"I Believe - Why?"

Scripture: 1 John 4:1-15

Today, we begin a series on what we believe as Christians. We will be considering what our creeds say about our faith, and how we live out our faith within a corrupt and fallen society.
To begin with, I would offer two thoughts – first, that the United Methodist Church is a “non-creedal” church. That means that we don’t have a list of issues that everyone who is a member must believe in. John Wesley didn’t have a list, per se, but there were some very basic aspects of the Christian life that he held dear, such as that salvation was totally based in our faith and trust in Jesus, that our God is Triune in nature, that Jesus died and rose again into new life, and that we, too, must be born again into the life of Christ.
The second point is, of course, that even though we don’t subscribe to an absolute and specific set of beliefs, the vast majority of United Methodist churches join together each Sunday during worship in repeating one of the historic creeds. It may be the Apostles’ Creed or the Nicene Creed, it could be in the singing the Gloria Patri, or in some other expression of Christian faith, and for many, it is always an important part of our worship experience.

But how many people really think about the words they are saying? The danger is always that the creed, when it is constantly repeated from memory, will become a statement by rote. So today, we will begin a series on what we are actually saying, and we will be using the Nicene Creed as the basis for our consideration.

The Nicene Creed, the oldest of the statements of faith, was originally established in the 4th century AD during the Council of Nicea. The Church had been experiencing a lot of turmoil and false teaching, and the Bishops knew that they had to bring sanity back to worship. There have been a few additions over the centuries, such as an expansion of the section on the Holy Spirit, but for 1,700 years, this has been a strong and important part of our faith.

And with that, we go to an explanation of our faith, as contained in 1 John.

Read 1 John 4:1-3

The first reason for our faith in Jesus Christ and all that he stands for is right here – that everyone believes in something, but if, in our heart, we don’t believe that Jesus is Lord, and won't confess the truth of Christ with our mouth (Philippians 2:5-11), then we, by default, have placed our trust and hope in the world’s lies, and in Satan’s condemnation.
The second issue that is raised in these verses is in regards to the Holy Spirit. The author writes that the only Spirit that comes from God will – must – acknowledge Jesus Christ Incarnate, that even while he is God, he had come to the people of earth in a mortal and human form.

But, as we all know, there are other spirits at work in this world. They are the cause of disbelief in the lives of our friends and relatives, and they are the source of dissention that has become so rampant throughout the Church of today. They inspire the “false prophets” that John writes about, and they are the cause of the problems that we saw at work in the Corinthian church. These false spirits, and the false teachers that they motivate, are revealed through the testing that this letter calls for. If they won’t proclaim that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, come to earth in the flesh, then their message is not the truth of God.

And why is this important? It is founded in the very nature of Jesus. This is known as “Christology” – the theology and interpretation of who Jesus is and defines all that he has done while in his humanity. And John writes that every other spirit, every one that refuses to follow Jesus in his truth, follows the son of Satan – the antichrist.

Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit can only proclaim, teach, and remind us of what he taught and did for us (John 14:15-31). And that is also true of the false spirits – that they, too, can only proclaim, teach, and remind us of what the antichrist stands for. So this makes life pretty easy – if we are told that there is something that we should believe in, all we need to do is test it against all that is recorded in the gospels, all that Jesus taught, and that will be enough to reveal its source. If the gospel account confirms that it is in the way of Jesus, either directly or indirectly, and is consistent in the context that it is written in, then it is truth. Otherwise, label it for what it is – a lie.

That is one reason why we believe what we believe – we are to live in God’s truth.

Read 1 John 4:4-6

Now we’re being told to remember just who we are part of and why. Greatness seems to be the issue, and rightly so. The world tells us that we need to claim that we are the most important person in our life – that we need to be great within ourselves. But God tells us just the opposite.

Micah 6:8 – God has showed us what the good life is all about – that we are to act justly, love mercy, and walk humble with our Lord.
Matthew 23:11-12 – Jesus tells us that greatness will be revealed by our servant’s heart, that the high and mighty will be humbled, and the humble will be raised up to greatness.
Mark 9:35 – If you want to be seen as first on the “greatness” scale, you need to be, first of all, a servant.

And there are more passages that speak to the humble heart, but this should be enough for now. Obviously, the Lord’s ways have nothing to do with the world’s, and vice versa. John goes even further, though – he writes that the only ones who listen to the truth of Christ, have the capacity to give themselves over to his way. Those who are immersed and dedicated to Satan’s ways, aren’t able to hear, or accept, the truth of God in Christ.

