Our hearts break for lots of reasons. When we hear the story about the guy who put dozens of kittens in his freezer. Witnessing Bambi being feasted on by vultures on the roadside. When we see a homeless family on the side of the road begging for food. All those infomercials on TV about the starving children around the world with bloated stomachs from malnourishment. Maybe when there is a death in the family or amongst friends. Even most recently with the Sandy Hook shooting. These stories and many more might create a feeling deep within the pit of our stomachs…almost a feeling of being sick. They may even bring us to tears. But when do they become more than a feeling?
WHEN WE ACTUALLY GET UP AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT FEELING!!!
This is what faith is…
Faith is more than a belief in Christ alone. (…and this is where I loose the majority of my readers…) It is more than just that one time that I felt something when a certain song played and I knew I had faith. Or when a pastor said something encouraging. Let me just remind you with scripture.
"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." – James 2:14-17
Works are not a token for us to brag about all that we have done. Works, alongside of our faith in Christ, show those around us that our faith is more than just words we speak, and of course more than a feeling.
"Faith, as Paul saw it, was a living, flaming thing leading to surrender and obedience to the commandments of Christ." – A.W. Tozer
True, genuine faith leads us to obedience. The works that we do are more than just good deeds. They are obedience to the words of God. This topic can get kind of touchy around Christians because yes I was saved by the grace of God. And no, it is nothing I do that makes me accepted by Christ. But a better word for our works is obedience. We realize with this new faith that we have that we want to obey the one who rescued us in the first place.
"Faith is the fountain, foundation and fosterer of obedience." – Charles H. Spurgeon
"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?" – 2 Corinthians 13:5
Paul encouraged us to examine ourselves. I think the best place to start would be asking ourselves…Is my faith more than just a feeling?
