ‘Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.’” (Mark 10:26-27 NLT)

Have you ever had a conversation with someone about hell? Ideas abound regarding what people believe about hell, everything from “it doesn’t exist” to “it’s what people experience on earth” to “God is too kind and compassionate to send anyone there.”

Notice the title of this post – “What Sends Someone to Hell?” not “Who…” The Bible is clear that it’s not God’s will that anyone perish, but that all would repent and be saved (2 Peter 3:9). Anyone who chooses hell must step over the bruised and broken body of Jesus who laid down His life so that no one would have to go to hell. God doesn’t “send” anyone to hell, but neither will He force anyone to go to heaven.

It’s not sin itself that keeps someone out of heaven. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Paul outlines a lot of sins that he says will keep many from the Kingdom of God. But in verse 11 he writes: “Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Sin has a solution, and it’s not complicated, but unless someone is willing to accept God’s provision, they, by default, choose the only alternative. If someone refuses to be forgiven and rejects sin’s payment made through the blood of Christ shed on Calvary’s Cross, there’s no other payment adequate to pay sin’s debt. Keeping the law or being good enough isn’t the answer. Giving money to the church or organizations that help the suffering isn’t the answer. Even sacrificing your life for another, while admirable and noble, it doesn’t get you to heaven.

Charles Stanley wrote: “Jesus’ message was simple. Eternal life is found through faith and faith alone. Both heaven and hell will be full of men and women who have committed every imaginable evil. The difference is not in the severity of their sin, or in the number of their offenses, but in their response to the offer of the Savior.”

Across the years there have been those who have asked me: “How can you be so sure you’re right? What if you’re wrong?” And my response is some form of: “I believe the Bible is true because I’ve known it’s Author for many years. So, the real question becomes, what if I’m right?”

Paul said in Philippians 1:21: “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.” People can argue all day about the accuracy and inerrancy of the Bible, but to me I have no doubt that the Bible is accurate and true in it’s message. And it’s not because I’m an authority on the history of the Bible or it’s languages, it’s because I’m a child of my heavenly Father and I know He never lies.

The bottom line to me is simple, saved people go to heaven; unsaved people don’t. So, my mission as long as this old body has life, is to try to help people make an informed decision about the most important issue with which they’ll ever be confronted – where they’ll spend eternity and why!

What sends someone to hell is certainly not a Savior who died to prevent anyone from going who is willing to confess their sin and place their trust in Him, so, it must be a refusal to make that decision. But why would anyone who understands that ever choose hell? That, my friend, is a great question and is the very reason I want to help anyone with whom I have contact to understand what’s at stake.

Will you help me spread the word? Let’s warn everyone we know, or whomever will listen. There’s too much at risk if we remain quiet about such great news.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What If the Prodigal Hadn’t Come Home?

“We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!” (Luke 15:32 NLT)

The story of the lost son is part of a trilogy: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, all of which are found in Luke 15. Jesus often used stories to convey spiritual truth that would be hard to understand otherwise. So, what is the point of these stories? Lostness!

The stories Jesus told are called “parables” in the Bible, and each parable has one main point. They are not allegories, which can attach meaning to each part of a story. The point of the lost sheep story is that the sheep was found. It’s the same with the coin and with the son. If the sheep, coin, and son hadn’t been found, they would have remained lost.

However, it’s interesting that in the first two stories, the shepherd and the woman searched diligently for that which was lost, but in the story of the lost son, the father didn’t go looking for the son, he waited at home. Why is that?

Sheep and coins have no capacity to find their way home. Humans do. Humans can think and reason and make decisions. Why? Because God has given us those abilities, but He’s also given us the will to decide for ourselves. Why is that important? Because human beings can’t find their way home to God if they don’t understand and realize they’re lost.

So, what if the “lost” son never realized he was lost? Like the sheep and coin, he would have remained lost. “Yes,” someone may wonder, “but he was still a son. His ‘sonship’ would never be changed or lost.” And that’s true, but, in a spiritual sense, sonship doesn’t equal salvation.

There’s a sense in which every human being is a “child” of God through creation, but that doesn’t mean we have a relationship with Him. Jesus said in John 3:5, in his conversation with Nicodemus: “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can only reproduce human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.” In this context, “water” is referring to natural human birth, not baptism.

In the story of the two brothers, both had been “born of water,” but neither had been born again of the spirit. The “prodigal” son was just as lost at home as he was in the far country, just as his older brother was. Nothing changed in the younger son’s standing with his father until “he finally came to his senses” and made the choice to return home.

There’s no indication that the older brother ever made that choice, illustrating that we can never leave “home” and still be just as lost as if we did. How does that translate for us? We can be a “good” person, have high moral standards, not participate in the “sins of the world,” and still be as lost as someone who has done it all.

So, what if the son who ran to the far country had never found his way home? He would still be just as lost as he was when he left! Geography has no bearing on lostness. We can be just as spiritually lost at “home” as in the pursuit of the pleasures of this world.

