Faith is a Passenger in Love’s Car

Jesus Has Faith in You

On the cross, Jesus had faith that you would respond to the sacrifice of His life. He knew you couldn’t resist such compelling love. And that joy kept him there. He allowed his life to make a way for you, knowing his love would show you the way back to God.

He knew. God showed him. But it hadn’t happened yet. He saw through faith.

Because his heart was filled with the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 (PT)

Faith Works in and Through Love

Life is this adventure where we get to work out our faith and let Jesus perfect it.

Faith works in love. Faith works through love. Faith without love is just noise. Nothing.

For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love.
Galatians 5:6 (MSG)

Other translations say: “faith working through love.”  What matters is faith working through love.

See Faith standing by the side of the road, his thumb extended. Faith needs a ride. Love stops. Of course, Love would stop. Love opens the door and gives Faith a ride. Now they go places – together. Without Love, Faith is stuck by the side of the road. Love compels faith to go places and do things. Love moves. Faith rides in love.

Jesus Birthed Your Faith by Loving You.

Faith is birthed in our experience of being loved by God. We have experiences where we feel God’s love. We try to explain these experiences – to give meaning to them. That’s when we discover that God is real. And we believe.

We love because He first loves us.
1 John 4:19 (NIV)

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? [lead you to repentance]
Romans 2:4 (NLT)

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT)

Jesus perfects our faith by loving us. We trust those who truly love us. We believe in them. We have faith in them.

Faith is the Substance of God’s Love for You.

Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen.
Hebrews 11:1 (TPT)

Being “born again” is the natural result of the seed of love Jesus placed in you coming to life and bringing spiritual life to you. It is the process of you yielding to Jesus’ love.  Because we experience His love for us, we believe.  And we repent.

Loving and having faith for others is the inevitable next step.

How can we increase our faith?

1. Stop running around. Stop running away. Let God love you.

Be still and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

“In repentance and rest is your salvation. In quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”
Isaiah 30:15 (NIV)

… how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.
Matthew 23:37 (NIV)

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
John 15:9 (NIV)

2. Listen.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17 (NASB)

In the original Greek, “word” is rhema – the spoken word. Faith comes from having loving conversations with Jesus.  Faith comes from hearing what He is saying to us personally.

3. Yield. Cooperate. Collaborate.

Let God Change the way you think.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
Romans 12:2 (NLT)

Our minds can’t begin to understand God. To the world, all this God stuff is foolishness.

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness,and cannot understand them
1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)

But when we experience the love of God in our hearts, He gets our attention. We can’t deny what we experience. As we let go of our mental picture of life, God replaces it with His. We learn how to see with our hearts. We learn how to live by following our hearts and confirming with our minds.

Could it Really be That Simple?

Could becoming a person of great faith be as simple as allowing God’s love to overwhelm us, to replace all that is not love in our lives, and to allow love to take a higher place in our lives?

Let God Love You into Your Identity.

Set aside time today and every day to let God love you. Talk to Him. Invite Him in. Open your arms and ask for His embrace.

You are going to become great in faith and love. You are going to change. And you are going to change the world.