Faith

Does what we believe make a difference? It certainly does! Hebrews 11; witness the power and energy of faith.
       On road to Emmaus, on which Jesus walked with two dejected disciples who did not recognize Him. But later , Jesus opened their eyes. “Without a moment’s notice, they ran back to Jerusalem to tell of His resurrection.” That’s seven miles, friends! What empowered them to run the seven miles they had just walked earlier in the night? Faith! They now believed in Jesus’ resurrection, they now believed He was the Christ, and they absolutely had to tell the others in Jerusalem. Why don’t we have the energy to run and tell others of Jesus? Why is there an evangelism crisis in our churches? Lack of faith.
The Hebrews writer tells us that faith will empower us to please Him. We seek God in direct proportion to our faith. Peter declares that the “power of God unto salvation” is faith, and that the end of our faith is salvation. (I Peter 1.5 & 9) Faith gives us the energy to be obedient people.
  Hope . If this life is all there is, it isn’t enough. If this is all there is, I am tired and ready to give up. If all of my dreams die with me, then I have lived in vain. What a waste of energy! But, if there is life after life — and there is! — then I have the energy to go on, to keep-on-keeping-on. We know there will be a resurrection because Jesus was resurrected. We will be like Him. We will be raised bodily. We will live, know, touch and be touched by others. Our relationships, our fellowship will survive the grave. Life goes on. We never really die, we live forever. Jesus said, in John 14.2-4, that He was about to go away in order to prepare mansions for us to eternally dwell in. This hope powers us through the sorrows and trials of this world.
      The greatest energy known is Love Power. Love compelled God to give His son. (John 3.16) By the same token, hatred destroys so much of our energy. Hate drains the soul, blunts the mind and wearies the body. It robs us of our resolve to do right and to be right. Satan knows that jealousy, envy, revenge, hate will take over our will and keep us weak, sick and cold. Paraphrasing 1 Corinthians 13.1-3, Paul says, It makes no difference how much religion we have unless it is accompanied by love. Without love, religion is powerless. Faith, repentance, confession, baptism, church attendance, sacrificial giving, Bible study, prayer, and serving others, become only clanging symbols if we are without love. Without love religion is empty and accomplishes nothing.
Love energizes our faith, our religious practice, our obedience, and salvation. Love gives us the energy needed to be patient, kind and gentle people. Love power inhibits jealousy, pride, rudeness, selfishness and evil thinking. The power of love makes us glad when truth triumphs, when wrong is righted. Love bears up under all circumstances. It gives us power and energy to endure. “Love never fails.”
How many of us are experiencing a personal energy crisis? May God help us draw strength from our energy sources: To “work out our own salvation,” to “not become weary in doing good.” “Now there abides these three, Faith, Hope, and Love; but the greatest of these is love.” (I Corinthians 13.13) Amen?
                                            WALK IN LOVE,

                                   SUE SHIPP Outreach ministries