THE FRUITS OF FAITH (1)
THE FRUITS OF FAITH (1)
Works or fruits of faith are clearly defined in the Scriptures. This brings the matter of being a Christian down to something that is intensely practical. First, faith in our hearts will strengthen the inner man. Don’t you want your inner self to be stronger? Has it ever dawned upon you that the most important thing for you is for your inner man to always be strong? Without this strong inner self you will not be able to live through the storms of life.
Years ago, I usually passed-by a tree on my way to and from school. It was a very beautiful tree, and I was thankful for it. But, little things began to happen to it. A type of fungus began to attach itself to it. On the inside, its heart was eaten out. It was a very tall tree, and from the outside it looked like a very strong tree. Here was a tree that looked strong and healthy on the outside, but something was happening to it on the inside. It was slowly dying because the inside was dying.
It often happens that way in a Christian’s life. We think of ourselves as strong stalwart Christian men and women. But, we haven’t given attention to our inner selves. Slowly, we are decaying spiritually on the inside. Nobody else notices it, and we may not be aware of it ourselves. Then what happens? One day a storm comes up in our lives. It blows hard against us. And it blows us away from Christ. What really happened is that a long time ago, our inner life began to deteriorate, and because we were weak, when the storm came we fell.
Often this is true, isn’t it? Here are Christians whom you think are the finest people; but, after a while, they become drop-outs. You wonder why. When you talk to them, they blame it on a lot of things. But, in the long run, the real problem is something has gone awry with their inner selves. They did not have the inner strength to live in all the tumults that came into their lives. We need to give time to prayer to draw closer to God.
All of us need a greater trust in God. We need more confidence that God will see us through. We need to believe that we can put everything in God’s hands and He is going to take care of us (Proverbs 3:5, 6). Do you remember the time the young man David went out to fight Goliath, the great Philistine giant? Some of the soldiers said, “You’re just a young man. Goliath is a giant, strong and powerful. He will soon destroy you.” But David said, (read 1 Samuel 17:31-40). David was the only person in the whole army of Saul who was not worried. He was not concerned about it because he believed God would take care of him.
Isn’t it often the case that we are nervous and frustrated because we do not have anyone we can trust? We need a greater trust in God that will enable us to endure the sorrows and tragedies that often beset us. But the inner man needs not only a stronger trust in God; he also needs a determination to constantly seek ways and means to live without sin. Although we are not ever going to completely accomplish this goal in our lives, a Christian by his growth can get to the place where sin no longer has any allurements to him. He may occasionally fall because of the weakness of the flesh but to live and be conquered by sin is not part of his plans.
Word Affirmation: For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed - Isaiah 50:7 (Don't just say it, mean it!)
“Our inner man needs not only a stronger trust in God; he also needs a determination to constantly seek ways and means to live without sin.”
MIND THIS
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