Have you ever said, “That man (or that woman) is a person of
faith”? If so, what did you mean by that? How would you define or describe a
person of faith? What did or does that look like to you? What criteria do you
use to determine if someone is or is not a person of faith? Do you believe
there is outward and discernable evidence as to whether someone is or is not a
person of faith? And do you have biblical support for your belief on this
subject? But, let’s confine this “faith” to faith in Jesus Christ.
I asked these questions in response to something I recently
heard someone say. The person I heard speak said something to the effect that
only God can see our faith, but that what we can see is one another’s works. It
was a video I watched, and I agreed with probably most of it, but this one
statement didn’t sit right with me.
And, then I got thinking about how many times in my life I
have heard someone talk about others’ faith, such as in “That man (or that
woman) is a person of faith,” often spoken of at funerals, so often in past
tense, but not always. So, if we can’t see people’s faith, but only God can,
how can we know if a person is of the faith or not? Or, can we? Or, does it
matter?
And, then I have heard this, too: “You can’t see inside my
heart, only God can, so you can’t see whether I have faith or not.” I agree
that we can’t see inside other people’s hearts, and that only God can, but I
disagree with the statement that we can’t see if people have faith or not.
So, am I on solid ground here in my dispute with the
statement that only God can see our faith? Or, am I totally off base here?
The Faith Chapter
The main passage of scripture that comes to my mind is
Hebrews 11, which is usually called “The Faith Chapter” of the Bible. In it we
learn about many different people’s faith in God, and in most all of their
cases, it was faith that was evidenced by what they did. So, it was visible
faith. Otherwise, let’s just call it “The Works Chapter” of the Bible, if we
can’t see people’s faith.
For, we can’t separate faith from works or works from faith
if those works are done in the power of God in obedience to God. If we say we
can’t see other people’s faith but only their works, then how do we know that
their works are a result of their faith and that they are not just works of the
flesh? Do we not have the ability to discern the difference between works of
the flesh and those done in the power of the Spirit of God? I believe we do.
Love and Faith
I John 4:7-8 says this: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
So, loving others as God loves us (keep reading in 1 John 4)
is something that can be seen. For, love is not a feeling or an emotion. Love
is what we do. For, God so loved us that he gave his only begotten Son that
whoever believing (present tense) in him has eternal life with God (Jn. 3:16).
So, love is giving of ourselves to others self-sacrificially in ways that will
meet others’ legitimate needs. And, this is something that can be seen.
But, it is also a determining factor as to whether or not we
truly have been born of God, so it is evidence that can be seen which says
whether or not we have faith in Jesus Christ, too. Wouldn’t you agree?
And, this is speaking of god-like (agape) love, which
literally means “to prefer” what God prefers, which is what is holy, righteous,
moral, upright and honest, too. And, it is evidenced by how we treat God and by
how we treat others. For, the Bible says that to love God is to obey him, and
that to love others is to not sin against them but to do good to them, as God
defines good. Thus, love is also the evidence of whether or not we have faith.
John 13:34-35 says this: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
And, we have already learned that love is something that is
visible, for it is what we do that shows love, not what we feel. And, we have
already learned, too, that our actions of love for God and towards others, in
obedience to our Lord, are evidence of whether or not we have genuine faith in
Jesus Christ. Thus, our love for God and our love for others is not only something
visible to us, but it is also evidence of our faith. So, faith and love are
also inseparable. If we don’t have love, we don’t have faith.
So, if others can tell whether or not we are disciples of
Christ by our love for one another, as God loves us, and if love is evidence of
our faith, then we can certainly know if someone has genuine faith in Jesus
Christ by whether or not they are acting in love towards God and towards
others, but again as God defines love, and as God/Jesus demonstrated his love
for us, too.
For, this love is not as the world loves. It is as God
loves.
Does it Matter?
Does it matter if we can see one another’s faith or not? I
believe it does. But, let me first of all add a word of caution here. This is
not about going around judging everyone’s faith. This is not about being
critical of others or about putting them down. For, that is not love if that is
all we are doing.
So, under what circumstances would it be important if we
could see other people’s faith or not by what they do? Well, several things
come to mind here, and the first one takes me back to the faith chapter of the
Bible.
If we know what real genuine faith looks like, then we will
also know if we have genuine faith or if what we are believing is a lie or not.
So, it is a measure for us personally to determine whether or not we are in the
faith or not. And, the scriptures do teach us to examine ourselves to see if we
are in the faith or not, so we have to know what that faith looks like.
Also, knowing that faith is something that we can see, that
we can discern, helps us to know what true faith looks like in order to
encourage us in our own walks of faith. It helps us to see areas in our own
walks of faith which are lacking, and where we need yet to grow and to mature,
too. And, it gives us examples of faith which we can then emulate in the power
and working of God’s Spirit in and through our lives (see Heb. 11).
But, it is also important that we know what real faith in
Jesus Christ looks like so that we are not led astray by those who would teach
otherwise. And, it is also so that we can refute Satan’s lies and so we can
expose them for the lies that they are, and so that we can then proclaim what
is truth regarding the faith that it takes to be in Christ and to be bound for
heaven.
And, going along with that, it is also so that we can help
others see what true faith looks like so that they don’t go on living their
lives in such a way in which they are convinced they have true faith, but which
is not evidenced in how they live. It is to rescue them from the fires of hell,
in other words.
For, many people are being deceived by clever enchanters who
convince them that faith is just some feeling or some acknowledgment of Christ
and that it requires no action on their part. So, they can continue in their
sinful practices while claiming they have faith, and while believing they are
going to heaven, while what they are sowing, which is to the flesh, is going to
end them up in hell, instead.
So, we need to know what genuine faith in Jesus Christ looks
like so that we can rescue others from hell, and lead them to true faith, which
will then lead them to God’s righteousness and to eternal life with God.
Servant
of the Lord
An
Original Work / July 26, 2012
Based
off Romans 1:1-17
Servant of the Lord;
For the gospel you’re set apart.
Promised through the prophets of old:
Jesus, Son of God.
Through Him, and for His name alone,
We receive His grace
To call people, Him to obey;
Coming from their faith.
Servant of the Lord,
For the gospel you’re set apart.
Promised through the prophets of old:
Jesus, Son of God.
You belong to Christ;
Loved by God, and called to be saints;
Serving God with whole heart and mind;
Preaching Jesus Christ;
Always praying for others’ needs;
Helping hand to lend;
Giving courage to others’ faith,
For the praise of God.
You belong to Christ;
Loved by God, and called to be saints;
Serving God with whole heart and mind;
Preaching Jesus Christ.
Servant of the Lord;
Of the gospel, I’m not ashamed;
For salvation, power of God
To those who have faith.
In the gospel find righteousness:
Being right with God.
Turn from sin, and trust Jesus Christ.
By faith, live in Him.
Servant of the Lord;
Of the gospel, I’m not ashamed;
For salvation, power of God
To those who have faith.
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