We can be part of a church family, believing all the right things and still be as lost as someone who’s never heard the name of Jesus. The only way to find our way home to the Father is to come to our “senses”; to realize we’re “lost” without a saving knowledge of Jesus. It’s not WHAT we know that saves us, it’s WHO! Apart from Jesus there is no salvation, no matter what we know or where we are.

If you’re not certain you’ve found your way home to the Father, check this link: The Bridge to God | Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Lies We Believe

“Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. (1 Timothy 4:2 NLT)

What lies do you believe about yourself that are keeping you from being all the Lord desires you to become? Things like: “I’m not good enough” or “I’m not attractive enough” or “I don’t know enough” or “I’m not smart enough” or ______________ and you can fill in the blank.

Sin got it’s start in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve believed a lie. Satan, who can’t tell the truth and who is the “father of lies,” put doubt in the mind of Eve about the accuracy of what she heard God say. He is still doing that today.

One of Satan’s favorite tools to disarm us and cause us to doubt God and ourselves, is discouragement. He turns our minds and attention to ourselves rather than to God and His Word. Why do you think gossip is so appealing to so many? Largely because it turns the negative and difficult things we tend to believe about ourselves onto the frailties of others.

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It’s much easier to see our shortcomings in someone else than to face them in ourselves. And why is it that we have so hard a time facing them in ourselves? Because Satan’s goal is to magnify our weaknesses and perceived shortcomings and minimize the power of God to help us change.

Lies are sometimes exaggerated truth. For example, weakness becomes an insurmountable barrier which renders us helpless in our own eyes. Lack of knowledge or experience become obstacles that magnify our inability to learn or do anything worthwhile in God’s Kingdom.

So, how do we deal with the lies that become so deeply rooted in how we see ourselves and who we come to believe we “really” are? The same way we make progress in any area of our life in Christ – faith! James MacDonald wrote: “Every good thing God wants to give to you comes through faith.”

Jesus said in John 15:5: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.” When we’re discouraged, all we hear is the “you can do nothing” part. We tend to skip over the “will produce much fruit” part. What’s my point?

EVERYTHING, every detail of our growth and development in our walk with God, from start to finish, is by faith. To believe we can be or do anything in and of our own strength and ability is to rob God of His deserved glory and honor. Is that to say we just sit back and wait for Him to do everything? Of course not. We are His workmanship, His masterpiece of creation, and we can do ALL THINGS! But how? “Through Christ who is our strength!” (Philippians 4:13)

Kevin Elijah Burgess wrote: “Life is hard. God is good. Glory is coming.” When Satan begins to whisper lies that cause you to believe any version of “I’m not enough,” do the same thing Jesus did when He was being tempted in the wilderness – quote God’s Word! “Yeh, but I don’t know any Scripture to quote?”

THEN LEARN SOME! It’s inexcusable for a child of God not to read and memorize Scripture. In Ephesians 6 when Paul is outlining the “Armor of God,” the only offensive weapon we have is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Our primary weapon against the lies of Satan that would continually desire us to focus on ourselves and all we’re not or can’t do, is the nourishment of the words of God found only in His Word, the Bible.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

God Rejoices Over You

“The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zeph. 3:17)

*Please read these words of Sylvia Gunter slowly, carefully, and repeatedly. Think about them with more than your mind. Let your heart soak in the depths of love your Father has for you. I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than to share this message of God’s love for you. Enjoy! Blessings, Ed 😊 (used with permission)

“The Lord Your God is in the midst of you, a mighty One, a Savior—who saves! He will rejoice over you with joy. He will rest in silent satisfaction… He will exult over you with singing” (Amplified). Your Father’s heart longs for you. Be blessed as you receive His embrace. He loves you in the way you were created to be loved. He has come to overwhelm you with His love. He takes great delight in you.

The prayer of Jesus was “Father, let them know deep inside that as You love Me, so You love them, they in Me and I in You” (John 17:21,26 paraphrased). God loves you as much as He loves His Son. His love for you is way beyond anything you can imagine.

Rest in His presence and let His peace quiet your mind. Let His love calm your heart. He is for you. God is mighty to save. He will fight your battles for you. He has said to you, “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you.” (2 Chron. 20:17).

Your Father smiles at you today. God likes you — today, every day, every moment. Hear Him rejoicing over you with singing. Let His love be the foundation of your life. You are beloved in the complete finished work of Jesus. God delights in showing you His love.

Let go of the past, as you face the future with your Father. Be blessed with joy, peace, and rest in Him. Be blessed with refreshing and renewal in His presence, as you pursue the fulfillment that He has created for you. Be blessed as He gives you victory and rejoices over you.

An archive of past devotionals is available at www.thefathersbusiness.com

Factors That Deter: Faithlessness (Part 2)

“Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins.” (Hebrews 10:26 NLT)

Knowledge can be a dangerous thing, especially when it comes to being a follower of Christ. As in the verse above, knowledge of Jesus – about the details of His life, death, resurrection, ascension, and current reign with His Father in heaven – does not equal salvation. To know facts isn’t the same as responding by faith.