1 John is offering an explanation as to why some people listen to the call to God’s way, and why some never will. We may wonder, if the Lord is within us, why everyone doesn’t come to his way! I think that it all comes down to that blessing/curse that we know as “free will”. It will always amaze me that with all the power at work within and through the Holy Spirit, that we can still prevent that power from working for us. But there is still grace, and the Lord’s “Prevenience” will always be calling, always nudging, always encouraging, always showing, always revealing the love of God that is so much a part of our letting go of our own will.

Another reason why we need the creeds – they remind us of who God is, and who the Lord has created us to be.

Read 1 John 4:7-12

Reminiscent of John 3:16 isn’t it? God is love, and he showed us that love when the Anointed One of God came to earth to be our redemption. And we are to let that love work within us – after all, we were created in the Lord’s image, the image of Love. The truth is that we have nothing to do with love. It isn’t from us, it isn’t our nature, it isn’t our way, and we aren’t even comfortable with God’s version of love. Loving our enemy? (Matthew 5:43-48) Loving sacrificially like Jesus loves? (John 13:34-35) No one can do that all the time! But when we finally come to follow these commandments on love, we prove to the world that we are his, and that he is ours.
This way of life, even though it isn’t our own, is ours to use, and God wants us to use it in his way, and to his glory. But still, we get to choose as to what we do with it.

And our author reminds us that the Lord must be our example for love, and because we have never seen God, we experience him in our lives when we let his love become perfected through living a life that reflects Christ and his ways. The love that we have received from God, and which has been refined for us by faith, has become our responsibility to use wisely.

We believe in this love, because the Holy Spirit enables us to embrace the depth of Godly passion, and because, as we read the creeds, we remind each other that the love of God has come into our lives, through the life, the commitment, and the zeal that defines our Lord Jesus.

Read 1 John 4:13-15

And our author comes back to his original premise – that we are to share the message of Jesus Christ with the world – whether they listen or not. And why not? We are the evidence of God’s presence in this place – we feel his grace, we have known his forgiveness, we have his grace at work within us, and we have felt his power moving in and through us. And we have to realize that others may have never known that power and love for themselves.

We have the power of the Spirit. We have God’s redeeming love. We have Christ’s perfection. So what is the next step for us? To put it all into action. And that is another purpose of the creeds – to encourage us, as the Church, to be the Lord’s ambassadors to the world, and we can never do that if we don’t live it out so that others can experience it through our faithfulness.

Next week, we begin a deeper look at portions of the Nicene Creed, considering who God is, who he would have us be, and how we live out Christ’s commandments in spite of living in a dark and broken world. Living, proclaiming, and sharing the basics of our creeds should be a joyful opportunity for us, and joy in Christ is an unmistakable blessing for all who believe.

“Our Heart at Work”

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:11-21

This is the last in our series of messages regarding the ways that the Lord works within our lives. We’ve considered the power of the Holy Spirit, the glory that comes to us by grace, the ways that faith in Jesus Christ can work in mighty ways, and how living a life of righteousness can make incredible differences for us. And today, we consider the changes that occur within our heart when we trust in the Lord.

The apostle Paul, as we know, experienced one of the most dramatic changes of heart that we read of anywhere in scripture. It wasn’t by his will, it wasn’t by his worthiness, it wasn’t even of his own making – it came about when God’s love filled the heart of the persecutor Saul. (Acts 9:1-19) And it seems fitting that the passages that we have been studying during these past 5 weeks were all written by the “new man” Paul.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:11- 12

Paul cuts right to the chase – his changed heart has led him to “fear the Lord”, and he can do nothing else but share his joy with all who he meets. We need to understand, though, that the word “fear”, in this context, does not imply terror or fright. It is an expression that proclaims the worship of God, of honoring the glory and wonder, the power and majesty that describes the very nature of our Lord. And when we understand this context of “fear”, we realize that sharing the gospel, living a life that can convince others of the worthiness of God, should be our only true response.

And why not? God has never kept us from knowing his grace and glory – so why, once we feel that love, should we ever try to keep it to ourselves? Sharing Jesus with others is what comes from heart-felt faith, and it is, very possibly, the greatest compliment we could ever show to our almighty God! When we “fear” the Lord, and encourage others to do the same, it means that we hate the wickedness of the sin in our lives, and that we are willing to join with others, to hold each other accountable to the Lord’s life and ways and word.

