For change to take place in ones life it is necessary to change what he believes. Most people just don’t want to change or they do not feel that change is necessary.
A person’s acts, deeds and the words he speaks---his character, define him; that is who he is. If you are not what you say you believe then you don’t really believe it and you deceive yourself.
If you believe the world you will become like the world.
If you are religious and believe false doctrines then you are a living religious false doctrine.
If you believe the word of God as revealed by the Holy Spirit, then you will become the word of God (Galatians 4:19).
Faith is expressed through love.
If you have not the love of God it is impossible to have a saving faith (1st Corinthians 13:1-3).
Love is the reality of faith---further, acts of faith (obedience to the word of God) are expressions of love toward God.
Biblically defined faith is hearing God, believing Him and obeying from a heart of love (Rom. 10:17).
Thus, these three:
- Divine love as the foundation
- The word of God as the corner stone, and
- Obedience, is divine faith working in the true believers life.
When our Lord was here on earth He was the embodiment of the word of God, He was God’s truth, the word of God in the flesh (John 1:14).
The true church is the body of Christ in the earth today (Ephesians 1:22-23).
A member of the church that our Lord is building must become like his Teacher (Luke 6:40).
This can only happen through faith working by love (Galatians 5:6 ff).
If we will only love, believe and obey God He will create us to be Christ body (Eph. 2:10), a church that is a “pillow and support of the truth.” (1st Timothy 3:15)
James C Sanford
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