To Be Least
"For he who is least among you all--he is the greatest." (Luke 9:48)Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Faith Expressed Through Love
Galatians 5:6 says "the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." What is this love here referring to? There are two seemingly different verses that describe love that come to the same conclusion.
First, one description of love is that "4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Cor. 13) Obviously, living a life of love and living a life of sin can not be done together. To love contradicts what the sinful nature desires. Love does not boast. "As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil." (James 4) I could go on, but I am sure you see my point. All the things love does not do are done by the sinful nature. However, it is summed up in these words, "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." So you can not be living in sin and also in love. What is sin? Sin is disobedience against what God has commanded.
Another description of what love is can be found in John 14:15. "If you love me, you will obey what I command." That is pretty straight forward. If you love God, you will obey his commands. If you love God, you will not be living in disobedience. You will not be living in sin. You must be living in obedience.
When you look at these two verses, which seem to say different things, they have the same message. To love God is to be living a life of obedience and righteousness. You cannot be living in sin or disobedience. So, when you again take a look at Galatians 5:6 where it says "the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love," you can see that the only faith that counts if faith that expresses itself through obedience to God.
"As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." (James 2:26) That seems to be in agreement with what I just wrote. Faith needs to be expressed. How is it to be expressed? Through obedience.
"Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." (Matthew 3:8) Here John the Baptist is addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees. He tells them to have changed behavior in keeping with repentance. They must act not with sinful behavior and actions, but with obedient behavior.
"Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith." (Romans 1:5) We as Christians, are to call people to obedience that comes from faith.
All Christians have been saved by grace alone, through faith, which needs to be expressed by obedience to God's word.
First, one description of love is that "4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Cor. 13) Obviously, living a life of love and living a life of sin can not be done together. To love contradicts what the sinful nature desires. Love does not boast. "As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil." (James 4) I could go on, but I am sure you see my point. All the things love does not do are done by the sinful nature. However, it is summed up in these words, "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." So you can not be living in sin and also in love. What is sin? Sin is disobedience against what God has commanded.
Another description of what love is can be found in John 14:15. "If you love me, you will obey what I command." That is pretty straight forward. If you love God, you will obey his commands. If you love God, you will not be living in disobedience. You will not be living in sin. You must be living in obedience.
When you look at these two verses, which seem to say different things, they have the same message. To love God is to be living a life of obedience and righteousness. You cannot be living in sin or disobedience. So, when you again take a look at Galatians 5:6 where it says "the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love," you can see that the only faith that counts if faith that expresses itself through obedience to God.
"As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." (James 2:26) That seems to be in agreement with what I just wrote. Faith needs to be expressed. How is it to be expressed? Through obedience.
"Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." (Matthew 3:8) Here John the Baptist is addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees. He tells them to have changed behavior in keeping with repentance. They must act not with sinful behavior and actions, but with obedient behavior.
"Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith." (Romans 1:5) We as Christians, are to call people to obedience that comes from faith.
All Christians have been saved by grace alone, through faith, which needs to be expressed by obedience to God's word.
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