Paul wants each of us to know that our hearts are open books as far as God is concerned. He knows our heart, he knows our thoughts, he knows our ways, and the apostle’s desire is that we come to know God’s heart and thoughts and ways just as well. Unfortunately, he isn’t so sure that the Corinthians do. He isn’t looking for their praise of him – he is simply looking for their joy in the Lord’s message that they have now received. And what does he hope they do with their newly refilled heart? He wants them to be able to respond in truth, and to stop putting their trust and hope in what they “see” – in those worldly ways and thoughts that he has been speaking against for the past 5 chapters!

It’s all about a change of heart, from one that loves worldly ways, into one that loves the ways of Jesus. And the Church of today? What do we love? Where is our allegiance? Are we still caught up on the world’s ways, in those things that are “seen”, or do we look beyond them to the “unseen” ways of God? This is the primary problem that our denomination is going through today – letting the ways of earth to begin defining what we are to believe and proclaim, instead of trusting in the word and Spirit of God to guide us in life.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:13-15

Paul says that sometimes he is “out of his mind”, and that other times he is “in it”. We could take this as an indication that he needs to see a psychologist for split personality issues. But the truth is that he is more likely describing his being in or out of touch with the people. “Out of his mind” would mean that he is totally focused on the Lord, whether in prayer, in meditation, in vision and revelation, or “in his mind”, sharing the word and message of God with those around him. For Paul, this is the proper balance that we, as disciples of Jesus Christ, must display.

Now understand - this not a compromise, not a “fence sitting” condition! It places us in the exact position that we are called to be in. In 1 Peter 2:1-5, we read that we are to come to the Lord as “living stones, being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” We are to be a holy priesthood, with all that this entails. Priests, in a general sense, are go-betweens between their congregations and our glorious Lord. They share the word of God, they encourage folks to live a moral and upright life, they enable the people to be all that they can be as God’s children, and they seek and proclaim the desires of God for the Church. Whether “in” or “out” of the mind – in faith and in heart, it always works.

And it works because God at work in our heart compels us to reach out into the darkness of earth, to share the light of Christ with others. And it always comes back to what we believe – in Paul’s instance, it all centers on the torment, the condemnation, the death and the resurrection that Christ accepted and endured on our behalf. And where is our part in all of this? Paul writes that we should put our self-centered approach to life behind us, and to live in the Christ-centered life that Jesus has won for us.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:16-19

Paul begins with the same issue that we struggle with – how do we see Jesus? Do we willingly claim him to be the Son of God and Son of Man? Do we believe that he is the Savior of all who believe and trust in him? Do we acknowledge that our life would one day end abruptly, if it wasn’t for the eternal life that Jesus lives and invites us to live with him? Do we live a Godly life, one that reflects and follows the ways that he has commanded us to live? Or do we see him as the world sees him – that he was a good man, maybe a prophet, one who did great things and who had some good ideas about loving others in this life? Falls a bit short, doesn’t it.

This is Paul, possibly speaking about his own life, except that his former view of Jesus was far worse – he saw him as a heretic, as one who was about as far from God’s truth as anyone could possibly be! But when Jesus touched his cold, hard heart, and warmed it up in the light of Truth, he became a new “creation” in the life of his Lord. And he writes that in Christ, everything will, and has, changed. Not only does our life become renewed, but the Day of Judgment has taken on a whole new face.

In Paul’s previous life, the Judgement was about condemnation. We would be judged, based on our good works and on how closely we followed the law. But now, judgment had been simplified to the point of faith – whether we have given our lives to the Lord, and shared his grace with others. No longer would it be about perfection on our part, but rather about the perfection of Jesus Christ that was working in our hearts. Where it used to be about us, it was now all about Jesus, and that is the message that we must bring to the lost of earth.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:20-21

And now we come back to that concept of our “priesthood”, and how we live out the call of Christ on our lives. It isn’t a difficult message to remember, and it isn’t one that should cause us to hesitate. It is all about becoming united with God once again! Jesus has already done all the hard work, and we just have to accept him as our Lord and Savior, immersing ourselves in his grace and way. And Paul reminds us that in our surrender to Christ’s glorious work, we take on the exalted and righteous nature of our Redeemer.

