Love & Faith

Devotion 6 – Love & Faith

Faith is basically a relationship of trust with a person and not just a principle. It is the relationship with the Author and Finisher of our faith. This relationship is the core of our walk of faith.

In the gospel, through faith, we have union with God in Christ. From start to finish, this union is God’s gracious work toward us. Our union with God was initiated by the Father and secured by the sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary and is applied by the indwelling of the Spirit in us. It is all of grace.

This union leads to communion with God - a two-way relationship in which our involvement matters. Salvation is not just about having our sins forgiven and escaping God’s judgment. God doesn’t simply save us from sin and death; he saves us for something more – a relationship with Him. Our choice and decision make a great difference in our experience of this relationship. We can pursue and enjoy a deeper love relationship or neglect it.

Faith Works Through Love

Gal.5:6 – “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.”

There is a great collaboration between love and faith for they are intricately connected. For faith is energized by love (the word 'working' is the Greek word which means 'energize'). Faith is never a formula - if we have a true relationship with God, we will have faith.

Everything Jesus sacrificed and purchased for us on Calvary can be received by faith. This includes salvation, healing, the fullness of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, and victory over the world, the flesh, the devil, and all the powers of darkness.

All these things come to us by faith. However, this faith is energized by love, that means being able to rest in His love for us.  

Faith is also not about grabbing a scripture and declaring it over and over and commanding God to perform it in our lives as if God is our ‘genie’. Genuine and authentic faith is about agreement with and submission to God’s will. Walking by faith is about us “dying to self” daily, submitting our will to God’s will, accepting what He wants to do in us by His grace, and then seeking to pursue it by faith.   

Faith works by love, because faith works when we are convinced without a shadow of doubt that God loves us and that He wants to use us for His glory. It is because of God’s unrelenting love towards us that we are willing to die to self, that we accept His will over our own, and that we attempt to perform His will by faith.

Jesus was so convinced that the Father loved Him, that He trusted the Father enough to say, “Not my will, but thy will be done.” (Matt.26:39)

When we are convinced of what God wants to do in our life because He loves us, we are able to release faith from our hearts and pursue His will with fearless confidence. If faith is a vehicle that moves us from point A to point B, then love is the petrol that empowers the vehicle to move.

Loves Empowers us to walk in faith

1 Jn.4:18 – “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

 

We fear because we have not fully comprehended the Father’s love for us. If we are truly perfected in love, we will be able to walk in perfect faith.

Our ability to walk in great faith and great grace depends on the greatness of our confidence in God's love. The more we can comprehend His love for us and His presence in our lives, the greater faith we have.

What is the antidote when our faith doesn’t seem to work? It is simply to immerse ourselves in the love of God. Faith works naturally when we realize how much we are loved by God.

To put it simply, faith is a by-product of comprehending and embracing God’s Love.

Rom.8:31- “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

When we dwell on how much God loves us, we realize that no matter what we go through, no matter how challenging our circumstances are, nothing can separate us from God’s unconditional agape love.

Power of Prayer Through Love

Phil.4:6-7 – “ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Many of us are anxious before, during and even after prayer. However, according to the Scripture, when we turn our anxiety into prayer, it should result in peace in our hearts and minds. If we don’t experience the peace, it simply means that we have not fully surrendered our problems to God and rest fully in His Love.

2 Thess.3:5 - "May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ." (NLT)

 

The Greek word translated as “direct” or “lead” means to “clear away obstacles or to guide”. Hence, Paul is asking the Lord to move the barriers away that threatened our spiritual progress so that we can fully comprehend His love for us.  It is impossible to love the worldly and unspiritual things of this life and yet truly appreciate God’s love.

1 Jn.2:15 – “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

Only a heart growing in gratitude for God’s love would keep us on track spiritually.