“I may not talk about my faith, but I still believe”.
“I don’t have to talk about God to prove that I’m a Christian”.
“I’m a private person, and I prefer to keep my faith private”.
All these statements, while temporarily appeasing on the surface, can be a bit confusing at best and deceiving at worst. Are they indeed “faith” statements, or perhaps “faithless”? In all honesty, they are comments reminiscent of my own “expressions of faith” from my apathetic years in the past.
These somewhat fickle assertions may reveal not only a passive attempt to explain away a lethargic, casual, unprepared, or even rebellious faith walk, but may also be a dangerous cover for a complete lack of faith, false conversion, or even a misunderstanding of the “way of salvation”. (John 14:6)
These somewhat fickle assertions may reveal not only a passive attempt to explain away a lethargic, casual, unprepared, or even rebellious faith walk, but may also be a dangerous cover for a complete lack of faith, false conversion, or even a misunderstanding of the “way of salvation”. (John 14:6)
“But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"--that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:8, 9, 10).
The Bible links faith to expression—and faith that is never expressed in any form appears suspect of being true Biblical faith, perhaps calling for self-examination. (2 Cor. 13:5)
Fact is that people love to talk about things they love; things that excite them; things in which they are familiar, be it career, finance, politics, their new toys, etc., and shy away from topics less studied or understood. Sadly, for many Christians, it is the Word of God.
Fact is that people love to talk about things they love; things that excite them; things in which they are familiar, be it career, finance, politics, their new toys, etc., and shy away from topics less studied or understood. Sadly, for many Christians, it is the Word of God.
A. W. Tozer suggests,
Do you sit silently at a ballgame of your favorite teams?
Is your team spirit private?
If you were to witness a miracle, could you keep silent then?
“Perhaps you are simply excusing the fact that you have not generated enough spiritual heat to get your mouth open.”
Do you sit silently at a ballgame of your favorite teams?
Is your team spirit private?
If you were to witness a miracle, could you keep silent then?
It's true we cannot be held responsible for what we do not say, but sometimes that which we DO NOT say reveals so much more than that which we DO say!
When the rulers and elders of Jerusalem set out to silence Peter and John from speaking in the name of Jesus, they answered them saying,
When the rulers and elders of Jerusalem set out to silence Peter and John from speaking in the name of Jesus, they answered them saying,
“Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19-20
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
I encourage you therefore, to “build yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life” (Jude 20, 21).
Christ gave Himself up for us. (1 Tim.2:6) How, beloved, oh how can we possibly be silent? (John 15:26-27)
Grace and peace in Christ…
Truth - pure truth!!!!
ReplyDeleteBlessings Susan, and thank you!
Delete