How can we possibly keep such a marvelous truth to ourselves? The world, of course, doesn’t know how much they need Jesus yet, but the Lord is patient and will wait until our love for them fills their lives, and the life and truth of Christ begins to change their heart. Paul knew that change – the one that touched his mind, his heart, his faith, his understanding of God, and ultimately his entire life. We know that same change, the one that gave us an entirely new outlook on faith and life, and in our love for others, we want them to know the reconciliation, the restoration, the true heart-love that all can have through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But we need to show them what it’s all about through the new heart that we have received by faith.

Not such a tough call – if we give our heart for Christ a chance to work.

“Our Life at Work”

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

This is the third in our series of messages on following the ways of Jesus Christ, with our initial, and every day work being the setting of the world’s ways aside. Jesus calls us to a new and unique life in him, and for many, that turns out to be a stumbling block. We aren’t always familiar or comfortable with the Lord’s ways, and some actually try to blend the world’s standards with those of our Christian faith. Our life in the Lord must always stand far above the life that we once knew, and this new standard for our lives will, unfortunately, be constantly under attack.

While this life pales in comparison to the one that is coming, it is also a time of preparation for eternity. And that other life, the one that focuses on the world’s ways, may look so wonderful and satisfying, but can only lead us into a life that will be anything but glory!

Read 2 Corinthians 5:1-3

The Corinthians, as you may remember, were experiencing the infusion of worldliness into their faith. Many in the church were relegating the Lord’s call to righteous living to a secondary and lower position, and were allowing secular thought to rise up to a place that it didn’t deserve. And I am also sure that we can understand that dilemma. Paul writes about those two things – the ones that are seen, and those that are unseen.

The ones that we can see are both the ones of God and the ones of the world. We see the Lord at work in our lives, as well as the lives of our friends and family. The problem, though, is that we don’t always recognize them – usually because those other things we see, the things of earth, cloud our vision.
We understand these other things very well. They are the things of earthly pleasures, of earthly relationships and responsibilities, of dealing with our earthly conflicts and resolutions, of gaining earthly sustenance, of achieving earthly riches, and we feel that we just can’t set them aside. This life shouldn’t be so much about what we can see and understand, as it is about that which we learn from Jesus. Clouded vision obscures his truth and teaching!

And Paul talks about the dichotomy between our “earthly tent” and the “eternal house” that awaits us. Earlier in this book (2 Corinthians 4:1-2), he says that we don’t lose heart while in this “tent”, because we have a “house” waiting for us on the other side. The difference is that our tent was erected by human hands, while the heavenly house was created by divine will. Unfortunately, we don’t always appreciate the difference between the two. We know what a tent is, and how a house is a far better place to live, but this eternal house? How big a house is it? What is it made of – wood, brick, or some exotic material that makes it very valuable? Is it like a single family, a duplex, a condo? Or maybe an apartment complex in which we all live together! What is this “house” like?

All too often, we try to put a worldly twist on understanding heaven, like streets of gold, or mansions, or a throne! And it just doesn’t work that way. Even Paul’s comparison between being clothed and being naked is offered in a spiritual sense, and not a physical one. But it’s a good comparison, just the same. Think about the issues surrounding human nakedness versus being clothed. And perhaps we’ll leave that image right where it is – but that contrast is still right on point. The world’s ways are the nakedness of faith – hollow, empty, fruitless, improper, rejected.
And Paul says that “we groan, longing to be clothed”, or at least we should. But again, this is spiritual clothing that Paul is talking about. In Galatians 3:27-29, we are told that by faith, we will be “clothed” with Christ, and in Colossians 3:9-11, we are told that this Christ clothing brings a newness into our lives. The world can only offer us nakedness and finality, but the Lord’s clothing makes us new for eternity.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:4-7

And now we read that being clothed with Christ not only destroys our naked and half-hearted spirituality, but it completely absorbs, completely destroys our mortality. In this instance, though, the apostle isn’t telling us that we will never experience physical death, but rather that, in Christ, it’s our condemnation that will die once and for all, and life will begin anew in the Lord.

We have been created for this very purpose – that while we live in this mortal frame - our earthly tent if you will - we are in a waiting period. Remember that the disciples had to wait for the Holy Spirit to come after Christ ascended to his heavenly home, and they didn’t exactly understand what that would mean for them. But while they waited, how did they live? They stayed together, and prayed - constantly (Acts 1:12-14)! And after the Spirit arrived? They followed the Spirit’s leading, and began spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world! That is the kind of life that we should be living – staying together, praying together, and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with others!

