John 1:16-17 (Amplified) tells us, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth, came through Jesus Christ."
Before being saved and born-again, most of us thought God was stern, wrathful and nearly impossible to please. I encountered many strict and hard Christians, while growing up. As I came into my own relationship with Jesus, I found that the images of God I witnessed from those people, came from man's idea of God. I learned that their concepts about God, were not true at all.
I've found that walking with the Lord, is the easiest thing I've ever done in my life. God teaches me by His gentle Voice and hand. He is patient in training me up in Wisdom, He is understanding when I make mistakes and He is pleased with my progress, as I grow in Him. The hard and angry God that I was afraid of during my childhood, has been replaced with a Loving Father, Who will take all the time it's required, to bring me into faith.
It's nearly impossible to have faith in someone or something, that you cannot trust. Many believers have never known what God's will is for anything in their lives or don't "know what God might do." It's impossible for them to try and please Him, because they don't know what He wants or what God expects of them. They believe that everything that happens in their lives, whether it's good or bad, it's God's will. Things happening in the lives of Christians today, doesn't seem to differ much from those non-Christian people.
We don't cuss, drink alcohol or do many of the outside things we did before being saved, but beyond that, there doesn't seem to be much difference in our lives, from those of the world. The Church has the traditions and rituals of how to dress, when to worship and other such things, but we don't live life with joy and gladness. Some denominations even limit their children from playing school sports or attend such school functions as Homecoming.
I couldn't understand these strict rules I witnessed some strict Christians adhered to, when I was growing up. The Super-natural flow of God was sadly lacking in the lives of these people and the people seemed to be sad and withdrawn. After I was born-again and had my own relationship with the Father, I found that these people were missing out on God's great Love. And, I found why their faith for the joy, Super-natural and excitement was lacking in so many of their lives. Galatians 5:6 (Amplified) says, "For if we are in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through Love." When you don't know or understand God's Love for you, then you don't really trust Him, what He expects of you or what He wants to do for you. It's nearly impossible to love someone, you don't know or trust.
1John 4:18 (Amplified) says, "There is no fear in Love (dread does not exist), but full, complete, perfect Love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and so he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of Love (is not yet grown into Love's complete perfection)." If you're constantly awaiting and expecting God to punish you for wrongdoings, then you don't understand God's full-grown Love for you and you're still walking in fear. When we don't understand God's Love, then our faith in Him doesn't work at it's full potential, because FAITH WORKS BY LOVE.
Like all fathers, our Heavenly Father knows that children make mistakes, while growing up and maturing. This isn't an excuse for deliberately sinning, but it's the covering of growing up in Him, as we learn. We'll make so many mistakes while growing in our walk with the Lord, that it requires much Love to cover us. 1Peter 4:8 (NIV) says, "Love covers a multitude of sin." Love gently picks up and supports a child who falls, while learning to walk. And, love helps that children, until he/she is able to walk.
We can count on our parent's love to help us, while we're learning to read, write, dress ourselves and do the many things we now take for granted. How much more can we count on God's Love to bring us to the mature child of God? I'm not writing about deliberately being rebellious and sinning, but about the ignorant sin of not knowing, while we're growing. When I came to understand God's love and how much He helps in my becoming a mature Christian, my faith in Him grew stronger. Remember, Faith works by Love. The more I know His Love for me, the stronger my faith in Him becomes.
If we put our faith in man's way of doing and being right, instead of God's way of doing and being right, then we've returned to the bondage of Law and have no excuse for failing. If I walk in love, then I know God will guide me and take care of me, until I'm complete in Him. My faith is in Him and His Love to cover me, as I grow. This is where all the condemnation came in by the Law. Man had no way to walk in his own ability to be complete. Jesus was the only Man Who ever perfectly complete the Law, because the Law pointed out man's failure and left him without the ability to please a Holy God. Our faith is in His Love and not in our own ability. Our faith works through our understanding His Love for us.
God will convict and guide us, by His Word and His Spirit, bringing us into what He created us to be, in Jesus. We don't have to try and make ourselves righteous, because I trust in His Love for me, in Jesus. He Himself has made me the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and my faith is in that Love. God Loves me enough that He made Jesus my Justification and my faith is in that Love. I am growing into what God's Love has already made me to be. I can trust in Him, without fear of punishment, as I grow. Love does that and faith responds to Love.
The more you understand God's Love, the more your faith will grow and excel in what He has already done. As I learn to walk in His Promises, Love will guide me through and faith accepts what Love has already done. I trust in His Love and my faith simply grows in Him. After awhile, I don't try doing what He has already done, but faith lives in His Love for me. I go from faith to faith and Love guides me through from one degree of faith to another. God has never failed me, so I trust Him in all things. The Father's Love has been shed abroad in my heart, by the Holy Spirit. It lives and walks in me and guides me into all Truth. When I know Him, I know Truth and Truth keeps me free.
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