Good morning,
When is faith genuine faith?
Have you ever wondered why Jesus would want us to be in his family? We know that our Lord had planned our lives before we were born. We know that our Lord never makes a mistake. So why would he want someone like us to be a part of God’s eternal family? One reason is that, We know that the same God who raised our Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself along with you.(2Cor.4:14) The Lord has brought us into his family because our faith and relationship with our Savior will be a believable example to those around us. When we are able to show the world around us the reality of the God who loves and cares for us, God's grace brings more and more people to Christ, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.(v.15) The same Holy Spirit who energized Jesus while he lived here on earth is doing the same for those of us who are part of God’s eternal family. The proof of all of this is that we don’t give up when the challenges of life seem overwhelming and our bodies seem destined to fail. Paul made this clear when he wrote, That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long.(vs.16,17) While the world around us does it’s best to live for themselves and their own comfort, Our Father teaches us to see life in a very different way. For genuine children of God we learn that, we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen.(v.18) As God’s children we have learned that our life here on earth is just the beginning of what will end up as the joys that are waiting for us when we leave this world for our eternal homes.
The reality of what we are dealing with must be genuinely overwhelming if our faith is to be seen as genuine to the people around us. Again Paul points out, And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering.(Rom.8:23) One of the hardest parts of genuine faith is that we find ourselves waiting and waiting and waiting and the Enemy does his best to turn us inward instead of looking ahead to what God tells us is sure to come in his time and in his way. Genuine faith is always proved when we trust our Savior’s timing and if we look forward to something we don't have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently.(Rom.8:25) The other part of the process of living by faith in our Eternal Father is that He will keep you strong right up to the end, and he will keep you free from all blame on the great day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.(1 Cor.1:8) The first part of this promise is that He will do what needs to be done to keep us true right to the end of our lives here, and that when we struggle and fail from time to time, God will not blame us for being weak sinners in the battle. The final part of our living by faith and not by sight is, God will surely do this for you, for he always does just what he says, and he is the one who invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.(1Cor.1:9) So why would Jesus want us to be in his family? God’s love for us is genuine and eternal and our living by faith in Him and his promises will allow us a perfect relationship with our Savior, our Heavenly Father, His Holy Spirit, and all of the rest of God’s children from the beginning of time until the end of time. Wow, what a Savior!
1Corinthians 1:9 God will surely do this for you, for he always does just what he says, and he is the one who invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Roy Wisner