That is our purpose in this life, and that is the purpose of the Holy Spirit of God. To lead us and guide us, to enable us in ministry, to remind us of all that Jesus taught and did, to work together, and to live a life that brings honor to our Lord and Savior. But “at home in the body”? From his previous writings, you would think that he is lamenting the fact that he has to continue to live in this mortal form. But the truth is that he is “confident” as he spends his days in this life, even though he knows that he is “away from the Lord”. This life is an opportunity to serve and honor God, just as our death must also be to his honor.

But honoring Jesus means that we will be living a life that reflects him – not by our own interpretation, not by our own understanding, not by our own desires, but by the teachings and example of Christ - the hallmarks of the Christian life.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:8-10

In Philippians 1:20-26, Paul expresses this same sentiment, but in a little more detail. He writes “.. to live is Christ and to die is gain.”, and later in that passage, he explains why he believes this – that his great desire and hope is to leave this place and go home to be with the Lord, but he knows that as long as he continues to live here, he will be living in God’s Will and participating in the ministry that Jesus created for him. Either way, he is living in the Lord’s will and way, and his preference doesn’t matter a bit.

This is one of the problems in the world today – for many, it’s all about what they want, what they think, what moral and ethical values they are willing to follow, and never mind what God’s way is. The “ME” generation that we are all very familiar with, for some reason, thinks that their understanding and their life is far more important than those that God has created us to live, and Jesus has taught us to live, and the Spirit is calling us to live. And they become irate when they are called to task for their self-centered “nakedness”. We have been told that the better way is to be a servant instead of a master (Matthew 23:11-12), and whether we accept a humble and repentant heart in this life, instead of waiting until we are humbled by Jesus at the Judgment, because it will happen one way or another.

Are we living this life “with the Lord”, or are we living it with and for ourselves? Do we have our sights fixed on the things of glory, or are we more concerned with pleasing the forces of this world? We’re in a predicament – do we focus on the things we see on earth, or on the unseen promises of heaven?

The Judgment, quite honestly, has nothing to do with perfection or an accounting of all the good we have done, all of which may be outweighed by our failures. In truth, it is based solely on whether we have surrendered the things of earth during this lifetime in favor of a life in Christ, or whether we have decided that this life is too difficult and restrictive, and have chosen to take a shortcut in faith. Of course, there is no such thing, but that doesn’t mean that many haven’t tried.

The life we need to live is plainly explained in both Matthew 28:18-20, and Matthew 25:34-36. We are to follow in his way, serving others as he did, loving others as he did, sharing the word of God as he did. We need to live this life as Jesus did. Faithfully, with a servant’s heart, to the glory of God, and to the benefit of others. There is no other way.

“Faith at Work”

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:13-18

Last week’s text was the beginning of this week’s lesson, with the offer of this thought: that if we follow the ways of Jesus Christ, and refuse to distort or otherwise change his word, glory will bring a revealing light into our lives and that divine light will dispel the world’s darkness that is constantly trying to envelop us.

Today’s word begins to address the value and importance of true faith. It is essential to our faith to understand that the truth of God is only revealed by the insight that comes from the study and acceptance of Christ’s teaching. Paul’s writing, we will see, lifts up the power that comes to our lives when we allow the fullness of God’s truth to work within us.

Read 2 Corinthians 4:13-15

This letter couldn’t have been very easy to write, and even more painful to read. And this after sending them his first letter that had addressed issues that the faithful were experiencing while living in a corrupt and very worldly society, in which he had offered corrective teaching to bring them back into line with Christ’s word. As we delve into this latter letter, it becomes evident that even though some may have taken his advice to heart, others were still bent on living in the pleasures of earth. And that applies to the Church of today, too.

This passage begins with the words “I believed: therefore I have spoken.” Paul’s confidence, his conviction, his faith is grounded in believing in all that Jesus had told him, and never again to trust in his own self-confidence and personal understanding. And from these words, we can conclude that he hesitates to teach or correct anything before he has received the truth of God through the leading of the Holy Spirit. To believe, to receive the word of God before we speak or act is pretty sound advice for our own lives, and I say this in particular to me and all pastors!
And why would this be so important for us and our Christian faith? When we give up our life and ways in favor of the ones that Jesus has prepared for us, we no longer can afford to think and speak and live as the world inspired us to in years past. That doesn’t mean that the people of darkness will give up badgering us to exchange the Lord’s truth for their lies, because they will never give up trying! But even while the world will continue to lead us astray, the Spirit of Light will continue to encourage us in the Lord’s truth, reminding us of Jesus’ words – words like “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.” (John 14:6-7), and they will sustain us even while the spirit of darkness tries to dissuade us from listening and believing.

