‘Faith it’ because Faith Works

Photo by Krzysztof Niewolny on Unsplash

It often surprises me the multiplicity of this faith we Christians profess. But it is typical that we do not draw on the full powers that are given to us, because we err on the side of the world’s power.

We are never too far away from the clutches of the world’s power, because we are in and of the world. We aren’t supposed to be, but in this common postmodern day, we are. Even the most ardent Christians live in a world where the world infiltrates every activity, through many forces, not least to mention, through ‘the device’.

(Who would have thought the term ‘the device’ would come to have so much relevance as far as challenging our faith and our very lives? The device, despite its inherent good, is behind myriad form of social and personal dysfunction. And yet can we stop using the device?)

The principal function of the Christian faith is to present humankind with the way back to God the Father through Jesus Christ our Lord. Through the cross and His resurrection our sins have been atoned for, and, because Jesus defeated death, we claim His life; His very resurrection power is ours through the Holy Spirit.

This is a fact of Christian doctrine.

But there is a pervasive underpinning with regards to the fringe benefits of working out the Christian life. It all revolves around the word faith. And if we convert the word faith from a noun to a verb we realise all the powers under heaven are ours.

As we ‘faith it’ in all manner of interacting with our world, going against the flow of the world’s way, actually operating wholly differently, being counterintuitive and countercultural, power runs with us as we exercise our faith.

But the necessary cornerstone of our faith, the person and the work of Jesus Christ, must be revealed through us.

This means that faith works,
and can only work, through death to self.

This sounds horrendous to the uninitiated. Only those who have the Holy Spirit, who have trusted Jesus at the first step, and who have trusted Jesus sufficiently to have seen his fruit in themselves as they have died to themselves, apply themselves to such faith that has the power to win the world let alone the person we are in conflict with.

What is supposed to be commonplace amongst Christians is so rare these days, because we live in such an entitled age. Again, we have been sucked into our culture.

The Christian way hasn’t changed in millennia. The same wisdom that was spoken about even before Jesus comes to operate through us as we commit ourselves to operating within its confines. That same wisdom that to the world feels like a doormat is the very wisdom of God for the reconciling of all relationships.

We are not overcomers in this life
through overcoming people,
but we are overcomers in this life
because we have overcome ourselves.

The power of God in us is an inside job, and there can be no power without until there is power within. And the power within cannot be brokered wherever there is pride. God cannot exist there.

The Christian faith that we are invited to practice by faith has the power to save us, not principally because we would have influence over others, but principally because we would have influence over ourselves.

Only as Jesus rules in us do we have the power of life that loves without need of reward.

When we ascend to this power we already have everything that matters.