"Faith and Grace"

Too many are building their relationship with the Lord on a term called "faith." Let me explain. Just as we live in a political correct world, many are living in a political correct religious world. Everything has to be explained while little is believed upon. We speak of God's grace which saves us, and it does (Eph. 2:5-8) and all ends there. "We can't save ourselves!" which is true but it seems to end there. Others are only interested in doctrinal correctness without any understanding of God's real intention of the whole. We are great at trying to be religiously correct with little insight to what is really meant in the terms of faith and grace.

God gives us straight up about our faith is a trust in Him. One cannot help reading the Psalms and see this over and over. But what many are calling trust in the Lord, is nothing more than isolation from all. People hide behind their walls at the assembly while a preacher or teacher rails at the greatness of the truth and holding to that and we isolate ourselves from the lost world around us. That's not faith and trust in the Lord and His grace. I am afraid that some of us in Christ Jesus are standing only for a intellectual concepts and never allowing the grace of God by faith to take full affect in our lives. Faith in the grace of God works! Not meritous or patting oneself on their back but a real, walking and trusting in the Lord who leads us forward.

I know you have read it but read it again...Hebrews 11. Read it paying close attention that each person spoken about in times past, wasn't worried about defining their faith in God. It was the Hebrew writer showing us the real saving nature of faith. We see faith building an ark, leaving homes, taking the lessor in life while giving up the greater, marching around city walls, refusing to live in pagan lifestyles and dying before seeing all the promises but still holding to the grace of God by faith. People lived in holes and caves just because they trusted their God and followed Him.

Faith in the grace of God works! That's the bottom line. Faith in the grace of God doesn't sit and let their intellect dictate their rational or religious correctness. Faith in God's grace lives each day by walking in a relationship that says "NO" to evil, taking the lessor things of life while trusting Him as they walk. Stop worrying about life's wrongs. The Lord will take care of all that. Start living each day and respond to His word. Faith reaches out and works according to God's desires. Anything less is not faith and His grace doesn't reach into that arena!