This power of faith will bring the right words to our hearts and minds, and this power of righteousness is the same power that has raised Christ from the clutches of darkness, the same darkness that permeates the tomb of death that is reserved for each of us. And Paul continues within the same sentence to proclaim the fullness of that power – that while it raised Christ into new life, it will also raise us into that same life with him. And even more than that, it will bring us into Almighty God’s presence through our fellowship with and through Christ Jesus.

This, for Paul, is the heart of the gospel and it must also be the basis for our faith. He lifts this truth up for the enlightenment of the church in Corinth, and for all the churches that ever have, and ever will exist. For him, and for us, this defines the very character of God – that the power that works for the Lord’s good, is the very same power that will work for ours. Faith at work, faith in action, is more than just some high sounding ideal. It’s a promise that when Jesus told us that, by faith, we will do all that he had done, and that we will do even greater things (John 14:12), it is a call that we can believe in and trust in. And I think that these two things – believing in Jesus, and trusting in all that he said - are mutually dependent. Without faith in Christ, we will never trust in those things he has called us to do, and if we don’t trust in his word, we can never truly believe that he is who he is.

And this is the reason that our glorious God is working on our behalf – so that we can trust, and can believe, and can faithfully follow.

Read 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

But now Paul reminds us that God’s grace and hope, those great gifts that come to us by faith in Jesus Christ, do not guarantee that the human life that currently holds us with be changed. Pain and struggle and persecution and doubts will continue to plague us. But grace is going to help us endure, and hope is going to show us that the failures of this life are not all that will be – that faith will be our renewing in vision for what awaits us beyond this plain. Don’t despair over the opposition that comes against us, don’t get tired of enduring and waiting for relief – they are all temporary and will end one day. By trusting in the gift of God that comes by faith in Christ, and by following the leading of the Holy Spirit, faith will strengthen us, empower us, enlighten us, revitalize us, and the world will no longer have any power or authority over us.

Paul writes that our outward life – the life that is still captive in the world’s clutches – is, indeed, being worn to a frazzle – there is no question of that. But remember the hymn “Precious Lord”?

“Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, help me stand.
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.
Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light.
Take my hand, precious Lord; lead me home.”

As oppressive and frightening as the storms of this life may seem to be, they are, in truth, but a shallow and momentary blip on the screen of eternity. The apostle tells us that Jesus, and our trust and faith in him, is going to see us through our dark days, and through our weak days, and through our hurting days, and through our wandering days, and through our wondering days. When our faith is where it belongs – firmly in the hand and life of our Precious Lord – those stormy days will pass, and our persistence and certainty in Christ will see us through. And we are told that the light of glory is right there, anxious to receive us, eager to show us, prepared to bless us, able to clear the way for us.

Faith is far more than a simple noun – faith is a verb of action – it is a mighty and moving aspect of God’s presence within us. Faith as a noun is sedate and not so easily experienced. But faith as a risky step that the Spirit of God calls us to take, creates an encounter for us with the Divine Presence of heaven. Faith as a noun can be nearly invisible, but when we allow it to begin to move within us, it becomes obvious to all we touch. Active faith is a dance that we are drawn into, with Jesus leading our every step. And as we continue in our steps of faith, others will begin to dance with us, and soon they will place their hand in the hand of God, and begin their own dance with him.

And as every dancer knows, you keep your focus on your partner, and not so much on the steps you are taking. Faith is a dance that not only never ends, it changes the steps and brings new ones into play as we trust more and more in the One who leads. It moves us in new directions. It celebrates with us throughout the earth. It shares light that dispels the darkness in others. It shares grace that overcomes fear and hatred. It shares hope that gives direction. And it begins to share the vision that God has for us in new and wonderful ways.

It’s hard to see faith, but we can feel faith, and we can live faith, and we can do faith in marvelous and wonderful ways that others will be able to see. And glory surrounds it. Surrender to faith in Jesus Christ, and know the joyful dance of heaven.

"Lord of the Dance"