Faith Walking part 1
If before the cross we were sleepwalking--dead in our trespasses and sins, and trying to be someone we're not because we didn't know who we were, because we didn't know who God was--then on THIS side of the cross we are faith walking. Which is exactly what 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "For we walk by faith, not by sight." And notice, Paul isn't saying, "You NEED to walk by faith." He is saying, "We walk by faith." When you're talking about the finished work of the cross you have to stop waiting for something to happen and you have to start understanding what already happened. I feel like this is going to be controversial so I'm just going to bury it right here and then maybe expand on it later on: I don't believe we are "born into sin" anymore. Not since the cross. Not since Jesus was lifted up from the earth and drew us all into Himself. I think when He died we died. First we were dead BECAUSE of sin, and then we died TO sin. And then born again. Romans 6:4 says it like this, "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Did you catch that at the end there? Walk in newness of life. Faith walking. And look at how the NLT puts 2 Corinthians 5:7, "For we live by believing and not by seeing." Walking by faith is LIVING BY BELIEVING. To live is to love and to love is to live, right? Well, the idea of "love" is one thing, but when you put love in action--when the Word is made flesh--that's charity. And that's truly living. That's living by believing. Because if sin is unbelief--or wrong belief, or believing that God doesn't love us unless--then faith is knowing and believing the love of Christ. Knowing who we are in Him because we know who He is in us. Not trying to follow in His foot steps, or keep an external law, or be someone we're not through behavior modification... but letting Him be Himself in us, and through us, and as us. Not accepting what the world has to show us, or offer us. Not judging by appearance, but judging righteous judgment. Knowing the judgment that was passed down from Father to Son on the cross--not a death sentence, but an eternal, everlasting, abundant, Resurrection Life sentence--and walking in newness of life. Leaving the old behind. You've seen that picture right? A hand is holding a rope. Holding on as tightly as it can. And then it finally lets go and you see the rope burn on the hand. And it says, "Sometimes holding on does more damage than letting go." And don't get me wrong, there are some things we SHOULD hold on to. Fighting the good fight of faith is laying hold of eternal life. Receiving (and releasing) the gift we've been given. But there are some things (like the old man and the beast, or sin, nature) that we really ought to let go of. It's hard to walk when you're carrying a heavy load. And given half a chance the world will try to load you down and crush you. But no matter what it looks like... no matter how hot the fire you're in... the fire in you is hotter! You don't have to let what things look like dictate to you. Because all those things are under your feet. (That's my verse for tomorrow.) What we need to do is walk by faith. Live by believing. Live a life of being loved and loving each other with that same love!