Living by Faith & Forgiving by Faith
It takes faith not just to become a Christian, but to live the Christian
life. It takes faith to forgive the
way Jesus wants us to forgive, to see life’s conflicts from God’s standpoint.
Faith in the Lord helps us know that His grace can work in difficult
circumstances. When we engage these
challenges from the perspective of faith, we avoid a problem modern Christians
commonly have, namely isolating faith into a little life niche labeled
“religion” and thereby removing its relevance to our social, professional, or
family lives. Paul writes (quoting Habakkuk) that the gospel’s blessings are for
those who “live by faith” (Romans 1:17).
We need faith to see how our resistance to letting go of grievances
hurts and weakens us more than helps us.
We need faith to see what God can bring about even in the midst of human
failure, disappointment and conflict.
We need faith to keep God’s agenda preeminent in all our doings. That’s
what it means to “serve the living and true God” (1 Thess. 1: 9), especially
when there is a contrary way that “seems right” to us!
The disciples were not naturally inclined to be “kinder and gentler”
souls. They quarreled.
They jockeyed for places of honor in the Kingdom they did not yet fully
understand the nature of a Kingdom they were to learn was “within” them and “not
of this world”; a kingdom that was “righteousness,
joy and peace in the Holy Spirit”.
But they were perceptive enough to see that their Lord’s call to forgive
was a call to faith, i.e. a call to engage trustingly with God for their
approach to the most difficult areas of dealing with others.
Since faith is the conviction of something hoped for (Heb. 11:1), it was
a call to see that God could use such challenges to accomplish wonderful things
in and through us to fulfill our dearest hopes.
We too need to pray for increased faith.
But it mustn’t be a passive prayer.
Living out His Word day to day helps us “Build (ourselves) up in (our)
most holy faith” (Jude 20).
Lord, increase OUR faith.
Trust. Obey.
And He will do it!
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