Faith, and Drawing Near to a Person

8/22/2003

After reading and thinking recently about how holiness is a relational issue, intertwined lives, i was thinking about how FAITH is also a relational thing—Jesus isn’t asking us to believe in and trust concepts, or words, but a Person, The Word, and it changes everything when i draw near to a PERSON rather than concepts, ideas, or words. The Love of the Person who has made and keeps all His Promises shatters all my fears, and He ALWAYS proves Himself TRUE, in ways beyond my grasp. So what am i saying? Just as holiness is always about a relationship (“set apart FOR __”)—not simply a lifestyle or action, so also is faith always about a relationship. My ability to grasp ideas and retain concepts and remember and execute ordinances is exceedingly limited and fluctuates daily, but the invitation for me to turn to, cling to, rely on and respond to a PERSON is open forever, and that changes everything because then it’s all about Him and not limited by me. My relationship with this reliable, dependable, responsive, protective, determined, committed, fully-capable Person is what sustains me, hourly, and it is in HIM that i so fully BELIEVE, and the more i turn to Him, the more He proves Himself all of those things and more....................Faith is a RELATIONSHIP, with The Man who performs miracles of healing and forgiveness and life in the hearts of all who BELIEVE in Him, and with all those who likewise are Connected to Him. We sustain each other, in His presence. We believe in this One who is our strength and our portion and our righteousness and our peace forever. Rest all your weight on this Person, Jesus, because He cares for you, and discover Him intimately as the end of all your longings and find FAITH alive in your heart because you have been touched by The Living God who daily bears your burdens and hears your cries and never forgets you............ Faith is borne of a RELATIONSHIP.

——-Original Message——-

How does one find freedom from the power and penalty of sin?

Faith.

Faith is, amongst many things, Believing in God’s Character—as GOOD.

Faith is trusting His Vow, His Word, that the pleasure of being near Him FAR exceeds the pleasures of sin!!!

Faith and love result, ALWAYS, in obedience to Him, for that reason. God delivers from sin and death those who Believe! In the Garden, satan would have had us believe that Father is trying to “cheat” us—and the worm’s tactics have not changed.

We choose to Trust Him by rejecting for Him what He has called sin—and never justifying it or blaming Him, or blaming circumstances, or blaming others, or mind-blocking in an attempt to make His Word go away or mean something different.

Faith is Believing HE IS GOOD, and that His Choices and Ways are FAR BETTER THAN SIN and self-service. He is Good. He LONGS “to give good gifts to His Children” and is far wiser than His little ones in knowing what IS good.

THIS, then, is the Victory that overcomes the world: our FAITH. Trusting that He is sufficient, that He is wise, that He is kind and generous. And, Faith is believing that what He says about sin is for our GOOD, not to cheat us. Faith! Trust! And how can we please Him without Faith?!

He IS Good.

Smile, trust, love, rest. : )