A faith that is alive is validated by its works. What should those works be in this case?
Dear Emmy,
In our last email we defined faith as the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We viewed the visa as a good gift from our Father, received by faith from the future to become a reality for us to experience today. It was suggested that if our faith was living it would be made evident by our works. The question before us in this email is, "What are these works?" What activities would we engage in that would be seen by others as evidence that our faith was real and alive?
First, we are to give thanks to our Father for the kindness of his grace in granting this visa as His good gift to us. We can thank him for the experience we have today of the reality of the visa. We live with the reality of the visa in the presence of his love with thanksgiving.
Second, we fulfill our responsibility of being prepared for the interview. It seems clear from James 2:22 that there is a work at both ends of faith. We work on our end making preparations and our Father works on the other end to insure the gift is granted. With prayer we need to ask Him what preparations He wants us to make to prepare ourselves to receive what we hope for and want to see.
Third, we enjoy the reality of the visa and begin to think and talk with Him about the opportunities He has for us in the future. We begin to think of how the visa will allow us to spend time with Him and people we have not yet met in new and exciting ways. Our hope is a living hope and faith allows us to enjoy that which we cannot see today. Can you see eternal life? Do you not enjoy the reality of it today? Can you see God? Do you not enjoy the reality of a relationship with Him today? Let us enjoy the initial planning for the experience this visa will provide for us.
Grandpa Steve
That is how I see it. I know you are asking, “What if the visa is not granted?” I will be in a tough spot won’t I. What happens when you die and you discover you don’t have eternal life? How do we choose what faith applies to? How much are we not enjoying in life because our practical minds come up with so many excuses against faith? Seeing the outcome of faith is a daily experience for me here in China. Do you suppose God will show me that I am wrong in this to teach me something bigger? This is hard, but I have been willing to take a public stand to see. I wonder what kind of a story I will be able to write from this later.
Dear Emmy,
In our last email we defined faith as the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We viewed the visa as a good gift from our Father, received by faith from the future to become a reality for us to experience today. It was suggested that if our faith was living it would be made evident by our works. The question before us in this email is, "What are these works?" What activities would we engage in that would be seen by others as evidence that our faith was real and alive?
First, we are to give thanks to our Father for the kindness of his grace in granting this visa as His good gift to us. We can thank him for the experience we have today of the reality of the visa. We live with the reality of the visa in the presence of his love with thanksgiving.
Second, we fulfill our responsibility of being prepared for the interview. It seems clear from James 2:22 that there is a work at both ends of faith. We work on our end making preparations and our Father works on the other end to insure the gift is granted. With prayer we need to ask Him what preparations He wants us to make to prepare ourselves to receive what we hope for and want to see.
Third, we enjoy the reality of the visa and begin to think and talk with Him about the opportunities He has for us in the future. We begin to think of how the visa will allow us to spend time with Him and people we have not yet met in new and exciting ways. Our hope is a living hope and faith allows us to enjoy that which we cannot see today. Can you see eternal life? Do you not enjoy the reality of it today? Can you see God? Do you not enjoy the reality of a relationship with Him today? Let us enjoy the initial planning for the experience this visa will provide for us.
Grandpa Steve
That is how I see it. I know you are asking, “What if the visa is not granted?” I will be in a tough spot won’t I. What happens when you die and you discover you don’t have eternal life? How do we choose what faith applies to? How much are we not enjoying in life because our practical minds come up with so many excuses against faith? Seeing the outcome of faith is a daily experience for me here in China. Do you suppose God will show me that I am wrong in this to teach me something bigger? This is hard, but I have been willing to take a public stand to see. I wonder what kind of a story I will be able to write from this later.