A person can read the Bible and even memorize large portions of it, as did the teachers of the Jewish laws, but that knowledge in and of itself will not qualify us to be children of God. Without faith, or, in other words, faithlessness can never please God. So, knowledge without faith is valueless in terms of it’s ability to put us in a right relationship with God.

The plot thickens, because there are those who believe that because they attend church and listen to sermons, they may even read and study the Bible, that those activities will make them right with God. Their lifestyle doesn’t change, in the sense that they continue to live in habitual, deliberate sin, but they wrongly assume God will overlook their sin because of their knowledge of His love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness.

There’s only one sacrifice sufficient to cleanse us of our sin, or, in the words of the verse above, “that will cover these sins,” and that’s the blood of Jesus offered on Calvary’s Cross. If we’re not trusting in Christ’s sacrifice “there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins.”

That’s the danger of faithlessness when it comes to the essential tenets of the Christian Faith. If our “faith” is misplaced, it’s of no value to us, in the sense that it will not make us right with God. In other words, if what we believe about Jesus doesn’t match what the Bible teaches, it will not lead us to saving faith.

For example, if we believe that because our parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, or anyone else with whom we have a close relationship is following Jesus, then we must be okay because “we believe the same things they do.” Believing isn’t enough. James 2:19 explains that even the demons believe and tremble, but they’re certainly not exhibiting saving faith.

Faithlessness, as I’m using it in this post, is misplaced or absent faith. Belief and faith are two sides of the same coin. I can believe in Jesus – who He is, what He’s done, what He died to accomplish – but if that belief doesn’t activate living, abiding faith which leads to repentance and a change of direction in my life, I’m not saved, I’m deceived.

And please don’t misunderstand. After receiving Christ as Savior and Lord, while God views us through the lens of the sinlessness and righteousness of His Son, we aren’t, in and of ourselves, perfect. We will still sin. We’ll struggle to overcome sin patterns in our lives and will never become perfect in this life. Yes, of course, we’re accounted as sinless and perfect because of the blood of Jesus, but we’ll wrestle with our sin-nature until we receive our new, perfect bodies when we die.

However, we should expect to see a change in the way we think and live, based on the Spirit’s activity in our lives. The longer we walk with and serve our Savior, the more desire we should have to allow His will to become our will, so much so, that as our love for Jesus increases, so should our disdain for our sin.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Factors That Deter: Faithlessness

“Then He said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and look at My hands. Put your hand into the wound in My side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!’ ‘My Lord and my God!’ Thomas exclaimed.” (John 20:27-28 NLT)

Thomas, a member of the original twelve Disciples, has often been referred to as “doubting Thomas” because of his declaration in John 20:25: “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in His hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in His side.” The above verses record Jesus’ appearance to Thomas and His response to Thomas’ doubt with verification that He did indeed die and was risen from the dead.

Obviously, Thomas’ exclamation that Jesus was his Lord and God settled all doubt in his heart and mind that Jesus was exactly who He claimed to be and did exactly what He told His disciples He would do. Tradition records that Thomas came into conflict with the Hindu priests of Kali, who killed him for insulting their deity – or simply for converting many of their followers.

What can we learn from Thomas’ moment of faithlessness?

First, doubt is not sin and will not in any way hinder God’s love for and devotion to His children. Doubt, for many believers, is a natural response when first walking with Jesus. It’s not unusual to doubt things that are foreign to our mind and heart. Things like the virgin birth, Jesus’ many miracles, His Resurrection, and Ascension. It’s clear to me that Jesus didn’t fault Thomas, rather He addressed his concerns, resulting in Thomas’ full devotion to Jesus as Lord and God.

Doubt doesn’t necessarily equal faithlessness, in the sense of complete lack of faith. Faithlessness, as I use it in this post, is not a blanket denial of everything we believe about God and Jesus. It’s more an isolated or specific issue with which we wrestle as believers, as a person of faith. Some people, for example, doubt that God could possibly love them for all the wrong and evil things they’ve done.

It still boggles my mind that Jesus would die for me; that He would offer the gift of forgiveness to me, in light of all the ways I’ve despised and rejected Him in and through all the ways I’ve sinned against Him. Yet, based on His example when helping Thomas deal with his season of faithlessness, Jesus specifically addressed Thomas’ concerns. It’s not by accident that even before Thomas had opportunity to give expression to his doubt, Jesus spoke to the very issues with which he wrestled.

The Holy Spirit has on multiple occasions and in varied ways addressed my doubts and given me assurance that, not only is He not upset with me, He invites me to bring my doubts and fears to Him. Yes, of course, our periods of faithlessness can deter us in our walk with Him, but in His mercy and grace, He always gives me assurance that, even though I may not have full understanding this side of heaven, I can trust that one day I will see fully, and have clear understanding.

Hebrews 10:23 says: “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.” And then in 11:6: “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.”

It’s apparent that this is a multi-faceted issue, so let’s look at it from a different perspective in tomorrows’ post.

Blessings, Ed 😊